Discussions

I am contemplating getting either laminate light wood grain flooring or vinyl plank in a similar design for the third level living room of my four level bi-level home. Just wondering if anyone can provide their experiences with vinyl plank flooring.

Doesn't show dog nail scratches like laminate and is easy to clean and easier to install

We chose vinyl plank. The kind that has sticky tabs. It was fairly easy to put in but you really have to make sure you put it on tight the first time, it can shift a bit. That didn't happen much.for us. We are happy with the vinyl plank (4yrs later)

I have an open concept and put in laminate throughout living room, kitchen & hallway....I hate my laminate flooring....actually despise it! It always looks so dirty no matter how many times you clean it. It also attracts dust big time! I have a dog as well and you can always see his wet footprints no matter how many times you wipe his feet with a towel. Then there's the sweaty footprints my the adult side that you can see on the floor....and no they won't wear slippers. If I ever decide to move elsewhere, I surely will not be buying a house with laminate flooring!!!!! I'm thinking about replacing mine with a very expensive vinyl flooring that looks like laminate if I ever win the lotto! One more thing.....don't drop anything because I dropped a can opener on the floor and it took out a big chip of laminate.....something else to consider!  
 
 
 
Edited by grandmaB, 2015-07-22 17:09:20

Our main floor is all laminate. I don't like it either for the same reasons as mentioned above. We recently put vinyl plank (alure with the stick sides) in our basement. LOVE IT. It washes so nicely, it looks good, doesn't show much dirt, was easy to install once we got the hang of it. There is no room for error though! We have a few spots where we goofed. Any spots that lift we just glue together with gorilla glue. Our floor isn't totally even and is cold cement so have a few spots separating and lifting. The extra glue does the trick.  
 
We did our whole basement for $3000. I wish I had the money to do my main floor!!

I have both for comparison and the vinyl plank for me is much easier to clean and seems more comfortable to walk on. Laminate is like hard, plastic countertop material on your floor and I find it's harder to keep looking streak and smudge free.  
 
I've enjoyed my laminate flooring, but I'm liking the vinyl plank a lot more now that we have some of it. We put an acoustic underlay (thin, but effective) under the Allure vinyl plank and it's very comfortable and warm. For any pet lovers, mine like it better than the plastic feel of laminate where they slip and slide.  
 
Ended up buying a nice area rug for the rec room and living room to give some warmth to the spaces. Vinyl Plank is in the bath, laundry and a well used spare room.  
 
I do like laminate (some is easier cleaned than others), and it's performed well, but the vinyl plank options now are looking really good.

We put allure plank in our entrance, hallway, and bedroom, love it, did it ourselves, it's tricky as there is no room for error , as it sticks fast , but wouldn't use anything else. Very easy to maintain.  
 

I have installed thousands of square feet of both, and I have a few tips/thoughts. First of all do not go to the cheaper side of whichever you choose, in pretty much ALL flooring the rule stands true: you get what you pay for! A good laminate flooring is beautiful and easy to install but yes, there are concerns that must be considered. Generally pets won't scratch a good quality laminate floor, nor will they a good quality vinyl plank. If considering laminate, we find the best to hide footprints and dirt etc. is to get a style that is embossed, meaning it has raised pattern (grain) that you can actually feel.  
Laminate can chip if something is dropped on it and is tougher to repair than the vinyl planking.  
One of the main reasons for the vinyl planking is that it is waterproof, laminate of course is not.  
Another thing to consider is how level and flat your floor is. Laminate over uneven surfaces can act like a trampoline whereas planking will form a bit better to the floor (to a degree).  
I agree that planking is warmer than laminate but still a "hard" surface so will still be cool.  
There are different types of planking, some glued completely to the floor, some click together like a laminate, and also the allure stick together. I honestly have very little faith in the stick together planking, I have heard a LOT of problems with these, similar to self stick tiles in my mind, sometimes they stick very well and sometimes not worth a darn, and can shrink, therefore a headache for the life of the floor.  
The planking that is completely glued down is a good choice but it requires a good smooth surface to adhere to.  
Now, finally, to my personal preference...click planking is by far my favorite. It doesn't separate (that I've yet to see) and it is very simple to install. For the past two days I have been installing a particular click planking into an entire house called Summit by Inhaus and is now my favorite that I've ever worked with.  
I hope I've helped, sorry so long but I could go on for hours....lol.

Look at a product called allure flooring.  
Comes in 3ftx1ft sheets.  
Super easy to install. It is a vinyl flooring, but you can get it to look like hardwood or tile.  
Installed mine 7 years ago in bathroom and kitchen. Has paddling built into it. Easy to clean. Installs using the sticky tabs but hold together very well.  
The Home Depot use to offers a class teaching you how to install.

lovemygirl said "Our main floor is all laminate. I don't like it either for the same reasons as mentioned above. We recently put vinyl plank (alure with the stick sides) in our basement. LOVE IT. It washes so nicely, it looks good, doesn't show much dirt, was easy to install once we got the hang of it. There is no room for error though! We have a few spots where we goofed. Any spots that lift we just glue together with gorilla glue. Our floor isn't totally even and is cold cement so have a few spots separating and lifting. The extra glue does the trick.     We did our whole basement for $3000. I wish I had the money to do my main floor!! "

Had laminate flooring in our last place and I used ©Rejuvenate to clean it and it was shiny for long periods of time and dust and pet hair didn't 'stick' to it. Made the floors as nice as they could be! We bought the kit at Canadian Tire. It comes with a large bottle of cleaner as well as a finishing coat. Takes roughly 4 hours but the results are awesome.