Mohawks lack of confidence in the quality of the flooring is shown in the short warranties. To be honest, independent flooring stores will be able to sell you a much better product at a much better price than any box store. Certain_Cut_6371 1 yr. ago I've used Lifeproof and Pergo, both have worked well for my projects. In general, SPC is more rigid than WPCbut that also means its not as shock-absorbing. SMARTCORE Ultra Blue Ridge Pine 7-1/2-mm T x 6-in W x 48-in L Waterproof Interlocking Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring (15.76-sq ft/case). For the flooring looks options, Smartcore provides Wood, Stone, Tile, Marble, and Solid. COREtec One is a WPC similar to the Plus lines. There is the 6, 12, and 22-mil wear layer. Every room or your house or place needs to have floors that can last for long. But, if you want to stay within warranty, you cant make it a do-it-yourself flooring project. The overall purchase price ranges from $47.13 to $63.04. Bamboo Flooring vs. Laminate: Which to Buy? Even if you hire someone, the cost to install vinyl plank flooring is usually pretty reasonable. Well, expect the Smartcore LVPs to be more costly than the LifeProof vinyl planks. Theres a reason hardwood floor alternatives like SmartCore are so popular, after all. Scratch-resistance is supposed to be one of the big advantages of vinyl plank flooring. One SmartCore Naturals reviewer mentioned that its like SmartCore looked at all the pros and cons of engineered bamboo flooringand only kept the cons. Yikes. Sizes: SmartCore Ultra floors are available in planks and tiles. While most WPC vinyl plank flooring is designed for residential use, Shaw is confident enough in this product to provide a commercial warranty of 5, 7, 10 or 20 years depending on thickness of the wear layer: Thicker = longer warranty. You won't need to buy underlayment for either product, and both are waterproof with a lifetime residential warranty. Again: dent-resistance is supposed to be a basic part of vinyl plank flooring. Overall, the flooring is rigid enough to withstand anything. Core material is very brittle in the Ultra. Your email address will not be published. This post may contain references or links to products from one or more partners of our parent company and/or subsidiaries of our parent company. The only con that lets Smartcore LVPs down is the price. If youre just starting your research into LVP, our Vinyl Plank Flooring Guide is a comprehensive resource loaded with information that will assist you in your buying decision. This post may contain references or links to products from one or more partners of our parent company and/or subsidiaries of our parent company. Q: Is all vinyl plank flooring waterproof? But, given all the SmartCore flooring reviews we read through, wed say that SmartCore Ultra probably has a bit of an edge over SmartCore pro. SmartCore doesnt do much to address the common disadvantages of vinyl plank flooringwhich means the product doesnt really bring anything new to the table. Q: Does Luxury Vinyl Flooring off-gas, is it safe in my home? The last category was Value good quality at a competitive price. They arent exactly cheap LVP. A: No, although most manufacturers would lead you to believe that. All the features are explained in our Cali Bamboo LVP Guide, but here are a few of the details: Cali Bamboo Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring Rating. Ultimately, this prefinished hardwood flooring collection is probably one to skipit just doesnt stack up against any of the best hardwood floor brands. There are about 15 different styles available but the material is wood only. If youre looking for a much wider variety of unique wood floor designs (that are more durable and only marginally more expensive than SmartCores) wed check them out. But LifeProof is a bit different. As it turns out, thats a little complicated. As in, does it even really exist? Required fields are marked *. Proximity Mills offers both rigid-core and flexible-core options, depending on the product. SmartCore has a separate underlayment item called SMARTCORE Soft and Sound, which reduces noise and protects planks against moisture. EVP Vs. LVP: 10 Main Differences Between Luxury Vinyl and Engineered Vinyl Plank Flooring, Can You Put Rugs on Vinyl Plank Flooring? The Pro collection has 15 styles. Piet Dossche was the founder. That said, waterproof flooring isnt as exclusive as it once was. But the SmartCore stands tall if you want a premium option. The COREtec firm makes the Smartcore LVPs. The LVP is both worst and good? These two vinyl floors come from different firms. Heres how SmartCore stacks up against other vinyl flooring manufacturers. Know what the firm offers you in case anything happens to the LVPs. But theyre not cheap, with prices exceeding $6 per square foot for the top styles. https://stock.adobe.com/au/images/worker-laying-vinyl-floor-covering-at-home-renovation/308702578. Both are also 100% waterproof and offer a lifetime warranty. SMARTCORE Ultra is the smart choice for hi-def style and design. SmarCore offers a wide range of warranty coverage. In fact, as far as fake wood flooring goes, LVP is probably one of the easiest surfaces to maintain. It isnt quite as strong on quality across all lines, but then again, cheaper quality in the entry-level lines gives consumers more buying options. This post may contain references or links to products from one or more partners of our parent company and/or subsidiaries of our parent company. LifeProof LVPs have a FloorScore pass. It will depend on the use of your floor. Both Smartcore and LifeProof are very easy to install. Our recommendation is to remember the ancient warning: Caveat emptor Buyer beware. Because both SmartCore Pro and SmartCore Ultra can be installed as floating floors. Jul 23 . So how do you decide which vinyl plank flooring is the right one for you? SmartCore, on the other hand, has more favorable consumer reviews. The Smartcore is more costly than Lifeproof because Smartcore has more specifications, and it also depends on the line, style, size, and color. Smartcore LVPs can last longer because of a stronger interlocking tab. Treat yourself! Why Cali Bamboo is the Best New LVP Brand. Still, there are some vinyl plank brandslike Proximity Millsthat are more focused on recyclability. It really helps other visitors to estimate the cost of flooring project. No other brand we reviewed makes a 30-mil wear layer. Like the Smartcore LVPs, these vinyl floors have a wear layer. SPC incorporates limestone powder into its construction, making for a (supposedly) more durable product. If you read our review of Home Depots LifeProof vinyl flooring, you might have noticed that this review is relatively similar. It will depend on the collection you choose. Yes! Vivero Best is backed with a 15-year commercial warranty. Smartcore vs. LifeProof Vinyl Plank Flooring, How to Install Lifeproof Vinyl Plank Flooring? So, other types even do not need to be in the shop. No zero-VOC floors products are offered. All LVP is waterproof because it is 100% vinyl. But like we said, youre going to need an additional moisture barrier to protect your subflooring if you want to put it anywhere it might deal with excessive moisture (you know, like anywhere youd usually want to install LVP?). The first is the 200+ styles in traditional wood looks, but with stone and tile too. Vinyl plank flooring has become increasingly popular in residential and commercial renovations today. If it wasnt clear, well spell it out here: SmartCore flooring is fine, but its not the best. If you love DIY, then choose LifeProof. ft, while an 8mm plank with 22 mL wear layer costs about $4.09 $4.39 per sq. There are no flexible options available. Q: Which brand is vinyl flooring is best for uneven subfloors? Why Shaw is the Overall Best LVP Flooring. Here is the difference in numbers. For example, the warranty doesnt cover manufacturer defects once its installedwhich is absurd. You can buy and install them. makes great vinyl plank flooring, but the high price tag might not be worth it for many buyersespecially with equally good products available from other brands. They all are in wood and stone looks. The company combines quality and value with environmentally responsible flooring. SmartCores floorings installation directions note this is only relevant when its going over concrete subfloors, but SmartCore flooring reviews disagree (and you can check out our comparison of underlayments vs. subfloors to see why this matters to begin with). Concerns: The only thing that gives us a little concern is the wear layer. Lifeproof provides a Limited Lifetime Residential Warranty and a 10-year Light Commercial Warranty (though it only applies to the first owner). Though a SmartCore Flooring doesnt need any underlayment, you can still improve the life span of it. Sure, Cali Bamboo came to the game later than those other brands, but it is doing it the right way with sustainable materials and ecofriendly practices. Yes and no. With wear layers starting at just 6.5 mils (and with no additives to increase durability), its easy to see why. Translation: the floors are going to be a bit louder. All rigid cores are SPC (Stone-Polymer Composite). Lowes slaps its name on SmartCore flooringbut who actually manufactures it? Vinyl plank, and by extension SmartCore flooring, doesnt have any special care requirements beyond a vacuum and the occasional mop. We briefly mentioned this earlier, but installing SmartCore flooring is pretty similar to installing snap-together tile flooring. What is the most realistic looking vinyl plank flooring? What is the best underlayment for luxury vinyl plank flooring? A 12-mil wear layer is actually pretty good (ignoring the durability concerns mentioned in SmartCore reviews)but considering that so many top brands offer different wear layer options, its odd that SmartCore doesnt. Then, well take a deep dive into SmartCore flooring reviews, talk about its pros and cons, and help you decide whether its worth purchasing. Sobasically, DIY-ers are out of luck. The Smartcore flooring has a user-friendly touch, which makes it great for DIY projects. A 20-year commercial warranty is unique. Love hickory but spooked after reading the pros and cons of hickory flooring? So, you can say bye to the grout lines showing on the floor. The LVPs have a floating and interlocking make. Some readers complained that they cound't find the local installers or overpaid the installation. The flooring tends to be more aggressive when it comes to darker color contrast. COREtec makes the Smartcore LVPs using the telegraphing tech. These are tongue & groove designs that can float or be glued to the subfloor for maximum stability. ft. Its a firm that is owned by the US floors, which is part of Shaw Inc. The rest featured a compressed vinyl core for added durability. But: for some reason, this underlayment doesnt protect it from moisture. As it turns out, waterproof laminate flooring is realand some of the best laminate flooring brands make it. Mohawk Smart Select Design Element Walnut Mocha 6 Mils. The biggest difference between these two brands is in the choices of core and premium options. With a 20 mL wear layer, SmartCore Pro is suitable for places with heavier traffic conditions, such as buildings and restaurants. She is one of the few personalities from Oklahoma who are famous in the food industry. SmartCores commercial warranty is only 5 yearsand all of the exceptions outlined above still apply. Price starts below $2.60 per square foot and tops out under $4.00. Shaw earned a rating of 4.75 out of 5 based on quality, range of options, installation ease and low-VOC content. Its because of the strong wear layers. It comes with waterproof, structure, and residential wear lifetime warranties. A wear layer just 6 mils thick, one of the thinnest in the industry, Total plank thickness of 3.4mm, 4.4mm in floating flooring and 2mm in glue-down flooring, Two are floating UniClic floors and one is a glue-down flooring, Armstrong Vinyl Plank Flooring Reviews 2023, Armstrong makes more than 200 vinyl plank flooring options, one of the largest collections available.This flooring is also called luxury vinyl flooring, LVP (luxury vinyl plank) and LVT (luxury vinyl, Explore Tarkett Luxury Vinyl Flooring 2023, Most Durable: Shaw Floorte Plus 20 Mils & 30 Mils, Best Commercial LVP: Armstrong Vivero Best, Best Cheap LVP: Home Decorators Collection, Best Brand You Might Not Know About: Cali Bamboo, Worst Warranty: Mohawk Smart Select 6 Mils Flooring, Final Thoughts on the Best Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands, Home Decorators Collection Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring Guide, Cheap Vinyl Plank Flooring Options & How to Cut Cost on Installation, Vinyl Sheet Reviews: Prices, Best Brands, Installation Cost 2023. We hope this chart was helpful and, for a full breakdown of all the best LVP flooring, check out our full vinyl plank flooring review guide! At the end of the day, the best hardwood floors should be durable, beautiful, and comfortablebut they shouldnt have to be waterproof. Then again, COREtec, Mohawk, Smartcore, NuCore, etc., arent too far behind either. It doesnt offer as many varieties, but the SmartCore flooring reviews weve read are much more positive regarding quality and DIY-friendliness. Youll only need a tapping block and a soft hammer. Now, we wouldnt say that Newtons products are head over heels superior to SmartCores in generalbut at the price, they absolutely are. The LVPs need a dual-lock way of installation. With a simple interlock system, installing the planks over wood, concrete, and tile with the proper preparation requires no acclimation, adhesives, or subfloor prep. But remember, if you still doubt your skills, go for a pro. There are several varieties of each line. This is premium flooring at mid-grade prices. Potentially harder than real diamonds: According to Live Science and other sources we consulted, synthetic diamonds have a range of hardness. The Smartcore price ranges from $2 to $3.80 per square foot and is only available at the Lowe's store. It can be overwhelming to compare them all, especially because so many brands use rigid cores these days. You can generally buy SmartCore for about $3$4/sq. COREtec is made by US Floors and ranges from mid-priced to quite expensive compared with most brands. That's why we've put together this easy-to-understand vinyl plank flooring comparison, stacking up the key features of the 4 brands we get the most questions about: Proximity Mills, COREtec, LifeProof, and SmartCore. The information contained on whatisvinyl.com is intended for informational and educational purposes only. SmartCore flooring, like virtually every LVP product, is almost completely waterproof (well revisit this later on). And at 2030 mils thick, theyre seriously tough to scratch. Like most LVPs, both LifeProof and Smartcore will be safe to use in your house. To be fair, Im sure we could find worse LVP if we did an exhaustive survey of every brand produced. COREtec One is the only collection that does not have attached pad. However, SmartCore flooring doesnt really do anything here thats outside of common industry practice. Iv used the Lifeproof and it is one of the better options out there. (5 Vinyl-Safe Rugs), How to Stagger Vinyl Plank Flooring? Would you instead avoid both of them? So youll still need to buy and install another protective layer before putting SmartCore flooring in a basement, kitchen, or bathroom. We hope this chart was helpful and, for a full breakdown of all the best LVP flooring, check out our full . To put that in context: buying SmartCore floors is head-over-heels more affordable than buying hardwood floors. Is SmartCore flooring good? When it comes to the looks and feel, the Smartcore flooring will give you a natural wood-like structure. Youll pay more for COREtec One and Galaxy than you will for cheaper vinyl plank flooring, but youll get more too. SmartCore floors offer a pretty decent color selection as far as faux-wood flooring goes. For even more detail, see our Brand Reviews of all the leading LVP / luxury vinyl plank flooring brands. Summary of Cali Bamboo Vinyl Plank Flooring. This brand scored 4.25 out of 5 in our ratings. Can I Use in Bathrooms? COREtec One is a WPC similar to the Plus lines. USFloors is an importer/producer of sustainable flooring products, including bamboo, cork, linoleum, and hardwood floors. This is the traditional way that LVP has been made since introduced in the early 2000s. The Shaw Floorte LVP has a wood/plastic core, or WCP. This brand is sold exclusively by Floor & Decor, both online and in its stores. The wear layer is a clear coat of urethane or acrylic, depending on brand. LifeProof flooring reviews arelukewarm at very best. A WPC core is softer and thicker. The second is the Commercial warranty. Expect 5-10 years from this flooring based on how much traffic it receives. It means that users can fix the vinyl floors on sub-floors that have slight imperfections. SmartCore is slightly more expensive but has a much better underlayment and a stronger core. Lowes answer to Home Depots LifeProof, SmartCore is a decent floor for the price. Were impressed with the companys LVP and laminate. Its Pretty Affordable! All COREtec products are Greenguard-certified, but the company does not offer zero-VOC options. They have low or no VOCs. That means you can only buy it at Lowes. The Lifeproof cost range from $2.9.39 to $3.39 per square foot and is only available at home depot. Look, were not trying to pooh-pooh the product by association. For subfloors that are slightly uneven or with some roll, its best to use more flexible products as rigid core flooring requires an almost perfect surface for a clean installation. And at the same price, better floors are available. Reducing VOCs is a priority in the industry and it shows in newer products like low-VOC carpet and non-toxic laminate flooring. Underlayments protect vinyl planks from damage and increase their service life. However, it will wear faster if you put it in the elements. They are rich in chocolate and charcoal shades. It has a wear layer just 6 mils thick thats the biggest concern. LifeProof vinyl flooring is FloorScore-certified as low-VOC. Prices start at less than $1.00 per square foot, which is a fair price for what you get. This distribution arrangement allows Floor & Decor to keep the cost pretty competitive. It is backed with a solid 25-year residential and 5-year commercial warranty. Thats not to say the WPC core of SmartCore Ultra isnt goodit just isnt special. Its because Smartcore has specs. It is backed with a solid 25-year residential and 5-year commercial warranty. Here, colors range from light to medium. Thickness varies between 12 and 22 mils, depending on the collection. ft and 16.54 sq. Wider planks. COREtec is one of the best LVP names in the market. ft. The colors are primarily brown, light, medium, and dark. Halstead New England manufactures flooring products, including click-clock, vanity top, flooring, and wall plank for homes and commercial spaces. All three are available in six categories: Vinyl Plank, Vinyl Tile, Sheet Vinyl (cut-to-length), VCT tile, Sheet Vinyl (pre-cut), and Vinyl flooring samples. 2023 FlooringStores, Inc. All rights reserved. Shaw Industries, founded in 1967, is a well-known Dalton-based manufacturer and distributor of flooring materials, including hardwood, carpet, laminate, resilient, synthetic turf, tile, and stone for commercial and residential markets. For a lower price than SmartCore, Proximity sells LVP products with better wear layers and high-quality SPC cores. COREtec makes the COREtec and Smartcore LVPs. I use it in bathrooms and kitchens. The VOC in low-VOC flooring may seem like just another silly acronymbut this ones actually super important. But of the major brands, this is the cheapest. The list goes on. Ultra features a 12 mil acrylic wear layer; Pro features a much more robust 20 mil ceramic bead-infused wear layer. Because replacing individual SmartCore planks is almost impossible without taking the entire floor apart. Today, we are here to unveil the best choice for you and hopefully improve your decision before you buy. If youre researching the best types of vinyl flooring, youve probably found a lot of acronyms (EVP flooring, LVT flooring, PVC, WPC, etc.). Additionally: Lowes markets SmartCore Ultra flooring as Hi-Def flooringmeaning theres more detail in its design layer. This post may contain references or links to products from one or more partners of our parent company and/or subsidiaries of our parent company. Youd expect a major flooring company like Mohawk to have a good selection, and it doesnt disappoint. SmartCore Flooring Reviews Suggest it Doesnt Stack Up Against High-End LVP Brands, Proximity Mills Vinyl vs. SmartCore Vinyl, Conclusion: SmartCore Flooring Is DecentBut Theres Better LVP On the Market, pros and cons of engineered bamboo flooring, USFloors is actually owned by Shaw Industries, cost to install engineered hardwood floors, SmartCores floorings installation directions, find a top-rated flooring store in your area, Wide Plank Wood Flooring 101: Your Total Guide, Advantages & Disadvantages of Engineered Wood Floors. It makes the LVPs 100% waterproof. Your budget is a key factor in choosing a flooring plank for your projects. Halstead firm also produces the Allure and TrafficMaster LVPs. This Shaw Inc. makes floors that have low VOCs and are eco-friendly. Frankly speaking, there is no true winner in the flooring industry. It didn't work for us but I would say its a little more solid than the smartcore. Why NuCore is the Best Value Vinyl Plank Flooring. This kind of suggests that SmartCore flooring simply isnt the best for commercial locationsor perhaps anywhere that sees consistent foot traffic. It is harder, which isnt as nice to walk on, but it is very resistant to denting and can handle a high traffic load. It isnt the only urethane/ceramic combination wear layer, but the 20 mils layer is about as thick as most brands offer. But we wanted to mention it because there have been many attempts by stores like Lowes and Home Depot to sell proprietary flooring products. Go for it if you want a premium floor. 6.5mm thick vinyl planks are available in eight different colors: Seasoned Wood, Walton Oak, Shadow Hickory, Tekoa Oak, Seaside Oak, Essential Oak, Breezy Stone, and Starry Light. When it comes to waterproofing, you wont see any difference. If you want excellent LVP for virtually the same price and to make a smart choice, find a top-rated flooring store in your area! Shaw is one of the largest producers of flooring in the world. 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