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Luxury Vinyl or Laminate in a house full of dogs and kids?

6 years ago

We just moved into a new house and are redoing the floors through the whole main living space -- sunroom, kitchen, living room, and hall. We want a darker wood look and have been looking at both luxury vinyl and laminate and I like the look of both.
My brother-in-law (who installs flooring) suggested luxury vinyl because it holds us up to moisture better. However, I've been looking online and a lot of reviews are saying that it scratches SUPER easily. We have three dogs (two of them are 80+ pounds) and two little kids, so I need something that will hold up to nails and roughhousing and still look nice.
Does anyone have any recommendations based on their experience? Vinyl or laminate? Any brands of either that are especially sturdy? Thanks so much!

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Comments (3)

PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
6 years ago
Porcelain tile doesn't scratch - everything else does. That's just the truth of flooring. Vinyl sounds right....except for the sun room! Vinyl does NOT like heat! It does NOT like direct sunlight (I mean REALLY DOESN'T LIKE IT). We've seen HORRIBLE events happen with vinyl in Sunrooms/UV exposure. So horrible that the floor needed replacing inside of 1 year....I mean REALLY BAD!

And laminate doesn't like kitchens. So we are officially at an impasse. If you can work with a water resistant laminate (like Aquaguard) you could have the solution. It is a true laminate on a very stable "core" (black plastic).

It has no problems in direct sunlight/heat exposure. It can handle spills - to an extent.

If you insist on the same flooring throughout, you will have to work with some very expensive options. There are some Korean made vinyls on the market that have higher heat resistance (they are DESIGNED to accept in-floor radiant heat) and have a bit more resistance to UV rays (but not as much as laminate). The Drop N Done or EZ Lay vinyl floors are both in that category. Even so, they have temperature limits - so be VERY careful.

Personally, I would start splitting up the flooring into "use" areas and find coordinating colours/patterns in different materials. The "single floor" ideal isn't always the solution. Each home is different. Figuring out what the HOME will allow is part of the process.

You don't want to know the price of windows just to get rid of the UV rays/heat produced in a sun room. It is cheaper to work with the right flooring for the area.
nanj
6 years ago
Check out Flooret Modine LVT. It is available only online, the company is very accessible to help you with your decision. Their samples are either $3 for about a 12" sample or $15 for a full plank. I have several samples and am SO impressed with the quality. Their wear layer is 40 mil versus the industry standard of 20 mil and has texture like wood. The way the planks are designed there is no obvious pattern so it doesn't scream FAKE. My friend installed it in her kitchen, loves it, and regrets that she installed laminate the year before in her foyer. (I have no vested interest in the product, just impressed with it.)

Flooret Modin LVT
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PRO
User
6 years ago
I agree with Cancork, one flooring material for the entire household with kids and pets, probably isn't the best idea. Flooring materials are made for different uses. Figure out which areas will be prone to more moisture (like kitchens and baths) That's where you're better off with something truly water resistant, if not completely water-proof (Like tile). The Vinyl is better for the little ones; it's much softer. There are high-end laminates on the market, but when you see the price, you might as well have gone with hardwood, and you're still just getting a laminate at the end of the day (which won't last as long as a floating vinyl plank). You should also consider where the pets spend most of their time. Where they eat, where they come in and out... those areas will probably be taking the most abuse.

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