Thinking of getting a new floor put in? Considering vinyl plank flooring? If so, keep reading because we’re breaking down the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring.
To begin weighing the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring, let’s start with a big one that is sure to be on everyone’s mind: cost.
Thankfully, vinyl plank flooring is one of the cheapest options available, especially in comparison to tile or hardwood flooring. Typically, you should expect to pay around $4-5 per square foot for vinyl plank flooring.
For the sake of comparison, if you were interested in tile flooring, you would likely have to pay somewhere between $10 and $15 per square foot. Hardwood floors vary significantly in price and while you could pay as little as $7 per square foot, you could also end up paying over $20 per square foot depending on the type of wood you use. Therefore, all in all, vinyl plank flooring is almost always the cheapest option which is important to consider when weighing the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring.
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Alright, now let’s talk about one of the downsides of vinyl plank flooring. In comparison to other flooring types, vinyl plank flooring does not last that long. A typical estimate places its lifespan between 10-20 years, although some vinyl plank floors can last longer if you take great care of them.
Of course, not everyone might consider this a con. Perhaps you are not planning to live in your current home for a long time, but you still want high quality flooring. In that case, a 10–20-year lifespan may be all you need.
Alternatively, you may decide that it is worth installing and reinstalling multiple vinyl plank floors because of its low cost.
Regardless, it is important to point out that vinyl plank flooring is not going to last you as long as a good hardwood floor, for example, which could last for over 100 years.
If you are thinking of putting vinyl plank floors in your home, you should be aware that they are unlikely to raise the value of your property. Although vinyl plank flooring looks good and is easy to install (more about that in a minute), its cheap price and lack of longevity compared to other flooring types make it somewhat undesirable to the property market.
Don’t get us wrong, of course homes with vinyl plank floors will still sell. However, a home with vinyl plank floors is always going to be listed at a lower value than that same home with hardwood floors. As such, you can typically expect a large return on investment with hardwood floors and a relatively low return on investment with vinyl plank floors.
Of course, your property value can also vary depending on the age of your floor. Brand new vinyl plank flooring may be more appealing to some buyers than 40 year old hardwoods. However, on average, you should not expect a lot from your vinyl plank floors when it comes to raising property value. Depending on your situation, this may not matter to you, however it is an important factor to weigh when considering the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring.
One of the great things about vinyl plank floors is that they are incredibly easy to install. In fact, many people don’t even bother seeking out professional help and install vinyl plank floors on their own. If this is something that interests you, we’ve written about previously on our blog.
Even if you are not a DIYer, it is still a major plus that vinyl plank floors are so easy to install. Easy installation equals a short installation time, meaning that most projects done by a professional team are finished in a day. Also, professionals typically charge less to install vinyl plank flooring in comparison to tile or hardwood because it is an easier process.
Depending on how much of a DIYer you are, this could be a major factor for you which is why we wanted to include it in our pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring.
Although vinyl plank flooring is quite durable (more on that in a minute), it does have one weakness: sun damage. Some vinyl plank floors are more resistant to the sun than others, but all of them will eventually fade over time if they are left in constant contact with natural light.
Once again, this may not be a problem for everyone. The room you are looking to install flooring in may not get a lot of natural light or you might be able to simply arrange the room so that light doesn’t shine directly on your floor.
Nonetheless, it is something to think about when weighing the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring, especially because it is not an issue shared by other popular flooring types.
To finish up our pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring, let’s end on a high note. One of the great aspects of vinyl plank flooring is its durability. There isn’t too much that can damage vinyl plank floors. They are scuff-resistant, scratch-resistant, waterproof, and have no problem handling heavily trafficked areas in your house. This makes vinyl plank floors great for people with kids and pets, especially compared to hardwood floors which cannot take such abuse without showing it.
Of course, vinyl flooring isn’t indestructible but as long as you apply common sense, it’s pretty hard to damage. Just make sure you don’t drag heavy furniture and, as we mentioned earlier, try to keep it out of the sun. When thinking about the pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring, this is a major factor to keep in mind.
So those are some of the major factors you should think about when weighing pros and cons of vinyl plank flooring. Whether you want to hear more or you’re ready for installation, give GID Flooring a call. We have 15+ years of experience in the flooring industry and we’re more than happy to help you with all of your flooring needs.