If you can afford engineered wood I do think it’s a better alternative than vinyl. There really isn’t anything‘luxurious’ about vinyl. It’s plastic and will scratch easier. With any real wood floor (and engineered is real) you can fill in a scratch. Any floor (except tile over concrete) is not ‘waterproof’ because if a significant amount of water gets under the vinyl it can compromise the subfloor, create mold, etc. Also, a vinyl floor requires a perfectly flat subfloor and that can really up the price of a vinyl installation if yours needs replacing or leveling. Just be very careful with any engineered wood as not all are equal. And the really cheap (thin finish layer) can show wear down to the backing in high traffic areas. You want a decent wear layer like 3-4mm if you can afford it.

For a 1550 sq ft home, one continuous floor will usually feel much cleaner than a mix of wood and vinyls. LVP can work well if the plank has a quiet grain, low sheen, and very little repeated pattern. I would order a full box, lay several planks together in daylight and evening light, and check it against your cabinets, trim, and wall color before deciding. If budget allows, engineered wood will usually have more warmth and resale appeal, but a good LVP is still a practical choice for durability and maintenance.

I would choose in the order of hardwood then engineered hardwood then vinyl. The repeat pattern in vinyl always bothers me.

There is a great group on facebook that talks a lot about flooring -https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17b8npNMG4/

my advice would be dont’t be at the lowest end of a product line- inexpensive engineered hardwood scratches like crazy and the highest end lvp or laminate would likely perform much better, but there is a lot to learn 😅

While I was never a fan of vinyl, the condo I purchased was in the process of being redone. I picked the color but the floor was going to be vinyl. Used the same throughout and quite honestly I would use it again. Wears well, even with two dogs and waterproof. Had multiple birsd for quite some time as well. 5 years in and still almost perfect. And it was from Lumber Liqudators so not exactly a high-end product.

For me laminate from Germany was my choice on the main floor and LVP in the walkout basement . We had 3 huge dogs with free run to a dog run through a doggie door no way on earth would a wood floor have lasted 18 yrs which is how old the floor was when sold last year.Like all other things flooring has good and bad . Your lifestyle has to be considered too. If no big dogs I would say enginereered wood good quality would be abetter choice.

Medieval’s 10mm in Portofino, Link. Has a 30mil wear layer and a strong click system because it's 10mm thick. It's 60" long. You can test the surface scratch resistance with tines of a fork. The top finish uses the clearer ceramic beads instead of aluminum oxide as an additive against wear.. Having a very flat subfloor is important to reduce failures as you walk in it. Get a returnable box and lay it all out to see the effect. Look at the repeat and how stripey the color tones are.

Engineered European Oak 4mm and 6mm hardwood top layer with birch or eucalyptus plywood core is the current popular choice. Hakwood, DuChateau, Monarch Plank, Hurst Hardwoods and many other sources all offer product. 7-11" width and up to 84" length. There is no exact repeat. Matte finish.

Thank you all for the great feedback. I’ve ordered a box of the Medieval Portofino to lay out in my home—fabulous suggestion! Also going to look at engineered wood. Thanks @dan1888 for the suggested brands.

Lifeproof Shenandoah Oak 1/4 in. T x 7.5 in. W Click Lock Engineered Hardwood Flooring (23.32 sq. ft./case) VTWHDSHEOAK7X75 - The Home Depot https://share.google/8UGWYIT1NUjTjCLJ0

In our vacation house, we have LifeProof Engineered Hardwood throughout (including bathrooms). It's been almost a year now and so far it's been excellent. Looks good and super durable. It's available in two different widths.

LifeProof also has a LVP product but I don't have experience with that.

Thank you, Laurie!

We have 40 year old white ash floors in the first floor of our home. i love it. We have had a second home for 11 years. When we bought it there was carpeting, tile, and vinyl throughout. It was horrible! Because I wanted a unified look everywhere, we changed everyroom to LVP. Is it as nice as our hardwood….no. But, the look throughout the house was so nice. Living room, kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, dining room….all the ssme.

i used area rugs in the LR, DR , bedrooms, etc. We sold that place about 18 months ago, and potential buys commented how the floors made everything flow. It sold very easily. The floors were so easy to care for.

FWIW most LVP issues arise because of poor install and often owners don’t want to pay for prep, sub floor leveling etc so the flooring ends up failing. Is your subfloor all one level throughout the house?

When budgeting make sure to include the cost of quality installation - a lot of folks spend more on materials and then skimp on install, which is super risky imo

I would find the best local flooring install people you can and talk with them - my floor pros preferred Mohawk Revwood premium (which is laminate not LVP, you can google the differences and pros/cons) they liked working with it and it never caused them issues with owners - this was a big selling point for me

You might check with a realtor in your area. That may sound silly, but it may be helpful to know what comps in your area are using. Not that you are selling, but it's a valid data point. Then, do what you love or what is practical for your lifestyle...after taking in all of your options.

Thank you all very much for the excellent feedback and suggestions.

I received my complementary box of LVP from Medieval. I love it. It’s got heft, it’s heavy, and it has a cork like backing. I love the color, the mat finish and the width of the planks. It doesn’t have knots, which I read adds to the repetitive nature of LVP. I’m looking at it right now and just love it.

However, I noticed a slight raised area on one of the plank. It’s only visible in certain light. My designer friend came over. He too loved the product. I pointed out the raised area to him. He said he doubts he would have noticed it unless I pointed it out.

I bought my home with existing cherry wood engineered wood and see a few imperfections in it.

It’s a quandary. I will ask for a quote for engineered wood in a similar color and plank to compare. But I expect the price will be hard to beat. I was quoted $6,700 for 1,100 square feet for the Medieval. That doesn’t include installation. I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I'm SO excited for you! That's beautiful flooring!

@Jules, did you install the Portofino? Can you please share pics if so. Thanks.

Sabena—I actually decided to go with Medieval’s engineered hardwood in Antique Brass, which is poorly named because it is an almost exact match for their LVP Portofino. The wood is being delivered next week and then installed a couple weeks after that. I will post a pic when it’s all done. I’m very excited!

If anyone does choose LVP flooring my best suggestion is to pick one that has less patterning and isn't trying to be something it isn't. Many LVP's can look good but the one that look best IMHO are the ones that are plainer, simpler and more straight forward in appearance.

I have been trying to find an LVP with less grains. Any suggestions?

@Sabena Nigam - i’d look at Coretec Grande Honeyed Maple or Golden Halo Oak - you can see lots of pics in that Facebook group I mentioned above in the thread