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For years, laminate lost this comparison in one sentence: water ruined it. A spill left in a seam soaked into the core, the board swelled, and swollen laminate doesn't go back down. Waterproof laminate changed that, which is why the question deserves a fresh answer. It closed most of the gap with vinyl plank. Not all of it.
You should know up front that we supply and deliver 12mm AC4 waterproof laminate ourselves. You'll also see below that there are rooms where we'd still tell you to choose vinyl plank. Here is how the two compare, and which one we'd put in each room.
What each one is made of
Both are usually installed as floating floors, meaning the planks lock to each other rather than being fastened down. What separates them is the core, the thick middle layer you never see.
- Waterproof laminate: a dense wood-fibre core treated to resist water, a printed wood image, and a hard melamine wear surface on top. The locking joints and plank edges are designed to keep water out of the seams.
- Vinyl plank: a plastic-based core under a printed image and a clear wear layer. Rigid-core vinyl uses either a dense stone-plastic core (SPC) or a lighter foamed plastic core (WPC).
Nearly everything below follows from that. One is wood fibre that has been protected from water. The other is plastic that water can't hurt.
Water: what 'waterproof' really covers
Waterproof laminate is built to handle water from the top. Manufacturers test it by leaving water standing on the surface for a set number of hours, and that number on the spec sheet is worth reading. Spilled drinks, a dog's water bowl, wet boots, a damp mop: it handles all of those, which older laminate could not.
What it isn't built for is water that stays. A dishwasher leak running under the floor for a week, a burst washing machine hose, or water coming up into a basement reaches the core from underneath, and the core can still swell.
Vinyl plank doesn't have that weakness. The vinyl itself isn't damaged by water, whether it sits on top for an hour or underneath for a week. A foam or cork pad attached to the back can trap moisture against the subfloor, though, so a vinyl floor that has sat in water still needs checking.
Neither one makes the room waterproof. Every floating floor has a small gap at the walls so it can expand, and water that finds that gap ends up on the subfloor. A wood subfloor that stays wet can grow mould and eventually rot. A waterproof floor buys you time to notice a leak. It doesn't let you ignore one.
Verdict: vinyl plank. Waterproof laminate is right for everyday spills, not for leaks nobody catches.
Scratches and wear
This is where laminate earns its place. Its melamine surface is harder than the wear layer on vinyl plank, so grit, chair legs and claws leave fewer marks on it.
Laminate is graded for abrasion on a scale from AC1 to AC5. AC3 is rated for heavy household use and is the sensible minimum for a busy house. AC4 is rated for general commercial traffic, the kind a shop or café floor takes, so in a home with kids, a dog and a busy hallway it has a comfortable margin.
Vinyl is graded by the thickness of its clear wear layer, measured in mils (thousandths of an inch). Look for at least 12 mil in a family home, and 20 mil if there's a dog or it's a rental. Even a good vinyl will show fine surface scratches sooner than laminate.
Neither can be refinished. A badly damaged plank on either floor gets replaced, so keep a few spare planks from the same batch in the garage.
Verdict: waterproof laminate.
Sound
Laminate is the louder floor. The hard surface and stiff core give a sharper sound under shoes and claws, and a subfloor that isn't flat adds a hollow note. Thickness helps: a 12mm board sounds and feels more solid than a thin 7mm or 8mm one, and a good underlay helps too.
Vinyl plank is quieter in the room, especially with a pad attached to the back of each plank.
In a condo or townhouse, check your strata bylaws before choosing either. Many buildings require hard floors to meet a sound rating to protect the unit below, and the underlay often matters as much as the plank.
Verdict: vinyl plank.
Comfort
Vinyl is a little softer and warmer to bare feet, and foamed-core (WPC) vinyl more so. Laminate is firmer and feels more like a real wood floor, because its core is made of wood fibre. Stand on samples of both before you decide.
Verdict: vinyl for warmth, laminate for feel. This one is personal.
What your subfloor has to give them
Both need a flat subfloor, to a tolerance each manufacturer sets for its own product. Where the two differ is in how they cope with small imperfections.
A stiff 12mm laminate rides over very small bumps, and so does rigid-core vinyl. Thin, flexible vinyl shows every bump and screw head beneath it. None of them hides a floor that is genuinely out of flat. That is a job for floor levelling, and it's worth raising at the free on-site measure, before any material is ordered. Our guide to floor levelling explains what goes wrong when it's skipped.
Over a concrete slab, both need protecting from moisture coming up through the concrete. Laminate needs a plastic vapour barrier underneath, or an underlay with one built in. Vinyl plank isn't harmed by that moisture, but moisture trapped beneath it can feed mould, and many vinyl makers also call for a vapour barrier over concrete. Manufacturers set moisture limits for the slab as well, so follow the instructions for the exact product either way.
Verdict: close to a tie over a flat wood subfloor. Over a basement slab, vinyl plank.
Room by room
- Basement: vinyl plank. Water can arrive from below, and waterproof laminate is rated for water from the top.
- Laundry room: vinyl plank. A burst washer hose puts a lot of water down fast, often while nobody is home.
- Full bathrooms: vinyl plank, or luxury vinyl tile if you'd prefer a stone look. A tub or shower means water on the floor every day.
- Powder room: either, as long as the laminate you choose is approved for bathrooms. Check its installation instructions.
- Kitchen: either. Laminate shrugs off grit and dropped cutlery better; vinyl is the safer choice if a slow dishwasher leak worries you.
- Entry and mudroom: either, with a good mat. Waterproof laminate handles wet boots as long as puddles are wiped up within its rated time, and its harder surface stands up better to tracked-in grit. If coats and umbrellas drip there all winter, vinyl plank is the no-worry choice.
- Living room, dining room and hallways: waterproof laminate. The harder surface keeps its looks longest where traffic is heaviest.
- Bedrooms: either. Vinyl for warmth and quiet, laminate for a firmer feel, or carpet if warm and quiet is the whole point.
- Rental suite: vinyl plank with a 20 mil wear layer. Tenants don't always report a leak the day it starts.
Mixing floors in one house
You don't have to pick one floor for the whole house. Plenty of homes put vinyl plank in the basement and laundry and laminate through the main living areas, with a transition strip at the doorway between them.
If the new floor carries on up a staircase, decide how the stair edges will be finished when you choose the floor, not after it's down. Our guide to square nosings covers the options.
Which one to choose
If the room can flood, or water can reach it from below, choose vinyl plank. In living areas and hallways, where scratches are the bigger worry, a 12mm AC4 waterproof laminate gives you a harder-wearing surface and a floor that feels more like wood. In the rooms in between, either works, and it comes down to what you want underfoot.
If you'd like to see the laminate in person, samples are available, and the on-site measure is free with no obligation in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and the Lower Mainland. Call Danny at (604) 787-5557. You'll usually hear back the same day.