Luxury vinyl tile flooring emulates high-end materials like hardwood and stone.

It's an ideal flooring material for laundry rooms, walk-in pantries, utility rooms, wine cellars and more.

Luxury Vinyl Tile, or LVT, is quickly becoming a popular alternative to hardwood flooring and tile. Often confused with laminate flooring, LVT is a superior product, offering more durability and a more realistic look. For high-traffic areas or rooms where water on the floor is a consideration, LVT even has some benefits over natural materials.

What is Luxury Vinyl Tile?

Homeowners are opting for Luxury Vinyl Tile not only for the durability and authentic look, but also for the wide range shapes, styles and sizes available.

Originally called "hot pressed tile, Luxury Vinyl Tile is made by fusing several layers together under high heat and pressure. These layers include a vinyl backing, vinyl core, a printed layer with a design of your choosing, and a protective layer that ensures the long-lasting look of the design. The type of protective layer and its thickness will determine the quality and overall durability of the tile.

Benefits of Luxury Vinyl Tile

Walk In Shower Bathroom Remodeling Madison WI.jpg — This remodeled bathroom integrates a LVT bathroom floor with ceramic tile shower walls.

Luxury Vinyl Tile offers homeowners the beauty of natural flooring products, with realistic looking textures and colors that not only have the look, but the feel of the real thing. For homeowners that want sophisticated and complicated patterns, like parquet or diagonal designs, LVT is an easier way to achieve that look.

LVT also offers a level of durability beyond natural materials. For high traffic areas, there is less wear than you'd find on a natural hardwood floor. For a mudroom or entryway, LVT makes for easier clean-up and is more resistant to damage. Bathrooms, kitchens and workrooms also benefit from waterproof LVT flooring.

Some homeowners even report that LVT is warmer under foot than tile or hardwood, providing extra warmth for those who live in colder climates. LVT is also compatible with underfloor heating systems, for an added touch of luxury.

Differences from Laminate

LVT is commonly mistaken for cheap laminate flooring that's earned a reputation for a lack of durability. While they might look similar on the showroom floor, laminate flooring is made with a composite wood core, whereas LVT has a more durable vinyl core that's waterproof and resistant to warping and buckling over time.

Beyond the durability and quality, LVT offers more options for achieving a high-quality, natural look and feel in your home that will last for years.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 2/14/2018.

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About Degnan Design Build Remodel
Since 1981 Degnan Design Build Remodel has provided home improvement and construction services to customers throughout Greater Madison, Wisconsin. Our goal is to WOW you with a "Designed For Your Life" solution using a process that will transform your home into a beautiful living space, delivered on time, and on budget. We are known for our communication, respectfulness, and a commitment to our customers and our community. Contact us to speak with one of our designers about your home improvement project.

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.