LVP vs Laminate vs Hardwood: Which Flooring Is Best?
For most homes, luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is the most practical choice: it is waterproof, durable and easy to clean. Laminate installs for the same Homze labor price as LVP and gives a realistic wood look, but standard laminate belongs in dry rooms. Hardwood costs the most, yet it lasts the longest, can be refinished and adds more resale value than vinyl.
LVP vs Laminate vs Hardwood at a Glance
| Feature | LVP | Laminate | Hardwood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homze installation labor per sq ft, 1,000 sq ft job (Portland / Seattle) | $2.00 / $2.30 | $2.00 / $2.30 | $4.22 / $4.85 |
| Water resistance | Waterproof | Standard laminate is sensitive to moisture; some lines are waterproof | Sensitive to moisture |
| Estimated useful life (NWFA study) | 15 years | 20 years | 100+ years for 3/4 inch solid wood |
| Look | Wood-like | Wood-like | Natural wood |
| Best rooms | Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, busy areas | Bedrooms, living rooms | Living rooms, bedrooms |
Labor prices use current Homze pricing and are estimates; flooring materials are quoted separately, and your price is set in the written quote you get after a free in-home estimate. For a full breakdown of what drives the price, see our flooring installation cost guide.
What Is LVP Flooring?
Luxury vinyl plank is a synthetic floor made mainly from PVC and built in layers, with a surface that resists water and scratches. It installs with click-lock or glue-down methods.
- Waterproof
- Scratch- and stain-resistant
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Comfortable underfoot
- Suitable for every room
LVP comes in a wide range of colors and looks, most designed to mimic real hardwood, and today’s printing makes many of them hard to tell from real wood. The trade-offs: it has a shorter lifespan than hardwood, it cannot be refinished, and it adds less resale value.
What Is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate is a multi-layer synthetic floor with a photographic wood layer under a protective wear layer. It is usually installed as a floating floor with click-lock planks.
- Affordable
- Realistic wood appearance
- Easy click-lock installation
- Hard, scratch-resistant surface
Standard laminate works best in dry, low-moisture rooms such as bedrooms and living rooms, because water that gets into the seams can swell its wood-based core. Some newer lines are waterproof: Mohawk backs RevWood Plus with a lifetime WetProtect warranty that covers household spills, pet accidents and wet mopping, including damage to the subfloor. Mohawk still says not to install it in rooms with floor drains or sump pumps.
What About Hardwood Flooring?
Hardwood comes as solid wood or engineered wood and gives you a natural look that synthetic floors imitate. It is the long-term option:
- Lasts for generations: the National Wood Flooring Association says traditional 3/4 inch solid wood flooring can last more than 100 years
- Can be refinished multiple times
- Adds home value, and generally raises resale value more than vinyl
The downsides are a higher upfront cost, sensitivity to moisture and the need for regular maintenance.
Solid vs Engineered Hardwood
Engineered hardwood has a wear layer of real wood on top of a non-wood core. That core makes it more stable than solid hardwood: it expands and contracts less as humidity changes, which is why the NWFA says engineered wood can go on any level of the house, including basements. You get the genuine look and feel of wood for less than solid hardwood, and in our experience it is easier to find a wide variety of colors and species in prefinished engineered hardwood than in prefinished solid.
LVP vs Laminate: Which Is Better?
LVP is generally the better floor, mainly because it is waterproof. The key differences:
- Moisture resistance: LVP is waterproof; standard laminate is not.
- Durability: LVP handles heavy traffic better.
- Maintenance: LVP is easier to clean.
- Price: Homze charges the same installation labor for both.
Choose laminate for dry rooms, or a waterproof laminate line if you want its look in a kitchen. Choose LVP anywhere water, pets or heavy traffic are part of daily life.
Vinyl vs Hardwood: Which Is Better?
It depends on the room and how long you plan to stay. Vinyl is more affordable, waterproof and easier to maintain, which makes it the practical pick for kitchens, basements and rental properties. Hardwood has a more natural look and feel, lasts much longer, can be refinished and adds more resale value, so it suits living rooms, bedrooms and homes you plan to keep for the long term.
Modern vinyl closely mimics wood grain, but hardwood still has the more natural look and feel.
What Is the Best Flooring for Basements?
Vinyl plank. Basements are prone to moisture and temperature swings, so the floor has to resist water damage, mold and warping.
- Vinyl plank (best overall): waterproof, durable, affordable and comfortable underfoot.
- Tile: extremely moisture-resistant with a long lifespan, but cooler underfoot.
- Laminate or engineered vinyl (limited use): acceptable only with proper moisture barriers, and less durable than vinyl plank.
Avoid traditional hardwood and carpet in basements. Both are sensitive to moisture and carry a higher risk of mold or damage.
Which Flooring Is Best for Each Room?
| Room or situation | Recommended flooring |
|---|---|
| Kitchens | LVP |
| Bathrooms | LVP |
| Basements | LVP |
| Homes with pets | LVP |
| Rental properties | LVP |
| Living rooms | Hardwood or laminate |
| Bedrooms | Hardwood, laminate or carpet |
| Long-term homes | Hardwood |
Choosing flooring room by room, based on moisture and traffic, helps prevent damage and extends the floor’s life. If you have pets or young children, see our guide to flooring for pets and kids.
Where Does Carpet Still Make Sense?
In the rooms where comfort matters most, carpet’s softness and warmth are hard to replace with a hard surface. Carpet has also improved: manufacturers have upgraded fiber quality and construction, and styling options now cover almost any look.
Stain-resistant carpet, such as Mohawk SmartStrand, is made to resist liquid spills and stains, so cleanup is simpler. Carpet still needs regular cleaning, but with good care it can last for decades, often for less than other materials.
Homze installs LVP, laminate, hardwood and carpet from Mohawk and Shaw, or flooring you supply. You can compare options at a free in-home estimate on our flooring installation page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Lasts Longer: Vinyl, Laminate or Hardwood?
Hardwood, by a wide margin, because it can be sanded and refinished. In a National Wood Flooring Association life-cycle study, rigid core vinyl had an estimated useful life of 15 years and laminate 20 years, while traditional 3/4 inch solid wood flooring can last more than 100 years. LVP and laminate are replaced, not refinished, once their top layer wears through.
Can Engineered Hardwood Be Refinished?
Usually, if the wear layer is thick enough. The NWFA treats factory-finished engineered floors with a wear layer of at least 2.5 mm as refinishable once and about 3.2 mm as refinishable twice; thinner wear layers can’t be refinished. Ask for the wear layer thickness before you buy.
Can You Put LVP in a Bathroom or Kitchen?
Yes, if the product is made for wet rooms. Mohawk calls its SolidTech vinyl 100% waterproof for damp, humid and moisture-prone rooms, and Shaw says to choose a product designed for those spaces and follow its installation instructions closely.
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