Myth: laminate and LVT are basically the same thing
They're built completely differently. Laminate has a printed decorative layer over a dense fibreboard core, wrapped in a hard-wearing top layer — it's essentially a photograph of wood or stone under a protective coating. LVT is a resilient vinyl product through and through, meaning it's genuinely waterproof at its core, not just water-resistant on the surface.
Myth: laminate is always cheaper
Budget laminate can undercut budget LVT, but at comparable quality levels the price gap often narrows considerably, and installation costs vary by room and subfloor prep needed either way. It's worth comparing like-for-like specification rather than assuming laminate wins on cost by default.
Myth: LVT always looks 'fake' up close
Higher-specification LVT has embossed textures that align with the printed grain, giving genuine depth and a more convincing timber or stone feel underfoot than many people expect. Laminate can also look highly realistic, but it typically feels harder and colder underfoot than LVT, which has a slightly softer, warmer wear layer.
Myth: neither is suitable for kitchens or bathrooms
- LVT is genuinely waterproof and copes well in kitchens, utility rooms and even bathrooms with proper installation
- Laminate's fibreboard core swells if water sits on the joints, so it's a poor match for wet rooms
- Both are unsuitable for permanently wet areas like wet rooms with floor drains
- Spills on laminate need wiping up promptly; on LVT it's far less urgent
Where laminate is genuinely the right call
If the room stays dry, budget is tight, and a crisp, hard, timber-look surface at a lower general price point is the priority, laminate does the job well and has done for decades in Fife hallways and living rooms. It's not the inferior choice everywhere — it's the wrong choice specifically where moisture is a factor.
Fife factor: mud, sand and new-build humidity
In hallways off muddy rural lanes around KY12 and KY14, tracked-in moisture sitting at a laminate doorway threshold is a genuine risk over time, whereas LVT shrugs it off. In new-build Duloch homes with underfloor heating, LVT is generally the more flexible option across humidity swings, though both can be specified for UFH if rated for it.