There is no single best floor. There is a best floor for each room, and the deciding factors are almost always water, traffic, and whether you want the option to refinish later. The table below puts the five common hard-surface options side by side, then the rest of this guide walks through each material and each room.
How do LVP, laminate, hardwood and tile compare?
LVP and tile are the two waterproof options, solid and engineered hardwood are the two you can refinish, and laminate is the lowest-cost hard surface. The installed cost ranges below are the same per-square-foot ranges published on our flooring page and in our flooring installation cost guide. Lifespans are general industry ranges and depend heavily on product grade and how the floor is treated.
| Material | Installed cost / sq ft | Waterproof? | Refinishable? | Typical lifespan | Works best | Struggles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) | $6 to $10 | Waterproof | No | 15 to 25 years | Kitchens, baths, basements, homes with pets and kids | Heavy furniture can dent cheaper products; direct sun can fade some lines |
| Laminate | $5 to $8 | Water resistant, not waterproof | No | 15 to 25 years | Bedrooms, living rooms, dry upper floors on a budget | Standing water, full bathrooms, below-grade basements |
| Engineered hardwood | $9 to $14 | No | Usually once or twice, depending on wear layer | 20 to 40 years | Living areas and bedrooms where you want real wood with better humidity tolerance | Full bathrooms, laundry rooms, wet basements |
| Solid hardwood | $10 to $16 | No | Yes, several times | Generations with care | Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, hallways above grade | Below grade, full bathrooms, anywhere humidity swings hard |
| Tile | $10 to $18 | Waterproof (grout needs sealing) | No, but damaged tiles can be replaced | Decades | Bathrooms, entryways, mudrooms, laundry rooms | Cold and hard underfoot; grout needs upkeep; cracked if the subfloor flexes |
What is luxury vinyl plank good and bad at?
LVP is fully waterproof, stands up well to pets and kids, and can be installed below grade. Its main weaknesses are that it cannot be refinished and that cheaper products can dent under heavy furniture.
LVP is a layered product: a printed wood or stone image under a clear wear layer, on top of a vinyl or rigid composite core. Because nothing in it absorbs water, a spill or a leaking dishwasher does not ruin the planks themselves, although water that gets underneath still needs to dry out. The wear layer is what takes the scratches, so thicker wear layers hold up better in busy homes. When a plank is damaged, it is replaced rather than sanded. Use furniture pads under heavy pieces, and choose a rigid core product if you have a piano, a gun safe, or a large aquarium.
Is laminate the same as LVP?
No. Laminate looks similar but has a fiberboard core, which makes it water resistant rather than waterproof. A spill wiped up quickly is fine, but water left sitting will seep into the seams and swell the core, and swollen laminate does not go back down.
Laminate is the least expensive hard surface, and a good laminate has a very hard top layer that resists scratches well. Like LVP, it cannot be refinished. It belongs in dry rooms: bedrooms, living rooms, offices, and upstairs hallways. It is a poor fit for full bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements where moisture can come up through the slab.
Why choose solid hardwood?
Solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished several times, so a well-kept floor can last for generations. The trade-off is that it is a natural material that expands and shrinks with humidity, so it should not go below grade or in full bathrooms.
Each board is one piece of wood, usually three quarters of an inch thick. That thickness is what allows repeated refinishing: dents, scratches, and worn finish can be sanded away and a new color applied. Solid hardwood is nailed to a wood subfloor, which is one reason it is not installed directly over a concrete slab. Expect some seasonal gaps between boards in winter; that is normal wood movement, not a defect.
What is engineered hardwood, and when does it make sense?
Engineered hardwood is a layer of real wood bonded over a stable plywood or composite core. It looks and feels like solid hardwood but tolerates humidity better, and it can usually be refinished once or twice depending on how thick the top wear layer is.
The cross-layered core resists the swelling and shrinking that solid boards go through, so engineered wood is a better choice where humidity varies or where the floor sits over concrete. A thin wear layer may allow only a light screen and recoat, while a thick one can take a full sanding or two. Check the wear layer thickness on the product specification before you buy if refinishing matters to you. Engineered wood is still wood, so it is not a good fit for full bathrooms or rooms that flood.
When is tile the right answer?
Tile is the most durable option and is fully waterproof, which makes it the traditional choice for bathrooms, entryways, and mudrooms. Its downsides are comfort and maintenance: it is cold and hard underfoot, and grout lines need cleaning and periodic sealing.
Porcelain tile is dense and takes almost anything, including boots, salt, and pet accidents. Tile is rigid, so it needs a stiff, flat subfloor; if the floor underneath flexes, tiles and grout can crack. Radiant heat under tile solves the cold problem but adds cost. Dropped glasses are more likely to break on tile than on LVP.
Which floor should go in each room?
Match the material to the worst thing that room will face: water, grit, heavy traffic, or a concrete slab. Here is a first choice for each room and why.
- Kitchen: LVP. It is waterproof against spills and dishwasher leaks, softer on dropped dishes than tile, and runs cleanly into adjoining rooms. Tile is the other strong choice.
- Full bathroom: Tile or LVP. Both handle daily splashing and steam. Tile is the classic choice for longevity; LVP is warmer and quicker to install. Keep laminate and hardwood out.
- Half bath: LVP. There is no shower, but toilets and sinks still leak, and LVP lets the half bath match the hallway outside it.
- Basement: LVP. It is waterproof and is designed to float over a concrete slab. Tile also works. See our basement flooring guide for the moisture details.
- Bedrooms: Solid or engineered hardwood, or laminate on a budget. Bedrooms are dry and low traffic, so they are where wood and laminate are at their best.
- Living and dining rooms: Hardwood if you want long-term refinishing value, LVP if you have pets, kids, or an open plan that connects to the kitchen.
- Hallways and high-traffic areas: LVP with a thick wear layer, or hardwood you are willing to refinish. Grit is the enemy here, so put a mat at every exterior door.
- Stairs: Hardwood or LVP with matching stair nosing. Stair treads need a secure, non-slippery surface and a proper nose piece at each edge; loose-laid floating floors are not used on steps.
- Entryway and mudroom: Tile. It shrugs off wet boots, road salt, and sand. LVP is a good second choice.
What makes Maryland homes different?
Maryland swings between humid summers and dry, heated winters, and that swing in indoor humidity is hard on solid hardwood. Below-grade basements are also common in this area, and a basement slab rules out solid hardwood and makes laminate a risk.
In summer, solid boards take on moisture and swell; in winter, forced-air heat dries them out and gaps open up. Running a dehumidifier in summer and a humidifier in winter keeps the swing smaller. Engineered hardwood and LVP are both less sensitive to this cycle. In basements, water vapor moves up through concrete even when the floor looks dry, which is why waterproof materials are the safe choice below grade.
How do I narrow it down?
Start with three questions. Will this room see water? If yes, choose LVP or tile. Is it below grade? If yes, choose LVP or tile. Do you want to be able to refinish the floor in fifteen years? If yes, choose solid or engineered hardwood. If none of those apply and budget is the priority, laminate is a reasonable choice in dry rooms.
You can see these materials in homes across the area on our pages for flooring in Bel Air, flooring in Fallston, and flooring in Forest Hill. For a price on your rooms, visit our flooring installation page or call 410-960-0802.
More flooring guides for Harford County homeowners.
Where we can help
If this guide applies to a project at your home, see our flooring installation services. We work across Harford County, including flooring in Bel Air, flooring in Fallston and flooring in Forest Hill. When you are ready, request a free estimate.