Flooring Products
Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring & Room Use in Salt Lake City

Luxury vinyl plank has become one of the most practical flooring options for Utah homes, but there is a big difference between simply buying vinyl plank and choosing an LVP product that actually fits the room. Trademark Flooring helps homeowners compare construction, wear layers, texture, plank size, water resistance, and installation requirements before making that decision.

Start With the Room, Then Choose the Floor

The best LVP for a basement may not be the same product we recommend for an open main floor. Traffic, pets, moisture, subfloor conditions, and the finishes around the room all matter.

The Right LVP Is About More Than the Visual Pattern

Core & Construction

Plank thickness, core construction, locking system, and attached backing all affect how the floor feels and performs.

Subfloor

A floating floor still needs a flat, stable foundation. What is underneath the LVP matters.

Visual Realism

Visual Pattern, plank size, embossing, bevels, and pattern repeat determine how convincing the finished floor looks.

Room Use

Pets, kids, moisture, traffic, sunlight, and maintenance expectations should influence which product you buy.

Not All LVP Is Built the Same.

The Difference Is in the Construction, the Visuals, and Where You Use It

Walk through almost any flooring showroom and you will find LVP at wildly different price points. Some of that difference is branding, but a lot of it comes down to how the plank is actually constructed. Core stability, surface protection, texture, locking system, plank size, attached backing, and print quality can all change how the flooring looks and behaves once an entire room is installed.

Solid Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

Rigid-core LVP is one of the most common choices for residential flooring because it combines wood-look visuals with a more stable plank construction. For busy Utah homes, that can make it a practical option in spaces where homeowners want durability without moving to genuine hardwood.

✓ Stable plank construction
✓ Strong option for high-traffic living spaces
✓ Wide range of plank widths and wood visuals
✓ Many products include attached backing
✓ Easier everyday maintenance than real hardwood

Engineered Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

The biggest difference between inexpensive vinyl and a more convincing LVP floor is often visible after you install a whole room, not when you look at one sample. Better products tend to pay more attention to realistic surface embossing, natural plank-to-plank variation, less obvious pattern repetition, defined edge bevels, wider and longer plank formats, and more believable wood tones.

✓ Realistic surface embossing
✓ Natural plank-to-plank variation
✓ Less obvious pattern repetition
✓ Defined edge bevels
✓ Wider and longer plank formats

Layout Can Make LVP Look Much More Custom

Luxury vinyl does not have to mean rows of identical straight planks running through the house. Depending on the product, room, and manufacturer requirements, LVP can support more intentional layouts and transitions.

✓ Herringbone-style layouts
✓ Pattern-capable LVP collections
✓ Planned plank direction through connected spaces
✓ Cleaner transitions between rooms
✓ Layout planning around hallways and major sight lines

What Separates Better LVP From the Rest

Wear Layer

The wear layer protects the printed design underneath it. It is one specification worth comparing when the floor will see pets, kids, furniture movement, and heavy traffic.

Core & Thickness

The internal construction affects stability, locking strength, sound, and how the plank behaves after installation.

Visual Pattern

Do not judge LVP from one plank. Look at print quality, color variation, and how frequently the same grain pattern repeats.

Embossing & Bevels

Embossing creates surface texture while edge bevels help visually separate individual planks. Together, they can make a wood-look floor feel considerably more convincing.

Attached Pad

Some LVP includes an attached backing designed to affect sound and comfort. That does not mean more underlayment should automatically be added. Installation requirements depend on the specific product and subfloor.

Strong LVP Candidates

✓ Basements
✓ Kitchens
✓ Dining areas
✓ Family rooms
✓ Hallways
✓ Mudrooms
✓ Laundry areas
✓ Homes with kids
✓ Homes with pets
✓ Rental properties

What We Still Check First

× Severely uneven or damaged subfloors
× Active moisture coming through a slab
× Existing floors that are not suitable to cover
× Areas exposed to flooding or water below the finished floor
× Projects where real LVP is the better long-term fit

Room Use Matters Just as Much as the Plank

A Floating Floor Still Needs a Flat, Well-Prepared Surface

1

Subfloor Condition

High spots, low spots, movement, damage, and debris underneath the floor can cause noise, joint stress, movement, and an uneven finished surface.

2

Moisture Conditions

LVP handles surface water differently than hardwood, but that does not make moisture coming through a concrete slab irrelevant. The conditions underneath the flooring still need to be understood.

3

Layout & Direction

Plank direction changes how the room feels. We consider hallways, exterior light, stairs, connected rooms, focal points, and where the flooring starts and stops before installation begins.

4

Transitions

Transitions between LVP and carpet, hardwood, tile, or another existing floor should be planned around both appearance and finished floor height.

5

Trim & Finish Details

Door jambs, baseboards, quarter round, stairs, vents, and other finishing details are usually what separate a clean installation from one that looks unfinished.

6

Room Use Method

Many residential LVP products use a floating click-lock system, while other products may be designed for glue-down installation. We follow the flooring manufacturer’s requirements and what makes sense for the actual project.

See It. Feel It. Love It.

Visit Our West Jordan Showroom or We’ll Bring the Samples to You

LVP is difficult to judge from an online product photo. One small digital swatch does not tell you how often the pattern repeats, how deep the texture feels, whether the bevel looks believable, or how the color changes next to your cabinets. Compare real samples in our West Jordan showroom or have us bring selected options directly to your home.

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring FAQ
Many modern LVP products are marketed as waterproof because the plank itself does not absorb water the way hardwood can. That does not mean the entire installed floor assembly is flood-proof. Water can still travel underneath flooring and affect the subfloor, walls, trim, or other building materials. The product warranty and manufacturer requirements should always be considered.
It depends on the product. Wear layer, core construction, finish, locking system, installation, and the amount of traffic all matter. Rather than assuming all LVP performs the same, we recommend comparing products based on how the room will actually be used.
Better LVP can look surprisingly realistic. Texture, embossing, edge bevels, color variation, plank size, and reduced pattern repetition make the biggest difference. It still does not become genuine wood, which is why we encourage homeowners deciding between LVP and hardwood to compare both in person.
It is often a very practical option. LVP is relatively easy to clean, and many products have durable wear surfaces suited to active households. That does not mean it is impossible to scratch. Pet size, nails, product quality, and normal household use all matter.
Often, yes. LVP is one of the flooring categories we commonly consider for basements because of its moisture-resistant construction. Concrete conditions, flatness, active moisture issues, and the product’s installation requirements should still be checked first.
Sometimes. The existing surface generally needs to be flat, secure, clean, and appropriate for the new installation. Door clearance, appliance height, transitions, and the overall finished floor height also need to be considered.
LVP uses a vinyl-based construction. Laminate generally uses a dense wood-fiber core with a printed visual layer and protective surface. Both can create realistic wood visuals, but LVP tends to have the advantage where moisture exposure is a major concern. Laminate can be a strong option where scratch resistance, feel, visual quality, and value are higher priorities.
Engineered hardwood uses a genuine wood surface. LVP uses a printed wood visual over a vinyl-based construction. If you want real wood and the possibility of future refinishing, engineered hardwood deserves consideration. If moisture resistance and easier maintenance are higher priorities, LVP may be the more practical choice.
There is no useful universal number. Product quality, square footage, removal, subfloor preparation, stairs, transitions, trim, room layout, and installation method can all change the project. Trademark Flooring offers free estimates so we can measure the project and price the actual flooring you are considering.