You’re looking for new flooring for your home, and you’ve settled on a wood effect like laminate or LVT. But you’ve noticed LVT is more expensive compared to laminate. You’re probably wondering why, and if luxury vinyl tile is really good enough to justify that higher price tag. We’re here to break down LVT vs laminate to answer once and for all, “is LVT worth the money?”   

But before we can answer that question, we need to cover a few basics like what’s LVT and what’s the difference between LVT and laminate?

What is LVT? 

LVT stands for luxury vinyl tile, a type of budget-friendly hard surface flooring. Luxury vinyl tile is suitable for almost any home, and it looks great in any room. It’s waterproof and scratch resistant, making it perfect for busy areas of your home like living rooms, kitchens and bathrooms. This makes LVT the best flooring choice for families with young kids or pets as it’s easy to clean and you can replace damaged areas easily.  

LVT is constructed in layers, which are usually: a backing layer, a synthetic core, a decorative image layer and a scratch-resistant wear layer. Because of the decorative image layer, there’s a range of textures of LVT. Luxury vinyl tile can be used to replicate natural materials like wood, concrete or marble. We also offer stone effect LVT, which is a popular choice for kitchens, utilities and bathrooms. If you’re thinking of using LVT for your whole home, our LVT style guide helps you choose the right texture for each room.   

Is it LVT or LVP? 

You might’ve seen some people refer to LVT as LVP or luxury vinyl plank. LVP is the same construction as LVT, but luxury vinyl tiles usually have a more traditional square or rectangle shape to replicate materials like stone, whereas LVP uses a longer plank shape to more closely replicate the effect of wooden boards. Both LVP and LVT are constructed in the same way and are almost identical, so the terms can be used interchangeably. There’s no real difference between LVT and LVP.  

Differences Between LVT and Laminate 

The choice of LVT vs laminate comes down to your budget and area use. Laminate is the overall cheaper choice due to construction differences that make LVT more expensive. Both LVT and laminate are constructed in layers, but laminate is constructed using wood pulp (a byproduct of timber manufacturing) whereas luxury vinyl tile uses synthetic materials such as PVC or rigid core SPC. This is what gives LVT the higher price tag but also its durable finish.   

Due to its construction, laminate flooring is sensitive to temperature/moisture because the wood fibre expands and contracts. Whilst modern laminate can be made splash resistant, consistent water exposure will warp and bubble laminate flooring over time. If you’ve got young kids who might spill drinks or pets that may have accidents that might not be cleaned up for a few hours, LVT is the better choice.  

LVT or Laminate: Positives and Negatives 

Installation – Both laminate and LVT can be installed quickly and simply without the need for nails. LVT offers a click-lock or glue-down system, whilst laminate is a floating floor. Laminate is the more forgiving option and is suitable for DIYers as the planks are thicker. Luxury vinyl tile requires proper subfloor preparation and is better left to professional installers such as our team of LVT installers in London.  

Waterproofing – Laminate is constructed from wood fibre, which is sensitive to moisture and temperature. This makes laminate flooring unsuitable for kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and any other area of the home that is subject to humidity or temperature changes. On the other hand, LVT is constructed with synthetic materials known for excellent waterproofing qualities. It’s specially designed to be suitable for use throughout the whole home. 

Soundproofing – If you live in a flat, LVT for apartments helps reduce noise for your neighbours thanks to the built-in soundproofing qualities of the core design. Laminate is more likely to create loud footsteps or echoes compared to LVT.  

Cleaning – Both laminate and LVT are easy to maintain. LVT can be cleaned with a quick hoover/sweep and a wet mop, whereas laminate should be dry mopped only. The best cleaner for LVT floors is a simple pH neutral cleanser to maintain the appearance of your tile without the risk of discolouration. 

Appearance – Laminate comes in a wide range of wood styles, whilst LVT comes in wood textures as well as marble, concrete and stone effects in multiple colours. Because LVT comes in a range of styles, it’s possible to install luxury vinyl tile in every room of your home, saving you money and time during the installation process. Looking for tile in your bathroom and wood in your living room? You can do both with LVT and have all your flooring sorted in one go! 

Cost – LVT costs more than laminate per square metre. Whilst both have similar lifespans lasting anywhere between 10-30 years with proper care, LVT is more durable, less prone to damage and can be repaired more easily meaning it often lasts longer than laminate in busy areas of the home.  

Looking Beyond the Price Tag: LVT Lifetime Cost Breakdown 

It’s true, LVT does cost more than laminate if you’re just looking at the price, but what about the lifetime cost of LVT?  

Whilst both laminate and LVT have a similar lifespan under ideal conditions, laminate flooring is less durable than LVT and gets damaged more easily, meaning it’s more likely to need replacement sooner. On the other hand, LVT can handle whatever you and your family throw at it thanks to the waterproof and scratch resistant properties.  

There’s also the cost of installation to consider. If you’re flooring your whole home, LVT can be used everywhere from bedrooms to bathrooms, meaning it’s often cheaper to do your full home in one installation using LVT. Most laminate floorings are unsuitable for bathrooms due to the wood content, meaning you’d need to use a different flooring type for different areas of your home, adding to the cost and difficulty of your flooring installation.  

Over the course of its full lifetime, factoring in ease of repair and maintenance, LVT offers better value for money compared to laminate flooring.  

How To Make Sure Your LVT Lasts  

The key to making sure your LVT stays beautiful for as long as possible is proper installation by a professional LVT installer. Our London LVT installation team takes extra care in ensuring your LVT flooring has been properly installed with correct subfloor preparation to ensure your LVT lasts.  

Top tips to get the most out of your LVT: 

• Let your LVT acclimatise to your home temperature for 48 hours. Our team will give you advice.  

• Use underlay if needed. Our team will let you know if you need underlay.  

• Use felt pads on furniture such as table legs and chairs to avoid denting or scratching.  

• Sweep regularly and use a neutral cleaner with a damp mop to clean.  

• Avoid long term direct exposure to sunlight as this can cause fading.  

• Get a professional to perform your installation.  

Professional LVT Installation in London  

At 3D Royal Floors, we offer high-quality premium flooring options built to last including microcement, resin and LVT. We serve both commercial and residential clients across the Greater London area. Our work includes a range of past projects in retail spaces, hotels, bars, leisure spaces, offices, and luxury homes.