If you find yourself questioning whether hardwood or vinyl flooring is right for your home or business, you should be informed on the major differences between the two. Take everything into account, from cost to cleaning, before making the decision.

The Differences Between Vinyl and Hardwood Flooring

Both vinyl and hardwood bring with them unique advantages and disadvantages. These are some of the key differences you should be aware of when making the decision between the two.

Cost

One difference everyone is paying attention to is the cost difference between vinyl and hardwood. The simple answer is: vinyl flooring is much cheaper than hardwood. Vinyl is a great option for finishing a floor cheaply and quickly but, like with everything, cheaper costs come with a price of their own. A hardwood floor might be more expensive, but those costs generally come back around to save you money in the long run due to its durability.

Installing vinyl is also a much simpler process which could reduce labor costs when installing.

Durability

Where vinyl wins out in the price category, hardwood has the upper hand when it comes to durability. A well-maintained hardwood floor can last for decades and, if it falls out of repair, hardwood can be refinished and made to look like new again.

Some advantages vinyl has over hardwood are that it’s waterproof, which makes it easier to clean up spills and other accidents, and the low price means if a piece breaks or wears out it can be easily replaced. However, vinyl does wear out significantly faster than hardwood and could need to be replaced as often as every few years depending on use.

Cleaning

When it comes to cleaning, vinyl eliminates most of the challenges of hardwood, but both require regular cleaning to remain in the best shape.

Vinyl floors can be cleaned with basic materials like mops, brooms, vacuums, and almost any traditional cleaning products and vinyl’s waterproof nature means you don’t need to worry about using too much water in cleaning.

With hardwood, it’s best to stick to products designed for wood but other than specialized product, cleaning hardwood flooring is no more difficult.

Look

Look is a category that mostly depends on your personal preference. Many people prefer the look of a natural wood that can only be captured using hardwood and many other people are looking for something more stylized, something vinyl excels at. There are many types of woods and cuts available for hardwood floors and many colors and styles of vinyl floors, which one you like best is up to you. From Mohawk to Armstrong, Scharm Floor Covering has a wide array of both vinyl and hardwood flooring options that will satisfy any environment. To find the option best suited for your home or office, get in touch with the specialists at Scharm Floor Covering today.