There are plenty of options to consider when choosing flooring for your home, and those homeowners who want to create an impressive appearance often find themselves choosing between hardwood timber flooring and luxury vinyl.
While traditional vinyl flooring doesn't present a premium appearance, luxury vinyl can suit even the most upmarket tastes, and there are certain areas where it's a good choice. That said, plenty of homeowners still consider timber hardwood flooring the best option, and here are just four reasons why.
1. Unique Appearance
Luxury vinyl flooring offers a lot of versatility when it comes to styling — you can have it made just about any way you want. However, it still isn't a natural material, so it's going to lack the unique grain patterns and knots you get with hardwood flooring. While luxury vinyl might somewhat mimic that appearance, it still doesn't present the same timeless look as hardwood planks. If you want to make a statement or preserve a traditional appearance, hardwood is still the way to go.
2. More Eco-Friendly
Hardwood flooring might not sound eco-friendly at first since trees need to be felled in order to make it. However, responsibly grown hardwood is relatively easy to find. This timber will come from tree farms that are sustainably maintained. To achieve this, new trees are planted when others are cut down. As an added plus, hardwood flooring is biodegradable and easy to reuse. In contrast, luxury vinyl is a manmade material that is not biodegradable and cannot be readily used for other applications.
3. Harder Surface
Whether you go for the most basic vinyl or opt for luxury vinyl, you're going to end up with relatively soft flooring. That obviously has its benefits, but it also means that heavier items can cause dents and marks. Something like a heavy piece of furniture can end up leaving permanent dents in your luxury vinyl flooring, and sharp objects can pierce it. Timber hardwood flooring presents a much harder surface, so this won't be something you need to worry about.
4. Easier To Repair Or Remove
Hardwood flooring can be sanded down and refinished if it is ever damaged, and it's relatively easy to have the planks removed if this ever becomes necessary. Unfortunately, you won't enjoy the same advantages with luxury vinyl. You can't simply sand it down, so any damage is practically impossible to get rid of. Additionally, most luxury vinyl flooring is glued down. That makes it very hard to remove even a single plank or tile without damaging either the surrounding vinyl or the subfloor.
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