Flooring is one of the most visible — and most argued-over — decisions in any remodeling project. Walk into any showroom and the options are overwhelming. But for most Long Island homeowners doing a kitchen, bathroom, living room, or basement renovation, the real choice comes down to three categories: luxury vinyl plank, hardwood, and tile. Each has a legitimate place. Here is an honest comparison.
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)
Luxury vinyl plank has changed dramatically in the past decade. The products available today are a far cry from the sheet vinyl of the 1980s. Quality LVP is thick, rigid or semi-rigid, realistically textured to mimic wood or stone, and genuinely comfortable underfoot. It has become the most popular flooring choice we install across Long Island homes, and for good reason.
Cost
Material costs for quality LVP typically run $3 to $7 per square foot. Installed, expect $5 to $10 per square foot depending on the product, room complexity, and subfloor condition. This makes it meaningfully less expensive than hardwood in most cases.
Durability
LVP is highly durable against everyday wear. The wear layer on a quality product resists scratches from pets and furniture better than most hardwood species. It will not dent or ding the way softer woods do.
Moisture Resistance
This is LVP's biggest advantage. Quality luxury vinyl plank is 100% waterproof. Spills, humidity, and even minor flooding cause no damage to the material itself. This makes it the right call for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, mudrooms, and basements — anywhere moisture is a realistic concern, which on Long Island is most of the house for much of the year.
Comfort
LVP is warmer and softer underfoot than tile, though not quite as warm as carpet. Thicker products with attached underlayment are noticeably more comfortable to stand on for long periods.
Best Rooms
Basements, kitchens, bathrooms, mudrooms, laundry rooms, and any room where moisture or heavy use is a concern. Also an excellent choice for open-concept first floors where you want a consistent look throughout.
Hardwood Flooring
Real hardwood flooring has a warmth and authenticity that no manufactured product fully replicates. It adds genuine character to a home and has decades of proven resale value. It is also demanding — requiring the right installation conditions, careful maintenance, and protection from moisture.
Cost
Solid hardwood material runs roughly $6 to $14 per square foot depending on species and grade. Engineered hardwood — real wood veneer over a plywood core — runs $5 to $12. Installed costs typically land between $10 and $20 per square foot when you factor in labor, subfloor prep, and finish. Exotic species like Brazilian cherry or white oak with custom staining push costs higher.
Durability
Solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished multiple times, which means a well-maintained floor can last 50 to 100 years. Engineered hardwood can typically be refinished once or twice. Hardness varies significantly by species — harder species like hickory and white oak hold up better than softer ones like pine.
Moisture Resistance
This is hardwood's significant limitation. Solid hardwood expands and contracts with humidity changes, making it a poor choice for below-grade spaces, bathrooms, or kitchens where spills and moisture are frequent. Even engineered hardwood has limits — it handles humidity better than solid but is not waterproof. Long Island's humid summers and the tendency of basements to hold moisture rule out hardwood for those spaces entirely.
Comfort
Hardwood is comfortable underfoot and acoustically pleasant — it does not sound hollow the way some LVP products can. With area rugs, it handles cold winters well in living areas.
Best Rooms
Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and hallways on above-grade floors. Not appropriate for bathrooms, basements, or laundry rooms.
Tile Flooring
Ceramic and porcelain tile have been a standard choice for bathrooms and kitchens for good reason — they are essentially impervious to water, easy to clean, and extremely durable when properly installed. The tradeoffs are cost, comfort, and the permanence of the installation.
Cost
Basic ceramic tile materials start around $2 to $4 per square foot, but quality porcelain and larger-format tiles commonly run $5 to $15 per square foot. Tile installation is labor-intensive — expect $8 to $20 per square foot installed when you account for tile, substrate, mortar, grout, and the skill involved. Large-format tiles, intricate patterns, and heated floor systems increase costs further.
Durability
Properly installed tile is extremely durable and will not scratch, stain, or wear through the way wood products do. Porcelain is harder and more dense than ceramic and stands up to heavy traffic better. The vulnerable point is grout — unsealed grout absorbs stains and can crack over time.
Moisture Resistance
Tile is the right choice for wet areas, period. Bathrooms, shower floors, shower walls, around tubs — tile is the standard because it handles constant moisture without any concern. Even in kitchens and mudrooms, tile holds up against spills and tracked-in water without issue.
Comfort
Tile is hard and cold underfoot — the significant trade-off. In-floor radiant heat addresses the cold issue beautifully and is increasingly popular in Long Island bathroom renovations. Without heat, tile floors are uncomfortable to stand on for extended periods, which is worth thinking about for kitchens.
Best Rooms
Bathrooms (floor and walls), showers, entryways, mudrooms, and kitchens. Excellent with radiant heat. Not recommended for bedrooms or living areas where comfort and warmth matter more.
Putting It Together
There is no universally right answer, but there is usually a clearly right answer for each room and each homeowner's priorities. Our general guidance: use tile where moisture control is non-negotiable, hardwood where authenticity and longevity matter most in dry above-grade rooms, and LVP everywhere else — especially in basements, kitchens, and open-plan spaces where you want performance and a unified look without the cost or moisture risk of hardwood.
When you are ready to talk through flooring options for your specific project, we are happy to walk you through what works in your home and show you samples. We have been finishing Long Island homes for more than 40 years and can give you a straight answer on what will hold up and what is worth the investment. Contact us online or call or text us at 631-741-0199 to set up a free written estimate.
