Luxury tile vs. laminate

By Patricia Nugent

Shawn Rosa, sales manager at Guhde Flooring America, reports demand for hard surface flooring rises each year. With the ability of man-made flooring to perfectly mimic natural wood and stone, we asked Shawn for an overview of the two most popular options.

Q: What are the differences between Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) and Laminate flooring?

A: Laminates first became popular in the early 1990s. The flooring consists of a pressed wood core with a laminated surface. It is not waterproof, but rather water-resistant.

The only downside of laminate is that it cannot handle moisture, so it wouldn’t be a good choice for kitchens and bathrooms. This downside led to the development of Luxury Vinyl Tile. Though it had been around for decades in the form of linoleum, it didn’t change much over time. Manufacturers discovered ways to make the tile sturdier by adding rigid substances to the core. It was waterproof, and perfect for kitchens, bathrooms and entryways.

And when the patterns and styles vividly mimicked the look of wood or natural stonework in a high definition fashion, the market exploded. Our most popular LVT is COREtec, which is highly durable and luxurious. For instance, the past three years we’ve installed COREtec in the Lake County YMCA Dream House, and we didn’t have to replace a single plank—even after 80,000 people walked through.

Guhde Flooring America is located at 1880 Mentor Ave. in Painesville Twp. Hours are Monday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Call 440-639-1990, or visit GuhdeFlooringAmerica.com.