With so many flooring options available, it’s important to select the right one for your home as well as your family’s lifestyle needs. It’s no surprise that luxury vinyl flooring has become one of the most sought-after flooring choices by homeowners. That’s because it offers realistic wood and stone looks, durability, and low maintenance.

Luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) are both excellent options for a remodel or new build. While they may be used interchangeably within the flooring industry, there’s more to it than one being a wood-look plank and one being a stone-look tile. They both offer a lot of the same benefits; yet, they do come with some differences that need to be considered before installing. Let’s look at the similarities and differences of these popular vinyl flooring types.

LVP Vs. LVT

LVP comes in a plank shape and often offers the look of real hardwood with realistic scraping or embossing. LVT comes in the traditional tile squares, features more stone and concrete looks, includes surface texture for a life-like look, and can even be installed with grout. However, even though some think of them as plank versus tile, in actuality, many flooring companies consider LVP to be vinyl tile flooring in plank form. That may be because they are manufactured the exact same way.

LVP and LVT are both constructed of several layers. Whether it’s a plank or tile, it consists of a durable wear layer, a designed print film, a PVC core, and an optional attached backing for added comfort and quietness underfoot. They’re available in different overall thicknesses and wear layer thickness for extra protection.

What Are the Similarities between LVP and LVT?

The following are some of the similarities of LVP and LVT:

·      Both luxury vinyl flooring types are affordable alternatives to the high prices of real hardwood and stone, as they cost just a fraction of their natural counterparts.

·      They come in similar colors, patterns or grains, and textures as the real thing.

·      If you have a busy household with messy kids or pets, then you can rest easy knowing that your new floors will hold up well over time.

·      Luxury vinyl flooring is softer than hard stone or tile, which is easier on kids, and many luxury vinyl products come with features like scratch resistance and water resistance, which is perfect for your fur babies’ nails, pet accidents, and spills by active toddlers.

·      Depending on the type, you can also install luxury vinyl in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and basements, whereas you wouldn’t want to add real hardwood in these water- and moisture-prone spaces.

·      They are both simple to maintain with light cleaning. To keep debris off the floors, sweep your vinyl daily or use a vacuum without a beater bar or power rotary brush head so that you avoid damaging the floors. If you need to occasionally do wet cleaning, then use a damp mop with just a small amount of warm water. If spills occur, like with any surface, it’s best to clean them up quickly.

·      If a tile or plank does get damaged from scratches or moisture, then it can be replaced individually.

What are the Differences between LVP and LVT?

One of the major differences is the type of product and the vinyl flooring installation methods that follow. LVP and LVT comes in either floating-click vinyl, where the planks or tiles click together and float over the subfloor, or glue-down flooring, where the product is glued or taped directly onto the subfloor. The most important takeaway from these two types is that glue-down LVP or LVT may not be waterproof like the floating-click products, which can be easily removed if water damage does occur. That’s because the additional chemicals used in the adhesive may not be waterproof, so it’s important to check with us first.

Glue-down luxury vinyl is better suited for larger installations and high-traffic areas since it provides more durability, especially when there’s rolling traffic. This type of vinyl flooring is also harder to install on your own, so you should hire a professional, such as Premier Flooring.

Are You Considering LVT or LVP Flooring in Northern Virginia?

Luxury vinyl planks and luxury vinyl tiles provide less worry about messes, the aftermath of heavy foot traffic, or rambunctious pets. Not only will they instantly update your home for a fraction of the cost of real hardwood or stone, but also when properly maintained, the versatile floors will last for many years to come. Whether you choose to update one room or an entire floor, your space will be instantly revitalized by luxury vinyl.

If you would like more information about the benefits of LVP or LVT flooring or the options we offer at Premier Flooring, please reach out to our team. We can’t wait to help you enhance your home! If you are looking for flooring in Northern Virginia, please contact us to schedule a free consultation.