Hardwood Floors or Vinyl Wood Plank flooring - What are the differences?

What is better hardwood flooring or vinyl planks that look like wood? With the recent upswing in the popularity of vinyl planks, it's a question that is frequently asked. Reviews of the newer luxury vinyl plank and tile floors have been very positive and it's an option may are now considering. There are some distinct advantages that both hardwood flooring and vinyl wood plank floors have over each other. Let's take a look at the 2 choices and their differences.

1. The Look of the floor - It's hard to beat the real thing! Hardwood is a natural floor. There are no patterns and the wood planks each have their own unique character. Hardwood boards can take the color of the stain applied ever so slightly different than one another. These natural variations create a great look that just can't be simulated with vinyl. However, the luxury vinyl products being manufactured today are light years ahead of the vinyl that was used in your Grandmother's kitchen! With new technology like registered embossing, not only can you see the wood grain look in vinyl planks, you can also feel the grain. It's actually pretty amazing. You will be very surprised when you see a luxury vinyl plank floor down. I have had many instances where a customer was standing on a Karndean vinyl plank floor (Karndean is a high quality vinyl tile and plank manufacturer that we sell at Beckler's Carpet in Dalton, Ga) and actually thought it was real hardwood. In most cases, you may be fooled!


2. Durability - I can go on and on about this. Hardwood may last almost forever, but vinyl, wood looking planks will hold up better for cleaning, stain resistance, mold resistance, scratches, scuffs, and will need no refinishing. Luxury vinyl planks win this category hands down.


3. Cost - You will be surprised that there is not much of a price difference. You can get hardwood closeout deals under $2.00 a foot if you look hard enough. Vinyl plank wood like floors start around $1.50 per foot. The better quality planks begin in the $2 per foot range similar to hardwood pricing. Installation cost vary dramatically across the country. Vinyl planks in some areas cost slightly less to install but not enough to make a significant difference between the two.


4. Adding value to your home - Hardwood floors (as well as other natural floors like ceramic, stone, marble, etc) will add value to your home if you ever try to sell it. Vinyl planks will not. Luxury vinyl is not nearly the drawback that traditional vinyl is but in the minds of consumers it's still not the real thing.


5. Water issues in kitchens, bathrooms, basements etc. - There is no comparison. Vinyl planks will win this argument 100% of the time. Hardwood floors, even engineered hardwood hate moisture, water leaks spills etc. Luxury vinyl wood planks are not affected by water. The absolute worst case with vinyl plank flooring is the planks adhesive is compromised and the planks have to be installed. With hardwood flooring, if you have a dishwasher leak the entire floor or most of it will have to be replaced.


6. Large pets - Again, vinyl planks are the winner. Luxury vinyl holds up much better than hardwood with scratches, dents, pet accidents (do not stain or absorb the odor), or ever have to be refinished.


7. Sound - OK, this is a weird one but some consumers like the sound of walking on hardwood. Luxury vinyl cannot simulate the same sound as walking on a 3/4" solid oak floor.


8. Warmth to the feet - This is another odd difference some customers mention. A hardwood floor can seem "cold" to bare feet or feet with socks (some say this about ceramic as well). Vinyl will hold warmth better on the surface and will have a much warmer feel, especially on those cold mornings when you get out of bed!

As you can see, it is not clear cut which is the better floor. When comparing hardwood floors to vinyl wood plank flooring, you have to consider what the most important features are that you are looking for and need.

Whether you decide on hardwood or vinyl planks, please give us a call at BecklersCarpet.com, 1-800-232-5537. We carry all major brands of wood flooring including Bruce, Anderson, BR-111, Shaw, Mohawk, Robbins and many others. Beckler's also sell virtually every major brand of luxury vinyl plank including, Nafco, Karndean, Konecto, and Mannington. You can view all of our luxury vinyl plank and tile products on BecklersCarpet.com.

We are based in Dalton, Ga just an hour North of Atlanta, 30 minutes South of Chattanooga, and within 2 hours of Birmingham, Huntsville, Knoxville and Nashville. We will also gladly send you a sample directly to your doorstep of any product we carry. Just give us a call. 1-800-232-5537. We look forward to hearing from you!

Earthwerks Vinyl Plank - A Great Looking Floor!

Earthwerks is a manufacturer of Hardwood, Laminate, and Luxury Vinyl planks and Tile. All of Earthworks products are designed around the natural look to create a beautiful look for your home or room.

BecklersCarpet.com features Earthwerks Luxury Vinyl Planks as a great choice for for those wanting the look of real wood, desire a high performance floor but without the maintenance and worries about scratches that come with hardwood flooring. If you have pets or children, luxury vinyl planks are an awesome option that you should consider!

Earthwerks offers several lines of luxury vinyl planks. Pacific Plank is an amazing value for an entry level vinyl plank. With a light commercial rating, it will hold up well for any residential traffic. Pacific plank also creates a wonderful floor with the look of real hardwood. Don't confuse this with the peel and stick variety that you see at the home improvement centers! This floor will last a long time and will stay down when installed properly. For more information on Earthwerks vinyl plank or tile, please call us at BecklersCarpet.com, 1-800-232-5537.

BecklersCarpet.com also features Karndean Luxury Vinyl, Nafco, and many other major brands of this exciting new flooring option. BecklersCarpet.com will also be glad to send out FREE samples on any of these products, just let us know!

Of course, we also carry a wide variety of hardwood flooring if you're looking for the real thing! Give us a call at 1-800-626-6936 for any flooring projects you have. We look forward to hearing from you!

Chattanooga Hardwood Flooring

Looking for a Hardwood Flooring Store in Chattanooga? Have you thought about looking just 25 minutes South in Dalton, GA?

You may be looking for traditional Prefinished Oak hardwood flooring, or even an exotic species such as Brazilian Cherry, Mahogany, Kempas, Tigerwood, Bamboo, Maple, or Asian Walnut (Acacia). Dalton is a great place to consider shopping for your next wood floor!

BecklersCarpet.com carries both traditional and Exotics. In fact, we even offer some of the latest and hottest species for less than you can find anywhere on the web or the entire country, let alone Chattanooga! Where else can you find Asian Walnut for $4.29/sqft?

BecklersCarpet.com in Dalton GA is very easy and quick to get to from Chattanooga. Just take I-75 South to exit 328 (the exit just past the Walnut Avenue exit). At the top of the exit ramp, take a right. Just look to your right and there we are! You can also call us @ 1-800-232-5537 for directions or if you would like for us to send you a free sample of something you see on our website (Hardwood Flooring, carpet, Laminate, Luxury Vinyl Plank, Etc).

We are open Monday through Friday until 6pm and now on Saturdays 9am until 4pm. It is worth the drive or a phone call!

We hope to see you soon. Please give us a chance to earn your business. We've been a Dalton Flooring Wholesaler since 1949 and know how to save you money and give world class service! Whether you're from Chattanooga or Chicago, call us and let us help you on your next project, 1-800-232-5537. See you soon!

Asian Walnut Hardwood Flooring

Our great news just keeps coming! We have been evaluating an Asian Walnut Hardwood Flooring line and our proud to announce it's a new addition to our extensive exotic hardwood floor offering! This hardwood product is one of the most beautiful species I have personally ever seen. This is a floor that you would be not only excited about having for the beauty but it will also be a conversation piece when guests visit your home! (By the way, the picture does NOT do this flooring justice! If you're interested in this be sure to call us at BecklersCarpet.com and ask us to send you a FREE sample, 1-800-626-6936) This is a 1st quality, SELECT grade floor with a 25 year finish warranty (compare that to any other hardwood warranty and you'll understand why I mention it). The boards are 3/4" thick, and 3 & 5/8" wide. This product is a nail down install. We are selling this amazing floor for just $4.29/per foot! The closest priced competitor I could find on this sells at $4.69. This is an awesome product and even better value! If you have a high end home or want your home to look high end this is the real deal.


Asian Walnut Hardwood come from Asia and is a relative newcomer to the American market. It is provides a very rich and smooth grain and is extremely unique and classy looking. It's hardness rates around 2400 on the Janka scale so it has a hardness similar to our Brazilian Cherry and is slightly harder than Tigerwood. The Asian Walnut tree does not grow very tall so typical boards run no longer than 4 feet which is another feature that gives this hardwood species a very comfortable look.


Our Asian Walnut Hardwood floor is available in a natural (pictured above),cinnamon and also a toffee stain. You do not have to buy an entire pallet to get the $4.29/per sq foot price. Furthermore, we do not charge hidden fees like a "less than pallet up charge" or pallet break fee like some others. It's simply the price per foot using standard cartons and shipping (we ship all over the country). However, if you live in Atlanta, Chattanooga, Huntsville, Birmingham, Knoxville or Nashville and want to pick up your hardwood flooring, that's great too. It's just a short drive to Dalton, GA from those cities. We encourage you to call us, 1-800-232-5537 for samples, directions, a formal quote including shipping or more information.

Please keep us in mind for all of your floorcovering needs including Carpet, Hardwood, Laminate, Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile Flooring, Traditional Vinyl, Carpet Tiles, Ceramic Tile, Area Rugs, and Kids Classroom rugs!