Nice looking hardwood floor in the pic above, isn’t it?
Check your eyes because it’s not hardwood at all, it’s an LVP floor. Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring has been around for a while now and continues to gain in popularity. It is waterproof and can stand up to heavy traffic. These floors are ideal for basement installs as they can be installed directly onto a concrete slab and are not affected by humidity/moisture. Truth is, home-owners are opting to install LVP flooring throughout the home in place of more costly hardwood floors.
LVP floors are manufactured to mimic the look of real hardwood and feature all of the natural characteristics you’d find in real wood like variation, knots, mineral streak, etc. Unlike sheet vinyl flooring, LVP comes in individual planks which provides a seamless, flowing look when installed.
One big selling point with LVP is the ease of install. These floors can be installed directly on top of existing vinyl, linoleum, tile and even hardwood flooring. However, it’s imperative that the existing floor be perfectly level otherwise there will be soft spots.
Best to stick with at least a 6 mm thickness when picking an LVP floor. Anything thinner than that could be problematic. It’s also prudent to go with one that has an underlayment attached to the back for more cushion underfoot and some noise cancellation.
The best LVP floors will work their hardest at actually looking like hardwood floors. Quality vinyl floors should come with a texture that you can feel underfoot (under barefoot, that is) and have a nice sheen, mimicking the urethane finish of a hardwood floor. Also, the quality manufacturers will offer patterns like herringbone and chevron which can bring some class and pizazz. Being that grey is still in high demand, LVP is a great choice as there are usually multiple shades of grey to pick from.
Beyond being more cost-effective, vinyl floors come with many other benefits like the fact that they are easy to install. Due to this fact, the labor rate will be cheaper than hardwood. They also stand up very well to moisture and wear. LVP flooring is easy to maintain and won’t fade in tone throughout the years like hardwood does. But like hardwood flooring, not all LVP floors are built the same.
BAS Hardwood Floors has special access to private label LVP floors that are of top quality at a very competitive price. If you’re looking for an LVP floor don’t hesitate to give us a call so we can amaze you with how cost-effective it is as a flooring option.