ᐅ Laminate Flooring vs. Luxury Vinyl Flooring in an Energy-Efficient House 40
Created on: 7 Mar 2026 23:45
B
Boden321Hello 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
N
nordanney8 Mar 2026 09:10Honestly? Laminate is a composite of plastic and wood, and "design floor" refers to PVC/PUR/PET. Both are commonly referred to as plastic. "Design floor" is just a fancy name used to sell regular PVC flooring at a higher price. Neither has been used in my own homes for the past 30 years. Wood flooring isn't much more expensive, and the same goes for tiles.
G
Gerddieter8 Mar 2026 10:29Hi, please tell us your budget.
We chose oiled wood parquet, and depending on your preferences—if the planks don’t have to be very large or if a few knots are acceptable—it can be quite affordable. Of course, it won’t last as long as the $11.99 laminate from the home improvement store...
Gerddieter
We chose oiled wood parquet, and depending on your preferences—if the planks don’t have to be very large or if a few knots are acceptable—it can be quite affordable. Of course, it won’t last as long as the $11.99 laminate from the home improvement store...
Gerddieter
Oiled hardwood flooring was not recommended to us because it requires a lot of maintenance. We were also advised against installing hardwood flooring as a floating floor. Therefore, it would come down to glued hardwood flooring with a sealed finish. Our budget is a maximum of 10,000 euros.
M
MachsSelbst8 Mar 2026 12:04Honestly? Forget the nonsense you’ve been told so far.
I have engineered hardwood installed as a floating floor in my living room for 3 years now. No expansion gap, despite the room being 10m (33 feet) long and the boards laid crosswise to the long side.
Nothing has shifted, warped, buckled, lifted, or anything else people warn you about to scare you into hiring a professional flooring installer for a lot of money 😉
If you go for wood flooring, choose oiled parquet. If you lacquer or otherwise seal the wood, you end up missing out on the natural qualities of the wood anyway.
Where the supposed problem with laminate is supposed to be, only people in their ivory towers know. Keep in mind, you’re in a forum where floor coverings under 50 EUR/m² (about $55 per sq yd) are basically considered social welfare standard...
In a child’s room, I would never consider installing parquet. With all the clay or crayon marks I’ve scrubbed off laminate there, the oiled parquet floor would have been ruined long ago.
And I can also reassure you: here in the new housing development, I don’t know anyone who has their whole house floored with parquet. Most use it (at most) in the living room, and the rest gets laminate or vinyl…
I have engineered hardwood installed as a floating floor in my living room for 3 years now. No expansion gap, despite the room being 10m (33 feet) long and the boards laid crosswise to the long side.
Nothing has shifted, warped, buckled, lifted, or anything else people warn you about to scare you into hiring a professional flooring installer for a lot of money 😉
If you go for wood flooring, choose oiled parquet. If you lacquer or otherwise seal the wood, you end up missing out on the natural qualities of the wood anyway.
Where the supposed problem with laminate is supposed to be, only people in their ivory towers know. Keep in mind, you’re in a forum where floor coverings under 50 EUR/m² (about $55 per sq yd) are basically considered social welfare standard...
In a child’s room, I would never consider installing parquet. With all the clay or crayon marks I’ve scrubbed off laminate there, the oiled parquet floor would have been ruined long ago.
And I can also reassure you: here in the new housing development, I don’t know anyone who has their whole house floored with parquet. Most use it (at most) in the living room, and the rest gets laminate or vinyl…
Thank you for your honest words. That is also the main reason why we are mostly leaning towards laminate or vinyl. Is it really true that laminate with impact sound insulation feels cold underfoot? And how does it compare to hardwood flooring in terms of how it feels to walk on?
Similar topics