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Vinyl Plank Flooring: Pros and Cons | CALI

Choosing the right type of flooring can feel overwhelming. After all, you don’t want to make the wrong decision and wind up with floors that don’t suit your needs. Here are a few important considerations when researching the pros and cons of vinyl floors so you can feel confident when selecting the best flooring material for your home.

We’ll review everything you need to know about vinyl flooring, starting with its benefits and drawbacks. If you have additional questions about vinyl flooring’s pros and cons after you finish reading, please use the comment section below and we’ll do our best to provide answers.

The Benefits of Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl plank flooring has many great qualities including being waterproof, easy to install, and cost-effective. Let's review what makes vinyl plank flooring a great choice for a variety of situations.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Is 100% Waterproof: Careless fumbles with water glasses and leaky appliances are no match for vinyl flooring—the waterproof top layer prevents any damage from occurring in these instances. This characteristic makes vinyl plank flooring ideal for moisture-prone places like kitchens and basements.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Pet & Scratch-Resistant: Four-legged family members tend to scratch up flooring, but high-quality CALI vinyl uses a scratch-resistant 20mil wear layer to protect your vinyl planks from pets. Vinyl plank flooring is durable and ensures you don't have to worry about dog paws and cat claws damaging your new flooring.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Easy to Clean: Luxury vinyl plank flooring is often used in high-traffic areas due to how durable it is. With that being said, it may need a good cleaning now and then! You're in luck; luxury vinyl plank flooring is easy to clean! Just follow these simple steps:
  • Sweep the floor with a microfiber dust broom to remove dirt and debris.
  • Use a dry or damp microfiber mop with Bona Pro Tile, Stone, and Laminate floor cleaner.
  • Apply the cleaner in small sections, then mop quickly to keep floors from feeling sticky.
  • Rinse and wring out the mop pad often to avoid build-up that can make your floor look hazy.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Cost-Effective: Vinyl flooring is far less expensive than other similar-quality flooring options. For example, hardwood or tile flooring materials can be between $5-$20 per square foot, but the total cost of both material and installation for vinyl may be between $3-10 per square foot.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Customizable to Your Style: When it comes to looks, the sky's the limit in terms of what you can achieve with vinyl plank flooring. Different colors and textures are all well within reach, and with the added durability compared to hardwood, it can thrive in any room.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Simulates the Look of Real Wood: Although vinyl flooring isn't actual wood, high-quality vinyl flooring can be practically indistinguishable from the real thing based on available colors, patterns, and textures. CALI Vinyl floors feature special EIR (embossed in register) texturing which captures the feel of hardwood, so if you see a knot on the plank, you’ll be able to feel that knot as well.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Quick and Easy to Install: Vinyl can be installed right out of the box because it doesn't need to be acclimated. Plus, the sturdy click-lock design makes installing vinyl planks an absolute breeze. Vinyl planks can also go over many existing hard floor surfaces (as long as they’re flat, level, and clean) including old vinyl or laminate.

• Vinyl Plank Flooring Is Quieter: Many types of vinyl flooring come with attached acoustic padding on the backs of planks which helps to dampen sound from footsteps or dropped items. In a CALI Vinyl floor, this attached cushion also helps to make the floor itself better insulated and more comfortable to walk and stand on.

For most people, cost-effectiveness and convenience are among the most enticing benefits of vinyl flooring.

The Disadvantages of Vinyl Plank Flooring

No one flooring material is perfect for every situation, so it's only fair to discuss the downside of using luxury vinyl plank flooring in more detail, too.

• Vinyl Plank Floors Can Fade in The Sun Over Time: When exposed to direct light for extended periods, some vinyl flooring can begin to lighten just like other types of flooring. This can be managed by using blinds and curtains in rooms with high sun exposure.

• Low-Cost Vinyl Plank Floors Can Emit VOCs: Low-grade vinyl flooring may emit volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) which can be harmful to your family. These VOCs result from low-cost materials used to manufacture poor-quality vinyl. Fortunately, high-quality vinyl flooring production methods have nearly eliminated the presence of harmful chemicals in vinyl. You won't encounter this concern when using high-quality vinyl flooring products (like CALI's).

• Vinyl Plank Floors Can Be Damaged by Heavy or Sharp Objects: Lower-quality vinyl can be easily ripped or punctured when it comes up against a particularly worthy opponent; this is far less common with higher-quality vinyl plank. Limit the likelihood of damaging your vinyl floors by using felt pads on chairs and tables and lifting instead of sliding furniture.

• Vinyl Plank Floors Cannot Biodegrade: Unlike wood, stone, and other flooring materials such as bamboo or eucalyptus, vinyl flooring will not decompose naturally in a landfill. Use high-quality vinyl to extend the life of your flooring between replacement or repairs.

• Vinyl Plank Floors Can Have an Artificial Wood Look: Some low-cost vinyl flooring options may look like photocopies of wood and appear cheap or outdated. For a waterproof wood alternative that achieves a similar look, explore premium vinyl flooring options such as the collections offered by CALI.

• Vinyl Will Not Increase Your Home's Value: Unlike engineered and solid hardwood flooring, vinyl floors will likely not increase the resale value of a home. However, if the vinyl flooring is high quality and gives rooms an upgrade, the home will definitely photograph and present better than if the flooring is older, out-of-style, or damaged. 

Depending on the project, the benefits of vinyl plank flooring, such as affordability or water resistance, may outweigh this reality. Remember to keep the goals of your project in mind when selecting flooring material. As with any flooring material, there may be some disadvantages to vinyl flooring, but these can be minimized with a high-quality product, proper installation, and regular care. Ultimately, your vision and goals should guide your decision.

Can I Order Luxury Vinyl Plank Samples?

CALI offers samples for any of our flooring and decking products which can be ordered directly from our website. Just navigate to the style you’re interested in and click “Order a Free Sample.” You can enter the code “FREESAMPLE” at checkout to get them for free! This is a great way to see what your favorite vinyl plank samples will look and feel like in real life. If your local flooring retailer carries CALI flooring, a visit to their showroom is another way to see all the options that would be a great fit for your house.