Waterproof Wood vs. LVP: Which Flooring is Best for You?

Choosing the right flooring for your home or business is a significant decision. This aspect of your design not only impacts the overall aesthetic of a space but also affects durability, maintenance, and water resistance. Two of the most popular options today are luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and waterproof wood flooring, each offering unique advantages.

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Both options provide beauty, functionality, and resilience, but understanding each option's key differences and advantages can help you make an informed decision. Whether you prioritize the authentic look of real wood or the versatility and durability of vinyl, understanding these solutions will help you make an informed choice.

Aesthetic Appeal: The Look and Feel of Your Floors

Woodhills® Bali Buff Wood Flooring™ Oak

Flooring plays a crucial role in defining the atmosphere and style of a space. The right choice can enhance interior design by complementing furniture, color schemes, and décor.

Waterproof Wood

Our Woodhills® Collection captures the authentic beauty of natural wood while offering modern performance. Each plank features a hand-selected, brushed real wood veneer, delivering a warm and inviting look. The textures and rich grains create a classic and sophisticated ambiance, making waterproof wood an excellent option for homeowners who want genuine hardwood aesthetics without the risk of water damage.

Unlike traditional hardwood, which can warp or stain in moisture-prone areas, waterproof wood flooring is engineered to maintain its elegance even in kitchens, basements, and bathrooms. Its natural charm and added durability make it a sought-after choice for those who love real wood but need extra protection against moisture.

Luxury Vinyl Planks

Luxury vinyl planks, like that in our premium Everlife® Waterproof Flooring Collection, captures the authentic beauty of natural wood with remarkable precision. Utilizing advanced imaging technology, LVP features intricate wood grain patterns, realistic knots, and subtle texture variations that mirror the look and feel of traditional hardwood.

Homeowners can choose from a wide variety of colors, finishes, and styles, whether they prefer a sleek, modern aesthetic or a rustic, weathered wood look. The ability to achieve consistent high-definition visuals across the entire surface allows for seamless integration of LVP into any home or business design.

Durability & Maintenance: How Well Do These Floors Hold Up?

Andover Bellamy Brooks Luxury Vinyl Planks

Durability is crucial, particularly for high-traffic areas, busy households, and pet-friendly environments. Floors should be able to withstand daily wear and tear while maintaining their appearance over time.

Waterproof Wood

Waterproof wood combines the natural charm of hardwood with modern durability. Unlike solid wood, which is highly susceptible to water damage, these engineered planks feature a stone-based core that provides exceptional stability. This construction helps prevent warping, expansion, and contraction, making it suitable for areas with fluctuating humidity.

Additionally, these planks are designed with our advanced CrystaLux Ultra™ protective finish that boosts resilience against everyday wear. This specialized layer extends the product’s lifespan, ensuring it remains in top scratch-resistant condition despite daily foot traffic, spills, and other common household challenges.

Luxury Vinyl Planks

Luxury vinyl planks are renowned for toughness. All vinyl planks in the Everlife® Collection feature our exclusive CrystaLux™ protection, a wear layer that guards against scratches, scuffs, and stains. This makes these planks an excellent choice for busy families and the perfect “dog-friendly” option for pet owners.

Unlike traditional wood, which requires occasional refinishing, LVP maintains its pristine look with minimal effort. A simple cleaning routine of sweeping and damp mopping keeps it looking brand new. Its resistance to moisture, spills, and scratches makes it an attractive option for homeowners who prioritize a worry-free solution.

Water Resistance: Flooring that Stands Up to Moisture

Woodhills® Dorn Oak Wood Flooring™

Water resistance is one of the biggest concerns when selecting flooring, especially for areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and basements where spills and humidity are common.

Waterproof Wood

Unlike traditional hardwood, waterproof wood-like flooring is engineered to withstand moisture without compromising its integrity. Woodhills® planks incorporate an advanced waterproof core that prevents issues like warping, swelling, and staining from humidity and spills. Additionally, they are enhanced with our exclusive DryLuxe™ technology, providing a superior moisture barrier that ensures complete protection.

Beyond its waterproof nature, Woodhills® also prioritizes safety with its innovative ZeroSlip™ technology. This proprietary feature delivers outstanding slip resistance, offering a dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) that exceeds industry standards by at least 50%. This added traction enhances stability underfoot, making it a secure choice for households with children, pets, and elderly family members.

Luxury Vinyl Planks

MSI Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) flooring is 100% waterproof, making it an ideal choice for moisture-prone areas in both residential and commercial spaces. As part of our Everlife® Collection, it provides complete moisture protection, preventing water from seeping into the planks and ensuring long-term durability. This makes LVP particularly well-suited for spaces exposed to frequent spills, steam, and humidity, such as kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements.

The tight, click-lock installation system and specialized backing layer also create a secure barrier against moisture, reducing the risk of mold and mildew growth beneath the surface. This not only protects the longevity of the planks but also contributes to a healthier indoor environment.

Installation: How Easy Are These Floors to Install?

Cyrus® Grayton Luxury Vinyl Planks

Ease of installation is another important factor when selecting flooring. Both waterproof wood and luxury vinyl planks are designed for quick and efficient installation, making them suitable for DIY enthusiasts and professional installers alike.

For more 100% waterproof hardwood flooringinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Waterproof Wood

MSI’s Woodhills® Collection features a patented click-lock system, which allows planks to fit securely together without requiring nails or adhesives. This makes installation faster and more straightforward compared to traditional hardwood. The planks can be installed as a floating floor over most subfloors, ensuring a tight, gap-free fit that remains stable over time.

Luxury Vinyl Planks

Luxury vinyl planks also offer a simple click-lock system, allowing for a floating installation over existing floors. This means minimal preparation work, as vinyl planks can be laid directly over tile, wood, or concrete without the need for adhesives. The ease of installation makes LVP an attractive option for homeowners looking for a quick and hassle-free upgrade.

Which Flooring is Right for You?

Choosing between waterproof wood and luxury vinyl planks depends on your priorities. If you want the warmth of real wood with added durability, waterproof wood is an excellent choice. For a budget-friendly, ultra-durable, moisture-proof option, luxury vinyl planks are ideal, especially for high-traffic spaces. Both offer style, resilience, and long-term performance, ensuring a beautiful and practical solution for any home or business.

Ready to transform your space? Browse a curated collection of waterproof wood and luxury vinyl planks in your area by visiting an MSI showroom nearby, or chat with us online for more information on our entire Everlife® Collection.

READ MORE ABOUT LUXURY VINYL FLOORING

Engineered hardwood flooring is a s invention that allows homeowners to enjoy the look and feel of solid hardwood with greater stability, and often a lower price tag. Today’s engineered hardwood floors look so authentic, even a trained eye can have trouble distinguishing between the two. Check out the below answers to the top 10 questions you may have about engineered hardwood floors.

1. What is engineered hardwood flooring?

Engineered hardwood flooring features a top layer of hardwood veneer over a plywood, hardwood, or HDF (high density fiber board) core. Because engineered hardwood veneers are made from real wood, and not a photographic layer, they have the natural characteristics of the selected wood species.

2. What are the benefits of engineered hardwood flooring?

Engineered hardwood flooring offers more versatility than solid hardwood flooring because its construction allows it to be installed in many areas where solid planks aren’t recommended (like basements). This is due to its ability to resist moisture and humidity better than solid hardwood, which might be dimensionally unstable under the same conditions. Many engineered options are also able to be installed over underfloor heating systems that would otherwise dry out and damage hardwood.

3. What does greater stability mean?

The instability of solid hardwood flooring is generally moisture or heat related. In unsuitable conditions, solid hardwood can warp, cup, swell, or split apart. Engineered hardwood is more stable because it overcomes many of these problems with its the multi-ply plank construction that counteracts twisting and remains flat and intact.This makes engineered hardwood a better candidate for installation over underfloor heating and concrete, whether it’s above or below grade.

4. How many layers are present in engineered hardwood flooring?

Most types of engineered wood flooring have at least three layers beneath the hardwood veneer. Some options have as many as five to seven layers. More layers provides greater stability.

5. How thick is the hardwood veneer?

The top layer of hardwood, also known as the hardwood veneer, ranges in thickness from 0.5 mm to upwards of 6 mm. Thicker veneer layers are priced higher as they can be refinished multiple times, extending the life of your floor.

6. What’s the thinnest veneer layer that can be refinished?

The top veneer needs to be at least 2 mm thick for refinishing to be possible; if sanding is desired, professional sanding procedures typically remove 1/32 of an inch. The thicker the veneer, the more you can sand it without destroying the floor. However, homeowners with engineered hardwood flooring typically find that they never need to refinish it as these floors come with high quality finishes. If serious damage occurs, its often easier to have the area professionally removed and replaced.

7. What is the Janka hardness test, and what does it tell me about engineered hardwood floors?

The Janka hardness test measures the force needed to lodge a .444-inch steel ball in wood to a depth of half its diameter. This rating is helpful when you’re comparing various wood species because it tells you how hard each type of wood is and their ability to withstand wear and dents.

At the bottom of the scale are species like douglas fir, southern yellow pine, and black cherry with ratings under . Brazilian cherry and mesquite are at the top of the scale, rating over on the Janka hardness scale. Hardness ratings are particularly important in high-traffic areas.

Janka Hardness Chart:

8. What does it mean when flooring is sold in random lengths?

Depending on the floor manufacturer, lengths will vary. Some will provide boards of all one length, generally at a higher cost because of the quality control measures required. Others will provide boards of random lengths, indicating the shortest board and the longest board lengths per box. With random board lengths, all the boards in the box will fall in between those two lengths. Some manufacturers will note the average board length.

9. How do you install engineered hardwood flooring?

In general, engineered flooring can be installed in one of three different ways:

1. nail down if installing over a plywood subfloor
2. glue down if installing over a plywood or concrete subfloor
3. float if installing over a plywood or concrete subfloor

For nail down installations, the plywood subfloor should be 3/4″ thick, and a 15lb roofing felt or moisture barrier (such as MoistureBlock) should be placed underneath.

If you’re glueing the floor directly on the subfloor, use 100% urethane based adhesive with an integrated vapor barrier.

For floating installations, use an underlayment with a vapor barrier. Usually for this type of installation, the seams will still need to be glued together using regular wood glue such as Elmers or Titebond, unless the flooring is designed for a glue-less click-lock installation.

Please note, the above explanation is a very general guide. Always refer to manufacturer installation instructions for details.

10. What is the maximum variance allowable for a subfloor?

A well-prepared subfloor helps ensure a successful installation of your engineered flooring. The variance should be no more than 3/16-inch over 10 feet.

What other questions do you have about engineered hardwood? Let us know in the comments.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Peel & Stick Vinyl Flooring. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.