LVT vs vinyl: Which is better?

Whether you’re planning on re-styling your entire kitchen and want to give its floor a fresh look, or you’re overhauling your bathroom floor to improve its waterproofing, it’s safe to say there are quite a few flooring material choices out there for you to pick from.

However, if you’re on a tight budget, but still want to invest in a floor that’s reliably durable, easy to maintain, and long-lasting, then your mind has probably already turned towards buying vinyl or LVT.

Both specific types of vinyl flooring, you may be looking at both these flooring products and wondering what the differences between the two of them are – is it just the price, or is there more to it?

Well, to clear up any confusion you may have between picking vinyl or LVT flooring for your home, we’ve broken down the differences between LVT vs vinyl in this guide. From installation and repairability to lifespan and more, we’ve covered everything you need to know about the vinyl vs LVT debate below!

LVT or vinyl: What is vinyl flooring?

Starting with the most well-known of these two products, sheet vinyl flooring is a material made from thin layers of plastic resins, topped with a printed design layer, before being coated with a protective wear layer.

As a result, sheet vinyl flooring is seen as being easy to produce and relatively inexpensive, with many even coming with a pre-installed underlayer beneath for added support and comfort.

LVT or vinyl: What is LVT flooring?

As for what LVT tiling is, LVT (or luxury vinyl tile) is a relatively modern flooring innovation. Formed of thick planks or tiles that consist of multiple layers of vinyl compressed into a hardened layer, this core layer has a printed design added on the top, which is then coated in vinyl and protective layers to prevent damage.

Widely seen as the premium vinyl flooring product, LVT typically mimics the design of stone and wood flooring, coming in planks that can be easily locked together for a seamless floor finish.

LVT flooring vs vinyl: How do they compare?

Given that both LVT and sheet vinyl share similar material properties, you’d be forgiven for thinking that their associated pros and cons are rather similar. However, thanks to their distinct methods of construction, there are certainly distinct differences between the two:

The advantages of LVT

When it comes LVT, there’s a lot to like about this particular flooring option, with luxury vinyl tiling excelling in all the following areas:

• Realism – first and foremost, LVT is the more realistic of the two materials, with care being taken to select and produce photorealistic designs for each plank in order to seamlessly mimic the visual style of real wood and stone.
• Enhanced durability – matching the above, LVT is also more durable than sheet vinyl, being built with a thicker wear layer for a greater level of scratch resistance.
• Thicker surface – LVT, by its very nature, is almost always thicker than standard vinyl sheets, making for a far more supportive floor material with greater sound-dampening qualities and heat retention capacity.
• DIY-friendly installation – thanks to the rigid click system in use across most LVT products, luxury vinyl tile sets lend themselves well towards homeowners looking to install their new floor themselves in order to save on costs.
• Waterproof – being made from vinyl, and sealed against outside contaminants, LVT has fantastic waterproof properties that make it ideal for use in bathrooms and kitchens.
• Low-maintenance – all LVT floors come with an exceptional degree of stain resistance, making them easy to clean and look after.
• Simple to replace – unlike sheet vinyl, which can be difficult to repair once damaged, LVT planks can either be refurbished to sand away small gouges, or the damaged tile can be replaced directly without the need for you to relay your entire floor.
• High lifespan – provided you look after your LVT properly, you can expect this sort of flooring to last at least 15 years, with many high-end brands having an expected lifespan of 25 years or more.

The pros of vinyl

As for sheet vinyl, although it might be the cheaper product, that’s not to say it doesn’t come with its own set of advantages that allow it to compete with LVT:

• Budget-friendly – straight away, sheet vinyl has the advantage over LVT when it comes to pricing, being cheaper in almost every regard and giving you great value for money if you have a very specific price you need to stick to.
• Easy to install – standard sheet vinyl uses the tried-and-true method of glueing your new floor to a preprepared subfloor, meaning all you need to do is cut your vinyl to size and fit in place with the right adhesive.
• Waterproof – like many LVT products, sheet vinyl can be made completely waterproof for installation in bathrooms, kitchens, and utility rooms. And if it’s not registered as 100% waterproof, all sheet vinyl is highly water resistant, making water damage extremely unlikely either way.
• Heat-resistant – all sheet vinyl is registered as heat resistant up to certain temperatures. So, provided you install your vinyl with the appropriate underfloor heating, it can make for a fantastic surface to warm your feet on during those cold mornings.
• Easy to clean – much like LVT, sheet vinyl is highly stain-resistant, and typically only requires regular hoovering and the occasional mop to keep clean.

What are the cons of LVT and vinyl flooring?

Clearly, there are good benefits to picking either vinyl or LVT. However, opting for such floor materials is not without their potential drawbacks, such as:

• Neither vinyl nor LVT are considered very eco-friendly, as both are made using plastics that are not always biodegradable.
• Both LVT and vinyl will warp when exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Sheet vinyl flooring often has a lower quality print layer than LVT, though neither can fully replicate the visuals of real wood and stone flooring.
• Vinyl, due to being relatively thin, can be quite hard underfoot and uncomfortable to walk on without proper footwear.
• Vinyl is far more easily damaged than LVT and cannot be refinished to eliminate blemishes without removing and replacing the whole floor.
• Unless a specific UV layer is incorporated into their construction, both LVT and sheet vinyl will fade if regularly exposed to sunlight.

What to consider when buying LVT or vinyl flooring

Last, but not least, when it comes to choosing between vinyl vs LVT, it’s important to take into account several key factors before making your purchase, as certain rooms and environments may be better suited to one flooring type or another:

• Room size – depending on how big the room you plan to re-floor is, you may want to opt for sheet vinyl to save on installation costs, rather than face the higher price of laying one or more rooms with LVT.
• Room type – certain rooms in the home certainly lend themselves better to LVT or sheet vinyl, with LVT being seen as a much better option for living spaces while vinyl is a great choice for utility rooms.
• Foot traffic – if you’re looking to change the floor in a room that sees a lot of use, such as your hallway, then your better option will be to go with LVT for its improved durability and longevity.
• Style – if you’re not too concerned with the accuracy of the floor you’re trying to replicate, then sheet vinyl will be more than suitable for your needs. However, if visual aesthetics is important to you, then LVT will be the better option.
• Installation – although both LVT and vinyl are relatively easy to install, if you want to make sure you can replace damaged floor tiles, or more readily change your floor in the future, then LVT will give you much more flexibility in this regard.
• Budget – finally, if you have a limited budget to work with, then sheet vinyl is definitely going to be the more affordable option for you. On the other hand, if your budget is more flexible, then LVT is likely the wiser investment.

LVT flooring vs vinyl: Which should you choose?

At the end of the day, when it comes to choosing between LVT flooring and vinyl, we reckon LVT is often the superior product in terms of build quality, longevity, and style. However, for those homeowners who need to be smart with their money, then sheet vinyl is a proven and reliable flooring option for your home.

Naturally, if you want to learn more about the types of sheet vinyl and LVT out there, then you can take a look at the full Flooring King range today. And if you want to know more, check out our guide to sheet vinyl, or read our comparison guides on LVT vs engineered wood and laminate vs vinyl flooring.