Vinyl and LVP flooring — the fastest-growing option and why

Staff

01 Jul 2025 — 3 min read

This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Local codes, regulations, and best practices vary by region.

Vinyl flooring has evolved dramatically. Once cheap and plastic-looking, modern vinyl flooring looks realistic, performs well, and lasts for years. Vinyl is waterproof, affordable, and easy to maintain. It’s becoming the popular choice for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and other areas where moisture or durability is a concern.

Vinyl Flooring Types

Sheet vinyl is a continuous rolled material. It comes in wide rolls (usually 6 to 12 feet wide) and is glued to the subfloor. Sheet vinyl has few seams, reducing the risk of water penetration at seams.

Vinyl planks (LVP) mimic hardwood. Individual planks are installed to look like hardwood flooring. LVP looks more like hardwood than sheet vinyl and is more popular for main living areas.

Vinyl tiles mimic ceramic or stone tile. Individual tiles are installed to look like tile flooring. Vinyl tiles are appropriate for kitchens and bathrooms.

Click-together vinyl (both planks and tiles) floats over the subfloor, similar to laminate. Click-together vinyl is easiest to install.

Glue-down vinyl is adhered to the subfloor. Professional installation is typically used for glue-down vinyl.

Appearance and Realism

Modern vinyl looks convincingly like hardwood or tile. The printed images are photorealistic. From a distance, quality vinyl is hard to distinguish from real hardwood.

Up close, vinyl is obvious because the images are printed and the surface is plastic. But for most rooms, vinyl looks good and suits the aesthetic.

Vinyl is available in numerous wood tones, stone colors, and tile patterns. You can find vinyl that matches most interior styles.

Waterproofing

Vinyl is completely waterproof. The plastic material doesn’t absorb water. Standing water on vinyl flooring is not a problem (though you should clean it up promptly).

This waterproofing makes vinyl ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and other wet areas where hardwood would be destroyed.

The main weak point is seams. In sheet vinyl with few seams, water infiltration risk is minimal. In plank and tile vinyl, seams are present, and water can penetrate if not sealed properly.

Click-together vinyl is more at risk for water infiltration at seams than glued-down vinyl, though with proper installation and underlayment, click-together vinyl performs well.

Durability and Wear Layer

Vinyl quality is determined largely by the thickness of the wear layer (protective coating). Thicker wear layers last longer and resist staining and wear better.

Budget vinyl (thin wear layer) might show footprints or dents with heavy use.

Standard vinyl with moderate wear layer performs well in most residential applications.

Premium vinyl with thick wear layer handles heavy traffic and wear excellently.

Durability typically ranges from 5 to 25 years depending on quality and traffic.

Comfort and Noise

Vinyl is harder and less forgiving than carpet. It’s colder to bare feet than hardwood. Some people find vinyl uncomfortable.

Underlayment improves comfort significantly. A quality underlayment under vinyl provides cushioning and warmth.

Vinyl without underlayment can be noisy. Footsteps echo, and the floor sounds hollow. Underlayment absorbs sound significantly.

For living areas, quality underlayment is worthwhile for comfort and noise reduction.

Installation

Sheet vinyl is typically professionally installed. Seaming and gluing down sheet vinyl requires skill.

Click-together vinyl planks and tiles are DIY-friendly. The interlocking mechanism is straightforward, and many homeowners can install it themselves.

Glue-down vinyl requires professional installation for best results.

The subfloor must be smooth and dry. Debris or moisture underneath vinyl causes bumps, wrinkles, and deterioration.

Professional installation costs $2 to $8 per square foot depending on type and complexity.

Cost

Vinyl material costs $1 to $6 per square foot depending on type and quality.

Installation (professional) costs $2 to $8 per square foot. DIY installation has no labor cost.

Underlayment costs $0.50 to $2 per square foot.

Total installed cost is typically $3 to $15 per square foot.

This is less expensive than hardwood and usually comparable to or slightly more than laminate, depending on quality.

Maintenance

Vinyl is easy to maintain. Vacuum to remove dirt. Damp-mop with mild soap and water.

Vinyl resists staining. Spills wipe clean easily.

Vinyl doesn’t require protective finishes or special cleaning products.

Periodic deep cleaning is recommended but not essential.

Where Vinyl Works

Vinyl works in kitchens where water and spills are common.

Vinyl works in bathrooms where moisture is high.

Vinyl works in basements where moisture and potential flooding are concerns.

Vinyl works in utility rooms and laundries where water exposure is likely.

Vinyl works in any area where waterproofing and ease of maintenance are priorities.

Vinyl is less appropriate for formal living rooms where aesthetics and the feel of natural materials matter more.

Environmental Considerations

Vinyl is plastic, which has environmental concerns. Vinyl production involves chemicals and petroleum products.

Vinyl is recyclable but most vinyl ends up in landfills.

For environmentally conscious homeowners, vinyl is not the ideal choice, but the waterproofing and durability mean vinyl flooring can last many years, reducing replacement frequency.

The Reality

Modern vinyl flooring has come a long way. It looks good, performs well, is affordable, and is easy to maintain. It’s the practical choice for wet areas where hardwood would fail.

Vinyl won’t add as much resale value as hardwood, but it’s durable and practical. For kitchens, bathrooms, and basements, vinyl is an excellent choice. For formal living areas where aesthetics is paramount, hardwood might be more appropriate.