In many ways, vinyl plank and laminate floors are quite similar. Both vinyl plank and laminate are fantastic fake wood flooring options. Additionally, both are generally cheaper than solid wood. And they’re both relatively easy to install without professional assistance. Here are some other similarities:
Vinyl Plank and Laminate Are Often Less Expensive Than Real Wood
There’s no way around it; if you want wood floors, you’re going to have to pay for them. That’s true whether you’re buying expensive hardwood surfaces like teak flooring and ebony flooring, or more affordable softwood options like Douglas fir flooring.
Vinyl Plank and Laminate Are Relatively Easy to Install (& Perfect for DIY Projects)
Both of these faux wood floors are relatively easy to install. Why?
Without getting too technical, they can often be glued down or installed as click-together “floating floors”. These Lego-like planks snap together and “float” over your subfloor—hence the name.
Floating setups make vinyl plank and laminate two of the easiest types of flooring to install, which is great for DIY-ers.
Of course, you should know the basics before installing any laminate or vinyl products if you want to avoid the classic disadvantages of floating floors (like squeaky footsteps). Suffice to say, if you’ve found yourself wondering “what is subflooring?”, something like peel-and-stick carpet tiles might be more in your wheelhouse.
Both Options Are Easier to Care For than Hardwood
As far as hardwood floor alternatives go, luxury vinyl plank and laminate floors are much easier to care for. Laminate is a little fussier, but neither choice comes close to how difficult it can be to properly care for real wood.
Which Type of Flooring Adds More Resale Value to a Home? It Depends.
Manufacturer, maintenance, and more all go into the resale value that laminate or vinyl plank adds to a home. High-end luxury vinyl plank flooring is much more likely to add value to a home than low-end laminate, but the opposite is also true.
Vinyl Plank and Laminate Come in Endless Colors and Patterns
Finally in our list of vinyl plank vs. laminate similarities: colors and patterns. Specifically, both products come in a wide variety of tile and wood floor colors, patterns, and styles.
