Vinyl plank and laminate floors in South Dakota
Vinyl plank and laminate: two floating floors with a wood look, each suited to different rooms.
Plank floors are the quick, comfortable way to put a wood look through a house. Both vinyl plank and laminate float over the base instead of being glued or nailed, both click together row by row, and both look right when the base is flat and the first row is straight. The difference is in the surface and the rooms they suit.
Many homes use both: vinyl plank in the kitchen, entry and main living area, laminate in bedrooms and the upstairs office, with a matching threshold between them.
| Point | Luxury vinyl plank | Laminate |
|---|---|---|
| Feel underfoot | Softer, quieter, slightly warmer | Firm and solid, closer to wood |
| Surface | Flexible wear layer, handles spills | Hard top layer, resists scratches |
| Rooms it suits | Kitchens, entries, halls, living rooms | Bedrooms, dens, offices, upstairs rooms |
| Spills | Wipe up any time | Wipe up soon |
| Look | Wood look, matte or lightly textured | Sharp wood grain, often embossed |
| Stairs | Matching nosing in most lines | Matching nosing in many lines |
What the two have in common
Both need a flat base. A floating floor bridges small dips at first, but over time the seams over a low spot flex and open. We check every room with a long straightedge, fill the low spots and grind the high ones. Both also need a gap at the walls, covered by baseboard or quarter round, so the floor can move a little with the seasons.
Both should rest in the house before they go down, usually a day or two. Winter air indoors here is dry when the furnace runs, and planks that match the room's air before install stay flat and tight.
Choosing between them
Think about the room first, then the look. If the room sees spills, boots or pet bowls, vinyl plank is the easier choice. If it is a dry room and you want the crispest wood look and a hard, scratch resistant surface, laminate is a strong pick. When you are not sure, tell us about the room in the form and we will bring samples of both.
Finish the plank floor
Stairs and trim that match the new floor.
Plank in some rooms, tile in others?
That is a common mix. Tell us the rooms and we will plan the floors and the thresholds between them together.