Bump. Any experience with Go Haus. They have such a great white with minimal contrast. http://www.gohaus.com/vinyl-plank-flooring/click-vinyl-plank-flooring/cascade-wpc

So let's talk the about the difference between an engineered hardwood and a vinyl plank. And there are more than just the difference between the two flooring options. There are many differences within each type of flooring. For example: engineered hardwood flooring can come in different thickness overall and vinyl planks can come in different plank styles (glue down, WPC and SPC). Let's break this down for you guys a little further. Engineered hardwood is an incredible option for an authentic with longevity in mind. Typically is worth less than it's hardwood counterpart (hardwood) but in some instances, depending on the wood species, a high end engineered hardwood veneer could be worth more than a low grade hardwood such as your North American (domestic) species. Engineered hardwood is more often on the 7/16" side of thickness and that is your more price friendly thickness. You can special order a thicker 3/4" board, but that will come at a heftier price because it's added layers. The added layers create a more stable plank that expands and contracts at a lower rate than it's 7/16" counterpart. Engineered hardwoods always should and for the most part come prefinished with an aluminum oxide coat. This very coat is your barrier against everyday beatings from walking traffic and dropped items. This coat is very tough but no floor or finish is indestructible. You will have dents and scratches pop up over the years. Depending on the company, you can buy "refinish kits". Although, technically you cannot refinish aluminum oxide, the kits just help you hide the scratches until you decide to do a professional refinish to your floor. Lastly, let's talk about refinishing your hardwood floor. Please have a professional do it! And it is very expensive to do this job. Depending on your floor size it can cost well over $3,000 USD. At this rate, you are in the market for a high level LVP. Which brings me into the luxury vinyl plank spectrum. As you all are aware, LVP's are dominating the flooring market and they should be. They do a very, VERY good job at imitating a hardwood or stone surface and multiply the longevity all the while. Vinyl has come a long way in the last couple of decades let alone the last few years as far as planks are concerned. There are plenty of options and so, so many different brands all wanting you business. Luxury vinyl planks can be divided into two different categories in the market right now: glue down or floating. The first generation of vinyl planks are your glue downs. They are still very popular and serve as one of the friendliest DIY repair floors. You simply heat the old damaged plank, peel it and put a new one down. The floating aspect of planks gets a little more complicated as you can have a WPC (wood polymer composite), SPC (stone polymer composite) or a loose lay style. And you can look those up to see the complete difference in each to see what's your most needed. I'll lightly go over each to explain what they are. While all three styles are virtually waterproof, you really can't go wrong with any and will have a good product in each one. WPC's are a click based plank which does not require an underlayment, hence being labeled a "floating" floor. The foaming agent in the core of the plank helps with sound absorption and makes the plank a little more friendly to stand on. It's a thicker overall plank and you should think about how the trims will be affected. SPC's are a click based plank which also does not require an underlayment which helps reduce the installation cost. The core is limestone based and makes it very rigid and tough. It's extremely dent resistant but for the most part is lower in wear layer for some reason. You can however find plenty of SPC's with a higher wear layer, nearing 28-30 mil, but it will cost you more because you will have a high dent and scratch resistance. And finally you have your loose lay planks which are the ultimate form (as of now) in easy maintenance and installation. They do not require an underlayment, do not use a click system and don't need any adhesive (although some installers recommend gluing the perimeter). They have a friction backing which let you lay the plank adhesive free without any movement on its end. The plank itself is waterproof and pretty dent resistant. While engineered hardwood does cost more and is less maintenance friendly, it does add value to your home with the hardwood veneer. The ability to refinish gives you a long floor life but the cost of a refinish is a setback in itself. Luxury vinyl planks are a low cost and long lasting floor option but adds little to no value to your home. The endless options of styles and colors gives you endless customization to your home at a far less price. Either option can last a while but at this time vinyl planks are a better option for any household with multiple members, both human and furry alike. I hope this little bit of information helps in the short and long run. Just a flooring dude.

Michelle, google- LVT versus WPC versus SPC flooring-and read some of the numerous articles that come up. SPC is an upgrade from LVT and WPC. They are all waterproof, but SPC is more dimensionally stable and can withstand lower and higher temperatures better than the other two. SPC flooring is stone based and therefore has better dent resistance. if you will go to the website I referenced above, there is info there on the SPC flooring. That‘s what we‘ve decided to put in our home after much reading and looking at many, many samples over the last year. You may decide that WPC will be fine for your home, or you may decide that SPC is what you need. Both the WPC and the SPC have much better dent resistance than the LVT. I suggest you do your homework and then decide which is better for you.

" I’d take less offense if it was simply called what it is “vinyl plank”. The addition of the word luxury leads people to believe that somehow it’s not vinyl " Oh good grief. The "L" word was added many years ago to distinguish the new products from the old SHEET VINYL that was so commonplace and familiar. However - today, LVT IS being used to describe products that have almost no vinyl in them at all. The vinyl planks of yesterday are slowing being replaced with new products. Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) LVP was the first product introduced under the waterproof category. It has been used commercially for a while. It slowly worked its way into the residential sector. It is made out of PVC with a picture printed on top, and coated with a urethane ware layer to protect it. LVP is generally 1-4 millimeters thick. In most cases it is best to glue it down. It needs to be installed on a level well-prepped floor. Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) To reduce the need for floor prep, WPC came out. It is thicker, more rigid, and floats over your floor. It has 4 main layers: underlayment, WPC rigid board, a vinyl design layer, and a protective layer. Vinyl Design Layer and Protective Layer: This part is virtually the same as LVP. It’s vinyl that’s been printed on, embossed, and given a protective layer that is glued to the WPC board. WPC Rigid Board: The WPC board is where these products differ from regular LVP. They make the board with wood pulp, plastic, and binders to make a rigid board. This is where the locking mechanism will be cut into. Underlayment: The underlayment can either be cork or foam and will either be attached to the boards or come in rolls. Its main purpose is to keep the floor from slipping around. It also gives the floor a little cushion. WPC is a great option if you want LVP but for applicable reasons can’t glue it down. Stone, Plastic, Composite (SPC) The most recent type of waterproof flooring is SPC. SPC is very similar to WPC except they use stone dust instead of wood pulp. This eliminates the need to acclimate the floor. These products are even more rigid than the WPC products.