Engineered hardwood flooring overview | Engineered vs vinyl floors moisture & water resistant comparison | Engineered floor advantages | Engineered wood flooring disadvantages | Vinyl flooring overview | Vinyl flooring benefits | Engineered hardwood flooring benefits | Vinyl plank flooring vs engineered hardwood strength | Luxury vinyl vs vinyl plank flooring | What is luxury vinyl plank flooring? | What is luxury vinyl flooring? | Is engineered hardwood flooring common in Australia? | Is engineered hardwood flooring real wood? | Cost of vinyl plank flooring in Australia | Cost of engineered flooring in Australia | Composition of vinyl plank vs engineered hardwood
Engineered wood flooring has a tongue and groove style that can span further than the conventional hardwood floors.
Engineered wood floors are usually more expensive than vinyl floors, but over time they may be more cost-effective.
Vinyl flooring is softer to walk on and cheaper to maintain.
Vinyl flooring comes in many colours, patterns and styles. Engineered wood flooring is limited to a few durable finishes.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring Overview
Engineered wood flooring is a composite manufactured from layers of wood and other materials.
Engineered hardwood floors, such as the Wonderboard brand, consist of long strands on fiberboard interwoven with glue. They are uniform at 1″(2.54cm) thickness with tongue-and-groove edges that fit together snugly. Engineered hardwoods are usually accented with real wood veneer. The surface of the floors is sealed to be stain-resistant.
Engineered wood flooring, such as MDF (medium-density fiberboard) or particleboard floors like Wonderboard and Pergo, are made by combining boards of wood along with layers of paper glues and resins.
Engineered vs Vinyl Floors Moisture & Water Resistant Comparison
When moisture or water gets into vinyl flooring, it will swell and expand. On the other hand, when moisture enters engineered floorboards, only the top layers absorb it but not the entire product which makes engineered flooring more resistant to swelling than natural wood.
Engineered Floor Advantages
One advantage that engineered hardwood has over its natural counterpart is stability over time. Engineered wood flooring tends to stay that way for a lot longer and resists warping, even if you have high humidity in your home.
Another thing is the endurance of engineered hardwood floors. Many of us have brought up children in our homes – some we’ve watched grow up with pets. And unfortunately, pet stains (in particular) can be stubborn to remove from natural hardwoods.
But this isn’t an issue with engineered floors because they are coated with polyurethane or synthetic material that makes them much more resilient to stains and spills than real wood varieties. Also, if anything does happen to get onto the surface of these surfaces it will easily wipe off or clean with disinfected wipes.
Engineered floorboards have the potential to be set up as a floating floor.
Engineered Wood Flooring Disadvantages
It’s easy to get confused with engineered floors because they can look real, and many people think that they are real wood whilst costing less than solid timber flooring.
However, these varieties of flooring consist of various materials that have been pressed together. Some layers may contain recycled wood fibres or even compounds made from plastics or minerals like limestone.
Vinyl Flooring Overview
Vinyl flooring is made up of alternating layers of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and another material called an “underlayment”. The top layer appears to be similar to laminate flooring but it’s actually vinyl sheeting reinforced by cross-linked polyolefin fibres.
Under the topcoat, there may be one or more underlays. These lower layers provide key structural support for the surface film and are made from a variety of materials such as cork, rubber or polyolefin.
Vinyl Flooring Benefits
Vinyl flooring has all the same benefits and is a good value for your money if you’re looking for:
1. Durability: Vinyl floors are usually more durable than laminate ones because their backing consists of layers like that of hardwood floors. The underlays give vinyl extra support so it doesn’t buckle, bow or warp later on down the road. Intense sunlight, high heat and humidity also won’t soften or damage vinyl.
2. Easy to install: Vinyl flooring is easy to install without paying the cost of a professional installer. It’s offered in simple-to-follow DIY installation kits from the manufacturer that come with all you need including adhesive, trowels and instructions. The floors can be installed by yourself or friends without a major hassle because they are light enough to move around easily on your own and their thinness allows for cutting with basic tools like a utility knife or box cutter.
3. Resilient: Vinyl flooring tends to have more give than hardwood, making it easier to stand on over time since it has some padding between you and the floor. This makes it more comfortable for walking around and doing household chores because the surface won’t get as hard or as hot from your feet or furniture being on top of them.
4. Water Resistant: Vinyl plank flooring also has an added advantage over laminate ones in that they are water-resistant, making them good choices if you live in a climate where rain comes often. This is especially true when combined with moisture resistance underlays. As long as you take care to keep up on cleaning spills immediately, vinyl floors will do well even if there is flooding or water damage by avoiding warping and buckling due to excess moisture.
5. Resistant: A common sign of wear on your wood flooring is scratches from shoes and furniture dragging across them. Vinyl is resistant to scratches and staining so it can stay looking shiny and attractive for years to come even after a lot of foot traffic has taken place.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring Benefits
If you’re willing to pay the premium price, engineered hardwood floors have some benefits over regular hardwood flooring at a lower price point. These benefits are:
1. Long-lasting: While vinyl doesn’t degrade with age over time as many materials do, there are environmental factors that may affect whether your floor wears down or not. The biggest factor is moisture, which eats away at the glue under the surface coating of your engineered floor and if it is a floating floor. Regular maintenance and cleaning can prolong its life although the humidity in many areas make prevent this finish from lasting very long at all.
2. Uniform: Another benefit of engineered hardwood is that it comes from the same source materials as solid, natural engineered wood flooring so you can be assured of getting a “consistent look” while still being made from durable and long-lasting materials. The only difference is that the interlocking layers have been removed on some types to make installation easier.
3. Traditional: Engineered flooring has all the benefits of a classic wooden plank floor in that it gives off an elegant air because of its thick dimensions and design compared to modern laminate or vinyl floors.
4. Sound barrier: Because engineered hardwood looks like traditional planks, most people think it makes an equally good sound barrier for high-traffic foot areas such as living rooms and kitchens. In fact, this flooring is even denser than real engineered hardwood, making it better at dampening the sounds of movement so there’s less disruption to other people in your household.
Vinyl Plank Flooring vs Engineered Hardwood Strength
When comparing vinyl plank flooring vs engineered hardwood floors, the hardness of a floor is one important deciding factor in which type to choose.
Aside from the fact that vinyl floors are softer to walk on, they’re also safer than hardwood for children because there’s no risk of splinters or spills damaging them. The low maintenance is also an advantage because there’s no need to oil the style and re-seal it after installation.
Luxury Vinyl vs Vinyl Plank Flooring
Plank flooring is a popular newer type of flooring that uses durable vinyl to create a wood-like, low-maintenance alternative. Compared to solid wood or tile, plank floors are a cheaper option and require only basic installation tools.
Aesthetically, vinyl plank is more versatile as it comes in different colours, textures, and designs. You have the ability to choose the exact type of look you’re going for with this type of flooring. In addition, vinyl lumber provides an easy way to update your home without having to do any major renovations or tear out the old flooring Vinyl.
What is Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring?
Luxury vinyl flooring is a type of flooring that is often mistaken for real wood. It’s durable, moisture-resistant, and easy to install.
What is Luxury Vinyl Flooring?
Luxury Vinyl Planks are not commonly used in Australia, but they are a common choice in other countries like the United States.
The reason for this is because luxury vinyl planks are more affordable than hardwood or laminate flooring. Luxury vinyl planks have various features and benefits that make them an appealing option for buyers. Some of these features include being moisture-resistant, easier to install, a wear layer, and having a variety of different designs and colours.
Luxury vinyl plank flooring also doesn’t require the same maintenance as traditional hardwood floors such as sealing or oiling the floor. This makes them a more practical choice compared to wood flooring because there is less upkeep and lower prices involved with its installation.
Luxury Vinyl Planks are not commonly used in Australia, but they are a common choice in other countries like the United States.
Is Engineered Hardwood Flooring Common in Australia?
It’s more common for people in Australia to install engineered hardwood flooring, than luxury vinyl planks.
Is Engineered Hardwood Flooring Real Wood?
One of the benefits of engineered hardwood is that it is able to mimic natural wood. It is made in the same way as natural wood but doesn’t have any knots or flaws in the design and because of this it has a very close resemblance to the real thing
There are two types of engineered hardwood, laminated and solid. The difference between them comes down to where they come from.
Cost of Vinyl Plank Flooring in Australia
The cost of vinyl plank flooring in Australia depends on the type, quality and thickness. For example, the price for a single pack of 3mm rated vinyl planks is $175. The cost of this pack is $175 because it includes 10 planks that are 24″ long and 3mm thick. This pack of 10 planks is enough to cover around 2m by 2m.
The cost of a set of vinyl plank flooring is $5 to $10 per square metre, however, it will vary depending on where you install the vinyl planks or how thick they are. For example, if you were installing a 6mm thickness then the cost would be between $16 and $20 per square metre. The reason for this higher price is because thicker, more durable flooring means higher quality costs – this type of flooring also lasts longer than thinner types.
If your house requires around 100 sq/m then the installation will cost anywhere between $1,000 and $2,500 depending on if labour costs and included and to what extent, but always get a quote from a local flooring installation specialist for exact numbers. You can save yourself some money and do the installation yourself or if you have a friend or family member that is handy with basic tools then they might be able to help.
Cost of Engineered Flooring in Australia
When it comes to engineered flooring, prices also depend on the type of wood used. The most common types of engineered hardwood in Australia are made of maple, oak and cherry wood.
In Australia, the engineered wood floors are available in a variety of different colours. Prices vary according to the type of wood and colour used. The most common price range in Australia is between $10-20 per metre for an engineered hardwood floor.
Composition of Vinyl Plank vs Engineered Hardwood
The composition differences of vinyl planks floors vs engineered hardwood floors are that the vinyl planks are made up of multiple layers. These types of floors will have an odd number of layers which allows a better bond making the floor stronger and more durable. In addition, they feature rounded edges which make them look thicker but this effect is illusory as there is no thickness difference between these products.
Engineered hardwood floorboards on the other hand use solid wood pieces held together by resin glue underneath a veneer finish. Engineered hardwood seams can be either glued or stapled to prevent bowing or movement. This type of hardwood again has an even number of layers usually two unless it’s coated with lacquer or paint then it would have one coat only applied over just one side.
Note that the composition of the materials can vary greatly so it is always best to check with the manufacturer for the exact floorboard specifications.
