I'd like to add to Cancork's excellent post. We have 60-yr old oil poly satin-finish red oak flooring upstairs. We get a tremendous amount of natural daylight upstairs. Even with coated, windows, the UV has faded - just a little - the kitchen's top quality LVT as well as our laminate-sided kitchen cabs.

I can tell you that before I had the windows coated, the fading on the laminate was severe over a 12-yr period. It was strong enough to bleach out some of the (real) beechwood trim on the doors entirely, even though direct sunlight only hit those spots maybe 2 hrs a day. But with huge picture windows the overall UV index inside was just very high, 365/yr. Window coating made a very big difference.

Receiving less hours of direct sun but still a lot of sunlight as it moves over the house, the wood flooring in DR, LR and front bedroom has faded very little, even with those rooms having uncoated windows.

We installed Mannington Adura LVP throughout our downstairs. There is less direct light, but a lot of LED track lighting (20 of the 50w floods plus additional task lighting). It has the matte finish.

Do I think it looks a little "fake" compared to The Real Thing? Yes, a bit - not quite as much as some of the laminates I've seen, however. At certain times of the day the graining on the LVP does look a little on the plastic-y side. The sun rays have to slant across a certain angle to show it, plus you have to be standing with the sun behind you. Even then, if you are not at just the right spot - for example, at right angles - you wouldn't notice anything.

BUT, in artificial or indirect sunlight, no issues with the look of the LVP (we chose the River Oak). In fact, three different contractors were absolutely sure we had installed real wood flooring (and they had to trek over our HW flooring in order to reach the area we were remodeling with the LVP). They were astonished to learn it was vinyl flooring.

So I think much will depend on your situation. The one real issue with vinyl is the color changing from direct sunlight. If I were installing LVP/LVT/sheet vinyl in a room with lots of direct sunlight, I would factor in coating the windows with UV film.

Thank you both for your detailed responses! It is very helpful.

I have another question, primarily for Cancork, based on a response you wrote in another thread. The OP in that thread was experiencing bad scratches on her Coretec Plus floor. You indicated that there are better finishes compared to Coretec. The Coretec Plus specs have a wear layer that is "UV cured acrylic", and you indicated that this is not the "tough stuff". Can you tell me which LVP products would be less likely to scratch?

I have looked at the Karndean Looselay (Spotted Lemon Gum). I also looked at Armstrong Vivero (Amendoim Amber Glow) - is there another brand/line I should be looking at?

Though everyone (dealers in my area) seems to be advising against it, I am wondering if wood laminate would be a better choice for me? It would have a glossy sheen (which I do like), and perhaps would be less likely to scratch (though I don't actually know this to be true). In Laminate I have looked at 2 Mannington samples, Brazilian Cherry Natural and Jakarta Teak.

In terms of lifestyle - my husband and I live alone and usually wear socks and slippers in the house - leave our shoes at the door. We don't have a lot of traffic in our home, and the floors in question will be in our dining room and adjacent office (the 2 rooms are one continuous space separated by a wall with french doors).

Further advice would be much appreciated!

You are a perfect candidate for a high-end laminate. No water or wet areas. No entrance ways; no bathrooms. As I see it, there is no reason to put in vinyl.

As for toughness if you decide to go with vinyl, you do not have the super busy lifestyle that would indicate a commercial grade finish.

If you want shinier, then vinyl is going to be upsetting. There are many laminates that have a nice satin or semi-gloss to them that are very pleasing to people who prefer a bit of sheen.

When looking at high-end laminates, I like to see 12mm - 15mm thick specimens. The Mannington appears to be 5/16" = 8mm or so. This is average. Remember: a floor is only as good as the thing it is sitting on. A bad under pad = a bad feeling floor. A really good under pad = a very solid feeling floor.

IOW, installation quality is everything. I've noticed people pick flooring according to "what they like". We did the opposite: we picked a flooring store for the quality of its service and installation, THEN worked with them to select an appropriate flooring.

Like most things involved with remodeling, price differences between the raw materials is pretty much irrelevant. DIY saves $$$ because pro installation can cost 2x-3x the cost of the materials. But DIY, apart from the time/effort it takes, can void a warranty - especially flooring warranty - because many DIYers don't prep properly or use mfg-recommended materials.

Hope you find exactly what you want, and good luck to you! Post a photo once you're finished, if you have time.

Thought I would add more details.
The carpet is being replaced with exactly what we had... Shaw Laurel Hill II (100% Nylon Tweed), but we are upgrading the pad to the heaviest we can.
All the "wet rooms" are getting Armstrong Alterna in Sistine White, grouted installation.
Our final decision is the wood or wood look floor which will be laminate or engineered hardwood, TBD.

Cancork- I would be interested to hear a response to the question of what other LVP's are worth looking at. I've been reading up on LVP for months and still can't pick a brand or fully decide if I want glue down or click type. If you have any thoughts to share I would greatly appreciate it!

@K Hesse - I'm not a vinyl dealer. In fact I have a hard time with vinyl planks and tiles because they are VERY difficult to put "padding" underneath. And part of my job is to sell cork underlay/pad. Which means vinyl floors are diametrically opposed to cork.

LVP is very much about "you get what you pay for". The floors with big price tags are worth it - if you can afford the big price tag. The $1.79/sf plank at Lowe's is going to give picky clients many many headaches.

As for glue down over click, I can't answer that. Every situation is different. A glue down vinyl floor in a HIGH END material is worth the HEAVY PRICE TAG for the installation and the adhesive. But a LOW END material that is improperly glued into place can be a homeowner's worst night mare - because the "fix" is horrible and expensive.

DIY click is tricky but doable. DIY glue down is close to impossible to get it right - but sometimes it works. Who's to say what will work in your situation. I always suggest working with a local flooring store (preferably not a chain store) that has OODLES of experience working with the few select vinyl floors they have to offer.

Good luck. Bring in a professional who knows your area, knows the types of homes in your area and know the types of vinyl that work BEST in your situation. That's as good as it gets.

Thanks for your reply!

I have been to our local floor shop (it is a Carpet One, but the owners grew up in the same church as my husband so it is locally owned, and we are a smaller town so it is the best option!). I like vinyl for our family lifestyle, but would love a wood look, which is why I ended up looking at LVP. The lady I dealt with locally seemed pretty excited about Coretec. She said she has had zero problems with it. Then I look on these forums and see people's nightmares and get nervous. I have talked to our builder about my dilemma and he knows one of the installers at the store so he was going to talk to him to get his thoughts. So, I hopefully have some answers coming, but I like to get the feel of many people!

I definitely do not want a cheap floor that I am going to have problems with, which is why I'm debating this so much, I think.

K Hesse, I am in the same boat as you. All the local dealers are telling me LVP is the way to go - even better than engineered hardwood. They are telling me that laminate is out - and even the laminates that I liked are all discontinued. And they are telling me that all the major manufacturers are shifting their efforts and focus on expanding their LVP lines, so that is where you will find the best products.

Then, I see all these posts here that talk about scratches. needing to use a hoover floor system every day, needing to refinish and apply acrylic coatings, and the local dealers tell me - NO WAY - that is all wrong. They tell me these floors do not scratch and are completely maintenance free - just mop lightly with water. Even our local builders are installing them in the new homes everywhere in our area.

Like you, I don't want a cheap looking floor in my formal dining room. I am already signed up for LVT in my kitchen and baths - going with grouted Armstrong Alterna, which is a beautiful tile look - I have no issues or concerns with that. Its all around the wood look LVP products.

I would love it if others would chime in with current experiences with LVP... perhaps some of the troublesome threads were from earlier product that was not perfected yet???

I am just installing EZLay (EZgrip) LVP flooring. I scan't speak from much experience living with it yet as it is just going in at our cabin. I am doing it so it will be a slow process as I have time to get out there and do a bit at a time. The EZLay is a non click lock that just fits tight together. It is meant to be a floating floor with the perimeters glued down. That is what I will be doing. I will do continuous throughout the rooms so will glue the planks at doorways and under the fridge etc. I have looked at a lot of LVP flooring and done research for two years before finally pulling the trigger. This stuff seems far more durable than many I saw. It is 5mm thick and has a 20mil wear layer. It also has a fiberglass layer so it does not shrink or expand like most types. You do not use a 1/4 inch spacer at the edges of rooms. You install it tight against the wall or base boards or glue it where it needs to be at the edges. I was skeptical about how water would not seep between cracks. Honestly, they fit so tightly and well together, that a puddle of water poured on 2 scrap pieces laying together did not let a drop thru to the paper towel they were sitting on. So in normal spill situations, it should be great. I found the surface much more durable than most I looked at also. It has a lifetime warranty for residences and is used in a lot of businesses where it has a 15 yr warranty. It is made in Korea to Canadian standards and sold by a Canadian company. but it is supposed to be available in the U.S. as well. Just thought I would add my 2 cents since I found it so hard to get any feedback on this type of flooring.

Update on my post. I am finished installing just under 400 sq. ft. of EZlay loose lay flooring in the loft bedroom of our log cabin. We had OSB sub floor there which was in quite new, very good condition. I asked the local rep of EZlay if I could lay the floor over that or if another layer of plywood was required. Ours is a very tight low OSB and there was next to no lippage or gaps at seams. I crawled over it on hands and knees and any little bumps from where screws displaced wood, were sanded down and any slight lippage was also sanded with a belt sander. I made sure the floor was very flat and level. I glued the perimeter with a light contact Mapei product as per instructions. I also did one perpendicular strip of adhesive as many videos I saw recommended on larger rooms that every 10 or 13 ft should have a strip of adhesive. The floor is beautiful with no lippage or gaps. I am very happy with it. Can't speak to how it will wear yet. It is also unbelievably quiet. We have 3 cats that we used to be able to hear pitter patter across the floor. Now there is no sound from them. I also get up before DH every morning and walking across the floor to the stairs is much quieter.

Next I will be tackling the main floor where I will do the entire area (2 bedrooms, 1 bath , entryway and open area kitchen, dining and living room) with it.

I have included some I pad pics just quickly snapped before we headed home. A bit of baseboard is still required along the white wall, but otherwise that room is finished!

I hope this helps someone else who is trying to find some feedback on this type and brand of flooring.

Nice! Looks beautiful!

Thanks jakkom. IRL the floor is a bit lighter colour than shown in the photos. It was a challenge finding a colour that didn't compete with our pine ceiling and log walls that also had the quality I was looking for. but I am happy with my choice.

Thanks Jill Coopersmith. I hope you love your new floors and that they stand up well for you. I looked for maple Sonora on Mirage, but couldn't find that colour.

Jill Coopersmith, that will be very nice!

That's very nice - did you order online or find a local dealer? I can't see a dealer in California on their website.

Jill Coopersmith flash forward two years. Were your floors installed? How do you like them. I am now going through the same process with picking floors. I want to put the same flooring throughout my house (except bathrooms). I'm on a slab so, in Georgia that means no solid hardwoods on the main floor so, that's out, unfortunately. Kitchen, powder room and laundry areas make me nervous about engineered hardwood. The retailers are really pushing LVP ovr laminate but i havent found a laminate that has more than 8 repeats. Doing a whole house with 8 repeats (the photo image) makes me nervous. Any thoughts?

@ Jill Coopersmith, how did the Armstrong Alterna work out for you?