Laminate flooring is an enormously popular flooring choice for home installation, thanks to its durability and versatility. Made from a layer of decorative plastic laminate bonded to a core material and covered with a protective wear layer, laminate flooring can be made to look like a wide variety of materials, including hardwoods, stone, ceramic tile, and even metal.

The Second part of our comprehensive comparison between Vinyl and Laminate Flooring. You can read part 1 here.

When you want a durable, economical, attractive floor covering for your home that you can install by yourself, you may find yourself gravitating toward vinyl flooring or laminate flooring. Both floors hit those key points and more. But between the two, which flooring is a better choice for your home?

If you find yourself confused, it’s excusable. From a distance, they look alike. Both are economical. Both are synthetic. Not only that, flooring manufacturers tend to promote both products similarly.

Vinyl plank flooring has skyrocketed in popularity as the go-to floor covering choice not just for moisture-prone areas like kitchens and bathrooms, but for common areas, halls, and bedrooms.

One cause behind that effect is that natural, real plank wood flooring has itself become so popular. Vinyl plank flooring seeks to replicate this but in a far cheaper, do-it-yourself form. The other reason is that resilient flooring manufacturers have greatly improved the look and feel of vinyl plank, converting many buyers who previously would have avoided installing resilient materials in their homes. In short, vinyl plank flooring’s time in the sun has arrived. But is it right for you and your home?

Rarely, if ever, will vinyl plank floor reach the level of actual wood plank prices. After all, lower prices are one of the major reasons why homeowners go the direction of luxury plank, as opposed to the real, organic wood product. So, luxury vinyl plank runs at least five or ten times less expensive than wood plank.