LVT Flooring Reviews: Achieve a Premium Experience Underfoot with COREtec Plus

After years of saving up, you finally have enough money to close a deal on a new home. But before moving in, you should consider how your home feels. Does it give you a cozy vibe? Is it the dwelling you’d want to come home to after a long day? 

Your neighbors might suggest that you install hardwood flooring to lend warmth to your home. But while genuine hardwood floors are every homeowner’s dream, they come with a hefty price tag. Hardwood flooring is impractical for the average homeowner who’s better off spending their hard-earned money on things like furniture and appliances.

Don’t lose hope! Here comes the good news: luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring can imitate real hardwood floors without breaking the bank. In addition to having a more affordable price, LVT flooring is also easier to install and maintain. Even DIYers can do it over the weekend!

You can find numerous LVT flooring reviews on the Internet, but in this article, we will take a deeper look at what the COREtec Plus vinyl flooring has to offer! 

If this sounds interesting to you, read the rest of the review below!

What Is LVT?

Are you a new homeowner, or do you wish to give your home a makeover? Then, vinyl flooring should definitely be at the top of your flooring choice list. 

Since its introduction, vinyl flooring has earned a bad reputation for being a cheap and flimsy flooring option. However, it has seen massive improvements throughout the years. 

One of the breakthroughs that manufacturers made is significantly improving the durability and aesthetics of vinyl floors. Flooring companies then introduced LVT, which featured photorealistic reproductions of real wood flooring.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Luxury Vinyl Tiles?

Before even settling down on the COREtec Plus as your flooring choice, you have to ensure whether LVT flooring is the right flooring option for your home. 

Like other flooring options, LVT flooring comes with advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages can make the price worth it, while the disadvantages might be a deal-breaker for you.

Consider the pros and cons of LVT flooring below!

Advantages

• Durability: Luxury vinyl tiles are moisture-resistant and waterproof flooring, which means they can cover areas that hardwood flooring can’t. In addition, they can withstand scratches and scuffs on a daily basis.
• Easy to clean: Homemade cleaning solutions are enough to keep your vinyl floors clean and shiny. You can clean LVT flooring with a damp piece of cloth, unlike hardwood floors that need maintenance every few years. Some delicate hardwood floors even need professional cleaning services, which can be expensive and a real hassle.
• Affordable: If you’re looking for a bang for the buck flooring solution, look no further than LVT flooring. An average luxury vinyl tile can cost you anywhere from $2 to $5 per square foot, which is not a lot considering how much hardwood planks cost.

Disadvantages

• Prone to dents: Like Superman, LVT flooring has its own kryptonite. While LVT flooring can withstand scratches and scuffs, it doesn’t do as well against impacts from heavy objects. If the area you’re planning to install LVT flooring in is prone to impacts, you might want to consider other flooring options instead.
• Fades under sunlight: The UV rays from sunlight are harmful to both living and nonliving things; your vinyl floors are no exception. You might notice your LVT flooring losing its color over time, especially the tiles exposed to direct sunlight. You can remedy this by putting blinds over the windows.
• Difficult to remove: If you happen to accidentally damage any part of your glued-down LVT floor, you don’t have the option to simply remove the damaged tile and replace it with a new one. Instead, you have to remove the entire flooring to replace a single tile. Fortunately, there are click-lock LVT floors that you can easily replace.

What Should I Look For When Buying Luxury Vinyl Tiles?

Now that you are sure LVT flooring is the right choice, you are probably itching to go shopping. However, numerous competing brands on the market are vying for your money. Which among them should you go with, then?

Here are some of the things you should consider when shopping for LVT floors.

• Vinyl finish: One of the best features of vinyl flooring is its aesthetics. The beautiful imitation wood grain found on different vinyl tiles is possible thanks to various finishes. Each kind can also add a layer of protection against scratches. For instance, LVT with a urethane finish is more durable and easy to clean than a no-wax finish.
• Durability: The topmost layer of luxury vinyl tile is made of a highly durable material such as urethane. This protective layer withstands scratches from daily activities such as foot traffic. As a result, a well-maintained LVT floor can last anywhere from 10 to 20 years.
• Cost: Generally speaking, LVT flooring is cheaper than other flooring solutions. In terms of cost, it competes with laminate floors, another affordable option for homeowners.
• Installation method: LVT flooring has different types based on how to install them. Some can be easier than others. For example, glued-down LVT floors are harder to install than their click-lock counterparts.
• Thickness: Also known as “resilient floors,” LVT floors feel soft underfoot, thanks to their thickness. Thicker LVT floors have a layer of padding that makes walking on them feel like walking on clouds. However, cheaper vinyl tiles are thinner and thus feel harder to walk on.

Reviewing the COREtec Plus Luxury Vinyl Tiles

Popular among homeowners, COREtec Plus is a premium flooring option from Shaw Industries. While it is a little more expensive than the common vinyl tile, every cent you will spend will be worth it. The brand is known for its rigid wood plastic composite (WPC) core, comfortable feel underfoot, and waterproof construction.

Specs at a Glance

• Has a wide selection of styles to choose from
• Features a patented rigid WPC core
• Insulates heat and absorbs sound with its cork backing
• Needs minimal maintenance, saving you time and money
• Retains its shine and smoothness without refinishing
• Resists damage from water as it is 100% waterproof
• Can be installed over existing floors
• Features an angle-tap system for easy installation
• Feels comfortable underfoot due to its thick WPC core
• Does not distort under any condition
• Has a high-definition texture that mimics a wood plank and even stone tiles

Highly Durable

Whichever style you choose, the COREtec Plus luxury vinyl tiles come with the company’s patent WPC core. This rigid core layer ensures that your tiles won’t ever warp, buckle, expand, or contract, any of which can result in damaged flooring. Whether you install them in the living room or the laundry room, you can expect these vinyl tiles to firmly hold up.

In addition to the strong WPC, these luxury vinyl tiles also come with a UV acrylic finish. The UV rays the sun emits can be harmful to your vinyl tiles. That’s why prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause the colors of your vinyl tiles to fade away. The UV acrylic finish on COREtec Plus luxury vinyl tiles filters out the harmful UV rays to protect the tile’s image layer.

Thousands of Styles

One of the appeals of LVT flooring is the thousands of colors, patterns, and styles available. Whichever interior design you have, you will find a COREtec Plus vinyl tile that will perfectly suit your home. Just browse the catalog on the COREtec official website to see all the styles available.

Product photos online can look very different in person, which can be a problem if you prefer to shop for luxury vinyl tiles from the comfort of your home. That’s why COREtec will ship out free samples of your top three favorite styles so that you can check them out first before you commit to purchasing them.

Reliable Insulation

People often underestimate what a good underlayment does for their homes. Aside from serving as the foundation for your vinyl tile flooring, an insulated underlayment can help you achieve better acoustics for your room and a warm, comfortable feeling underfoot. Luckily for you, every COREtec Plus luxury vinyl tile does just that.

COREtec Plus luxury vinyl flooring has a cork underlayment that works as heat and acoustic insulation. Walking on these vinyl tiles is noticeably more comfortable, warmer, and softer compared to those by other brands. In addition, they do a great job absorbing the sound from the room, making it perfect for sound-treating your space.

Pro tip: You can use a carpet in tandem with a vinyl floor to improve its feel underfoot.

Downsides

When you choose vinyl flooring, you are making some compromises. The advantages that come with LVT flooring also come with some disadvantages. Despite the COREtec Plus luxury vinyl tiles being a more premium option, they still have problems that are simply inescapable.

For instance, the COREtec Plus LVT is not completely scratch-proof. They can still sustain scratches when objects accidentally drop on the floor. So if you install these vinyl tiles, be sure to avoid dragging your furniture across the floor to prevent irreparable damage.

Another concern is its compatibility with radiant heat systems. Due to the cork underlayment that comes with COREtec Plus LVT, radiant heat flooring becomes less effective. The cork underlayment blocks efficient heat transfer from radiant heat. Fortunately, you can opt for COREtec’s other vinyl product lines that work with radiant heat.

After-Sales

Shaw Industries, the maker of COREtec flooring products, offers different warranty policies for each of its product lines. The COREtec Plus product line is covered by a Residential Resilient Waterproof Products Lifetime Limited Warranty. If you ever make a claim on covered defects within two years of purchase, the company will cover the labor costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Should I Maintain My LVT Flooring?

Vinyl floors, whether tile or luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring, are highly resistant to scratches and moisture, which makes maintenance a breeze. However, you still need to put in a little bit of effort to make them last for a decade or two.

COREtech suggests that you mop the floor with a slightly damp mop before moving any of your furniture in. To lessen the stress on your floor, use floor protectors underneath your furniture and heavy appliances. Lastly, use a pH-neutral cleaner for your regular floor cleaning. Remember to avoid cleaners with polish and detergent as they can react with the wear layer.

Do I Need Professional Help in Installing LVT Flooring?

Seeking professional help for your flooring needs can be an unwelcome additional expense. However, a flooring expert has the knowledge and expertise to do the job properly. Thus, it can be worth it for the peace of mind it gives you.

If you’re up to the challenge, you can install the COREtec Plus LVT flooring by yourself. COREtec designed the floors to be easily installed so that you can take it up as a DIY project over a weekend. COREtec also has installation guides on their website for each product line.

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Final Thoughts

If you want to complete the look and feel of your home, you shouldn’t miss out on the best vinyl flooring options. Standing out among the many brands on the market, COREtec has a wide selection of premium flooring products for your home. Their luxury vinyl tile flooring line, the COREtec Plus, has a broad range of colors and styles for you to choose from.

Do you feel like LVT flooring is for you? If you do, then waste no time and drive to the nearest hardware store!