Vinyl vs. laminate flooring: Which is better for your home?

Vinyl vs laminate flooring compared. Learn how they differ in durability, water resistance, cost and maintenance to choose the right option.

Vinyl and laminate are both manufactured types of flooring that are budget-friendly alternatives to more traditional hardwood flooring. Vinyl is generally considered a higher-end option that has greater durability and visual appeal, but the quality of each product can vary widely.

Understanding the difference between vinyl flooring vs. laminate is a good place to start if you’re not sure which is best for your home.

Vinyl flooring is made primarily of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), but it also contains plasticizers to add flexibility, stabilizers to help it resist UV light, and printed layers, which resemble other flooring materials, like wood or stone. It has a wear layer on top, a decorative layer beneath that, a core layer made of PVC, and a backing layer.

There are three main types of vinyl flooring:

“Laminate flooring has a core made of high-density fiberboard and an upper laminate made of melamine-impregnated paper,” explained Thomas Borcherding, owner and lead designer at Homestar Design Remodel, a home renovation company in Missouri.