Tile vs. Luxury Vinyl: Which Is Better for Your OKC Home?
· 7 min read · By Floors To You OKC
For kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and entryways, most Oklahoma City homeowners end up choosing between tile and luxury vinyl. Both handle water, both come in convincing wood and stone looks, and both are tough. They are very different floors to live on, though, and to install. Here is how they compare.
Water
Both are good in wet rooms. Porcelain tile itself does not absorb water, and the grout between tiles is sealed to resist stains and moisture. Grout does need to be resealed every few years to keep it that way. Our guide to tile and grout care covers how.
Luxury vinyl planks are waterproof, but the seams between planks are where water can get through to the subfloor. Glue-down luxury vinyl is bonded to the subfloor, which is why we often recommend it for bathrooms and laundry rooms. Click-lock vinyl plank handles everyday spills well when they are wiped up. Our post on what "waterproof" really means explains the difference.
For a shower floor or a shower wall, tile is the only option of the two.
How they feel underfoot
This is the biggest everyday difference. Tile is hard and cold. It feels good in a hot Oklahoma summer and chilly on a January morning, and anything dropped on it, from a glass to a phone, is more likely to break. Standing on tile for a long time, such as at a kitchen counter, is harder on the feet.
Luxury vinyl is softer and warmer underfoot, and quieter to walk on. That is a big part of why it has become so popular for kitchens and whole main floors. Both can be installed over radiant floor heating if you want a warm floor.
Durability
Porcelain tile is one of the hardest-wearing floors there is. It does not scratch from pet claws or furniture and it does not fade. Its weak points are the grout lines, which can stain if they are not sealed, and cracking, which can happen if something heavy is dropped on it or if the slab underneath moves.
Luxury vinyl does not crack, and it is forgiving of dropped items. Its surface is protected by a wear layer, and a thicker wear layer stands up better to pets, kids and furniture. It can be scratched or dented by heavy furniture without pads or by something sharp being dragged across it. Our guide to comparing luxury vinyl products explains what to look for.
Oklahoma slabs and clay soil
Many OKC homes sit on a slab over clay soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry. A small amount of slab movement is normal. Tile is rigid and bonded to the slab, so if the slab cracks, the tile above it can crack too. Proper prep and the right setting materials reduce that risk, but they cannot rule it out.
Floating vinyl is not bonded to the slab, so it handles small movements better. If your home has a history of slab cracks, it is worth raising at the estimate. Our post on Oklahoma clay soil and your floors covers this in more detail.
Installation time and mess
Tile takes longer. The subfloor has to be flat, often with a self-leveling underlayment, each tile is set in thinset, and the grout needs time to cure. A typical bathroom takes two to three days, and a large kitchen takes longer. Removing old tile is also loud and dusty.
Click-lock vinyl is much quicker. A typical home is one to two days, and it can often float right over existing tile that is flat and sound, which saves the tear-out. You can walk on it as soon as it is down. Glue-down vinyl needs a flat, prepared subfloor, but it still goes in faster than tile.
Repairs
A cracked tile can be cut out and replaced, as long as you have a matching tile. Keep a few spare tiles from the job in the garage, because the same tile can be hard to find years later.
Damaged vinyl planks can also be replaced. Glue-down planks can be replaced one at a time. With click-lock planks, a plank in the middle of the room may mean taking up the planks between it and the nearest wall. Keeping a box of spare planks is just as useful.
Cost
The two can overlap on material price, since both come at a wide range of prices. Tile usually costs more to install, because the prep, setting and grouting take more labor and more days. Vinyl going over an existing floor can also save the cost of tear-out. We don't quote prices without seeing the room, because subfloor condition and layout change the total. Our guide to what affects installation cost covers what moves the number.
Which to choose, room by room
There is no single winner, so here is how the choice usually plays out.
- ✓Showers, tub surrounds and wet bathroom floors: tile
- ✓Sunrooms with heavy sun and temperature swings: tile, or a vinyl rated for it
- ✓Kitchens where you stand a lot: luxury vinyl is easier on the feet, tile if you want the most scratch-resistant surface
- ✓Laundry rooms and half baths: glue-down luxury vinyl or tile
- ✓Whole main floors and open floor plans: luxury vinyl for speed, comfort and one continuous look
- ✓Homes with a history of slab cracks: luxury vinyl is the more forgiving choice
- ✓Quick updates over an existing tile floor: click-lock luxury vinyl
See both in your own room
Tile and vinyl look closer than ever in photos, but they feel different in person. Book a free in-home estimate and we will bring tile and vinyl samples to your home, check the slab, and give you an itemized quote for each option so you can compare them side by side. We price-match the same or similar material, and our crew moves the furniture out and back.
