ᐅ Laminate Flooring vs. Luxury Vinyl Flooring in an Energy-Efficient House 40
Created on: 7 Mar 2026 23:45
B
Boden321
Hello everyone,
We are currently building an energy-efficient house with underfloor heating and are unsure about which type of flooring to choose.
We initially ruled out hardwood flooring. Floating engineered hardwood was not recommended to us, and high-quality glued hardwood would be very expensive for our approximately 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) of living space. Additionally, since we have two children, we want a floor that is as low-maintenance and durable as possible.
Therefore, we are currently considering high-quality laminate flooring (e.g., Logoclic Ambienta), which the manufacturer claims to be very quiet and environmentally friendly. Because we have children, it is especially important to us that the floor does not contain plastic materials or harmful substances such as PVC or plasticizers.
During our research, we also came across luxury vinyl tiles/planks (LVT/LVP) that are offered without PVC and plasticizers. Compared to laminate, these floors seem to have some advantages: they are said to be quieter, more water-resistant, feel warmer underfoot, and, in some cases, work better with underfloor heating.
At first glance, these advantages seem to outweigh those of laminate. Therefore, we are wondering whether we should reconsider our decision to choose laminate and instead opt for luxury vinyl flooring. In both cases, we plan to install the flooring as a floating floor.
Could you tell us what advantages laminate would have over luxury vinyl flooring in our situation – apart from the fact that laminate does not contain plastic and is considered more environmentally friendly?
Best regards
We are currently building an energy-efficient house with underfloor heating and are unsure about which type of flooring to choose.
We initially ruled out hardwood flooring. Floating engineered hardwood was not recommended to us, and high-quality glued hardwood would be very expensive for our approximately 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) of living space. Additionally, since we have two children, we want a floor that is as low-maintenance and durable as possible.
Therefore, we are currently considering high-quality laminate flooring (e.g., Logoclic Ambienta), which the manufacturer claims to be very quiet and environmentally friendly. Because we have children, it is especially important to us that the floor does not contain plastic materials or harmful substances such as PVC or plasticizers.
During our research, we also came across luxury vinyl tiles/planks (LVT/LVP) that are offered without PVC and plasticizers. Compared to laminate, these floors seem to have some advantages: they are said to be quieter, more water-resistant, feel warmer underfoot, and, in some cases, work better with underfloor heating.
At first glance, these advantages seem to outweigh those of laminate. Therefore, we are wondering whether we should reconsider our decision to choose laminate and instead opt for luxury vinyl flooring. In both cases, we plan to install the flooring as a floating floor.
Could you tell us what advantages laminate would have over luxury vinyl flooring in our situation – apart from the fact that laminate does not contain plastic and is considered more environmentally friendly?
Best regards
M
MachsSelbst8 Mar 2026 21:36This is a good, high-quality flooring. You will probably have to accept that "true experts" like nordanney might run away with a loud scream upon their first step... just let them be... the rest, meaning the average person, will walk on the floor, find it nice, and won’t care at all that it’s not real hardwood parquet.
On the plus side, you’ll avoid many scratches that oiled hardwood parquet shows after just a few months, and you won’t have to clear out your living room completely for 2-3 days once or twice a year to oil the floor 😉
Take this option and spend the money you save on a vacation or invest it in the 500 other things that will come up after moving into a house.
On the plus side, you’ll avoid many scratches that oiled hardwood parquet shows after just a few months, and you won’t have to clear out your living room completely for 2-3 days once or twice a year to oil the floor 😉
Take this option and spend the money you save on a vacation or invest it in the 500 other things that will come up after moving into a house.
N
nordanney8 Mar 2026 22:21MachsSelbst schrieb:
This is a good, high-quality floor. It is and remains plastic. Maybe "high-quality," whatever that means.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
You probably have to accept that "real experts" like nordanney will run away with a sharp scream as soon as they enter. No, but anyone familiar with hardwood flooring will immediately recognize that it’s a plastic floor. If the budget runs out in the end, that’s fine. If I have the choice, never.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
On the plus side, you’ll avoid many scratches that oiled hardwood flooring shows after just a few months, and you won’t have to completely clear out your living room 1-2 times a year for 2-3 days to oil the floor. What are you talking about? Very soft wood? Oak or similar is not affected. There may be some scratches now and then, but only marginal and hardly noticeable. And oiling once or twice a year is unknown to me (for 20 years) and to anyone else I know.
Boden321 schrieb:
How would you rate the sound level and warmth underfoot? No need to guess. It sounds quite hard/loud and can’t provide warmth underfoot due to the material.
Go to the hardware store. They often have sample pieces—some with and some without an underlay. Just try it out. If it’s sufficient for you, then go for it. I’m not trying to talk you out of this floor. But for a small extra cost, there are much higher-quality floors. If solid hardwood isn’t an option, at least choose a luxury vinyl plank or design floor. It’s more pleasant to walk on, quieter, and warmer underfoot.
Finally: be careful in the living room. The click-lock vinyl flooring also gets many small scratches quickly. With the “lacquered” finish, when sunlight hits it, it quickly starts to look like car paint after many washes in the car wash.
schubert7910 Mar 2026 06:44We have glued hardwood flooring throughout the entire house, except for the basement and bathroom. Best decision ever! It looks great and has been in place for 13 years. Few dents, a couple of scratches – that’s it. I’m not going to spend hundreds of thousands of euros and then save money on the flooring. As you already mentioned, you walk barefoot on it all day and have constant contact with the floor. The finish really has to be right, doesn’t it?
Similar topics