The Best Vinyl Flooring Types Your Complete Guide

When you think of vinyl flooring, you probably think of the patterned, plasticky, slick surface that covered just about every kitchen and bathroom in America for the second half of the 20th century. In fact, you can probably remember exactly how it felt to slide around on it in your socks, how it felt cold on your feet when you stepped out of the shower, even how your shoes squealed on it when you forgot to wipe your feet at the door.

That nostalgia-packed vinyl sheet flooring of yesteryear definitely isn’t as popular as it used to be. But vinyl flooring as a whole has never been more sophisticated or more beloved. In fact, with endless variations of vinyl plank and vinyl tile on the market, there’s never been a wider and more versatile selection of vinyl flooring to choose from.

Below, we’ll discuss all your vinyl flooring options: the differences between them, their advantages, disadvantages, underlayment considerations, installation methods, costs, and more. And when you’re ready to choose the best vinyl flooring for you, we’ll help you with that too.

Types of Vinyl Flooring: What’s the Difference?

You’ve probably seen a million terms used to describe modern vinyl flooring. Luxury vinyl tile. Vinyl plank. WPC. Pergo. LVT. SPC. LifeProof. LVP. The list goes on! But what’s the actual difference between all of them?

In a nutshell: nothing.

Ok, ok—not nothing exactly, but pretty darn close. All of these terms refer to what’s essentially the same product: a durable, synthetic plank (or tile) flooring made entirely of PVC. To keep things simple, we’ll be referring to it simply as “vinyl plank” from here on out.

What’s vinyl plank flooring made of?

Vinyl plank flooring is generally composed of three layers:

1. A rigid or semi-rigid base or core layer.

2. A pattern or design layer that can mimic the look, feel, and texture of just about any type of flooring—usually natural products like hardwood, stone, or fabric.

3. A protective or wear layer that protects the surface from scratches, dents, UV damage, etc.

The thickness of a wear layer can range from 8 mil (a thousandth of an inch) all the way to 28 mil or so. Some types of vinyl plank also come with a fourth layer—usually for soundproofing, underfoot feel, or another specific reason—but it entirely depends on the product.

What’s the difference between flexible-core and rigid-core vinyl plank?

Rigid vinyl flooring, sometimes known as WPC (wood-plastic composite) or SPC (stone-plastic composite), tends to “feel” more like real hardwood. That’s about it. It contains no actual wood or stone.  

But if it’s all the same type of flooring, why all the names?

The simple answer: branding. Every manufacturer wants to set their product apart, so they’ll call their offering something fancy like “LVT” (aka “luxury vinyl tile”) or “LVP” (“luxury vinyl plank”).

LifeProof, for instance, is just a branded version of Mohawk Flooring’s heavy-duty vinyl plank made exclusively for Home Depot. Pergo is a brand name. Vinyl tile is the exact same thing as vinyl plank, just in the shape of—you guessed it—tiles rather than planks.

Vinyl Plank vs. Vinyl Sheet Flooring

The only exception to this rule: vinyl sheet flooring. One of the oldest vinyl flooring products around, this is the floor you probably remember from your childhood. It comes in 6- or 12-foot rolls and is installed as a single sheet (hence the name).

While vinyl sheet flooring has been somewhat supplanted by vinyl plank flooring, it’s still extremely popular due to its affordability and ease of installation (it can be glued directly to a subfloor or installed in a modified loose lay, depending on the product). Plus, it’s entirely seamless, so it’s a great choice for rooms that get a lot of moisture or water.

Vinyl Flooring Pros and Cons

Advantages of Vinyl Plank Flooring

It’s moisture-resistant

If you’ve been looking into new floors, you already know that everything comes down to location. Many types of hardwood floors, for instance, can’t be installed anywhere they’ll be exposed to water or moisture. That means kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms are generally a no-go.

Vinyl, on the other hand, is waterproof—making it a great bathroom flooring option, an excellent laundry room surface, and an ideal kitchen floor. And given how realistic vinyl plank manufacturing has become, it makes a beautiful floor for living rooms and bedrooms as well.

It’s durable

Equally as important: it’s crazy durable. If you’ve got a mudroom, a three-season room, maybe a beach house (and if so, we’re really jealous), vinyl plank flooring is the way to go. Maybe you’re looking for a good floor for dogs or other critters (like children). If so, vinyl’s a great choice. It’s heavy-duty enough that you don’t have to worry about your dog peeing on it or your kids scuffing it up.

It’s easy to clean and maintain

Because it’s a waterproof flooring option, vinyl is really easy to clean and maintain. You can mop it, vacuum it, sweep it, whatever. No special sealants needed. This also makes it a great floor for humid climates.

It’s gorgeous

The vinyl production process has become quite advanced in recent years. These days, it can be really, really difficult—if not impossible—to tell the difference between high-quality vinyl plank flooring and solid hardwood flooring. Seriously!

Disadvantages of Vinyl Plank Flooring

It might not last a lifetime

If you’re looking for a floor that’s going to last a lifetime (or more), vinyl flooring might not be the best flooring option for you. Solid hardwood floors can be refinished again and again; vinyl floors need to be replaced once the wear layer is worn through. That said, it all depends on the product. Some vinyl floors have a 6-year warranty; some have a 35-year warranty.

It can sometimes fade in the sun

Even though most wear layers are UV-resistant, some products can occasionally fade from exposure to sunlight. Solution: buy your floors from a knowledgeable flooring retailer in your area instead of a box store. That way, you can ask an expert about specifics like sun resistance before you make your purchase (and they’ll actually know what they’re talking about).

It’s not very environmentally friendly

Vinyl flooring is made of plastic, so it’s definitely not what you might call an “eco-friendly flooring option”. Once it’s used, it’s hard, if not impossible, to recycle. More importantly, however, in 2015, reports surfaced of certain vinyls—particularly those made in China—giving off something called “Volatile Organic Chemicals”, or VOCs, after being installed.

These reports have led to serious reforms in the flooring industry. Today, there is much more oversight over production methods than there was even just a couple of years ago. For maximum peace of mind. These are compliant with the state of California’s VOC emissions standards, which are some of the strictest in the country.

Some types can scratch or dent

Although they’re super-durable, some types of flexible vinyl plank floors are susceptible to scratching and denting (especially over time). So if you’re planning on leaving some super-heavy furniture on your flexible vinyl planks for years, make sure to use floor protectors!

The Best Underlayment for Vinyl Plank Flooring

As with all things flooring, everything comes down to the specific product. Some types of vinyl flooring require a certain type of underlayment; other types can be laid directly on concrete. It’s all on a product-by-product basis.

That said, remember that flexible vinyl plank will conform to any irregularities in its underlayment. That means if your subfloor isn’t smooth or level, your floor won’t be smooth or level. This isn’t as much of a problem with rigid vinyl plank, but you should still try to install it under the best conditions possible.

Installing Vinyl Plank Flooring

Vinyl plank can be installed as a floating floor, glued to a subfloor, put in with a click-and-lock system, or even loose-laid with just friction to hold it in place. It all depends on the product you choose.

And while this versatility makes vinyl plank one of the more DIY-friendly types of flooring, we wouldn’t recommend installing it as your first-ever flooring project. Unless you love being stressed out.

Vinyl Flooring Cost

Vinyl flooring can run anywhere between $1 and $8 per square foot (or more) depending on the product. If you want a vinyl tile that looks and feels exactly like bamboo flooring, for instance, you’re going to be paying more than you would for a vinyl tile that just looks like… vinyl.

Cost is often directly tied to the product’s warranty as well; the longer the warranty, the more expensive the plank or tile.

Vinyl Flooring Installation Cost

Again, it heavily depends on the product and the installer, but most often, you’ll be paying somewhere between $2–$4 per square foot for vinyl flooring installation.

The Best Vinyl Plank Flooring Types

So what’s the best type of vinyl plank flooring? It entirely depends on you! What are your specific needs? What are your particular tastes? What’s the purpose of the flooring and where is it going to be installed? While we can’t answer these questions for you, we hope this article was a helpful guide to understanding your different vinyl flooring options.

Our advice: let the experts take it from here—use this flooring near me search to find a local retailer who can help you out. They can answer all your questions, suggest vinyl flooring types based on your specific needs, and help you compare brands before you buy. It’s really the best way to go.

In case you have any kind of doubt, then please visit our website www.protexflooring.com.