Is L.V.P on its way out?

L.V.P came on to the market by storm, quickly pushing laminate off the sales floor, but is it as durable as they make it out to be?

Luxury Vinyl Plank came onto the market as a water proof, dent resistant, scratch resistant, easy to install product with high quality visuals. Once HGTV got its hands on the material, every homeowner began scouring the market for this new material. Retailers across the country began removing laminates off their sales floor for this new waterproof “bullet proof” product. Sales reps were walking around with wire brushes and tin cans, putting the new material though the tests to show just how strong their product was, comparing it to the durability of tile.

Every few months retailers were getting bigger and better products. 6mil, 12mil, 20min, 22min, 28mil wear layers, then there was W.P.C, S.P.C, and Hybrid products. Every new product had a story and a reason why its better than the last. The material was great and the install was easy, but were the durability tests hype or did the product really hold up.

Its water proof… from the top.

10 years in, most manufacturers now require a moisture barrier and a padding. When the product first came out, a huge selling point was the money you can save on padding and plastic since it was not needed. A few years later, after claims of cupping, bucking, and product failure, both padding and a moisture barrier is required on install. It is also not recommended to install in Bathrooms.

Install is Easy.

The install of the material is easy, but it is very unforgiving. The floor prep has to be twice as detailed as laminate and the product itself is brittle. A big selling point for LVP was “if you ever had a flood, you can just remove the floor and reinstall it.” Sounds great, until you attempt it. After sitting for a few years the locking system settles and becomes brittle, once you try to lift the material planks start to crack, making in re-installation almost impossible and not worth the time.

You Can Beat It With A Can

Yes you can drop a can of soup on it and it wont chip like a tile can, but if your sofa sits in once place too long, like a sofa does, it will leave dents in the floor when it comes time to move. It is also easy to scratch when dragging large furniture.

What Changed?

2020 was a shock for everyone, and the flooring industry was no exception. As prices skyrocketed and materials became hard to get, every industry had to adjust to get products on the shelves. Building lumber quality dropped, Paints became thinner, and flooring became… different. Prices went up significantly on L.V.P. What was once an affordable product was now creeping up to the price point of real hardwood flooring. Product numbers started changing, but samples and visuals were staying the same. On paper nothing changed, it was still the same great product, but within a few years more and more claims started coming in on those newer “not changed” materials. The higher end product lines that stayed true to their brand were far superior to the “post pandemic” L.V.P, but their price point showed it. Along with the general public, most retailers were kept in the dark about these changes, pushing most of the high end products off the sales floor. It is believed that factories began changing formulas to make the product more affordable. Unfortunately the changes put a significant hurt on the L.V.P industry and you will start to see a fast growth in the new Waterproof / Water resistant laminate.

What Is It Good For?

L.V.P is still a decent choice for flooring. The waterproof aspect of the material is forgiving and good for families, while still being softer to walk or fall on when comparing to tile. The scratch resistant aspect of the material is that of a hardwood and should still be handled with care. I would recommend considering a waterproof laminate,if you are looking for something with a little more durability when it comes to scratches.