Hardwood and LVP: Finding the Right Floor for Your Home  You need a floor you can count on. Actually, you need one you can walk, run, play, and skip on. When it comes to flooring built for living, hardwood and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) deliver exceptional performances. The only question is: Which is the right option for your home, your style, and your lifestyle?  The Classic Beauty of Hardwood  Hardwood has been used for flooring for centuries.  In the first iterations, the boards were cut from nearby old-growth forests and installed, unfinished and unembellished, with hand tools. Fast-forward, hardwood is still prized for its natural simplicity, warmth, and durability.   Red oak, white oak, hickory, ash, American cherry, maple, and walnut are traditional choices, but today’s homeowners can also choose from species like Brazilian cherry, Brazilian walnut, sapele, acacia, and others. Oh, and their floors are finished nowadays!   Hardwood has never and will never go out of style, and for good reason: 
  • Durability. With proper care, hardwood lasts a lifetime (and more). Refinish every 10 years, and you’re good to go. 
  • Ease of Maintenance. Follow a simple cleaning schedule: sweep, mop. That’s it. Use a vinegar/water solution for optimal results. 
  • Future-Focused. With easy maintenance, they will stand the test of time, and their natural beauty ensures they never go out of style.  
  • Versatility. Hardwood goes with everything.  
  • ROI. While upfront costs might be higher than other flooring materials, hardwood pays you back with a 106% return on your investment, according to the National Association of REALTORS. 
While an enduring classic, be sure to consider hardwood’s vulnerability to moisture. It is not typically a prime choice for rooms with high levels of moisture and humidity, such as bathrooms. Surfaces can also become scratched, so it may not be ideal for rooms that see a lot of kid- and pet-activity and/or heavy traffic.   Where Hardwood Shines: Living room, dining room, kitchen, owner’s suite, den, home office.  Hardwood and LVP: Which is the Right Floor for Your Home  LVP: A Solution Engineered for 21st Century Life  LVP is making tremendous headway in homes all over the country. But what is it? Luxury vinyl plank is a manufactured flooring solution that is “layered.” You have: 
  • A padded layer at the bottom 
  • A dent-resistant, waterproof layer  
  • A layer of vinyl that is 3D printed to resemble hardwood or tile 
  • A protective top layer 
All of that is tightly compressed into just 4-6 millimeters. Thanks to advanced materials, printing technology, and embossing/debossing textures, LVP can mimic the look of wood, stone, and other surfaces while offering benefits all its own: 
  • Durability. LVP can stand up to spills, splashes, kids, pets, and anything else life throws at it. No, it’s not going to last a century like hardwood, but you will get around 10-20 years of beautiful use. Additionally, if you need to repair your flooring, you can replace individual planks. 
  • Ease of Maintenance. Sweep regularly and do a weekly run with your Swiffer.  
  • Versatility. Advances in printing, as well as materials and techniques, means that LVP does a great impersonation of stone, tile, and wood, and there is a wide array of color and pattern options available.  
  • Waterproof. Unlike hardwood, LVP stands up to moisture like a champ.
If someone were to get down on their hands and knees to inspect your floor, they’d be able to tell it’s LVP as opposed to hardwood or stone. You’re not trying to “fool” anyone here. You’re just trying to get a terrific surface that delivers all the functionality (and form) you need.   Where LVP Shines: Bedrooms (particularly children’s and guest), pet-centered rooms, bathroom, laundry room, mudroom, entryway, kitchen, finished basement.    Hardwood and LVP: Which is the Right Floor for Your Home  Hardwood and LVP: It’s Not an Either/Or  Both hardwood and LVP have many admirable qualities – and remember, you don’t have to choose between hardwood and LVP. There is no reason not to – and every reason to – incorporate both materials where they make sense for your home. You may want the classic elegance of hardwood in your great room and dining room but need the functionality of LVP in the playroom and mudroom. Mix and match to suit your needs.  Using a combination also allows you to maximize your budget. You can splurge on gorgeous hardwood in the main public spaces of your home while using durable LVP in other strategic locations.   If you want classic appeal, go with hardwood (but be mindful of rooms where water/moisture is a concern). If you want practicality and affordability, opt for LVP. If you want it all, we say optimize your home with both.  Get a sneak peek at how hardwood and LVP flooring will look with ACo’s Flooring Visualizer. You can view sample rooms or upload a photo of your own space.   Hardwood and LVP: Which is the Right Floor for Your Home  Love Where You Live  … and the floors you walk (run, jump, and skip) on. Both hardwood and LVP are the surfaces for your lifestyle. It just depends on what will work best for you – and where. Ask us about the optimal flooring options for your home. Connect with ACo.