Are you considering an upgrade for your flooring or perhaps buying a new home and need to make a flooring decision and want to broaden your options? Consider Engineered Vinyl Plank (EVP) flooring.
If you’re looking at flooring for your home, you don’t have to choose between hardwood, tiles or laminate. There are other newer options that you might not be aware of since they aren’t necessarily top of mind for most people.
Engineered vinyl plank flooring offers a number of benefits over hardwood not the least of which is its water resistance as well as low maintenance and durability while also conducting heat very well. EVP looks similar to wood, tends to be cheaper and can also be used throughout the home including in the kitchen and bathrooms.
Here are the 7 main benefits of engineered vinyl plank flooring and why it should be considered over wood.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Water Resistant
One of the benefits of vinyl plank flooring is that it is 100% resistant to surface water. One of the downsides of hardwood is that it can be badly damaged by water. Exposure to water can cause hardwood to experience cupping, crowning, buckling or staining among other damaging effects.
Depending on the type of water it is exposed to – clean water, dirty water, sewage or salt water – the damage to hardwood flooring can be worse in some instances.
While highly engineered hardwood is somewhat water resistant, it isn’t as water resistant as vinyl plank flooring. Vinyl plank flooring is highly resistant to water which makes it a great choice in places that hardwood isn’t, such as basements and bathrooms.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Looks Better Than Regular Vinyl
Back in the day, the word vinyl meant cheap looking flooring and had a connotation of being a subpar choice for flooring in a home. Same with linoleum which is different from vinyl but tends to get lumped into the same pile. People often use the words interchangeably which leads to some confusion.
Modern vinyl plank flooring is very different than both of these options. When you choose luxury vinyl plank flooring, you are choosing the best style on the market that closely mimics the product it’s meant to replace, namely hardwood.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Durable
Vinyl plank flooring is 100% synthetic and is made of multiple layers of polyvinyl chloride resins (PVC) and usually includes other materials such as stabilizers and fungicides to provide the durability and wearability that buyers are looking for.
One of the downsides of hardwood is that it can easily dent and scratch through normal usage and things being dropped on the floor. Vinyl plank flooring tends to be more durable and more resistant to this sort of damage.
Note: Depending on which product you choose, the ingredients of vinyl plank flooring may emit some Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs
) so do check ahead of time to see what your chosen brand is made of if this is a concern.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Conducts Heat Better Than Some Other Flooring Options
This is a benefit that many people don’t consider but it’s of particular importance if you are installing underfloor heating. While stone and ceramic tiles are the best flooring options to transfer heat to the surface of the floor, vinyl is better than hardwood, engineered wood, carpet and rugs.
Whereas stone and tile perform best at conducting heat with an average heat output of 71 w/m², tiles finish in second place offering 68 w/m² output (Source: Nu-Heat UK).
Underfloor heating is very effective since there are no cold spots. With radiators and forced air heating, they heat the immediate area first and the air is then circulated throughout the room. With underfloor heating, the entire floor is heated equally since the heating cools run over the entire floor.
Underfloor heating also tends to require a lower temperature depending on the floor finish to warm the room which is made more effective with the choice of vinyl when compared to wood or broadloom. This can save you money on heating costs over time.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Scratch-Resistant
One of the main benefits of vinyl that it is scratch resistant which comes in handy if you have kids, a dog or other pet with nails or have a tendency to drop things on the floor from time to time.
If you’re the type of person who notices nicks and dents and things of that nature, a hardwood floor will develop them over time with use. It’s a reality.
With vinyl plank flooring it’s not natural like hardwood. It’s a 100% synthetic material and thus has been designed not by nature like wood but in a laboratory to generally withstand what humans and animals can throw at it, within reason.
Remember though: Scratch resistant isn’t scratch proof. You can scratch vinyl plank flooring but if you are careful, you will avoid large scratches and dents as is common with hardwood.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Low Maintenance
Other than dusting and wiping stains, there isn’t much maintenance for vinyl plank flooring. There is no oiling, waxing or anything like that to worry about. Vinyl plank flooring can’t be refinished so it’s not something you’ll need to worry about over time either.
It’s generally recommended that you use a soft microfiber mop with a non-abrasive cleaner that is not heavily-scented. You can also vacuum the flooring or use a robot vac to clean it.
This durability is what also makes vinyl flooring a good choice in any room of the house, something hardwood can’t claim.
Vinyl Plank Flooring Offers Many Options, Colors And Styles
Modern vinyl flooring comes in various patterns to mimic hardwood in terms of color and and texture. They come in different plank widths and lengths too just like hardwood. You can also choose different overall plank thicknesses and varying wear layer thicknesses too.
Vinyl plank flooring manufacturers use photographic imaging technology to exactly match the hardwood style and look of real wood products. You’ll even find realistic wood grain and ceramic tile looks among other options.
If you’re concerned with air quality issues, look for products that are certified to offer low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions.
Familiarize Yourself With These EVP Manufacturers
Here’s a table showcasing some of the biggest manufacturers of engineered vinyl plank (EVP) flooring, along with a brief description of each company and the models or brands they produce:
| Manufacturer | Description | Models/Brands |
|---|---|---|
| Shaw Industries | A leading flooring manufacturer offering a wide range of EVP products known for their quality | Floorte, Floorte Pro, Floorte Pro Plus, Floorte Classico, Floorte Premio |
| Armstrong Flooring | Renowned for their innovative flooring solutions, Armstrong produces EVP with durability in mind | Pryzm, Luxe Plank, Vivero Better, Vivero Best, Vivero Good |
| Mohawk Industries | A global flooring company delivering EVP options with exceptional performance and style | SolidTech, SolidTech Plus, Revelance, SolidTech True Design, RevWood Plus |
| Mannington Mills | Known for their craftsmanship and sustainable practices, Mannington offers EVP with elegance | Adura Max, Adura Rigid, Adura Flex, Adura MaxAPEX |
| COREtec by USFloors | A pioneer in the EVP market, COREtec produces high-quality, waterproof EVP flooring | COREtec Plus, COREtec Pro, COREtec One, COREtec Stone, COREtec Wood |
| Karndean Designflooring | A luxury vinyl flooring specialist, Karndean offers EVP options inspired by natural materials | Korlok, Opus, Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Art Select |
| Tarkett | A global leader in flooring solutions, Tarkett provides EVP with a focus on sustainability | ProGen, ProGen Plus, Permastone, AquaFlor, Transcend |
| Cali Bamboo | Specializing in sustainable flooring, Cali Bamboo offers EVP made from renewable materials | Cali Vinyl Pro, Cali Vinyl Longboards, Cali Vinyl Mute Step, Cali Vinyl Pro Classic, Cali Vinyl Builder’s Choice |
| Home Legend by Power Dekor | Offering a range of affordable EVP options, Home Legend provides style and durability | Home Legend Vinyl Plank, Home Legend Embossed Vinyl Plank, Home Legend Locking Vinyl Plank |
| LifeProof by Halstead New Engl | Known for their waterproof flooring, LifeProof produces EVP designed for durability and ease | LifeProof Seasoned Wood, LifeProof Heirloom Pine, LifeProof Essential Oak, LifeProof Sterling Oak |
Please note that this information is accurate up to my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, and the product offerings of these manufacturers may have expanded or changed since then. It’s always recommended to visit the manufacturers’ websites or contact them directly for the most up-to-date information on their EVP products.
Final Thoughts
If you’d like to take the next step and consider EVP for your home, here’s how to get started…
Search for EVP, vinyl plank flooring, luxury vinyl plank flooring (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) among other terms commonly used to find the option that suits you best.
And if you’re searching for another flooring option as a comparison, check out my page on wood look tiles that are made from ceramic or porcelain but resemble wood.