So, What Exactly Are the Differences Between Luxury Vinyl Tile and Luxury Vinyl Plank?

Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring are two high-end subsets of the larger vinyl flooring category. Both are light years beyond the flimsy vinyl floors of yesteryear, with significant advancements in durability, versatility, and style. And they both offer notable improvements over even modern sheet vinyl.  Though they are quite similar in construction and tend to offer nearly identical feature sets, there are a few key distinctions that might affect your decision when choosing between LVP and LVT.

The most evident differences between these two products are the shape of each flooring piece and the surface visuals.

As the name suggests, luxury vinyl plank is built to mimic the look of a wood plank. That means it will be manufactured in a rectangular form factor, with one dimension significantly longer than the other—just like a plank of real hardwood flooring. Additionally, the photorealistic image that graces the surface of the luxury vinyl plank will be that of wood. Thanks to its man-made nature, just about any wood species, grain pattern, and “stain” color can be recreated in a piece of vinyl plank.

Luxury vinyl tile, as you can probably guess, is a vinyl floor product that replicates the appearance of traditional tile or stone flooring. LVT’s surface image will often feature the artisan aesthetics of ceramic tile or the colors and veining of fine stone materials like marble or travertine. When it comes to dimensions, vinyl tile will often be crafted in a square format, though there are also some LVT products offered in rectangular formats that may be closer in dimensions to a vinyl plank but still feature the look of tile or stone.

How is Each Type of Luxury Vinyl Installed?

Though not always visually evident, there is often a difference in how LVT and LVP are installed. Luxury vinyl tile is installed with an industrial adhesive. Each individual vinyl tile gets glued directly to the subfloor in a method similar to traditional tile installation. If a customer chooses, LVT can also be installed with gaps between each tile to allow for grouting, again, just like a ceramic or porcelain tile floor. This option is almost entirely an aesthetic choice.

In contrast, luxury vinyl plank flooring typically uses a click-and-lock construction that interlocks each plank to its neighboring planks and does not require adhesive, nailing, or any type of securing to the subfloor. This installation method tends to be more efficient and cost-effective and allows for easy installation on nearly any type of subfloor material, including existing tile or hardwood floors.

Though the installation methods may differ, the range of applications does not. Anywhere one can go, so can the other. Both LVT and LVP are suitable for all areas of the home, including below-grade floors and directly onto a concrete slab. That means you can choose either for your bathroom, mudroom, or even the basement.

LVT vs LVP: Under the Surface is What Matters

When it comes to practical aspects like materials, durability, and flooring features, most luxury vinyl plank and luxury vinyl tile products from Empire Today® are practically interchangeable. If a vinyl tile product has particular features you are interested in, there will almost certainly be a vinyl plank model that offers the same set of features.

Beyond the superficial differences, luxury vinyl plank and luxury vinyl tile are essentially the same product by all other metrics. Both are constructed around a highly stable vinyl core, which gives them excellent overall durability, and they are both finished with a specialized wear layer that resists scratches, scuffs, and staining. And both vinyl plank and vinyl tile will usually be embossed with a texture that matches the wood grain or stone patterns on the surface.

All LVT and LVP flooring products from Empire® are built with Aqua Defense technology, which makes them a fully waterproof flooring choice. They will all also typically be resistant to mold and mildew formation. Their robust construction makes them equally easy to take care of, with neither requiring any routine maintenance beyond regular sweeping and mopping up of any larger messes.

Overall, the similarities between luxury vinyl plank and luxury vinyl tile tend to outweigh the differences. In the end, if you’ve heard about LVP and LVT but weren’t sure which would be better suited for your needs, the answer will usually be simple: pick which one you like the look of! Nearly any functional flooring need you have can be solved equally well by each product type. In the end, the main decision you’ll really need to make is what kind of look you want in your home. Schedule an in-home estimate with Empire and a flooring professional will bring a full catalog of LVT and LVP samples directly to you, to make the shopping process even easier.

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After coming to this conclusion, many shoppers will automatically opt for porcelain or ceramic tile. These flooring stalwarts have been the go-to choice for bathrooms and kitchens for ages due mostly to their durability and high level of water resistance. And they are a great fit for these rooms, with a large variety of styles and features to choose from. However, though tile is an incredibly popular choice for moisture-prone areas of the home, it can come with its own set of disadvantages.

The properties that make ceramic or porcelain tile such a durable waterproof flooring option are also the source of its main downsides, and those downsides are especially evident in the rooms where you most want waterproof floors: the bathroom and the kitchen. If you’ve ever stepped barefoot onto a cold tile floor during a middle-of-the-night trip to the bathroom, you know that they can get uncomfortably cold. And while ceramic and porcelain’s incredible material hardness is a huge advantage when it comes to durability, that same asset can become a source of discomfort if you spend a lot of time walking or standing on a tile floor. Many home chefs (or dishwashers!) can relate to that point. Lastly, tile can make a room sound echoey and harshly loud.

Luxury Vinyl Tile and Plank Are Stylish, Durable Waterproof Flooring Options

Thankfully, there is a type of flooring that solves each of those nits without sacrificing water resistance or style—and it may even fit your budget better. That miracle material? Luxury vinyl flooring. While not a new product, luxury vinyl flooring options have continued to fly under the radar because of their association with the flimsy products many remember from decades past. But today’s luxury vinyl plank and tile are a far cry from the rolled linoleum that graced the floor of Grandpa’s basement.

Thanks to Aqua Defense technology, both luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) are fully waterproof flooring products. They offer incredible durability—on par with or better than ceramic or porcelain tiles—with many luxury vinyl products from Empire Today® covered by limited lifetime warranties against wear. But aesthetes need not worry that LVT and LVP are some kind of homely utilitarian flooring materials that prioritize function over form. In fact, the truth is the exact opposite.

Advanced construction methods lend luxury vinyl floors a high-end look and feel that, in many cases, can be nearly indistinguishable from real tile or hardwood floors. The photorealistic surface image accurately recreates the appearance of tile, stone, or hardwood, while the embossed textures convincingly mimic the feel of those materials. Many people don’t realize that LVT and LVP are man-made materials, even when they’re standing right on the floor. And as the product category has continued to grow in popularity, the selection of LVT and LVP available from Empire® has come to offer significantly more style options that traditional tile.

Best of all, as waterproof flooring products, they match tile’s best qualities while avoiding the aforementioned downsides. Though it is a hard surface flooring, there is a small amount of flexibility inherent to the vinyl material, which goes a long way when it comes to underfoot feel. Luxury vinyl flooring will be noticeably more comfortable to walk barefoot or stand on for long periods of time. The synthetic surface will also feel warmer than a tile floor when the temperatures dip. That flexibility also tends to make rooms with vinyl floors a bit quieter than if the same surfaces were covered in porcelain or ceramic tile. Additionally, a variety of underlayment choices can further augment each of these benefits—an option not possible with traditional tile, which needs to be installed on a totally rigid surface to prevent the risk of cracking.

Overall, vinyl products offer perhaps the most comprehensive solution when having waterproof floors is your main goal, but also strongly value style and comfort. If you’ve been debating new floors for your kitchen, bathroom, or anywhere else where water damage is a risk, but aren’t thrilled by the idea of ceramic tile, then luxury vinyl flooring might be exactly what you need.

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The floor is perhaps the main factor influencing your bathroom’s character, greatly affecting how it looks and how it feels—so you don’t want to pick just any random bathroom tiles when redesigning. If that statement sounds daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Empire Today® is here to help you choose bathroom tile you’ll love for years to come.

Know Which Bathroom Floor Tiles are Better for Your Home

There’s no one overall best tile for bathroom floors because every homeowner will have different needs. Before you begin shopping for bathroom floor tile, it can be very helpful to get a quick primer on the available options and what benefits they each can add to the room. While aesthetics are probably your primary focus, there are plenty of optional features to consider—features that can influence how comfortable your bathroom is, how safe it can be, how easy it is to keep clean, and more.  Getting to know these options will help you best understand which product will be your ideal bathroom flooring. 

Porcelain vs Ceramic Tile:

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are quite similar and usually impossible to tell apart with just a glance, but they do differ in durability and sustainability. Although both tiles are clay-based, the raw material used for porcelain tile is more refined and heated at a higher temperature. This makes porcelain bathroom tiles harder than ceramic, which in turn makes them a bit more durable and less porous than ceramic. Those features will make porcelain a better bathroom tile if you expect your floors to encounter high levels of moisture, lots of traffic, or things being dropped on the floor often—all common occurrences in, say, a kids’ bathroom.

While ceramic is technically a less robust material, it’s no slouch itself. Ceramic tile is still highly resistant to water, scratches, and stains. And it’s usually a bit more affordable than porcelain tiles in a comparable size and style. That makes ceramic a good choice if you’re on a budget but you still want bathroom tiles that can stand up to typical traffic.

Whether you choose ceramic or porcelain bathroom floor tiles, both materials offer some available options that can make your bathroom floors safer and easier to keep clean. Non-slip bathroom tiles are worth considering for any home, and especially those with young children or elderly residents. Both ceramic and porcelain tiles from Empire® are available with a non-slip finish.

Persistent moisture and condensation buildup doesn’t just turn floors into a slip hazard—it also creates the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew. Despite most homeowners’ best efforts, moisture will collect in a bathroom. But having mold and mildew-resistant bathroom flooring installed will go a long way towards keeping nasty growth at bay, making for a healthier, cleaner room.

Vinyl Tile

Vinyl bathroom tile is an option that has rapidly grown in popularity since first hitting the market. Because it’s usually a more budget-friendly product than porcelain or ceramic tiles, vinyl has become a common choice for homeowners shopping for affordable bathroom flooring. One of vinyl tile’s greatest advantages is being able to offer the aesthetics of a material with certain features that the same product usually does not offer. For instance, a stone-look vinyl tile can give you the look of fine marble, without the worries of needing to reseal the floor every few years.  

Many of the vast variety of vinyl floor tiles from Empire also offer the same practical benefits of porcelain or ceramic tile. You’ll find products with high resistance to scratches, scuffs, and wear; slip-resistant textured surfaces; and even enhanced mold and mildew resistance. One of the ways that vinyl tile can be a better choice for bathrooms than ceramic or porcelain tile is that a great many vinyl products are completely waterproof instead of being just water-resistant. The ability to endure heavy saturation or standing water for extended periods of time can be a great benefit in many bathrooms.  

One additional benefit of choosing vinyl tile for a bathroom floor is how the material feels underfoot compared to a tile floor. Vinyl flooring will be a bit softer and usually feels warmer to bare skin, making for a more comfortable floor when you’re barefoot. That’s something worth considering especially for those who have experienced the bite of a bare tile floor during a late-night bathroom visit in the middle of the winter. 

Choose a Style You’ll Love

Here’s the fun part: choosing the look! This is when you can stop thinking about what practical functions the room needs and focus strictly on style. And because bathrooms are typically closed off from the rest of the room and don’t need to perfectly mesh with the rest of your interiors, they’re a great place to get creative with your style and maybe even do some experimenting with your bathroom floors. 

Want your bathroom to feel like a tropical island retreat tucked away in an otherwise neutrally styled home? Choose a waterproof wood-look vinyl floor and go crazy with the bamboo plants. Want to make it feel like a literal throne room? Consider some stone-look tile for a palatial look. 

Get Bathroom Floor Tiles That are Built for Your Lifestyle

Now that you’ve been introduced to some of the best flooring choices for a bathroom, it’s time for the potentially difficult process of choosing just one. Since no household’s needs are exactly the same, the decision ultimately boils down to personal preference. What features will benefit you the most? Are you getting new flooring for the bathroom in your master bedroom that only you and your spouse share or is it for a bathroom that your kids will also use? If it’s for an adults-only bathroom, the difference in durability between porcelain and ceramic may not play a big factor in your decision. Similarly, if you live in a warm, dry climate, mold and mildew resistance might not be a high priority for your bathroom floor. 

When it comes down to it, your best bet is to start with the must-have features and work backward from there, finding a material and style that fits your budget and design goals. No matter the style, Empire Today offers bathroom floor tiles that can elevate your home’s décor while taking your lifestyle into consideration. A flooring professional from Empire can help you make that journey. 

Schedule a FREE In-Home Estimate to see all of your potential bathroom flooring options, without ever leaving your home. 

The post How to Choose the Right Bathroom Floor Tiles for Your Home appeared first on Empire Today Blog.

1. Waterproof Vinyl Plank flooring

Vinyl plank flooring is one of the top-requested waterproof floors available today because homeowners can enjoy a natural wood look without the maintenance worries. Vinyl planks are softer, too, for added comfort, noise reduction and they’re a cost-effective option as well. They’re especially popular in kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways, but many homeowners will go all out and use it in bedrooms and beyond.

This popular option can easily handle the spills, resist scratches and can look fresh and new in high-traffic areas for years. Pet owners love them, too! Vinyl planks can be installed on a variety of sub-floors, including concrete slabs. They come in wider planks, usually between four and eight inches, for a modern look, too.

Product: Grand Junction; Style: Aspen

2. Waterproof Laminate Flooring

Wood laminate flooring has been popular for a long time, and, like vinyl plank, offer a realistic wood look for a fraction of the cost. While vinyl plank has been at the forefront for waterproof wood-look flooring options for a while, there are waterproof laminate wood options that are great at handling big spills. These tough laminates look more like real wood than ever, and they’re a great long-term investment for any home.

Laminates, in general, are also popular for the wide range of colors and wood-grain types they offer. Waterproof laminates are no exception. You can find everything from unique grays and whites to natural traditional colors, and just about any other style or color you can imagine.

3. Waterproof Vinyl Tile

Vinyl tile is a more affordable option than authentic wood, stone, and ceramic tile and is almost impossible to distinguish from the real thing.

Just like vinyl planks, vinyl tile is softer for added comfort and warmth. It’s UV resistant, easily handles moisture and is attractive to those wanting all the beauty at the right price. These features combined with waterproof capabilities makes vinyl tile a fantastic option for your home.

Water-Resistant Flooring vs Waterproof Flooring Options

With so many features available for flooring, it’s easy to be confused. But you want to make sure you have the proper knowledge when searching for flooring that can handle moisture and spills. The biggest thing for you to know is the difference between water-resistant and waterproof flooring options. What’s the dividing factor?

Well, water-resistant flooring does as the name suggests: it “resists” water penetration to a certain extent, but not completely. A water-resistant floor works for topical exposures that are quickly wiped up and allowed to dry. A truly waterproof floor is impermeable to liquid. Naturally, if you’re expecting water “proof” but only get a water “resistant” product, you might be disappointed.

In the end, you have a varied range of styles, colors, and flooring types to find the perfect waterproof flooring option for your home. It’s all about preference and knowing what’s best for you. Are you more interested in durability or affordability? A wood look or a stone look? The choice is yours! What’s most important is that you have the proper installation and knowledge of whatever flooring you choose!

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Getting Tiles for Living Room Floors Means Easy Maintenance

If you have kids or entertain guests, chances are your living room is utilized quite often. That means more chances of dirt and soil being tracked on your flooring. Cleaning is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be easy. Spilled juice? Dropped your coffee? Don’t fret! Porcelain, ceramic, and vinyl tiles are inherently stain and spill resistant. This not only lets you stop stressing over every spill but also helps maintain the longevity of your flooring. Unlike other hardwood, standing liquids are not a major threat to tile. If you’re hosting a party and don’t see the mess until after your guests leave, you don’t have to panic. To help you keep your porcelain and ceramic tile fresh just remember these few tips:

• Mop at least once a week with a damp mop (more for heavy traffic)
• Don’t scrub with highly abrasive tools
• Detergents, soap, and abrasive cleaners can leave a dull film on the surface
• Don’t use bleach or ammonia

Get Durability and Functionality

It’s nice to have flooring that can withstand common stains and spills, but what about other inevitable uh-ohs? Shoes, pets, and even your furniture can leave scratches and scuffs on your flooring. If you get tiles for the living room, you’ll get flooring that can hold strong against heavy traffic. In addition to being water, moisture, stain, and spill resistant, tiles are guards against scratches and scuffs. That means it’s durable enough to withstand your family’s lifestyle, making it even great for pets. Although tile is built to hold up against heavy traffic and scratches, it isn’t invincible. You still need to take measures in order to prevent damages. Here are a couple of things you can do to make sure your tile lasts:

• Remove shoes before entering your home
• Add protective pads, such as felt pads, to the legs on heavy furniture

Great in Warmer Climates

Another thing to consider when choosing floors for your home is the climate in which you live. Warmer climates mean humidity. Flooring options, such as hardwood and laminate, can warp and buckle when faced with humidity and the moisture that comes with it. Porcelain and ceramic tiles are a great option to help keep your home cool because tile isn’t easily damaged under humid temperatures like other wood looks. In addition to being durable under heat, tile doesn’t conduct heat as well as hardwood, making it cool to the touch and a better option to help avoid overheated rooms. When you choose tile, you can help cool down your home while having a style that can handle what warm weather may bring.

Just as Stylish as Other Flooring Options

If you want tiles for living room décor but are concerned about the style of your floors, rest easy. Tile flooring has evolved, and the basic ceramics are no longer a must. Not only can you get a natural stone look, Empire has plenty of realistic wood look tiles. Worried about how new flooring will match with your home’s aesthetic? Our neutral-toned styles can easily coordinate with your existing décor. Here are a couple of options that can help you modernize your living room and home overall.

Realistic Wood Look with Forest Lane

Want a wood look with functionality and durability? Forest Lane is the solution to your flooring needs. Highly scratch resistant, this porcelain tile was built to withstand heavy traffic. With its natural hand-scraped texture, Forest Lane has a realistic aesthetic that can give your home a modern look with easy maintenance.

A Wood Look That’s Built to Last with Canal Pier

Canal Pier is a vinyl tile that’s far from traditional. Not only does this USA manufactured vinyl tile give a natural wood look and texture, it’s built to withstand heavy traffic and your family’s lifestyle. In addition to having the typical benefits of vinyl tile, Canal Pier has an advanced aluminum oxide finish to help it look new without waxing, buffing, or polishing.

If you’re considering new floors for your living room, don’t count out tile! While it may be known as an option for moisture-prone rooms, it can work just as well in other common areas. You can get style and durability that may not even be available with other flooring options. Schedule an appointment with Empire Today and see what tile styles can work in your living room.

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Get Kitchen Floor Tiles that Fit Your Lifestyle

When choosing kitchen floor tiles, the best thing to do is consider your lifestyle. How big is your family? How often do you cook, and what meals will be cooked? How much time do you have to clean? All of these play into what kind of tile you should get in your kitchen. If you have kids, accidents are bound to happen. You want flooring that doesn’t make you stress over every spill and stain. If you have a pet, you want kitchen tile that won’t give in to claws.

What Purpose Does Your Kitchen Serve?

While thinking about your lifestyle, also consider how you’ll be utilizing your kitchen. Is it strictly for cooking, or do you have a dining area for your family to share meals? Maybe your house is the designated holiday party destination. Whatever the purpose is, make sure your flooring is ready to take it on. For heavy traffic, make sure it’s scratch resistant. If your family can dine in the kitchen area, make sure the kitchen floor tiles are spill resistant. If you feel your kitchen will have a lot of water and moisture, vinyl’s mold and mildew resistance is a feature you should consider.

Know Your Kitchen Floor Tiles Options

Style is one thing, but it’s important to understand how the flooring you choose will benefit your family’s lifestyle. Consider these tile options and decide which is best for your home:

Vinyl: Kitchen Floor Tiles with Easy Maintenance

Vinyl tile has quickly become the popular flooring choice for modern homes. Its realistic aesthetic and feel make the difference from actual tile unnoticeable. In addition to having a ceramic look, vinyl tile is easy to maintain. Its water, stain, and scratch resistance helps it last even longer in kitchens with high traffic. But that’s not the end of its capabilities. Vinyl tiles are also mold and mildew resistant. Rooms that are moisture prone are breeding grounds for mold and mildew. Vinyl tile’s resistance results in a better chance of longevity so you can keep your style for a while.

Style Meets Durability with Porcelain and Ceramic Kitchen Floor Tiles

Ceramic and porcelain kitchen floor tiles not only have a vast array of looks, they have the durability to help these styles last. Like vinyl tiles, they’re water, stain, and scratch resistant. This makes them perfect for heavy traffic and a busy lifestyle. In addition to those three features, Empire Today has ceramics that also have slip-resistance. Not only can water damage flooring, but standing spills can be accident hazards for children playing or even adults just grabbing something out of the fridge. Having flooring that’s slip-resistant can help prevent nasty falls and bumps and bruises.

You may be wondering, “What is the difference between porcelain and ceramic tiles?”. Well, while they’re similar in look and features, porcelain tile is more durable. When manufactured, its clay is heated for a longer time at a higher temperature, making tougher overall.

When choosing which type you want for your kitchen floor tiles, consider the benefits and what it means for you and your family. While certain tiles may seem similar the small details may make a big difference in your household. As long as you’re making an insightful decision, you can’t go wrong.

Get a Style You’ll Love

Know what to consider when choosing kitchen floor tiles that are best for your home? Check. Learned the different types of kitchen floor tiles? Check. The next question to ask yourself is what look are you going for?

Do you want a standard tile or do you want a realistic wood or stone look? Wood look tile can bring a modern and timeless aesthetic to your kitchen without the stress of spills and moisture ruining your floors. While a stone look can bring an elegant and classic feel to your home’s décor. Even traditional kitchen tile like Empire’s Equilibrium porcelain can elevate your kitchen with its sophisticated twist.

Another thing to take into consideration is your backsplash tile. Your floor tile doesn’t have to match it exactly, but it’s important not to make them clash. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to have fun! Think beyond what you used to know about kitchen tile. Flooring has improved over the years and so has its styles. Go for the stone or even the wood look and still have kitchen floor tiles that are durable to withstand your family and guests.

Get a realistic wood look with Woodland Trail porcelain tile

Equilibrium gives a sophisticated twist to traditional porcelain tile

Stone look with high durability with Options vinyl tile

Your flooring plays a very important part in your kitchen’s aesthetic. Make sure you know what tile options are available, what to consider when choosing one, and what style will go perfectly with your home’s décor.

Ready to take your kitchen to the next level? Schedule your FREE In-Home Estimate and have a flooring professional show you our various porcelain, ceramic, and vinyl tile styles that are made especially for kitchens.

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