So, there is, admittedly, a perception issue that the industry needs to address as far as residential sheet vinyl. I am a big advocate for the category, having had a half-dozen vinyl floors in my kitchens over the past two decades. The last one I had installed was in 2002 (Mannington "Naturals" African Slate). It is as good (or better) as any vinyl floor I have ever put down. At the time it was installed in my 400 square foot kitchen/dining area, my four children were between eight and 15, and we had three dogs, each over 65 pounds. Even with my kids, their friends and the dogs beating this floor to death, it still looks as good as the day it was installed. I'll tell anyone who asks that it is by far the best choice for a residential kitchen with a family. In short, the more people know about today's resilient flooring, the chance of it becoming a dying category becomes more remote.
For example, here's what the National Association of Home Builders says: "Typically, 1/4-inch lauan plywood is used as an underlayment when vinyl is installed over wood subflooring. The problem with lauan is that it is soft and susceptible to denting and crushing under concentrated loads such as furniture legs or high heels." Then there is this from The Import Plywood Marketing Group's website: "lauan...was never intended to be used as an underlayment for vinyl flooring. It was originally designed as a three-ply plywood for paneling." Flooring makers agree. Tarkett, for example, cautions that "a wide variety of species and grades of lauan plywood have been imported into the United States and sold for use as underlayment. Many of these panels have caused severe problems such as discoloration, delamination and adhesion failures." Many other resilient manufacturers have issued similar statements, so if you are using lauan, the word "warranty" may not be in the conversation.