Welcome to our comprehensive guide on choosing the best watersafe flooring for your space.
Whether renovating a cozy corner of your home or planning a major project, understanding the nuances of flooring materials is vital to making an informed decision. This guide aims to demystify the world of watersafe flooring options, comparing three popular choices: Vinyl, Laminate, and Wood Composite. Each material has its benefits and drawbacks, which we will explore in detail.
We understand that choosing the right flooring is not just a matter of aesthetics but also practicality, durability, and budget. We aim to provide helpful information to make your flooring decision easier. So, let’s dive into the world of watersafe flooring and discover the best option for your needs!
Table of Contents
- Understanding the Basics
- The Anatomy of Rigid Core Vinyl Flooring
- The Anatomy of Laminate Flooring
- The Anatomy of Wood Composite Flooring
- Benefits of Watersafe Flooring
- Installation and Maintenance of Watersafe Floors
- Suitability for Different Rooms
- Cost Comparison of Watersafe Floors
- Environmental Impact of Watersafe Floors
- Feature Comparison for Watersafe Floors
- Case Study
- Choosing the Best Watersafe Floor
Understanding the Basics
Traditional hardwood floors are always an excellent investment in a home, but as new flooring technologies have developed, there are several other ways to get a beautiful floor that looks like wood and also has unique watersafe properties while being more budget-friendly.
Some manufacturers will refer to these floors as “100% waterproof”. In a separate article we elaborate why this term may be misleading to homeowners and prefer to use the term “watersafe”. Regardless, these flooring options do an incredible job of resisting water damage from everyday spills and splashes.
Our watersafe floors can have beautiful visuals and long, wide planks that do an excellent job of imitating a natural hardwood floor at an entry-level price point.
The Anatomy of Rigid Core Vinyl Flooring
Our rigid core vinyl flooring is built around a stone-plastic composite core (SPC). Unlike previous generations of loose-lay vinyl flooring, this gives rigidity to the flooring plank, allows the locking mechanism to be more secure, and can bridge minor gaps in the subfloor without telegraphing imperfections.
On top of this rigid core is a decorative wood visual print that is laminated to the surface and sealed with a durable PVC wear layer and coated with a special scratch-resistant coating that inhibits fading from UV light.
Underneath the rigid core material, a backing pad is applied. This pad provides cushion and sound insulation as you walk on the floor.
Finally, rigid core vinyl floors are milled with a watertight locking mechanism that allows each plank to be securely locked into the previous one, both on the long and short edges.
The Anatomy of Laminate Flooring
Instead of a rigid stone-plastic composite core, laminate flooring is built around a high-density fiberboard (HDF). HDF material is made from recycled wood fibers and high-quality resins that are compressed and formed into a dense and robust core board.
On top of the HDF material, a decorative visual is laminated underneath a wear layer embossed for texture and coated with anti-abrasion and anti-fade materials.
Our laminate flooring has a watertight click-lock mechanism to securely link each flooring plank on all four edges to keep water from seeping between the boards.
Laminate floors are thicker than vinyl floors and may or may not have a pad attached to the back of the boards. Most people consider laminate to have a more natural warmth underfoot than vinyl or stone.
The Anatomy of Wood Composite Flooring
A traditional wood floor is essentially a sawed or sliced piece of lumber that is finished on top and left unsealed underneath and on the sides.
In contrast, our wood composite flooring is a revolutionary type of watersafe flooring that is very different from SPC vinyl or traditional first-generation HDF pressboard material.
We use PVC-free organic wood materials and encapsulate each individual fiber with organic, PVC-free resins that create a natural, durable, self-sealing watersafe core. Just like a wooden boat becomes watertight against the sea, if moisture comes into contact with this wood composite core, it won’t buckle or warp. Every seam becomes sealed, and planks remain dimensionally stable. A watertight click-lock mechanism allows each board to be easily and securely linked to every other board.
On top of our wood composite core is a high-definition visual layer underneath a textured wear layer, and the finish coating provides AC5-level scratch and abrasion resistance (the highest residential level).
Underneath the wood composite core is another bio-organic material: natural cork wood acoustic underlayment that insulates and softens footfall noise and has natural anti-microbial properties. Like our laminate floors, Wood Composite has a natural warm feel when walked on compared to vinyl or stone.
We recommend wood composite flooring for virtually any room in the home, including basements, kitchens, full bathrooms, and mud rooms that are above, below, or on-grade.
Benefits of Watersafe Flooring
The best benefit of a watersafe floor is that you do not have to worry about immediately wiping up everyday water spills and splashes. They are all straightforward to maintain by simple sweeping, vacuuming, and occasionally wet mopping with water or an approved cleaning solution.
Suppose your pet splashes around their water bowl, ice cubs escape from your freezer, or your kids jump in and out of the bath. In that case, you can rest assured these surface water spills won’t damage or affect your floor in any way.
These spills can evaporate on their own without leaving water stains or warped boards or risk moisture seeping between boards, leading to mold or mildew.
Remember that no floor is completely “waterproof,” if you have a major water event, flood, or significant moisture coming up from below your floor, it will usually require a complete tear-out and replacement regardless of what type of floor you have.
Also, no watersafe floor can be repaired, re-sanded, or re-finished like a traditional wood floor. If planks become damaged, a replacement of that plank or the entire floor will be required to fix the issue.
Pros and Cons of Vinyl Flooring
Pros
- Watersafe for all areas prone to frequent surface spills and splashes.
- An affordable floor that can have great visuals.
- Easier to install as a DIY project.
- Very dent resistant, more scratch resistant than a traditional wood floor.
- Sound-absorbing pads make for a quieter environment.
Cons
- Plasticizer migration causes the product to degrade structurally and visually over time, resulting in a shorter useful life.
- While scratch-resistant, long-term wear and tear can be more noticeable.
- Rigid Core can be strong but brittle, and the locking mechanism can be easily damaged during installation, leading to higher rates of boards separating over time.
- High-temperature areas and direct sunlight can affect the dimensional stability of the planks.
- Core material may contain PVC.
- Least environmentally friendly watersafe flooring option.
Pros and Cons of Laminate Flooring
Pros
- Watersafe for most areas prone to occasional surface spills and splashes.
- Thicker planks can be installed over existing floors.
- Highly resistant to fading or discoloration.
- Cost-effective option for a beautiful floor.
- Very durable and resists scratches and stains better than vinyl floors.
- Fully organic wood, including recycled material, is used for the core board.
- PVC free.
Cons
- Not ideal for areas with frequent splashes like around a shower or bathtub.
- It may sound hollow underfoot without an acoustic underlayment.
- Takes longer to install than vinyl.
- Fewer design options compared to vinyl.
Pros and Cons of Wood Composite Flooring
Pros
- Watersafe for any area prone to frequent surface spills or splashes.
- Highest AC5 scratch resistance rating that is well suited for pets and children.
- Durable organic forest-sourced materials, no plastics, completely PVC-free.
- Carbon-negative manufacturing processes release less CO2 than is stored in the tree.
- Long lengths fill a room with natural wood-look planks that avoid repeating patterns.
- Thermally stable and won’t expand, shrink, or buckle with large temperature swings.
Cons
- Not repairable like a traditional wood floor.
- Not able to be recycled.
Installation and Maintenance of Watersafe Floors
Our watersafe floors are made with a click-locking mechanism to securely fasten boards to each other that are “floated” above the subfloor. These floors are not to be glued or fastened to the subfloor.
On-grade or below-grade installations must include a plastic vapor barrier underneath the floor before installation. This underlayment is not the same as an attached acoustic pad or cork backing. A plastic vapor barrier is required to protect against moisture coming from the ground through the subfloor due to hydrostatic pressure.
Cleaning and maintaining a watersafe floor is very simple. Just sweep or vacuum as needed, and occasionally lightly wet mop your floor with warm water or an approved Laminate or Vinyl floor cleaner.
Suitability for Different Rooms
Watersafe floors are great for almost any room in the home, with only a couple of exceptions:
- Vinyl floors are not ideal for sunrooms or areas exposed to large temperature fluctuations.
- Laminate floors are not ideal for areas around a shower or bathtub or anywhere else with frequent water standing on the floor for extended periods.
Cost Comparison of Watersafe Floors
A wonderful attribute of watersafe floors is their affordability. There is very little cost difference between these floors, so you can typically focus on finding the right type and look without needing to compare costs. Remember that for most flooring projects, only 40-60% of the cost goes towards materials, with the rest needed for installation labor. It’s best to get the floor you want, knowing they will cost the same to install.
Environmental Impact of Watersafe Floors
Vinyl floors have indeed had a bad reputation for not being environmentally friendly – both in the carbon-emitting manufacturing process, the potential for off-gassing of chemicals they contain, and the fact that they do not store carbon as traditional wood floors do. Despite their affordability, vinyl floors are not considered an environmentally friendly flooring choice.
Laminate, and especially Wood Composite floors, have a much better reputation due to the way they are made with organic wood materials.
Our Wood Composite core material is PVC-free and made with biological raw and organic natural materials that provide exceptional strength and durability. Even the resins that encapsulate every wood fiber are organic and PVC-free. In addition to these materials, the manufacturing process is now CO2-negative because it emits less carbon than the materials can store.
All this makes Wood Composite the most environmentally friendly choice of our watersafe flooring options.
Feature Comparison for Watersafe Floors
Case Study
One of our customers, who has billions of dollars of assets under management and over 200 million square feet of residential and commercial properties, recently commissioned a complete study on alternatives to vinyl flooring due to some painful flooring failures and environmental concerns.
The study they commissioned included a complete comparison of all alternatives to vinyl flooring with 3rd-party lab tests for durability and moisture resistance.
Their conclusion was to switch 2 million square feet of projects specified for rigid core vinyl flooring to laminate due to its superior performance.
Choosing the Best Watersafe Floor
In conclusion, choosing the best watersafe flooring for your space involves careful consideration of your needs, preferences, and the specific characteristics of each flooring type.
Whether you opt for vinyl’s water resistance and affordability, the durability and natural appeal of laminate, or the eco-friendly and robust nature of wood composite flooring, each option offers unique benefits to suit different environments and lifestyles.
Remember, while no floor is entirely waterproof, these watersafe options significantly reduce worries about damage from everyday spills and splashes. By understanding each type’s pros and cons, installation requirements, and maintenance needs, you will be better equipped to make an informed decision that ensures lasting satisfaction and value for your home or business.
Let your choice of watersafe flooring bring beauty and functionality to your space, creating a foundation you and your family will enjoy for years.
View our entire collection of watersafe Rigid Core Vinyl, Laminate, and Wood Composite floors here.