COREtec Vinyl Flooring is one of the luxury vinyl flooring brands rising in popularity in the market today. It’s known for its engineered vinyl floors that come in two rigid core types: Wood Stone Polymer Composite (SPC) and Polymer Composite (WPC).
To find out if COREtec vinyl flooring can be a good flooring choice for your home, we’ve provided you with an in-depth guide about everything you need to know about COREtec Vinyl Flooring. It includes the pros and the cons, its costs, warranties, care, and maintenance.
- Both COREtec Original and COREtec Pro products are 100% waterproof and durable with a UV Acrylic finish that provides ease of cleaning and resistance to stains and impacts.
- COREtec Wood is an engineered vinyl flooring made with composite core and real wood veneers.
- They can be installed in two methods: Floating and Direct Glue-Down Method.
- Even though it has a relatively expensive price range compared to other luxury vinyl flooring brands, COREtec vinyl flooring provides durable and high-quality waterproof flooring products.
COREtec Overview
COREtec is a luxury vinyl flooring brand manufactured by USFloors®, a Dalton-based manufacturer and distributor of sustainable flooring products, including hardwood, bamboo, cork floors, and linoleum.
COREtec offers five vinyl flooring series: COREtec Original, COREtec Advanced+, COREtec Pro, COREtec Stone, and COREtec Wood.
All COREtec vinyl flooring products come in different lengths: 24″, 26″, 36″, 48″, 60″, 72″, 73″, 82″, and 86″. They also offer nine width options: 4″, 5″, 6″, 7″, 9″, 12″, 18″, 18.5″, and 19″.
Customers can also choose from a wide range of colors, including Brown, Dark, Dark Brown, Gray, Light, Light brown, Light Gray, Medium, Medium brown, Medium Gray, Multi-tonal, and Natural.
COREtec Original is a waterproof vinyl flooring with a rigid WPC core. It offers 15 collections: COREtec Plus Design, COREtec Plus Enhanced Tile, COREtec Plus Tile, COREtec Plus 5″ Plank, COREtec Plus Enhanced Planks, COREtec Plus 7″ Plank, COREtec Plus Premium 7″, COREtec Plus Premium 9″, and COREtec Plus HD.
COREtec Plus XL Enhanced, COREtec Plus XL, COREtec One Plus, COREtec One, COREtec Grande, and COREtec Plus Enhanced Herringbone are also included as its line options.
COREtec Pro has eight collections available: COREtec Pro Plus, COREtec Pro Plus XL, COREtec Pro Plus Enhanced HD, COREtec Pro Plus XL Enhanced HD, COREtec Pro Plus XL Enhanced, COREtec Pro Plus Enhanced Tiles, COREtec Pro Plus Enhanced Planks, and COREtec Pro Galaxy.
All the other three COREtec series are CORETec Advanced+, COREtec Stone, and COREtec Wood.
Pros And Cons
Benefits:
Both COREtec Original and COREtec Pro products are 100% waterproof and durable with a UV Acrylic finish that provides ease of cleaning and resistance to stains and impacts. They also feature a thick wear layer that protects flooring against scratches, wear and tear, making them ideal for high-traffic areas.
Because of their rigid cores that are naturally resistant to mildew and mold, they can be installed in areas exposed to water without warping or swelling.
Both COREtec Advanced+ and COREtec Stone have a mineral core and a design layer that features a matte finish with textured grain and painted bevels that show off the details for a realistic look and texture. They also have a proprietary coating that offers resistance to stains, scratches, and scuffs.
COREtec Wood is an engineered vinyl flooring made with composite core and real wood veneers. It uses a UV Matte Aluminium Oxide Finish that makes the flooring products durable and stain-resistant. Their products are also waterproof and durable due to their mineral core.
Moreover, all COREtec flooring products have an attached cork underlayment that provides insulation and sound-dampening properties. Their vinyl floorings also provide a high-realistic look and texture of wood and stone with multiple collections. They also offer a wide selection of designs, colors, widths, lengths, and pattern options.
All COREtec vinyl flooring products are also GREENGUARD GOLD Certified, which improves the indoor air quality at home and provides fewer chemical emissions. Aside from offering various warranty coverages for all vinyl flooring products, they are also easy to install and maintain.
Disadvantages:
The price range of COREtec vinyl flooring products may be more expensive than other LVP brands, but their quality lives up to it. Following specific installation guidelines and showing proof of proper installation is required to get a claim approved and ensure guaranteed warranty coverage.
Moreover, COREtec Vinyl Flooring products are also prone to scratches, especially when heavy furniture was placed above them or when heavy times were moved across the floors, but this can be remedied using ram board or wide floor coverings.
Price And Hidden costs
COREtec Original collections with a price of $10.49 per SQ. FT includes COREtec Plus Design, COREtec Plus Premium 7″, COREtec Plus HD, COREtec Plus Premium 9″, and COREtec Plus XL Enhanced. Both COREtec Plus Tile and COREtec Plus Enhanced Planks are $8.49 per SQ. FT.
COREtec One collection costs $6.50 per SQ. FT, while COREtec Plus 7″ Plank is $6.90 per SQ. FT. COREtec Plus Enhanced Tile costs $8.99 per SQ. FT, while COREtec Plus 5″ Plank $7.49 SQ. FT.
COREtec One Plus costs $6.99 per SQ. FT, COREtec Plus Enhanced Herringbone costs $9.49 per SQ. FT, and COREtec Plus XL is $9.99 per SQ. FT. The highest price is COREtec Grande, which is $10.99 per SQ. FT.
The lowest price range for the COREtec Pro series is the COREtec Pro Galaxy collection, which is $4.99 per SQ. FT, while the highest price range is COREtec Pro Plus Enhanced HD, which is $7.99 per SQ. FT.
Next is COREtec Pro Plus Enhanced Planks, which costs $6.49 per SQ. FT, while COREtec Pro Plus is $5.49 per SQ. FT.
Both the collections COREtec Pro Plus XL and COREtec Pro Plus Enhanced Tiles cost $6.99 per SQ. FT, while both collections with the price range of $7.49 per SQ. FT are COREtec Pro Plus XL Enhanced HD and COREtec Pro Plus XL Enhanced.
COREtec Stone products cost $9.99 per SQ. FT, while COREtec Advanced+ costs $9.49 per SQ. FT. The highest price range among all COREtec vinyl floorings is COREtec Wood, which costs $11.49 per SQ. FT.
All COREtec Vinyl Flooring products are sold in cartons.
Installation
COREtec Vinyl Flooring offers ease of installation, which can either be done by a professional or even just by yourself. They can be installed in two methods: Floating and Direct Glue-Down Method. The method depends on the specific flooring used and installation area.
They can be installed on above even floor surfaces and over concrete, hardwood, and tiles. Their flooring products can also be installed in areas with moisture or water. Also, installing over radiant heat is also possible.
All COREtec vinyl flooring products require no acclimation before installation, but they should be installed in a controlled environment with a maintained average temperature of 70°F (21.1°C) or between 55°F to 85°F (13°C-29°C).
During installation, mix planks from several cartons can minimize shade variation. Make sure to follow the specific guidelines provided because improper installation can make the warranty coverage invalid.
Care And Maintenance
COREtec Vinyl Flooring products are easy to clean, using a dry mop or floor vacuum to remove accumulated dust, grit, and dirt. They also don’t need refinishing, sanding, or refinishing. Using COREtec Cleaner, Encore Care, or any neutral pH cleaner is recommended for thorough clean.
To avoid permanent damages like scratches and tears, use floor protectors under heavy furniture. Also, keep the relative humidity levels at least 35% to 55% and keep the floors from direct exposure to heat or sunlight that can cause thermal expansion and fading.
For COREtec Originals and COREtec Stone offers limited 10 years of coverage, while COREtec Pro offers limited 15 years of coverage for the structure, waterproof, pet-proof, and commercial warranty.
COREtec Advanced+ has coverage of 20-year light commercial for structure, waterproof, and pet-proof warranty, while COREtec Wood provides a Lifetime structural coverage for the structure, waterproof, pet-proof, and commercial warranty.
Verdict
Even though it has a relatively expensive price range compared to other luxury vinyl flooring brands, COREtec vinyl flooring provides durable and high-quality waterproof flooring products.
COREtec Vinyl Flooring features a highly realistic look and texture of wood and stone with multiple selections available for designs, patterns, colors, and sizes, which are good for both residential and commercial buyers who want diversity and flexibility when choosing good flooring alternative for hardwood floors and tiles.
