Types of flooring materials

Tests at Consumer Reports found porcelain tile to be the most durable type of flooring, resistant to scratches, dents, and moisture. It’s also very easy to clean. Glazed ceramic and porcelain tile require very little maintenance, though other types need more.

Vinyl. Overview: Thanks to cost-effective pricing, durability and ease of maintenance, vinyl is one of the most popular flooring choices on the market today especially for high-traffic rooms or areas exposed to excessive moisture.

Laminate, vinyl plank, and hardwood floor colors will be focused on the natural tones of wood, excluding the warm ones. That’s right, cool tones will remain strong even going into the new decade. Dark tones are not completely canceled, but light tone wood looks will be one of the most prevalent 2020 flooring trends.

Tile Flooring

Porcelain and ceramic are some of the longest lasting flooring materials available, and they require little maintenance. Tile flooring is also moisture resistant, making it the perfect choice for areas where spills are common like bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.

Materials almost always classified as floor covering include carpet, area rugs, and resilient flooring such as linoleum or vinyl flooring. Materials commonly called flooring include wood flooring, laminated wood, ceramic tile, stone, terrazzo, and various seamless chemical floor coatings.

To summarize, vinyl is a better choice when you need water resistance, lifespan, and durability in your flooring. Meanwhile, laminate is preferable if you want a more stylish appearance, lower costs, and a comfortable feel underfoot.

Tile. A classic and durable look, tile flooring has long been the go-to option for wet areas. If installed, grouted and sealed properly, tile can last a lifetime and sometimes longer. Tile is, anecdotally-speaking, the number one most popular option for kitchen flooring.

Laminate flooring is similar to luxury vinyl planks in its look and method of installation. The critical difference is that its core is made from wood byproducts bonded with resins. The top surface is a hard, transparent plastic wear layer that covers the printed design layer.

Laminate flooring is more expensive than vinyl planks. You can expect to pay between $1 and $6 per square foot for laminate flooring. High-quality laminate planks may cost as much as $7 per square foot. Vinyl planks can cost between $1.50 and $2 per square foot.

Is Pergo Laminate Or Vinyl? Pergo is a flooring brand, but the brand name is often used as a byword for laminate flooring, as the company invented laminate flooring back in 1977. However, Pergo in fact produces both laminate and vinyl flooring as well as a variety of solid wood and engineered hardwood flooring options.

Pergo is a great affordable option for durability and look. For $2.27 / SF, It will give you the look of beautiful light colored oak flooring for a fraction of the price. The results are beautiful. While I do really like our Pergo flooring, there absolutely are better flooring options out there.

The inability to sand and refinish is a major disadvantage of laminate flooring. If laminate flooring is heavily worn, deep scratched, or grooved, it cannot be sanded or refinished like solid hardwood—it must be replaced.

The Not-So-Good News

Even the best laminate flooring is susceptible to moisture damage and shouldn’t be installed laundry rooms and rooms with sump pumps or floor drains. Laminate flooring can’t be refinished the way real wood can, so once it’s worn out, it’ll have to be replaced.

Solid hardwood is always a good choice

Because it’s only made of wood, solid hardwood is one of the best options for non–toxic flooring. Just remember to use a low-VOC finish and a low-VOC installation method.