Thank you for your feedback Cancork Floor!

cancork, what brand do you recommend? I'm looking to install ~3000 square feet in a remodel and want to carry it through the kitchen and baths and am looking for a more traditional look. Floorte Teak is the look I would like but the wear layer is thinner than other brands. Any input?

Floor B is (to me) obviously Modin Collection from Flooret.

Flooret has another line which has a cork backing and has a 30 mil (pretty sure) wear layer rather than 40 (Modin) and I believe costs about $1 SF more than Modin.

If a tile floor on a concrete slab hurts your feet, traditional vinyl your feet will likely hurt too. Cork-backed will be somewhat softer. You have to decide if cost difference is worth it. Spend a lot of time in the kitchen, probably so. Otherwise, probably not .

I'm in process of DIY glue down Modin install on plywood subfloor throughout entire house. Love the product, but unless you have skill set glue down is a pro install.

Speaking as a consumer with regrets go with the cork backing. Adding under padding doesn't work half as well. We had cork backing in our last house. I loved it. I was talked out of it in this house ( by unnamed housemate) it's not as nice. Noisier, not as comfortable and a lot more movement.

rollinggirl--

Can you tell me more about the product (including name) that you had in your last house? We are debating this same issue too as far as which product to install.

Agree with Hal that product B is Modin. As far as we have discovered, in addition to the Modin he mentioned there are 4 other manufacturers with cork backed LVP--Coretec, Bliss, Armstrong Luxe Plank with Rigid Core, and Floorte. If anyone knows of others, I'd like to hear about them.

It was Armstrong Rigid Core I don't remember the exact color. In our new house we have a product called Smartcore. I don't recommend it, and I didn't chose it. I don't like it. The Armstrong floor had a better feel , color and look to it. I don't work for either company this is not an ad.

I believe Smartcore is the Lowe's product. We had been planning to check it out until I read the online reviews (quite a few negative).

We have looked at the Rigid Core line and saw a color we liked. I am happy you can give some personal feedback because there is not a lot of info/feedback on these.

p.s. I get why you added the disclaimer at the end of your post.

Anything with a cork layer will be quieter and more comfortable. The click flooring, even with a pad layer underneath (because "pad" is a very loose interpretation for what a super thin layer of material should be called) will be echoey and, if not installed perfectly, will be louder to walk across. Each year the flooring companies refine their materials and try to fix these issues so be sure to compare a few brands in your space before committing to the install.

Smartcore is a Lowe's product. They are the only ones that sell it. Use your own judgement , but we are working on having them fix the mistakes at their expense.

And just to be clear, vinyl needs SERIOUS subfloor preparation. The humps/bumbs/lumps etc must be COMPLETELY smoothed out. Vinyl cannot handle any form of waviness whatsoever. Some people have had to pay as much as $4/sf for subfloor prep ALONE...and then the cost of the product and then the cost of install.

Most complaints stem from lack of prep or not enough prep. Never believe a quote from a sales person unless they have PERSONALLY walked your space. And I mean that. If they do NOT go to your home and inspect your BARE subfloor, their quote is almost meaningless.

Big box stores are notorious for offering "great" installation deals. They do NOT pay the subcontractors for "prep" so guess what: No prep. If the trades person isn't paid for prep, they DO NOT DO IT! If it is in the ESTIMATE (it would read: Subfloor Preparation: $1-$5 per square foot to be determined after removal of current flooring). The Estimate (this is different from a quote) will be a little bit more flexible on what is and is not covered. Estimates are smart. They can go up because the person who writes them KNOWS the prep could be MASSIVE or it could be minimal. The person writing the quote will have been INSIDE your home.

If you go to Lowes or Home Depot, etc and they give you a quote on the first day...from behind their COUNTER....walk away. Go out and get a professional flooring installer (someone WELL TRAINED in vinyl...a few years of work in the product would work) to come out and make you a bid. This will be MUCH closer to the real cost of installing product.

Remember: most complaints are due to lack of prep because the subcontractors were not paid to do it. And the people who pay subs the LEAST= Home Depot, Lowes Rona, etc. If the REAL price of install were visible, you would think you are being ripped off. The reality is: the LOW BALL bids are the "rip off".

Caveat emptor: Buyer Beware.

Even if it's not a low ball bid, even if you've had the floor prepped. Don't let them lay the flooring until you have personally checked it. Walk each room , make sure it's clean so you can see what it looks like. Check transitional spaces especially. Trust your own eyes first. You're the one paying for it. If you aren't satisfied don't let them go forward until they are. Now I'll shut up. Great Advice Cancork Floor Inc.

A flooring company estimated $10 SF as the BASELINE cost to install Karndean Art Select (top wood look line) in our house. That includes product, prep, supplies and labor. BUT that is BEFORE adjusting HIGHER for difficulty level for prep and install.

Point is, no specification is going to overcome inadequate prep work . An experienced DIYer can handle above grade prep but in many/most situations a pro prep is best option.

DIY prep and click install = less expensive but more opportunity for problems.

Pro prep and glue down install = more expense upfront but long term usually better.

Pro Prep and install time being expensive, don't skimp on floor choice.

DIY prep and install, invest labor savings in quality product. Would not glue down less than 20 mil wear layer.

Large area may tempt to go cheap product. Penney wise and pound foolish.

Rollinggirl, were both of your vinyl floor on cement or wood subfloor? I was wondering if the uncomfortable vinyl flooring was placed on cement slab instead of wood sub floor. Thanks for posting your experience.

Installing any flooring on a poorly prepped surface = disappointment. Don't try to do install on the cheap or DIY if you don't really know how. You will have to live with the results.

If you go with LVP, whether pro install or DIY, I would recommend rigid core to eliminate or minimize subfloor flaws telegraphing. Some has wood core (personally would not install in bathroom or wet-prone areas). Solid Polymer Core or Stone Polymer Core is better. Barebones minimum 12 mil wearlayer but would encourage 20 mil or better. Just like painting, proper prepping is important.

@Hal Braswell Consulting @Cancork Floor Inc.

I am thinking of installing one of these products in my 2nd floor 3 bedrooms and hallways Coretec Plus, Adura Max or Armstrong Luxe. We are a family of 4 (2 young kids (5 and 7), and 2 adults). My main concerns are denting, scratching and sound. Which of the 3 would you recommend or rank in order? Also, would you advise of an additional underlayment to dampen or absorb any sound? Or will the attached product underlayment suffice, in your opinions? Thanks!

Regardless of brand, I would use a rigid core vinyl plank with no less than a 20 mil wear layer. Modin has some of best specifications but not as many choices as some other brands. Some rigid vinyl plank has a wood core, some a polymer core and some a crushed stone core. Rigid core, within reason, will prevent or minimize subfloor imperfections from telegraphing to the surface.

I prefer a stone or polymer core, a 5mm or better product thickness and a minimum 20 mil wear layer. Brands typically have multiple product lines, some of which have better specifications.

Not all LVP will work with an underlayment.

To me, once you reach the quality threshold of a 20 mil wear layer and a rigid stone or polymer core, it becomes a lot about aesthetics.

This summer, we plan to install about 1,300 SF of Smartcore Pro Jackson White Oak (from Lowe’s) with the Soft and Sound underlayment. This is Smartcore’s top product line. Don’t have the info readily available but I believe Coretec manufactures Smartcore for Lowe’s.

Several years ago we installed some Modin before they had rigid core. Our finish was discontinued and since we are planning an addition and want a much lighter finish, we will replace the Modin with the Smartcore Pro and re-use the Modin in two conditioned sheds. This isn’t because of any dissatisfaction with Modin; we didn’t want two wood-look floors in the house and we wanted a much lighter look.

@NYH Publications Thanks so much for your response. I assume when you say rigid core, you are referring to SPC as opposed to WPC? Also it sounds like your previous flooring was WPC (prior to Rigid core). How did you like it and what were the pros and cons for you? thanks again.

The core in rigid vinyl plank varies. WPC = Wood Polymer Core. Some brands use SPC to mean Stone Polymer Core, others use the same initials to mean Solid Polymer Core. My Modin floor had an industry high 40 mil wear layer but since it didn’t have a rigid core it was flexible. That flexibility made it easy to install but the long length made it more difficult.

With conventional vinyl plank, you must spend a lot of time prepping the subfloor such as ensuring screw heads don’t protrude. Rigid core you still want to check screw heads but in general the prep work is easier.

Rigid Core is stiff, feeling more like laminate than conventional vinyl plank. To me rigid is easier to handle and install.

I was happy with the Modin. It held up well. The only thing I did not like is there was not a color we really loved. With an addition (enlarged laundry and another BR) we wanted a uniform floor throughout the house. The finish had been discontinued, and our tastes had changed. Changing out the floor was more about aesthetics and wanting a single type of flooring.