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The choice between two attractive flooring materials can take some time to decide. Factors to weigh include design features, customization options, durability, cost, maintenance requirements, and resale value. If the two top contenders happen to be vinyl floor styles that look like wood versus solid wood floors, read on for thoughts about why some buyers choose one over the other.
Delightful Design Features
Today’s vinyl flooring styles in planks, tiles, and sheeting often look so much like real wood that it’s tough to tell the difference. In terms of color and wood grain patterns, the design features are remarkably similar. There are natural-looking shades and varieties in every option from knotty rustic pine to sleek elegant mahogany. This advantage covers both vinyl and authentic wood catalogs.
Opting for hardwood floors means choosing a wood species, stain color, and finished or unfinished plank. Pre-crafted wood flooring or custom selections are available in a countless array of cuts & stains for home and business interiors. There are casual and formal designs for every interior style.
Vinyl floors that look like wood are growing in popularity every year, as the authentic appearance improves with each new version. Many people have trouble distinguishing whether a floor is vinyl with a wood design or actual hardwood flooring. Designers and home owners appreciate the elegant beauty as well as the cost savings in using vinyl planks, tiles, or sheets.
Whichever material, shade, and grain you select, feel confident knowing that wood looks are truly timeless, handsome flooring choices that appeal to nearly everyone. This translates to a positive feel in the room as well as excellent resale value when you sell your home or business.
Make It Your Own
For those who are loyal to wood styles of flooring whenever they redecorate or replace a room’s foundation, they know the world is their oyster
when deciding on a product. Hardwood choices come in an array of wood species, stains, and finishes—and can be installed with a pre-finish coat or unfinished & ready to coat after it’s placed. There are solid hardwoods or engineered wood floors to browse.
Similarly, the vinyl flooring selections offer a vast choice of hues, wood-species representations, and finishing looks. The planks and other formats are all pre-finished and easy to form-fit within a room.
A custom room can be created with wood or vinyl products. You may choose to combine two colors or styles, for example in a checkerboard pattern or with a striking border near the room’s edges. Some home and business owners love the look of striped planks or a customized herringbone installation. Peruse design and flooring sites to find a unique flooring look just right for your design goals.
Long-Term Durability Considerations
Are you looking for a floor that will last several years, the lifetime of your home, or far into the future so generations of your family can rely on the floor’s sturdiness for their own lifestyles? The majority of today’s home owners and business owners feel that they will occupy their properties for a few years; however, they’re not sure they’ll be in the same spot a decade or more onward.
In this shorter-term scenario, you can count on either hardwood or vinyl to perform well for you regardless of foot-traffic volume. Both vinyl flooring and hardwood floors are sure to hold up well with proper maintenance and care.
If your family found a dream home or office space that you know will be treasured for decades and beyond, then hardwood flooring may be a wise investment because they can be repaired and refinished when necessary and look splendid as the years roll on.
One consideration to keep at the forefront is how much moisture your space will be exposed to—perhaps a kitchen or bathroom would experience far more water exposure than a living or dining room. In this case, even in long-term, many-year buildings, perhaps vinyl would be the smart decision because it features far better moisture resistance than wood species. In fact, vinyl material are pretty much impervious to water spills and mists. Hardwoods, on the other hand, warp and become irreparable if they get mid-level to major water damage. They need full replacement after sustained flooding or severe leaks.
Bargains And Budgets
Many flooring customers appreciate the value they find in vinyl wood-look options. The savings are substantial when comparing an authentic hardwood product versus a similar looking vinyl selection. Top-level wide-plank wood floors might cost $7 to $20 a square foot and their vinyl counterparts may only be about $2 to $8 per square foot. Some people will always opt for real wood because they enjoy the look and feel; however, a growing fan club is embracing the choices they find in wood-look vinyl flooring.
Along with materials, installation labor costs less with vinyl flooring, as well. Sizing, cutting, fitting, and placing vinyl is easier and less time-consuming than doing so with hardwood flooring.
Proper Care & Maintenance
Keeping your floors pristine and in good shape is a key goal in knowing they’ll serve you well for years to come. While wood flooring will stay beautiful for at least a few years when regularly swept & polished, most do need extensive refinishing at least every 5 years to truly keep them in peak shape.
Vinyl planks, tile, or sheeting needs regularly sweeping and simple washing or mopping. The frequency you touch-up or do a more in-depth clean should correspond with how busy the room or area is and a visual assessment of the vinyl floor’s cleaning needs. There are many good basic vinyl cleaners on the market that can keep the surface looking neat & attractive.
Rev Up For Resale
Your home or business is a reflection of your style & personality as long as you’re in it. Then, when you are ready to move on it should appeal to plenty of others if you hope to sell quickly. A traditional handsome hardwood or wood-look foundation is one of the most popular features in resale property, so rest assured that you’ve made the right choice.
Hardwood choices do have a leg-up on vinyl flooring in terms of resale value, as their positive contribution crosses off a few desirable checklists. This includes ease of sale, swiftness of sale, and larger sales prices in homes that do have real hardwood floors. While this is great news, consider whether the overall purchase and installation costs you paid will be completely covered at the time of resale before making that large investment.
Wood-look vinyl floors are generally seen as less desirable than hardwood but much more preferable than wall-to-wall carpet in today’s hot housing market. Consider all your costs and options, and estimate how long you’ll be living or working on the premises, too.
When choosing your solid or manufactured wood floor or your vinyl flooring styles, enjoy browsing the beautiful varieties, customization choices, and material differences. It’s a real smorgasbord of stunning designs to choose from so have a good time feasting your eyes and being creative in visualizing your upgraded new spaces.