I put in 5mm vinyl click plank from LL in a stone pattern in my kitchen. the thickness does make it a bit tougher to cut so any advantage that the thickness has in making it lock together is balanced by it being harder to make cuts (assuming score and break with a blade and not power tools). Overall, it does take a bit of time and patience to get it installed well. In my installation, seams are all very tight with no signs of any separation after 8 months, despite all this ridiculous cold weather no doubt causing more contraction than what I would normally ever see. Mine is on concrete slab so I don't have experience with it on wood subfloor. Overall, I am happy with it. Note that the surface wear layer will scratch. You should still put protective pads on furniture, etc. It is much more resistant to gouging from dropping heavy stuff on it unlike the cheap sheet vinyl I've had in the past (and worlds better in this regard then laminate and wood). These characteristics may not carry over to all the other 5mm. LL private labels from multiple manufacturers, even stuff they label as being in the same series. In getting stone style click vinyl samples, I noted that they came from at least two different manufacturers. When I've looked at their laminate samples, I've found at least four different manufacturers (and again at least two were supposed to be the just different patterns in the same exact series), some were clearly better quality than others despite being the same price.

Yes, we've successfully installed many floors int he Van Gogh line, and they are really beautiful floors. The subfloor does need to be nice and flat, so you're going to have to consider floor prep for each area of your home. The Importance of a solid subfloor The Flooring Blog The Couture Floor Company

Not all laminates are created equal, and the same is true of LVP. LVP is softer on the feet but is more prone to indentations from furniture as well as sun damage (warping or fading) from windows. It's not super common, but it does happen, even with some of the mid-grade brands. We chose laminate flooring and LOVE it. I did a lot of research and the one we chose has a nearly waterproof core, meaning a puddle of water is not going to soak in and damage the floor. Not all laminates are like this though. We've had it for 3 years and it's been a dream to take care of. It's installed throughout our main floor, including the kitchen and half bath. I would not put laminate, hardwood, or LVP in a full bathroom or laundry room but that's just my opinion. I would do tile in those areas. Anyway, we're very happy with our laminate (except it was installed wrong initially and they had to redo it) and would choose it again. I decided against LVP because it can scuff, etc and we have two dogs. Our particular laminate is way more durable than the LVP we looked at (mainly Coretec) and looks brand new.

I hear or notice the noise way less now, but still hear it from time to time when walking over an area for the first time. We have a couple of seams that have a small gap forming. As others have pointed out and i have come to learn, the problems that we have with the floors are caused by the unevern (not flat) subfloor. So, from that perspective, i cant blame flooret. However, most people that are buying these vinyl floors are doing so for the advertised ”value” and installing them in extisting homes. When you consider the time and expense to make old subfloors PERFECTLY flat, they are no longer a good value. That is my biggest complaint at this point; they drastically under communicate the amount of time and money required to achieve the desired outcome. To those of you who installed these Flooret floors, im sorry and hang in there. The noise and /or your attention to it will improve greatly over time.