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Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum Tile

Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum Tile with Comparison Tables

by Dylan Johnson

Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum Tile – In the world of flooring, vinyl and linoleum are categorized into resilient flooring materials but they come from the different types with their own characteristics.

Now we are here to let you learn the key differences of vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile to avoid their interchangeable name because of the similarities.

Let’s read the full review we are going share here so that we can compare all of the characteristics of both vinyl flooring and linoleum tile.

Finally you will be able to decide which type of these resilient flooring will be the best option for you.

The Major Differences Of Linoleum Vs Vinyl

The first original resilient flooring material is Linoleum. It was patented over 150 years ago.

Linoleum was noticed to have a linseed-based paint developed into the solid and tough flooring yet it came with the flexible film floating on the top of paint.

Based on the conducted experiment, linoleum materials can be combined with the other flooring materials to create a new flooring material with the high durability and building adaptation.

It was expected that the new flooring material will the ideal material for flooring. Nowadays, Linoleum is constructed from the mix of linseed oil extracted from the flax seeds.

It can also be mixed with the other recyclable and natural materials like the cork dust, rosin and wood flour.

They are all pressed into the sheets as one of the flooring materials. This is the natural materials that lead to the key difference between linoleum and vinyl flooring.

According to our finding on vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile review, linoleum was the flooring material that was widely chosen since 1800s. It even became the choice in 1950s.

Though linoleum doesn’t have a printed design layer, it adds such a unique wear characteristics.

On the contrary, vinyl flooring material was discovered in the 1920s and constructed from a synthetic material mixed with mostly PVC.

In 160s, vinyl flooring had replaced the use of linoleum flooring due to its affordable price.

Vinyl uses PVC vinyl core over the fiberglass backing along with the tough surface layer to provide enough protection to a photographic design layer.

In fact, vinyl flooring is constructed from many different kinds of toxic chemicals. Some modern consumers take a serious concern about it since it is not environmental friendly.

For more flexibility, vinyl flooring is added by various phthalate plasticizers. The chemicals used in vinyl manufacturing is called carcinogens.

Furthermore, vinyl flooring also use the large amount of petroleum in the manufacturing process. This requires lots of energy. In short, vinyl flooring is virtually difficult to discard.

These discussions are the environmental considerations lead the green-minded consumers to alternatively shift to linoleum.

Though, linoleum get old-fashioned, it is produced again with the trendy style and modern design.

Now let’s take a quick read at the following chart to have a simple and fast understanding about vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile.

Vinyl FlooringLinoleum
Cost$1 – $10 per square foot for tiles and $7 – $45 per square foot for sheets$23 – $50 per square yards for sheets and $4 – $10 per square foot for tiles
Environmental impactNon-recyclable, uses toxic chemicalsRecyclable, uses all natural
Format floorsTiles and sheetsTongue-and-groove tiles and sheets
Installation techniqueGlue-down for sheets and pee-and-stick for tilesTrowel-on-adhesive
Care and cleaningEasy to cleanEasy to clean, need occasional sealing
Water resistenceCompletely waterproofWater resistant yet needs sealing
DurabilityLast for 10 yearsLast for 40 years

Appearance of Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum

Appearance is the first thing of a flooring that most people try to look at when they visit a home improvement store.

In this regards, vinyl flooring offers an unlimited options of colors, images and patterns.

It is due to the fact that vinyl is basically designed with the printed design layer beneath the clear surface of wear layer.

Thus, the vinyl flooring materials appear to be the most vibrant and realistic on their effects.

The weakness of this technology lays on the vinyl strength that depends on the wear layer strength on its design. They can finally wear overtime.

Furthermore, when the vinyl material has worn within the PVC core layer, the flooring will tend to have shabby worn spots.

On the contrary, linoleum is a solid and colorfast material. Its color and pattern are not only printed on its surface but also dimensionally exist in the whole thickness of the material.

Thus, there is only a limited number of design options available for linoleum. In fact, it also makes the flooring wear without fading.

Luckily, the colors and patterns of this linoleum will remain the same since the day it was installed.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for appearance?

The answer is vinyl.

This is due to the main reason than vinyl has more design varieties to offer than linoleum.

Read Also: Baroque Vinyl Plank Flooring Review

Water and Heat Resistance

Today, most of the modern vinyl flooring is virtually resistant to water, allowing you to install it on wet environments such as laundry room, basement and other below-grade home areas.

Meanwhile, the old version of vinyl flooring uses felt as the backing layer, making it more prone to water damage.

Nowadays, the newer types of vinyl are manufactured along with the additional immunity to mold and water damage.

In this case, sheet vinyl proves to be water resistant than the vinyl because of the fewer seams added to allow the water to pass through the underlayment.

According to our vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile review, linoleum is claimed to be water resistant.

However, it is not waterproof. It can still be prone to damage caused by the moisture.

If you have installed this flooring in your space, sealing is necessary to protect the flooring from the liquid penetration.

Furthermore, installing linoleum can be restricted by the excessive moisture and humidity, causing the individual tiles curling.

In regards to heat resistance, linoleum is better than the vinyl. Both vinyl and linoleum will melt because of the hot skillets and curling irons.

However, vinyl burns directly and emit the toxic smoke in a house fire while the linoleum does not.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for water and heat resistance?

The answer is vinyl flooring.

Basically, vinyl flooring is more resistant to water than the linoleum. To keep the linoleum well, you must also seal it periodically. However, linoleum is more resistant to heat than the vinyl.

Care and Cleaning

Care and cleaning are dealing much with the way to maintain the floors.

In this regards, vinyl flooring is considered has the easiest way of maintenance.

Sweeping and vacuuming as well as mopping using the detergents would be the regular way to keep the floors well without causing the floor discoloration.

Further, vinyl is also resistant to moisture, mold and mildew. So you can simply wipe the floor as soon as you notice the spills.

Like vinyl, linoleum is also easy to clean. Periodic sweeping and vacuuming is the best way to clean the floors from the dust, dirt and other debris. Once you notice the stains, you can just use rag and mild detergent.

In this case, the linoleum manufacturers often offers the certain types of cleaning products since the unsuitable detergents can actually damage the floors surface.

So which flooring type will be suitable for care and cleaning?

The answer is tie as both linoleum and vinyl presents the easy maintenance in the same way.

Durability and Maintenance

More or less, flooring durability deals with the way the flooring is constructed.

Due to the fact that vinyl flooring is formed by the design layer over a solid PVC layer, it can potentially wear.

Today, the modern vinyl version comes with the strong protective wear layer, requiring no wax or sealing.

On the other hand, linoleum flooring is constructed from the solid material which makes it durable enough.

However, you need periodically seal it to keep it more resistant to stains and moisture.

Linoleum is designed to be softer than the vinyl but it can easily scratch and gouge.

You may not notice the small damage on linoleum floor since it has no core layer.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for durability and maintenance?

The answer is tie.

Linoleum comes with the more durable material but vinyl presents the easier way of maintenance since it needs no sealing.

Installation of Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum

Installation is the next thing to discuss in our vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile review.

In fact, either vinyl or vinyl flooring need a very soft and flat underlayment.

It is because both of them are thin and coming with the flexible materials that allows the flaws in the underlayment go through the surface.

For installation, vinyl flooring uses glue-down application. Due to the difficult way to cutting the large sheets, vinyl flooring is not suitable for DIY installation.

Thanks to the affordable installation cost that lead people to hire professionals in installing the vinyl.

On the contrary, vinyl tiles are easier to install. Thus, vinyl tiles become the favorite flooring type among DIYers.

Truly, vinyl tiles is installable using the full glue-down bond.

Luckily, most home improvement stores offers the vinyl with peel-and-stick at which the adhesive is already applied to the vinyl tiles.

Thus, you can simply peel the backing paper for the installation.

Similar to vinyl, linoleum flooring also uses glue-down application for its installation. However, it can be much more difficult if you choose sheet linoleum.

Some homeowners decide to hire professional in installing this kind of linoleum. It is always effortful to cut the large sheets, so you had better use the sharp linoleum knife.

Linoleum tiles is also easier to install, making it more suitable for DIYers to do the projects.

Click-and-lock method is also used to let the planks and tiles to float over the subfloor with no adhesive usage.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for installation?

The answer is vinyl flooring.

Vinyl flooring proves to be softer, making it easier to work on.

Cost of Vinyl Vs Linoleum

At the big box home improvement centers, sheet vinyl flooring costs $.50 to %1.50 per square foot while tiles are sold at $1.50 to $3 per square foot.

At some specialty flooring stores, there may be much higher price especially for the designer styles.

By comparison, linoleum flooring offers more expensive price than the vinyl. The cost of linoleum flooring can range from $2 to $2.50 per square foot for sheet vinyl. For vinyl tiles, the cost starts from $3.50 to $5 per square foot. Similar to vinyl, linoleum can cost higher for designer styles.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for cost?

The answer is vinyl flooring which is less expensive than the linoleum. For additional material, you can simply add as much as $3 per square foot particularly for professional installation.

Lifespan of Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum

Lifespan of a flooring product is also crucial to discuss in this vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile review.

In this concern, vinyl flooring which is much less expensive than the linoleum will be able to last for 10 to 15 years only. However, it can keep glossy as long as the top layers do not wear through.

On the other hand, linoleum can last longer up to 40 years. Unluckily, due to the overtime weathering, linoleum flooring will gradually become older and older.

Finally, you need to replace the old planks. In this case, some people like to use patina of an aging linoleum floors while some others do not.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for lifespan?

The answer is linoleum flooring.

This is due to the fact that linoleum performs better than the vinyl.

Sizes of Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum

If you are expecting to be able to cut the rolls as you need, vinyl sheet can be the right option.

Truly, vinyl sheet flooring is available in 6 to 12 foot rolls at which you can cut the length based on your needs. Meanwhile for vinyl tiles, you can purchase 9 to 10 inches.

Similarly, linoleum flooring is also available in 6 – 12 foot rolls. The size of linoleum planks are also same with the size of luxury planks which are 48 inches long and 4 to 6 inches wide.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for size?

The answer is tie.

Both vinyl and linoleum flooring do not come with the materials that suit the right size.

Resale Value of Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum

Vinyl flooring is best described to be an economy flooring material, making it invaluable for home. On the other hand, linoleum has a green and natural feature that offers a selling point.

Some buyers with environmental consciousness will tend to choose linoleum though this flooring may not offers more colors and patterns options like the vinyl does.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for resale value?

The answer is tie.

Both vinyl flooring and linoleum are regarded as economy flooring materials, making them less valuable for resale.

Comfort and Sound of Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum

Based on our finding on researching vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile, it is found that vinyl flooring is cold enough and hard underfoot apart from the fact that it is resilient. This is so when the vinyl is installed over the concrete subfloor.

In fact, vinyl creates no sound compared to the hard flooring materials such as ceramic or laminate.

By comparison, linoleum comes with the softer material, making it have more resilient underfoot.

So which of the flooring types will be the best for comfort and sound?

The answer is linoleum flooring due to the softer underfoot possessed.

Environmental Considerations

Basically, vinyl flooring is constructed along with the use of carcinogenic chemicals which are noted as toxics.

These chemicals will release when they are burnt, meaning that it is not safe for the environments.

Further, vinyl is not available for recycling it is removed. It will just stay in the landfills for decades.

Let’s now find the key difference of vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile. Truly, linoleum is made of plant-based linseed oil which is the primary ingredient in the manufacturing process. It can even be combined with the other natural materials.

You don’t have to replace the linoleum floor every 10 years since it can last for 40 years of life.

Moreover, when you want to remove the materials, it would never ruin the landfills since it can break down without endangering the environment.

So which of the flooring type will be the best for environmental considerations?

The Answer is linoleum flooring.

It is due to the fact that linoleum flooring is naturally manufactured while vinyl is processed with toxic.

Read Also: NovaCore Vinyl Plank Flooring Review

Top Brands of Vinyl Flooring Vs Linoleum

In our vinyl flooring vs linoleum tile review, it is stated that there are some major brands manufacturing vinyl as well as linoleum flooring. There are also some other manufactures that focuses on linoleum only.

Armstrong is one of the brands that is popular with the huge selection of both vinyl and other flooring.

It is a giant flooring company that provides the buyers with the selection of LinoArt line of Linoleum flooring.

The characteristics of the flooring products in Armstrong are solids, linear, flecked and marble-look.

The second top brand to consider is Tarkett (Johnsonite) which is focusing on providing linoleum flooring supply of the Tarkett manufacturer. Typically, it offers five kinds of different collections of linoleum flooring.

The last but not least top brand to consider is Forbo. Noticeably, Forbo is popular with its linoleum flooring products. It offers 300 options and even more.

DIY options are available along with the click-and-lock installation method for both linoleum planks and tiles.

Final Words

In short, both vinyl and linoleum flooring offer the same low-cost materials. They also similarly come with the easy-to-clean and water resistant feature.

Vinyl is beneficial in its unlimited variations while linoleum is more beneficial in its natural material which is safe for environment.