Kitchen Flooring: Why Luxury Vinyl Beats Laminate

13 October 2022
 Categories: , Blog


If the flooring in your kitchen has seen better days and needs to be replaced, you might be considering installing laminate flooring. This popular substitute for expensive, high-maintenance hardwood flooring certainly has its plus points, but when it comes to kitchen flooring, luxury vinyl flooring products are frequently a better choice.

Luxury vinyl flooring is made from thick, multi-layered slabs of PVC thermoplastic, and has a number of advantages over laminate flooring that make it particularly suitable for use in kitchens. Here are four reasons to choose luxury vinyl flooring over laminate flooring for your kitchen:

Superior Waterproofing

Laminate flooring is made from compressed wood fibers, which are mixed with synthetic waxes and resins. This structure provides a certain amount of water resistance and is immune to the warping that can ruin hardwood floors when they are exposed to moisture. 

However, this water resistance is far from perfect. Standing water will soak into the fibers if left for too long, causing them to swell and expand. Frequent exposure to condensation and steam can also cause laminate flooring to peel — hardly ideal in the humid conditions of a busy kitchen.

Luxury vinyl flooring products are completely waterproof and do not contain any organic, absorbent materials which can be damaged by prolonged exposure to liquids. They can shrug off major spills and high humidity levels without showing any signs of damage or discoloration. This makes them an ideal choice for any kitchen, and also makes luxury vinyl an excellent choice for bathrooms and laundry rooms.

Hard Wearing

The kitchen is one of the most frequently used rooms in most homes, so your kitchen flooring should be able to withstand heavy foot traffic without suffering excessive wear. Laminate flooring is certainly durable, but luxury vinyl flooring is even tougher and can withstand years of use without showing visible signs of wear.

When luxury vinyl flooring is manufactured, the individual layers of plastic that make up each plank or tile are heat-treated, which bonds the layers together at the molecular level. This process prevents luxury vinyl flooring from peeling or delaminating due to physical wear. 

Wider Choice Of Styles

Laminate flooring is designed to mimic the look of more expensive hardwood flooring, and high-quality examples can be almost indistinguishable from 'real' hardwood. Luxury vinyl flooring is also available in styles that closely resemble hardwood flooring.

However, if you are looking for something a little different to make your kitchen more distinctive, luxury vinyl offers far more choices. You can find luxury vinyl flooring designed to look like traditional kitchen tiles made from natural stone, ceramics, or even terracotta. If your kitchen has more modern, vibrant styling, you can also find luxury vinyl flooring in a wide range of solid colored and pattern designs. 

More Cost Effective

Despite all of these advantages, most luxury vinyl flooring products cost about the same as laminate flooring products of similar quality. When you take luxury vinyl's superior durability and longevity into account, it represents a better long-term investment and will serve your kitchen well for years to come.


Share