What is the difference between laminate, vinyl plank and engineered timber?

Stone composite is fully waterproof, laminate is a printed fibreboard, engineered timber is real oak on ply.

The short answer

Let us start with SPC plank. This is a stone composite, so this is 100 percent waterproof. Good for bathrooms or utility rooms. You can also have this throughout your house if you are concerned with moisture. For example, if you have a dog and you live next to Portobello beach or something like that, this is going to be the product for you.

Laminate. This is an HDF fibered board, so in here you have got a high density fibre compressed. Then you have got an image, and scratch resistant coatings over the top. These are suitable for all areas except for your bathroom. Again you can put it into a utility as long as you have got an extractor.

This on top is an engineered board. What that is, is a veneer of oak, whether that be 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6mm of oak on top of a multiply backing, either lacquered or oiled. These products are suitable for basically any area of your house. I would recommend caution if you are putting it into a bathroom.

So they are the main three differences between these products.

Related questions

• What should I look for in engineered timber?
• What underlay should I choose?
• Can you lay wood flooring over underfloor heating?

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