Side by side
| Factor | Polished concrete | Luxury vinyl plank |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | $6-$14/sq ft | $4-$8/sq ft |
| Warmth underfoot | Cold without in-floor heat | Noticeably warmer |
| Sound underfoot | Hard and reflective | Softer, quieter |
| Survives standing water | Completely | Planks survive, the underlay does not |
| Traps moisture underneath | Nothing to trap it under | Yes, and it is invisible |
| Needs a slab moisture test first | No | Yes, and it is often skipped |
| Service life | Life of the slab | 10-20 years |
| Ceiling height cost | None, it is the slab | Loses 8-12mm |
| Repairability | Burnish and re-guard | Replace planks, colour may not match |
Gold marks the stronger option for that factor. A tie is shown in neutral text.
Choose polished concrete when
The room is below grade, has any history of dampness, or sits on a slab poured before vapour barriers were routine, which describes a large share of Kelowna, Rutland and Glenmore basements. There is no membrane, no underlay and no seam for water to get into, so a leak is a clean-up rather than a replacement. It also gives you back the eight to twelve millimetres of ceiling height that a floated floor takes.
Choose vinyl plank when
The room is a bedroom, a media room or a play space where comfort underfoot genuinely matters and the slab is known dry. It is warmer, quieter, cheaper and easier to live with barefoot, and modern products look convincing. Install it over a tested slab with an appropriate underlay and it performs well for a decade or two.
The moisture test is not optional either way
Both floors want the slab tested, and only one of them fails badly when it is not. Vinyl plank over a slab reading high in relative humidity traps that vapour underneath, where it condenses, lifts adhesive and grows things nobody can see until the floor is pulled up. An in-situ RH probe costs very little against a basement floor, and any installer who declines to test one before a below-grade installation is guessing with your money.
Not sure which applies to your slab?
The site visit includes a moisture reading and an honest look at the concrete, then a written fixed price. We will tell you when the cheaper option is the right one.