Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring

LVT floors are warm underfoot compared to other hard floors, extremely durable, and come with a lifetime domestic warranty from Luvanto, so maintain their good looks for longer. It has heavy waterproof properties and the ability to mimic several materials, such as wood, marble, stone concrete etc. On top of this, it comes with a wide range of colours, patterns and styles, ensuring any room in your house is an attractive space. Living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens – the simplicity of LVT flooring makes it an example of a complete flooring solution that covers all bases.

Luvanto’s LVT flooring combines durability with additional wear and scratch resistance to deliver unmatched performance as a flooring option.

Standard sheet vinyl flooring differs from luxury vinyl tile in the following manners:

• Wear Layer – Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring has a wear layer that acts like a barrier protecting it from damage through its impact and scratch-resistant material. This makes it extremely durable, perfect for high-traffic areas and homes with pets. 
• Layer Count – Standard Sheet Vinyl has far fewer layers than Luxury Vinyl tiles in general which makes it far softer and more prone to surface scratches and marking.
• Appearance – Luxury Vinyl Floors have more visual details, enhancing the beautiful design of the floor. It is considered a perfect alternative to solid wood, accompanied by the practical benefits of vinyl. Luxury vinyl flooring also usually comes with a gorgeous embossed grain wood or stone effect finish that not only gives it a natural look, but one that keeps its looks. 
• Installation – Standard Sheet Vinyl flooring comes in large rolls that have to be stuck to the subfloor with glue. LVT flooring can either be gluedown or a floating floor. The floating floor method is also referred to as click vinyl flooring. Click flooring is a bit like a simple jigsaw locking system, clicking the pieces together for a more competent DIY-friendly installation.

Yes, luxury Vinyl Flooring from Luvanto is waterproof, which makes it a perfect fit for bathrooms and kitchens but not showers or wet rooms. Their waterproof capabilities allow for low maintenance and safety in these areas, as cleaning up is easy. There’s no chance of warping, buckling or any sort of peel from moisture. As with any hard flooring, any standing water should be mopped up though as it could seep through the joints and damage the subfloor over time.

Yes. LVT flooring can vary in levels of thickness and has multiple layers of materials, but none are so thick or so thermally resistant that underfloor heating systems cannot perform optimally. LVT Flooring is quite often paired with these systems for that reason, adding to their natural, comfortable underfoot warmth.

LVT flooring is not as easy to install as traditional vinyl, which comes in sheet form, and is not as forgiving as thick laminate flooring which can often be installed over an existing floor with minimal preparation. We would always recommend an experienced floor fitter to install your flooring as subfloor preparation is the key to a good finish and long-lasting performance. That being said, click vinyl flooring is considered more DIY-friendly. More below:

• Glue-down methods – Glue-down methods are a practical choice for those who want to maximise the stability of their new flooring, but be warned, it’s the most difficult method for installation and is usually best left to the professionals. Glue-down LVT requires the correct subfloor preparation to achieve a long lasting installation. As there is direct bonding to the subfloor, any imperfections will show up. This is also why glue-down methods may require extra work, as major imperfections will directly conflict with the flooring. On top of that, you must ensure you use an equal amount of adhesive across the LVT, and employ efficient smoothing. 
• Click Flooring – Luxury Click PlusVinyl flooring is much easier to install than its counterpart and is often easier than other flooring types to install, too. Simply because of the reduced amount of labour involved and the easy click together flooring. The flooring itself, click flooring, can click together in what’s called a “floating floor”. Whilst the subfloor must be cleaned, click flooring can manage minor imperfections without any need to treat the subfloor itself. However, major imperfections, such as deep dips, cracks, etc. could compromise click flooring still, so it will still require proper preparation for the best results. 

Overall, LVT flooring is as difficult to install as you make it. Opt for a glue down method as a DIY option and you’ll find it far more difficult to install than other flooring options you might have more experience with. Leave the glue down method to a professional or opt for click flooring, and you’ll be surprised by just how easy proper installation can be. 

There are a few key comparison areas that need looking at when considering which is better between laminate flooring and LVT:

• Durability
• Water resistance 
• Installation 
• Maintenance 
• Appearance 
• Cost 

1. Durability / Water Resistance

LVT is much more durable than laminate, especially when being used in high traffic areas that can really put the flooring to the test. It’s better at resisting scratches and dents and with a top layer designed to resist wear and tear, LVT proves to be consistently durable.

Laminate, on the other hand, is much more prone to scratches, and water damage is far more common here too. LVT is waterproof, but laminate has next to no water resistance and with extended exposure to water it can cause swelling and distortion.

2. Installation

LVT has glue down and click-and-lock system designs, which divides how easy installation is here. Use a click system, and you’ll be able to install LVT yourself in a much easier way. 

Laminate flooring, however, will benefit from a similar click system, but will almost always need an underlay to protect the floor. Underlays are an option for LVT too, but aren’t quite as necessary, meaning laminate will take longer to install than LVT on average. 

3. Maintenance

LVT is designed to be easy to maintain and clean. Regular care with things like Luvanto’s Floor Care Kit can increase the floor’s lifespan and improve its overall look. 

Laminate is also quite easy to maintain with the right products – just make sure you choose the appropriate cleaning products. 

Overall, both are equally easy to maintain with the right kit.

4. Appearance

LVT is designed to mimic a wide range of materials accurately, so you can achieve a wood, stone, or tile appearance with ease, without any of the cost or associated maintenance of the real thing. With LVT, you can achieve whatever look you want.

Laminate comes in a variety of finishes too, but it doesn’t benefit from the same high-definition printing designs as LVT, and if you want an ‘as-close-to-the-real-thing’ finish as possible, then LVT is always the better option here. 

5. Cost

LVT is more expensive than laminate when you opt for a quality product – but its durability and expected lifespan is far greater, too, so there is a balance to be struck here. 

Laminate is much more budget friendly, so if cost is your main concern, then laminate will win this battle almost every time. 

Overall

LVT flooring is better for those looking for a durable, waterproof, attractive flooring option, and laminate is better for those on a budget who still want an attractive flooring option with equal maintenance tasks to LVT.