Hardwood vs luxury vinyl plank
This is the comparison most people are really making: the floor buyers recognize against the floor that survives the dog and the dishwasher. They are not close on any single measure. Hardwood wins on the material, the resale and the lifespan; vinyl plank wins on water, cost, installation and everything that happens on the floor day to day.
| Hardwood | Luxury vinyl plank | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | $12.50–$19 / sq ft | $6–$9.50 / sq ft |
| Water resistance | Very poor | Excellent |
| Durability | Good | Good |
| Maintenance | Fair | Excellent |
| Lifespan | 50–100 years | 15–25 years |
| DIY difficulty | A trade | Easy |
| Pets | Poor | Good |
| Kids | Fair | Good |
Choose hardwood when
Choose hardwood when the room is dry, the subfloor is wood, you plan to stay, and the real material is the point. It is the only one of the two that will be there in fifty years, and the only one a buyer pays extra for.
Choose luxury vinyl plank when
Choose vinyl plank when water, pets or kids are in the picture, when the floor is on a slab or in a basement, when you want one floor through the house, or when the budget is under $8 a square foot. Buy the 12-mil wear layer or better, or the comparison stops being fair.
Common questions
Does luxury vinyl look like real wood?
From standing height, a good one does. Up close the pattern repeats and the surface is a print. Embossed-in-register texture and long planks narrow the gap.
Which adds more to a home’s value?
Hardwood, clearly, in living areas. Vinyl plank is no longer counted against a house, but it is not counted for it either.
Don’t start with the flooring. Start with your home.
Eight questions about the rooms, the household, the subfloor and the budget. A ranked shortlist with the reasons, the watch-outs and a project estimate.
8 questions · about 2 minutes · no obligation
Ready to talk to an installer?
Your flooring choice is only half the equation. Installation, subfloor preparation, removal and transitions change the final price. Local professionals quote the same scope, and you decide whether to talk to any of them.
No obligation. You choose whether to contact the professionals who respond.