Laminate vs Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring | Everything you need to know!

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I installed Mohawk water resistant laminate flooring in 4 bedrooms and a hallway. Got it cheap feom Costco . Before I installed it, I placed half of plank in a bucket of water and let it sit there for half a day. I removed it and let it sit for a day. It was absolutely untouched. I could not tell where it has been immersed in the water. I also put 2 planks together and put water on them overnight. Checked them in the morning and all looked perfect . Zero damage. I also took the scratchiest chair and sat on it and tried for scratch the heck out of it on purpose and could not make 1 scratch on that floor. So, Mohawk laminate is super strong and it’s way more than water resistant .

This is the most thorough comparison between between vinyl and laminate flooring I have seen. I'm looking to remove the carpet from my house and this has been very informative.

I was humbled by this video as someone who was prepared to go down the rabbit hole doing research, this video was stunningly cohesive and informative, thanks for your time and have a good day

Your thorough insights and explanations are so helpful! Watching these helps me feel a lot more confident about the DIY projects I undertake. Thanks so much!😊

Thanks Belinda for explaining the difference and the importance of getting the correct rated product for the area it’s being applied to.

The most comprehensive and non biased reviews I have found about construction projects. Thank you!

I've used both wood laminate and vinyl plank in two separate houses. Both have held up really well. The vinyl is harder to cut but has the benefit of being truly waterproof. The only placed I've ever glued anything was vinyl plank onto stairs. Taking the underlay off was a huge pain but the results were nice. Such a nice video, Belinda! Keep up the great work!

Thank you Belinda!! I just installed luxury vinyl in one of our bathrooms, and am getting ready to install some laminate in one of our bedrooms. Understanding how each one is made, their characteristics and pros & cons really helps.

In my old house, I had the HVAC on the first floor and didn’t do proper maintenance for a couple years. As a result, the unit started leaking water from the AC. I would hear a drip every now and then, but thought it was in my head. Eventually, I would walk by the closet where the HVAC was and found the floor was saturated. Eventually the LAMINATE floor started to buckle wherever the water spread. Basically all the water was sitting under the laminate for a long time. I had tried out vinyl plank flooring for one of the bedrooms a year before and was really impressed with it. So I bought Lifeproof vinyl plank flooring for the entire first floor. It literally felt nice to walk on, it looked good, and most importantly, it was waterproof. Plus there’s a 5 year warranty on the floor. It was a really good investment. It was one of the things that helped me sell my house for double what I bought it for after 1 day on the market (it was my first house I had for a decade). I did end up upgrading to a newer, nicer place, but I miss my old house. I did a ton of projects upgrading everything. My new place doesn’t need anything. But next time I buy a place, I’m going for a project house. I’m pretty sure a project house will keep you living longer.

This channel is a great source of knowledge, I have zero experience on these topics, yet you made it so easy to understand. I deeply appreciate your efforts to share this knowledge with the rest of us. Thank you very much and keep up with the good work.

I run a kennel with hundreds of dogs every year. I also have a rental. I installed TrafficMaster textured vinyl floating plank with tongue and groove glue strip. (Whew! That is a mouthful.) I have been using it for 6 years and it seems nearly indestructible. It is swept and mopped multiple times everyday and is still in excellent condition.

Thank you for this! Easily the best video I've seen explaining the differences. We have vinyl in our house now and have been extremely happy with it. We've been trying to decide what to get in our new house and almost went with laminate but I think vinyl is definitely the way to go. Thank you!!

Just stumbled onto your channel and had to comment; I'm blown away by the breadth, quality of information and presentation of you video. You're a real pro at this.

I’m soooooo grateful I found your channel. This is my favorite way to learn about materials in more depth.

Great video! My wife and I have been talking about replacing our carpet with one of the two options. I knew some of things from the video but still learned a lot. One thing I would add is that laminate flooring can dull saw blades due to the aluminum oxide being so hard. If I ever do a laminate install again, I am going to buy a purpose built laminate cutter.

Beautiful and smart! I was actually going to buy laminate flooring next week but now I'm changing it to luxury vinyl. Thanks!!!

Thanks for the video. One important difference, at least to me, is the surface sound. The degree varied by brands, but laminate flooring consistently has a louder, more harsh sound when walked on or when things are slid across it. A lot more high frequencies to the sound profile. Another is that LV planks will relax to fit the undulations on a floor surface, while laminate will just bridge the hollow spots. This makes for an unpleasant feel when walking across said hollows. It's particularly noticeable on concrete floors, which tend to not be as flat.

I just LOVE your channel and your delivery! You always give concise, helpful and direct information. THANK YOU.

Thank you. Excellent comparison. I found the difference in damage caused by water to be especially informative. It would be interesting to know how they compare in areas such as sounds acoustics, sound absorption, as well as walking/standing comfort.