Is this laminate or vinyl?

movilogo

This is a picture of floor of my upstairs bedroom. It was fitted by previous owner. There is no noticeable sound when I walk over the floor. I could not see any proper joins - the boundary between panels appear to be very thin line.

JGB1955

I have something almost identical in my kitchen. Mine is vinyl. When I run my finger nail over the 'join' there is no palpable gap.

Bigphil1474

In my head Vinyl is like Lino, one piece of material cut like carpet. Laminate is like fake pieces of strips of wood laid accordingly. My guess would be it's laminate. You don't normally get edging like that for lino.

Flugelhorn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81933630#Comment_81933630

you can have LVT (luxury vinyl tile) that comes in strips - just to cause confusion!

rob7475

That could be laminate or vinyl.

Laminate is normally an MDF core and tends to be around 8-12mm thick. Click vinyl is much thinner (usually around 5mm if a floating floor) and will have a vinyl core.

Both look very similar from the surface but vinyl tends to be more water resistant

Chickereeeee

If it's noisy to walk on - laminate

If it's quite to walk on - vinyl

(Usually, anyway).

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81933630#Comment_81933630

You are describing sheet vinyl, ( which largely replaced lino when it was first introduced) but is less popular than it used to be.

Higher quality/thicker/longer lasting/more authentic wood appearance would normally be LVT, which is laid as square tiles, or as said in planks . It can be click together type, or glued down, or loose laid.

More recently there is Stone Composite flooring. It sounds like a different product altogether, but is basically just a cheaper version of LVT, with more filler in and less Vinyl.

twopenny

I would have said vinyl till I enlarged the join part with the short 'plank' .

There's definitely a gap there with crumbs in 😉

Strips of vinyl?

jennifernil

is there a bar in the doorway covering the join between this and whatever is on the hallway floor? If so, unscrew it so you can see the edge of the floor material.
Looks more like planks of something rather than sheet vinyl, looking at that join in the picture. If it was click together LVT, the join would not be like that.

movilogo

Thanks for the replies guys.

I now think it is vinyl because

1. the sound is very subdued - typically laminate walking causes clickety sound.
2. bathroom has similar (not exactly same looking) floor - which has been splashed few times and still no problem - more often than not, bathroom is usually vinyl. Laminate would have creased from water by now.

I shall take some quotes for flooring downstairs anyway - will ask the surveyor to have a look to confirm.

jennifernil

Properiy laid laminate should not click when walked on IMO. Our daughter has laminate in her house and there is no clicking.

That cross joint looks very poor, like it is a little bit open, can you feel the join, and get a better picture of it too?