Wood vs. vinyl vs. laminate flooring

Compare popular flooring options on cost, durability and care

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Updated: 05/19/2023

If you watch house-hunting shows, you’ve probably seen prospective buyers light up at the sight of hardwood. If you watch renovation shows, though, you’ll also see how expensive it can actually be to install a brand-new hardwood floor.

In recent years, vinyl and laminate flooring have evolved, with options that mimic the look of hardwood at a more palatable price. Before you opt for either of these three flooring options, however, it’s important to understand the differences and benefits of each.

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	Vinyl	Laminate	Wood
Cost	$1 to $5 per square foot	$1 to $11 per square foot	$3 to $13 per square foot
Installation cost	$1.50 to $2.75 per square foot	$1 to $3 per square foot	$4 to $8 per square foot
Life span	5 to 25 years	15 to 25 years	50 to 100+ years
Recommended for	Anywhere	Dining room, living room, bedrooms, home office	Dining room, living room, bedrooms, home office

Vinyl flooring

Many homeowners love the look of hardwood but balk at the price and the cost of installation. In turn, many are opting for vinyl flooring instead. This synthetic, petroleum-based material can easily be printed with designs, leading to the creation of a wide selection of vinyl flooring that can very closely mimic the look of hardwood — but at a lower cost.

From vinyl tile to vinyl plank, there’s probably a vinyl flooring that could work in any room of your home. The waterproof nature of vinyl means it can work even in bathrooms and kitchens, and even luxury vinyl is affordable and accessible to many homeowners.

Pros

Affordable
Easy to install and maintain
Great in any room

Cons

Can be scratched or dented
Not environmentally friendly
Hard on feet

Cost

When it comes to the cost of vinyl flooring, it’s one of the most affordable options out there. Quality vinyl flooring tends to fall in a range of $2 to $5 per square foot. However, for bargain vinyl, you can find prices as low as $1 per square foot.

Professional installation is also affordable for vinyl flooring. Because it’s so simple to install, many homeowners choose to do it themselves, saving even more money without sacrificing the look of their flooring.

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Durability

A reviewer on our site mentioned that even though their vinyl flooring isn’t as smooth as hardwood, they appreciate its toughness against dirt and even their dogs’ claws.

As with traditional wood flooring, vinyl flooring is not immune to damage, however. While it does include a wear layer that helps it stay fairly resilient under normal traffic, it can still get scratched up and dinged. However, the ease with which you can replace a board means you can repair your flooring in a weekend, if needed.

Another great thing about this flooring option is that it typically includes a warranty. Depending on the manufacturer, you could have anywhere from a 5- to 20-year — or longer — warranty.

The best part about vinyl flooring is that the pieces themselves are completely waterproof. No matter which room you’re flooring, there’s likely a vinyl option that will meet your design needs.

Cleaning and maintenance

Many homeowners choose vinyl flooring because it means easy cleaning and minimal maintenance. With simple chores like vacuuming or sweeping and mopping, you can keep your floors looking great without a fuss. If there’s a spill, all you have to do is wipe it up. It’s the perfect option for families with children or pets.

Installation

Generally speaking, the process of installing vinyl flooring is pretty straightforward. With the exception of sheet vinyl, vinyl is fairly easy to install for the average homeowner. Most of the options come as tiles and planks with a peel-and-stick or snap-together design. By installing your vinyl flooring yourself, you’ll save some money on the total cost of your flooring.

Laminate flooring

Known for its easy installation, laminate flooring continues to provide a more durable option than hardwood. Although it first rose to popularity decades ago, it continues to be a viable option, thanks to the advancements in manufacturing in recent years.

If you want a long-lasting flooring option, laminate should be one of the first options you consider. Depending on the type of laminate flooring — laminate plank, for example — you can enjoy your laminate flooring for decades.

Although there are benefits to laminate flooring, like enjoying the look of hardwood on a budget, it does come with limitations. Because nearly all laminate flooring is made from a wood-based, fiberboard core, it doesn’t tolerate water well; it’s not ideal for a bathroom or kitchen.

Pros

Affordable
Easy to install
Low-maintenance

Cons

Not water-resistant
Can be scratched
If top layer is damaged, the plank must be replaced

Cost

The cost of laminate is comparable to that of vinyl. At about $1 to $11 per square foot, it’s pretty affordable, and there are tons of options to choose from in an array of styles. You can find the look you want at just about any price point.

To save on your new laminate flooring, you can do the installation by yourself fairly easily. However, if you’d like to outsource the work, you can expect to pay between $1 and $3 per square foot. That puts your overall cost between $2 and $14 per square foot, which isn’t bad for flooring that can last 10 to 25 years.

Durability

While it’s a pretty durable option, laminate flooring is made of layers that can begin to wear down with time or if it’s exposed to water for too long. And once the top layer is scratched, repairing it isn’t an option — the piece will need to be replaced.

As for stains, the top layer of aluminum oxide covers several layers of pressure-laminated material, so in general, vinyl has excellent stain resistance. If you’re worried about younger family members drawing on the floors, laminate is a great option.

Because the core of laminate flooring is wood, it doesn’t hold up well to moisture — so it’s not a great option for the kitchen, bathroom or any room with frequent moisture.

Cleaning and maintenance

Laminate’s wood-based core can easily be damaged by too much moisture. To clean a laminate floor, start with dry methods first and only use damp — not wet — mops.

As for maintenance, laminate flooring is fairly easy to take care of. With basic cleaning habits, you can keep your laminate flooring looking great for years. However, if the top layer is scratched, it can’t be repaired. It’s a good idea to keep a couple of boxes of your laminate flooring on hand in the event you need to replace a plank in the future.

Installation

For the DIY homeowner, laminate is an easy-to-install option that can be done fairly quickly. It uses a click-and-lock method even the most novice homeowner can do with ease. You can also have your laminate flooring professionally installed so it can be ready quickly.

Engineered wood flooring

A step away from solid hardwood flooring, engineered wood flooring, also known as engineered hardwood, is a more affordable wood flooring option. If you really love the feel and look of wood but you have concerns about the installation and cost of a solid hardwood floor, you might go with an engineered wood floor.

Engineered wood flooring is actually composed of wood; it’s made with a thin layer of wood veneer on top of layers of lower-grade wood. With the veneer glued to the top, you can have the look of your favorite hardwood for a lower price.

Pros

Less expensive than solid hardwood
Easy to clean
Option for DIY installation

Cons

Doesn’t last as long as solid hardwood
Not moisture-resistant
Easily scratched or gouged

Cost

A huge benefit of engineered wood flooring is the cost in comparison to solid hardwood. For materials, you’ll wind up spending between $2.50 and $10 per square foot, depending on the quality and thickness of the veneer.

One way to save on your engineered wood floor is to get a click-lock option so you can do the installation by yourself. If you decide to have a professional install it, expect to pay the national average of $2.64 to $3.47 per square foot.

Durability

Because it’s made from real wood, engineered wood flooring is pretty durable, as far as day-to-day use goes. It can be scratched and gouged, however, and moisture should be avoided.

An important difference in the durability of engineered wood flooring comes from how many times it can be resanded and refinished. Because the top veneer is so thin, you can only have this revitalization project done once or twice. This means your engineered wood floor won’t last as long as a solid wood floor, but you can plan on enjoying it for about 20 to 30 years.

If you have pets or rambunctious kids, you might consider one of the other flooring options. Long claws or a careless child could scratch up your engineered wood floor, and once you’re out of refinishing chances, the marks are permanent.

Cleaning and maintenance

Cleaning an engineered wood floor is fairly simple. Regular sweeping, dusting and vacuuming will be the majority of your maintenance and cleaning work. Every couple of months, at least, mop your engineered wood floor with a damp mop. Keep in mind that too much moisture will damage the flooring.

As with solid hardwood flooring, you’ll need to plan to renew the varnish of your engineered wood flooring every few years. If there are deeper scratches in the floor, have it resanded and refinished if you can.

Installation

You can install an engineered wood floor with a nail-down method. However, many homeowners, especially those looking for a DIY project, prefer a click-lock edge system. This approach lets a savvy homeowner install the boards fairly easily. Not only will this save you money, but it also means that you can install this flooring as a “floating floor” on top of a concrete subfloor.

Solid hardwood flooring

The ultimate in luxury flooring is solid hardwood. The difference between engineered wood flooring and solid hardwood flooring is in the composition of the boards. With solid hardwood flooring, it’s hardwood all the way through rather than a hardwood veneer, even if it’s prefinished.

Today, not all solid wood flooring is made of hardwood. Softwoods like bamboo are quickly rivaling the old classics like oak in popularity. Regardless of the type of wood you choose, a solid wood floor is a great way to boost your home’s value and add some natural warmth to your aesthetic.

Pros

Long-lasting
Aesthetically pleasing
Easy to clean

Cons

Not water-resistant
Easily scratched or gouged
Requires revarnishing and refinishing every few years

Cost

Because of the acclaim and prestige of solid wood flooring, you will have to pay a higher price for it. For materials, the average is between $3 and $13 per square foot — the range is wide due to the variety of wood options available. For installation, you should budget about $4 to $8 per square foot.

Another thing to consider is how long this flooring will last. Rather than having to pay for a new floor in 10 to 20 years, this could be the last floor you install in your home. A solid wood floor is more likely a one-time cost, though you do have to take revarnishing and refinishing into consideration.

Durability

A concern for many homeowners regarding solid wood flooring is the fact that wood is a soft material and can easily be scratched or damaged. It’s also not water-resistant, making it a poor choice for rooms where water is an inevitability, like the kitchen or bathroom.

That said, one of the biggest draws for homeowners choosing between solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring is the longevity of solid wood. A solid wood floor can be resanded and refinished several times in its lifetime, while engineered wood flooring can accommodate this only once or twice.

Cleaning and maintenance

To clean a solid wood floor, you simply need to sweep, vacuum or dust it regularly. Some say daily sweeping or dusting is important when you want to maintain a pristine solid wood floor. At minimum, you should perform these tasks at least once per week.

Because wood floors don’t tolerate moisture, only mop the floors with a damp mop while using a wood cleaner. Every few years, plan to renew the varnish. Expect to resand and refinish your solid wood floor at least a few times in the next 30 to 100 years.

Installation

If you choose solid wood, you’ll likely need your flooring installed by a professional, whether it’s unfinished hardwood or not. The process of installing a solid wood floor requires skill, experience and technique — having some DIY experience usually isn’t enough.

Solid wood floors are installed using a tongue-and-groove system in which the boards are blind-nailed through the tongues into the floor. Because of this system of installation, solid wood floors aren’t recommended for use over concrete subfloors.

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