Quick-Step Livyn Vinyl Vs Quick-Step Laminate Flooring

Quick-Step is one of the most popular flooring brands in the UK. It offers an array of floors from laminate flooring to vinyl flooring.

So, what’s the difference between Quick-Step Livyn vinyl flooring and Quick-Step laminate flooring? Quick-Step Laminate is unsurprisingly the laminate collection, whereas Quick-Step Livyn is an LVT vinyl flooring range.

Quick-Step’s laminate and vinyl floors are stylish in appearance. They look and feel just like the real thing. These floors are also easy to clean and maintain, which makes them perfect for the modern lifestyle.

Product: Quick-Step Livyn Balance Click Classic Oak Natural BACL40023

It can be tough to choose between Laminate and LVT floors. Both of these types of Quick-Step floors boast some excellent features, so how do you know which one is right for you? Below, our flooring experts compare two of the most popular collections – Quick-Step Livyn and Quick-Step laminate.

What is Quick-Step Vinyl Flooring Made From?

Quick-Step vinyl flooring is mostly made up of PVC layers. According to the manufacturer, the floors are made up of around 40% chalk, while a quarter is made from recycled PVC. An additional quarter of new PVC completes the construction.

What is Quick-Step Laminate Flooring Made From?

All Quick-Step laminate floors consist of four separate layers including a transparent wear-resistant overlay, design layer, moisture-resistant HDF core, and a balancing layer.

Product: Quick-Step Impressive Saw Cut Oak Grey IM1858 Laminate Flooring

The transparent wear-resistant overlay ensures the floors are scratch, burn, wear, stain, impact, and chemical resistant. Meanwhile, the design layer is created using advanced processing, giving Quick-Step laminate floors a highly realistic look.

Which is Waterproof?

Vinyl floors are naturally water resistant, making them suitable for use in any room. The Quick-Step Livyn range is fully waterproof, giving you the option to install them in bathrooms and other high-moisture areas.

Product: Quick-Step Impressive Classic Oak Beige IM1847 Laminate Flooring

While laminate floors aren’t naturally water resistant, Quick-Step does have some fully waterproof ranges on offer.

Comparing Durability

Both the Quick-Step laminate and Livyn collections boast fantastic durability. While the floors may differ structurally, they each come with an impressive lifespan.

Both the Quick-Step Livyn and laminate collections offer superb scratch resistance. They feature the latest in flooring technology, including a Scratch Guard surface layer. The difference in scratch resistance between the two types of floors is minimal, but laminate does have a slight edge over vinyl.

Installing Quick-Step Vinyl vs Quick-Step Laminate

Quick-Step laminate and Quick-Step vinyl floors come with a patented Uniclic system. This makes them incredibly easy to install. They are so easy to fit you can do it yourself, regardless of whether you have any floor-fitting experience.

While both are easy to install, vinyl does work out that little bit easier. This is because vinyl floors can be installed on practically any type of subfloor. You can read how to install Quick-Step Livyn vinyl tiles here.

Room Suitability

You can install both Quick-Step vinyl and Quick Step laminate in the hallway, lounge, dining room, bedroom, and home office. Both are also suitable floors for installing in bathrooms due to their water-resistant properties. We do, however, recommend you professionally prepare your subfloor to make water-tight. If you are choosing laminate then you need to ensure you opt for the Quick-Step laminate flooring with a 'Hydro-Seal' coating.

Product: Quick-Step Impressive Classic Oak Beige IM1847 Laminate Floor Installed in a Bathroom

Both quick-Step Livyn and laminate flooring make a great choice for the kitchen, and waterproof varieties can be installed in high-moisture areas.

Comparing Insulation

Whether you opt for laminate or vinyl, they are both quiet and warm to walk across. Both can also be installed with underfloor heating for additional comfort, though vinyl does work out slightly more efficient.

If you are looking for a floor that is as good as wood floors at suppressing noise and echo, then Quick-Step Livyn could be a better choice than Quick-Step laminate floors. Although laminate incredibly replicates the look of solid wood floors, it may not be able to efficiently reproduce the noise-reduction capability of original wood floors.

Product: Quick-Step Livyn Pulse Click Picnic Oak Warm Natural PUCL40094

However, if you still prefer laminate, use a foam underlayment designed for laminate flooring when installing the planks to reduce the hollow sounds as well as noises such as those made by high heels and falling dishes.

Product: Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Cottage Oak Natural AVSP40025

Livyn floors are better at resisting noise transmission. When you drop a dish, the noise does not echo as much as it can on a Quick-Step laminate floor. Whether it is the noise of high heels or falling objects, Livyn floors can handle them quietly.

Quick-Step Vinyl Vs Quick-Step Laminate Styles & Effects

Quick-Step laminate and Quick-Step Livyn both feature incredible aesthetics. They come with a hyper-realistic design, making them difficult to tell apart from the real thing. You can choose from hundreds of different designs, ensuring there is always something to suit your home’s interior.

Product: Quick-Step Livyn Ambient Click Grey Slate AMCL40034

there are a lot more stone effect floors in the Quick-Step Livyn vinyl collections however, there are still stone effect laminates available such as the Muse collection.

Comparison Table

Conclusion

In terms of style and quality, both Quick-Step vinyl and Quick-Step laminate floors can look incredible in the home. They are each constructed to an impeccable standard, and both come with a fast and easy click installation system. Which one is right for you will ultimately come down to your own personal preference.

Product: Quick-Step Impressive Classic Oak Natural IM1848 Laminate Flooring

To learn more about the differences between Quick-Step vinyl and Quick-Step laminate, contact our knowledgeable and friendly flooring expert.

Further Browsing

You can shop online for Quick-Step Livyn here.
You can shop online for Quick-Step laminate flooring here.