Flooring Options Compared: Engineered Wood, LVT & Laminate

Choosing the right floor covering is one of those decisions that looks simple until you’re standing in a showroom trying to choose between half a dozen products that all look similar. Engineered wood, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), and laminate each fill a different niche, and picking the wrong one for a room’s conditions is the most common and most expensive flooring mistake homeowners make.

This guide compares all three on cost, durability, water resistance, and the rooms they genuinely suit, using 2026 UK trade and retail pricing.

Engineered Wood Flooring

What It Is

Engineered wood has a real hardwood wear layer (typically 3–6 mm thick) bonded to a multi-ply core of softwood or HDF.¹ The cross-ply construction limits expansion and contraction, which is why it can be used in situations where solid hardwood cannot, including over underfloor heating and in rooms with moderate humidity fluctuation.

The wear layer thickness matters: a 3 mm layer can be sanded once or twice; a 6 mm layer can be sanded three or four times over its life. Budget boards often use a 2 mm layer that cannot be meaningfully sanded.

Cost

Fitting typically costs £15–£22/m² for a click-float installation on a prepared subfloor. Add £8–£15/m² if the fitter needs to prepare a rough or uneven subfloor. Underlay adds £2–£5/m² if not included.

Durability

Engineered wood has no AC rating, which is a laminate classification: its life depends on the wear layer and the finish, and a mid-range floor typically lasts 20–30 years in a home with normal care, longer if it is sanded and refinished. The finish (lacquered, oiled, UV-cured) affects how easy it is to spot-repair: oiled floors can be touched up locally; lacquered ones need a full sanding if they’re damaged.

Best Rooms

Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and hallways. Usable in kitchens and open-plan spaces provided spills are wiped promptly. Not recommended for bathrooms or wet rooms, or directly on a concrete slab that has no damp-proof membrane (DPM), unless a suitable moisture-barrier underlay is used.

LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile / Plank)

What It Is

LVT is a multi-layer synthetic product: a core (flexible vinyl in traditional LVT, or rigid stone plastic composite, SPC, or wood plastic composite, WPC, in rigid-core products), a high-resolution printed decor layer, and a clear wear layer rated by thickness. The photographic print layer has reached a standard where mid-priced products are visually indistinguishable from wood or stone at normal viewing distances.

LVT divides into two main constructions:

• Flexible LVT, thinner (2–4 mm), follows subfloor contours, glued or loose-laid
• Rigid core LVT (SPC/WPC), 5–8 mm, click-fit, bridges minor subfloor irregularities, more comfortable underfoot

Cost

Labour for LVT is typically £10–£18/m² for click-fit, or £14–£24/m² for glue-down (which requires a more precisely prepared subfloor). Subfloor levelling is often required for glue-down installs.

Durability

The wear layer thickness (measured in mil or mm) is the key spec: 0.3 mm (12 mil) suits light domestic use; 0.5 mm (20 mil) suits heavy domestic or light commercial; 0.7 mm+ suits commercial or very heavy use. A 0.5 mm wear layer on a domestic LVT typically lasts 20–25 years before showing meaningful wear through.

LVT planks are waterproof: the vinyl core and wear layer do not absorb water. It won’t swell, delaminate, or warp from standing water, which makes it the only sensible choice among the three for wet rooms, bathrooms, and utility rooms.

Best Rooms

All rooms, including bathrooms, en-suites, utility rooms, and kitchens. Particularly good for high-traffic ground floors and for rooms with potential moisture exposure. The main limitation is that cheap products with very thin wear layers scratch in kitchens, and rigid SPC can sound hollow underfoot without a good integrated underlay.

Laminate Flooring

What It Is

Laminate is HDF (high-density fibreboard) with a photographic decor layer and a clear melamine wear layer.¹ It looks similar to LVT from a distance but is fundamentally different in composition: the core is wood-based and will swell if it gets wet. Modern “waterproof” laminate products use a water-resistant HDF core and sealed joints, which slows moisture ingress but does not make the product genuinely waterproof.

Cost

Labour for laminate click-fit is £12–£20/m². It is quick to install, with fitting costs close to those for click-fit LVT.

Durability

The Abrasion Class (AC) rating governs wear resistance: AC3 is considered suitable for heavy traffic in homes, and AC4 and AC5 are rated for progressively heavier commercial use.¹ AC4 gives extra margin in a busy hallway or kitchen, and thin budget boards dent more easily there than thicker ones.

Laminate cannot be sanded or refinished. When it wears through or chips, the damaged planks must be replaced, which is difficult without spare stock in the same batch (shading drifts between batches). Factor this into your decision if you’re installing in a room with heavy use.

Best Rooms

Bedrooms, studies, and rooms with light foot traffic where cost is a priority. Workable in living rooms with AC4+ grade. Avoid in kitchens and bathrooms unless you use a dedicated waterproof laminate and maintain the joins scrupulously. Not suitable for rooms at or below ground level with any damp risk.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Installation Considerations

All three are available as floating click-fit systems that a competent DIYer can install. The main preparation requirement is a flat, solid subfloor: most manufacturers specify a tolerance of ±3 mm under a 2 m straightedge for click-fit products.⁵⁶ Flex LVT tolerates minor irregularities; rigid core LVT and laminate will rock and creak over humps or depressions.

Expansion gaps are required at all walls and fixed objects for floating floors: the manufacturer’s instructions set the width, commonly around 8–12 mm (some engineered boards can instead be glued direct).

Large rooms and long runs may need an expansion break or T-bar profile, often at doorways: the manufacturer’s instructions give the maximum run without one.

Which to Choose?

• Wet rooms or kitchens: LVT is the only safe choice. Engineered wood and laminate both carry moisture risk in sustained wet environments.
• Living rooms and hallways: Engineered wood justifies its higher cost if you want a floor you can refinish and that holds its value. LVT at 0.5 mm wear layer is a close second.
• Bedrooms: All three work well; laminate is the most cost-effective.
• Over underfloor heating: Engineered wood and LVT both work; check manufacturer’s maximum surface temperature (usually 27–28°C).⁷ Laminate also works but is more susceptible to joint movement with temperature cycling.
• Rentals and short-term budgets: LVT at the mid-range gives the best durability-to-cost ratio and handles tenant abuse without swelling.