Hardwood vs engineered vs vinyl plank: which floor fits which room

Short answer: choose solid hardwood for main floors over a wood subfloor when you want a floor that can be sanded again and again. Choose engineered hardwood when you want real wood but need more stability, for example over concrete, over in-floor heat or in a home with big seasonal humidity swings. Choose vinyl plank (especially rigid-core SPC) for basements, kitchens, entries and anywhere water is a real risk.

Most Toronto homes end up using more than one. The trick is matching each floor to the room, not picking one winner for the whole house.

The three floors in one line each

• Solid hardwood is a single piece of wood, top to bottom, usually nailed to a plywood or plank subfloor.
• Engineered hardwood has a real wood top layer (the wear layer) bonded to a layered core that resists movement.
• Vinyl plank is a synthetic plank with a printed design and a protective top coat. Rigid-core versions (SPC) have a stiff stone-plastic core and usually click together.

Side-by-side comparison

Installed ranges below are publicly quoted Toronto figures seen in October 2026, all from one source (Renohouse) so they compare like with like. They are not our prices.

	Solid hardwood	Engineered hardwood	Vinyl plank (LVP / SPC)
Installed cost per sq ft	$10 to $18	$8 to $17	$5 to $11
Water resistance	Low: standing water stains and cups it	Low to moderate: better than solid, still wood on top	High: the plank itself tolerates water; seams and subfloor still matter
Can it be refinished?	Yes, many times	Yes, depending on wear layer thickness	No; worn planks are replaced
Sound underfoot	Solid, quiet when nailed down	Good; floating installs need underlay to avoid a hollow sound	Can sound clicky or thin without good underlay
Best rooms	Living, dining, bedrooms, hallways above grade	Same, plus condos, over concrete and over radiant heat	Basements, kitchens, entries, laundry, rentals
Lifespan	Decades, renewed by sanding	Long, limited by how many times the veneer can be sanded	Shorter; depends on the wear coat and traffic
Over concrete?	Generally no	Yes, floating or glue-down	Yes, floating

For a deeper breakdown of what moves these numbers, including removal, levelling and stairs, see the hardwood flooring cost guide.

Toronto humidity: the factor people underestimate

Toronto has humid summers and very dry indoor air in winter once the furnace runs. Wood takes on moisture in summer and gives it up in winter, so it swells and shrinks. That movement is the reason solid floors show thin gaps between boards in January and close up again by June.

Wood floors are happiest when indoor relative humidity stays between 30 and 50%, the band the National Wood Flooring Association recommends (via Alexanian). Keeping your home inside it is the single best thing you can do for any wood floor.

How each floor handles the swings:

• Solid hardwood moves the most. Wider boards move more than narrow ones. Expect some seasonal gapping even in a well-run home. We explain why in why hardwood floors gap in winter.
• Engineered hardwood moves far less, because its core layers run in different directions and resist each other. That makes wide planks more practical.
• Vinyl plank barely reacts to humidity, though it does react to temperature, so expansion gaps at the walls still matter.

Basements need their own decision

Basements are where the wrong floor fails fastest. A concrete slab can draw moisture up from below even when it looks dry, and many basements have low spots, cracks or a history of a wet spring.

Before choosing anything for a basement:

1. Test the slab for moisture. Readings, not guesses.
2. Check flatness. Click floors need a flat surface or the joints will flex and fail.
3. Plan a moisture barrier. Most floating floors over concrete need one.
4. Think about what happens if water gets in. A sump failure or backed-up drain is a question of when, not if, in some homes.

With that in mind:

• Solid hardwood is not a basement floor. Skip it.
• Engineered hardwood can work over a dry, flat slab with the right barrier, and it brings real wood warmth downstairs.
• Rigid-core vinyl is the safest bet for most basements. If it gets wet, it is far more likely to survive, and individual planks can often be lifted and reused once the area is dry.

Our vinyl plank page covers basement installs in more detail.

Room by room

Living and dining rooms

Solid or engineered hardwood is the classic choice here. If you have an older home with a plank subfloor in good shape, solid nails down well. If you want wide planks or the room has big south-facing windows that swing in temperature, engineered is steadier. Read more about hardwood installation.

Kitchens

This is the hardest call. Wood looks great and connects to the rest of the main floor, but dishwashers leak and sinks drip. Engineered with a tough factory finish is a reasonable middle ground if spills are wiped quickly. SPC is the low-worry option.

Bedrooms

Low traffic and low water risk make bedrooms easy. Any of the three works. Many people put the most comfortable underfoot floor here, which usually means wood.

Entries and mudrooms

Toronto winters bring salt, slush and grit through the front door. A durable vinyl plank or tile handles it best. If the hallway is wood, use a good mat and wipe up meltwater promptly.

Condos

Concrete slabs and acoustic rules change the choice entirely. See the condo flooring guide.

Questions that settle the decision

If you are stuck, these usually decide it:

• How long will you stay? Staying a long time favours wood you can refinish. Moving soon favours lower cost and low upkeep.
• Pets and kids? Claws scratch wood finishes. Vinyl hides it better; a matte, lightly textured wood finish also helps.
• What is under the floor? Wood subfloor, concrete slab or radiant heat narrows the options fast.
• Is water likely? Be honest about leaks, kids at the sink and wet boots.
• Do you want to sand it one day? Only solid and engineered give you that option.

Living with each floor

The day-to-day care is different for each, and it is worth knowing before you choose.

Solid hardwood wants a dry mop or a vacuum with a soft head, a cleaner made for finished wood, and felt pads under furniture. Water should be wiped up quickly. When the finish wears, a light recoat brings it back, and every so often a full sand gives you a floor that looks new. That cycle is what gives solid its long life.

Engineered hardwood is cared for in exactly the same way. The only difference is planning: before any sanding, check the wear layer on the specification sheet so you know how much room you have.

Vinyl plank is the easiest to keep clean. A damp mop is fine, and most spills are harmless if wiped up. The weak points are heavy furniture that dents the surface, rubber-backed mats that can stain some products, and long periods of strong direct sun. When a plank is damaged, it is replaced rather than repaired, so keep a box of spares.

What about resale?

Many buyers look for real wood on the main floor and see it as a plus. That does not mean every room needs it. A finished basement in good vinyl plank is usually seen as practical, not as a shortcut. What tends to put buyers off is a patchwork of mismatched floors, or a floor that is clearly the wrong choice for its room, such as warped laminate by a back door. Picking the right floor for each space, and joining them with tidy transitions, does more for a listing than any single material.

Next step

Samples in a showroom never look quite the same at home, under your light and next to your trim. Book a free quote and we will bring options to your rooms, check the subfloor and moisture, and give you an itemized price for each floor you are considering so you can compare them properly.