The type of vinyl flooring that mimics wood most effectively is luxury vinyl plank, or LVP. Luxury vinyl is generally high-quality and has good visual effects. But more important, the rectangular shape of the planks, and the seams they create, enhance the wood look because most real wood flooring also comes in planks or strips. Read on for suggestions for vinyl flooring options that look just like wood. Mannington’s Adura line has a Hickory LVP in beveled 5 x 48-inch planks. At 4mm thick, it’s one of the thinner LVPs around, but this also makes it one of the most cost-effective. It is a floating luxury vinyl floor with a 12-mil wear layer and medium gloss finish. In the $6.50 to $7.50 range, it is fairly durable at 5/32 inch thick. This is a medium-dark oak finish, with planks measuring 7.09 x 36.22 inches. This translates to planks that are short and wide, as far as planks go. These Mannington Adura planks are 4mm thick and measure 4 x 36 inches. They are designed for traditional glue-down installation. Yet, this chestnut floor from Armstrong is luxury vinyl flooring, in long-and-narrow plank-like 48 x 4.5 dimensions. As a floating floor, it does not need to be glued down. Because it comes with the medium-gloss sealed in, it never needs refinishing. Boards come in plank-like 48 x 6-inch dimensions, and it has a low gloss that makes it perfect for locations that get a lot of light. It is strongly recommended that you do not install solid wood, engineered wood, or even laminate in the bathroom, due to moisture. But most luxury vinyl flooring is fine for wet areas because it is vinyl (or at least synthetic material) all the way through.
