They all look like oak in the sample book. In the house they behave completely differently around water, scratches, sunlight and sound. Here is the honest comparison we give on home visits in Bolton.
When someone in Bolton says "I want a wood floor" they usually mean one of these three. Price alone tends to push people towards laminate; the reality of a family kitchen pushes them back towards LVT. This guide is the middle ground: what each one is, where it shines, and where it will let you down.
LVT (luxury vinyl tile) is a multi-layer vinyl plank or tile with a printed design and a clear wear layer on top. It is either glued to the subfloor (dryback) or clicked together and floated (rigid core). It is 2 to 6.5mm thick.
Laminate is a high-density fibreboard (HDF) core with a photographic design layer and a hard melamine top. It always floats on an underlay and clicks together. Usually 8 to 12mm thick.
Engineered wood is a real hardwood top layer (typically 2.5 to 6mm of oak) bonded to layers of plywood or softwood. It can be floated, glued or secret-nailed, and the top layer can be sanded and refinished later. Usually 14 to 21mm thick.
| Question | LVT | Laminate | Engineered wood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen or bathroom? | Yes. Waterproof surface; glue-down keeps water out from underneath. | No. Joints swell when wet, even "water-resistant" types. | Kitchen at a push with care; bathroom no. |
| Scratches from dogs and chairs? | Very good at 0.55mm wear layer; textured finishes hide marks. | Best scratch resistance of the three (AC4 or AC5 rating). | Scratches and dents, but can be sanded out. |
| How does it feel and sound? | Warm, quiet, slight give. | Hard, cold, hollow "clack" when walked on. | Solid, warm, natural. |
| Underfloor heating? | Excellent (glue-down especially). | Yes, with limits. | Yes if specified for it; must be glued. |
| Herringbone and borders? | Yes, glue-down. | Herringbone laminate exists; no true borders. | Yes, glued parquet blocks; expensive. |
| Bifolds and strong sunlight? | Fine with high-temp adhesive. | Floating floor; big expansion gaps needed. | Fades and moves; needs UV care. |
| Repair a damaged board? | Single plank replaced (glue-down). | Unclick back to it. | Sand and refinish the whole floor. |
| Expected life | 15 to 25+ years | 10 to 15 years | 25+ years with refinishing |
| Adds value when selling? | Yes, seen as premium. | Neutral. | Yes, most of all. |
| Relative cost (supply and fit) | Mid | Lowest | Highest |
Anywhere water is possible: kitchens, bathrooms, utilities, hallways where wet shoes come in. Anywhere you want quiet: terraces, flats, upstairs rooms. Anywhere with underfloor heating. And anywhere you want a pattern, because glue-down LVT does herringbone, chevron and borders better than anything at the price. The only time we steer people away from LVT is when they genuinely want real timber and understand what that involves.
LVT is also the floor that makes the most of a difficult subfloor, once that subfloor has been prepared. The preparation is the same as for the other two; the difference is that LVT then hides nothing, so it has to be done well. See how we prepare a floor for LVT.
Budget, and scratches. A good AC4 laminate is the hardest-wearing surface of the three against claws and castor chairs, and it is the cheapest to buy and the quickest to fit. For a home office, a teenager's bedroom or a dry living room on a tight budget it is a sensible choice. Pick a thicker board (10 or 12mm) with a proper underlay and it will sound and feel better than the thin boards from the sheds.
Where it loses: the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallway next to the front door, and any room where you want it to feel warm or quiet. Once a laminate joint has swollen it never goes back.
Character and value. Nothing printed looks quite like real oak with its own grain, and an engineered floor can be sanded and refinished two or three times over its life. In a period house in Heaton or Bromley Cross, a glued-down engineered oak plank or parquet is the floor that estate agents photograph. We fit it across Bolton: see engineered wood flooring. It is also the most expensive route, needs careful humidity control (dry it out too much in winter and gaps open; wet it and it cups), and it marks. Choose it with your eyes open.
For a full room-by-room walk-through including carpet and vinyl, read which flooring for which room.
Laminate is cheap and tough but it is a dry-room floor. Engineered wood is beautiful and valuable but it is a careful-owner floor. LVT is the one that copes with real family life in every room, which is why it is what we fit most across Bolton. Bring your sample to the home visit and we will show you the difference in your own light.
Based in Bolton? We fit LVT, carpet, vinyl and laminate across Bolton, Horwich, Westhoughton, Egerton, Bromley Cross, Harwood, Breightmet, Blackrod and Lostock. See our Bolton flooring page or book a free home visit.
More straight answers from the people who actually fit the floors.
Kitchen, hallway, bathroom, stairs, dogs, underfloor heating: what we would fit and why.
Read the guide →LVT · ChoosingThe honest differences, and which one we would put in your room.
Read the guide →LVT · BrandsKarndean, Amtico, Moduleo, Invictus, Polyflor, Quick-Step: what you actually pay for.
Read the guide →Real installs across Bolton and Greater Manchester — dust-free, clean, precise.
Rated 5.0 from 29 Google reviews — see what customers say.
The comparisons we are asked for most in Bolton.
For kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and anywhere water or noise matters, yes. LVT is waterproof on the surface, warmer and quieter. Laminate is cheaper and slightly more scratch-resistant, which makes it a fair choice for bedrooms and home offices.
Different jobs. LVT is more practical: waterproof, stable, quieter and cheaper. Engineered wood is real timber, can be refinished and adds the most value, but it scratches, moves with humidity and must stay dry. For a kitchen choose LVT; for a period living room either works.
We would not recommend it. Even water-resistant laminate swells at the joints with a dishwasher leak or regular wet mopping, and the damage is permanent. LVT or sheet vinyl are the right floors for a kitchen.
A good AC4 or AC5 laminate has the hardest surface. A 0.55mm LVT with a textured matt finish is very close and hides marks better. Engineered wood scratches most easily but can be sanded and refinished.
Laminate, then LVT, then engineered wood. The gap between laminate and LVT narrows once preparation is included, because all three need a flat, dry subfloor. We itemise everything on the quote.
Glue-down LVT: thin, dense and bonded to the heated floor so the heat comes through quickly. Engineered wood works if the range is rated for underfloor heating and it is glued. Laminate works with limits. Surface temperature must stay below 27 degrees C for all of them.
Book a free home visit in Bolton. We bring samples, check your subfloor properly and give you a clear, itemised supply-and-fit quote — no showroom, no pressure.
Prefer to talk? Call us on 07724 318794