If you are focussed on using “green” products made from natural resources, then wood laminates beat luxury vinyl tiles. For sound insulation, fall-protection and temperature control, carpet is the winner.
When it comes to environmental impact, laminate has a slight edge over vinyl thanks to its recycled wood core. However, the melamine wear layer on the surface is still made of plastic, which may off-gas VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that can be harmful to people and pets.
Laminate flooring has a variety of environmentally friendly benefits, but one of them beats them all: Laminate flooring creates the look of a natural resource – such as wood or stone – as opposed to actually using it, so fewer raw materials are used in the manufacturing process.
There's nothing like vinyl
Over its whole life cycle, vinyl floor coverings perform well across a range of environmental impacts. As a material, vinyl is ideally suited to being recycled. It is 100% recyclable and can be recycled over 10 times without losing any of its performance properties.
"Vinyl is a form of plastic that is quite difficult to recycle," says Dr Sharon George, senior lecturer in the environment and sustainability at Keele University. "The C in PVC means chloride (from chlorine) which is quite toxic and difficult to handle.
Due to a lack of viable PVC recycling options, most vinyl floors will end up in a landfill where there is a high probability of incineration. While it can be recycled, this process is difficult due to the high levels of hazardous additives present in the material. Today, less than 1% of PVC is recycled.
Cellogreen is our star eco-print laminate. It's made predominantly from cellulose and as well as being fully recyclable, it's also biodegradable and compostable. It provides the same aesthetic as OPP lamination but can be recycled in a normal re-pulping system.
While laminate flooring has many strong points, its most significant downside is its poor resistence to water. Laminate flooring can tolerate some water on top surface but it should not be allowed to pool and remain for long. Otherwise, the water may seep below and affect the sensitive core layer.
Not moisture-proof
Being made of wood, laminate flooring is not impervious to the effects of moisture. Therefore, it's not suitable as a hard flooring for bathrooms and should be used with caution in kitchens or laundries. Light surface water for cleaning shouldn't cause issues, but saturation must be avoided.
From a distance, both types of flooring even look similar. Neither type of flooring is better than the other across all categories. Vinyl flooring is best in high-moisture areas and it's easy to keep clean. Yet laminate flooring offers a wider variety of style choices and has a higher resale value.
Vinyl stands up the best against excess moisture and spills, and it can be less expensive than laminate. However, laminate gives a more realistic wood look to enhance the design aesthetic in your home.
To summarize, vinyl is a better choice when you need water resistance, lifespan, and durability in your flooring. Meanwhile, laminate is preferable if you want a more stylish appearance, lower costs, and a comfortable feel underfoot.
As all of its materials are natural, linoleum flooring does not emit any harmful chemical compounds during installation or renovation. Hence, having the lowest environmental impact.
Healthier flooring options include solid wood, natural linoleum, cork, bamboo, tile and stone. A key feature of all of these is that they are easily cleaned of dust and dirt.
If you want to go for wood or laminate flooring, then the most sustainable flooring choices in the market would include cork and bamboo, which are long-lasting natural options from renewable sources. However, they can be very pricey. Tapi offer many sustainable other laminate and wood options.
Cannot be refinished: Due to its composite construction and wear layer, a laminate floor can never be refinished. Once it has been damaged or worn out, laminate flooring must be replaced.
Con: LVP May Dent
Luxury vinyl flooring can dent and even scratch or scuff, especially from heavy appliances, furniture, or other weighty objects. Just because it's resistant to something doesn't mean it's impervious to it. However, do know that LVP resists scratches better than real hardwood.
Floating laminate flooring can be installed in nearly any room, with a few exceptions. Because the inner core of the material is made with wood or fiberboard that is susceptible to moisture damage, installations in any room with a floor drain or sump pump should be avoided.
Cork – Durable, hypoallergenic, unique, and eco-friendly, cork is a happy medium between hardwood and vinyl flooring. Similar to vinyl, cork is relatively inexpensive and comes in small sheets or planks. Cork, like hardwood, is a beautiful natural material that can be sustainably harvested.
Although levels of formaldehyde emissions from products like laminate flooring decrease over time, significant off-gassing may continue for months and even years. Significant off-gassing from laminate flooring can continue for months and even years.
So is vinyl flooring toxic? Toxicity levels of vinyl flooring were once a major concern dating back to the study discussed above which was conducted in 2015. It's now 2022 and most floor manufacturers have eliminated the use of this chemical and now provide 'phthalates-free' vinyl flooring.
In reality, the off-gassing should be the strongest during the first two weeks and continue to off-gas for up to months after it is placed into your home.
Due to the materials used in the production process of vinyl, it will sometimes emit various levels of VOCs into the air for a short amount of time after installation. These toxic chemicals can be harmful to air quality of the immediate environment it's installed in and may cause respiratory problems over time.