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Building a Home Flooring Design Dilemma

FLOORING: LVP vs. Engineered Hardwood

3 years ago

Luxury Vinyl Plank VERSE Engineered Hardwood.
Which lasts longer? Which is better for one slab’? Which do you prefer and why?

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Comments (6)

Super Lumen
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
LVP:

- Doesn't look as nice.

- Is a bit more flexible and will conform to imperfections in the floor a bit better.

- Is not water proof but will resist damage from moisture more than EHW.

- You can get it in click lock now if you want to be able to take it up and put it back down in case of water intrusion like in a basement.

Engineered HW:

- Looks like real wood (because it is).

- Is more stable than solid hardwood but will be damaged if water and vapor is not properly managed on a slab. You need to have an installer that REALLY knows how to prepare the substrate properly.

- Is more rigid. It can be very hard to get cement slabs perfectly flat enough to not have bouncy spots if you float it. You'll probably spend more $$ in labor and materials getting the floor flat than the wood itself if you want a perfect install.

- Unless you get the cheapo "click lock" kind, it is not removable in case of water intrusion in a slab without destroying it as it will be glued together on the edge.

Overall, on a cement slab, the engineered hardwood will be a lot harder to properly prepare for, and it will not be as tough against water in the future. However, it does look much, much better if you are willing to pay for it.
Marilyn M
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you!
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I'm a fan of Hickory. Love it! I love it's STRONG variation! Yep. Variation is the word that can be used for Hickory. If you are going for "mid-tone" then it means the Hickory is stained. No problem. That's fine. Hickory takes a stain very nicely. But it will still have plenty of variation. The stain will even that out a little bit, but not entirely. The finish is UV cured urethane. I'm not very excited about that finish. If you are going for factory finish, you will want to work with the TOUGHEST finishes on the market (that's why you go with factory finished...for the TOUGH finish). The UV cured urethane is a ho-hum type of finish. Average would be the best way to describe it. The thickness of the plank is 3/4" = normal for sold. The plank width is 5" with random lengths UPTO 60" (5ft). That tells me there will be many planks in the 3' - 4' range. Again, this is ho-hum average. And with a wide plank product, it will need "glue assist". And Hickory certainly needs it because it has a bit more movement (less stable) than white oak. And then there is the "low gloss" format. The low-gloss finish on this depth of colour = nightmare to live with. It will show dust, etc as well as oily foot prints, sock prints, paw prints and will look hazy at certain times during the day. The "haze" is part of the chemical make up of the finish itself = that's how they take away the gloss...they haze it with a chemical additive. The haze goes away when you sand and refinish the floor. That's the only way to fix it. If you must have a mid-tone floor, I would recommend a TOUGHER finish (aluminum oxide or ceramic infused polyurethane) in a satin. Satin is FAR MORE livable. It offers a lovely glow without being shiny. It hides skin oils (like paw prints from dogs) because it is the same gloss level as skin oils....it isn't hazy....you get the idea.
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Vinyl does NOT like heat or direct sunlight. Most vinyl products have a maximum heat tolerance of 85F. That 'sounds' fine until you realize that a pool of sunlight on a floor can reach 120F inside of 20 minutes! Ooops. Which means you need to assess your home as a WHOLE. Old windows or windows that have very little UV protection on them will give you plenty of trouble when looking at the average vinyl product (today's low-E windows start with a UV protection of 45% and then move to 75% and then to 90% or higher). It sounds like you have a low-impact household and a nice home (depending where you live...my market offers bachelor apartments for your price range). A wood product would certainly offer a beautiful floor with plenty of livability and plenty of return on investment. With a budget starting at $7/sf (and moving higher would be preferable) you can have a midrange quality engineered hardwood and a lovely underlay (like 1/4" cork) that will give your new hardwood floors a lovely solid feel to them. Oh yah....vinyl does NOT like underpad. It needs to go STRAIGHT DOWN on to the subfloor. And if the subfloor isn't PERFECT you can have problems.
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Kim,,,it's very solid. just make sure the glue is spread to completely cover the plank. I have a few spots (like under the kitchen sink) where they missed the corner and it squeaks. They've held up great. I don't have dogs, but I have cats and have heard their nails burning rubber across the floor they go off on their tangents. I've spilled water, cleaned up their barf, spilled food, whatever, it all cleans up very well. as for dents, only if you drop something very heavy. but any wood floor will dent. I vacuum w/a Dyson, and then I use Bona wood floor cleaner on a mop. in the kitchen, i'll often take the scrubby brush and watered down Dawn to clean up spills or oil stains. no problem. no, I don't baby them. I don't wear shoes in my house though. I love my floors. just make sure on install they clean up all the glue residue. my guys were messy and lazy. had to call them back w/special glue remover and rag and go over the entire floor.
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Vinyl and POLYURETHANE (the finish on the wood) do NOT play nice together. The wood breaths a little and it NEEDS to breath a little. The vinyl CAPS it. Like locking in the wood in a glass hot house. All that moisture and condensation the wood breathes OFF will hit the vinyl and then DROP BACK DOWN...onto the wood. It will take a little bit of time (a few months to a few years) for the water to collect and TURN MOLDY. But it will happen. The poly also turns 'soupy' and sticky and gross. Regardless, the wood is ruined. So you might as well remove it today. It will save you THREE TIMES the cost of doing this again. Why do you WANT vinyl over a 5 year old wood floor? What's happened? If you INSIST on doing this...please sand the finish OFF the wood and then lay the vinyl. Yah...the SANDING is what helps save the vinyl from filling the wood with mold.
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eld6161
3 years ago
It depends on where you are, your lifestyle and your needs.

I have a home in the north that has hardwood, but one bedroom as engineered.

My southern home has luxury vinyl. Absolutely the best choice for here.

Depending on how thick you go with the engineered, you will have the ability to refinish 2-5 times.

In comparison, hardwood up to 10.

LVP do not require upkeep. I don’t agree with Super. They certainly CAN look nice. But, I am not talking low budget vinyl.

My Coretec LVP is bullet proof. No scratches from the dog. Doesn’t dent if I drop something heavy. A ceramic mug slipped out of my hand and bounced!

pwoole get snobby about hardwood. I personally can appreciate any flooring.
dan1888
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
For rigid lvp look at Modine Here. 40 mil wear layer. 9" x 72".
PRO
Jeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
3 years ago
We came around to LVP after seeing some great product in a pair of $3 mil homes. It could be the same product @dan1888 is showing above. The second time was during a 100+ person indoor/outdoor western party with straw strewn on the floor. Wouldn't recommend doing that with wood.

Wood is a finer product, not as hardy, but we also installed a whole house full last year and it continues to be popular. It has more depth in the finishes.

We just installed about 800sf in our offices to test it out.
suzyscuderi
3 years ago
We are contemplating this same question. My contractor pointed out that we are going to cover flooring that currently has two 'levels' as one is (poorly/cheap) wood flooring, and the kitchen is 10-year Pergo that has lasted for 34 years, so he suggested the engineered hardwood... which I have heard is not as durable as the LVP. 3 kids, one cat and one puppy, and one very good cook who is extremely messy. in hindsight I'd. put in LVP for raising a family, and once they are out of the house, invest in wood. However, I still have the messy husband so Engineered wood it will be.

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