ᐅ Does hardwood flooring have only advantages compared to luxury vinyl flooring?

It should be quite durable. If you are only allowed to wipe the parquet floor with a barely damp cloth, what about a spilled glass of red wine? I assume vinyl can handle that without any issues. A friend of mine even has it in her kitchen. We also have it in the utility room at the office.

KlaRa schrieb:

Depending on the thickness of the wood veneer layer

The problem with new buildings is unfortunately that thick hardwood flooring and underfloor heating do not work well together. The hardwood installed over underfloor heating is usually so thin that it can be sanded down only once at most.

Heidi1965 schrieb:

It should be durable. If parquet flooring should only be cleaned with a barely damp mop, what happens if a glass of red wine spills? I assume vinyl can handle that better. A friend even has vinyl in her kitchen. We also have it in the laundry room at the office.

This argument surprises me as a point against parquet. Do you just leave the red wine stain on the design floor to dry so you can vacuum it up afterward?

I hope parquet is comparable to my oak table in principle. I have it nicely oiled, and if something spills on it, I just wipe it off after eating and that’s fine. Nothing soaks in because the surface is oiled. I’ve either ignored small scratches or sanded them down. Then I re-oil it, and it looks perfect again.

The table has been here for almost 7 years and still looks great. I hope parquet is somewhat comparable in that respect. We would also choose a plank look for the parquet and have it roughly planed/brushed. So, not mirror-smooth and definitely rougher than our table.

Pinky0301 schrieb:

The problem with new constructions is that thick parquet doesn’t work well with underfloor heating. The parquet installed over underfloor heating is usually so thin that it can only be sanded once at most.

The timber merchant told us it can only be sanded once at most. No one would do it a second time because it’s impossible to tell how much was sanded at each spot the first time.

The biggest disadvantage really seems to be the U-value and that we would need to run the flow temperature about 10% higher (33°C (91°F) instead of 30°C (86°F)).

Heidi1965 schrieb:

- Natural product
- Price of hardwood flooring is hardly higher than that of luxury vinyl flooring
- If there is a damaged spot, hardwood flooring can be repaired; luxury vinyl flooring cannot
- Maintenance effort is reportedly not higher

Now we are a bit confused. What are your opinions here?

I would agree with all points.
1. Wood instead of “plastic”
2. High-quality hardwood flooring (3-layer engineered wood flooring from reputable manufacturers with at least 2.5mm (0.1 inch) wear layer) costs from €30 per m² (approx. $30 per sq ft), no-name brands from €20 per m² (approx. $20 per sq ft) – but these are also good
3. Hardwood is natural. If there’s a dent or scratch, it won’t be repaired; it just stays there
4. Vacuuming is the best cleaning method. Damp mopping only if the floor is really dirty

Of course, sensitivity varies depending on the wood species. I once had Wenge glued down – the floor looked like new after years. Also, the color of the wood will change over time due to light exposure. Light wood will darken, dark wood will lighten. But that’s nature and ultimately a matter of taste.

I have had hardwood flooring for many, many years (glued Wenge, floating maple, several glued oak variants, once lacquered, otherwise only oiled) and will install hardwood again in my next home. Even in the kitchen. Even with three children. Even with a Bernese Mountain Dog. It works without problems; so far no stains or noticeable damage. But I also don’t let water, grease, or red wine sit on the hardwood for hours.

No plastic on the floor (especially when it’s as expensive as “luxury vinyl flooring”).

Pinky0301 schrieb:

The problem with new builds is that thick hardwood flooring and underfloor heating often don't work well together. Hardwood installed over underfloor heating is usually so thin that it can only be sanded once at most.

A total thickness of 13-15mm (about 0.5-0.6 inches) with approximately 3mm (0.12 inches) of wear layer is a perfectly suitable and common size (and is generally approved for use with underfloor heating). The idea that it needs constant sanding is actually a myth. This might occur after around 25 years. With a 3mm (0.12 inches) wear layer, sanding more than once is definitely possible.

We have 8 mm (5/16 inch) solid hardwood flooring. Recently, the kids spilled some juice or water—I’m not sure. They cleaned it up themselves. After a few days, a discoloration appeared under the table leg. Water had remained there and the flooring took a bit of a beating for several days. We moved the table aside, cleaned the spot, ironed it, and now you can hardly see any damage.

Scratches come with hardwood floors; on other types of flooring, they just look like dents.

My parents only had their hardwood floors sanded once after 35 years.

What do you want, the rest doesn’t really matter.