I have vinyl plank in my walk out it has a material called dri core underneath my understanding is coretec has a cork under the vinyl which IMO a lot softer than laminate which I have on my main level. but certainly no soft layer underneath. We got vinyl for our walk out for the simple fact we have 3 huge dogs and they have free access to a big dog run all day with a doggie door so , wet feet are always an issue at the end of the day i swiffer or vacuum and a damp mop looks like new.

100% vinyl. Laminate has a photographic applique layer that in my opinion never holds up or looks great. Vinyl is really durable & looks wonderful if you chose the right color. Vinyl has a slightly softer feel than hardwood. Gl :)

thx ladies! would u say, though that not all vinyl and not all laminate are the same? for ex, Pergo has a lifetime warranty and this certain floor claims to be 100% waterproof. when i call and read the warranty it's waterproof for 24 hrs. I tested it and water did not go through.

i'm worried the coretec i picked out is too busy but in the end i'm prob over analyzing yet another piece of this remodel. :)

There are all types of exceptions to the waterproof/resistant laminates. If water might be an issue for you then a very good quality LVT would likely be a better choice.

Here is your Pergo Wheaton Oak

These LVTs are from Floor & Decor. You can purchase a few vinyl planks from F&D and take them home to make sure the color and texture works for your home.

Beverly, I never thought I'd get vinyl from floor and decor. I did look once at the beginning of this process (later 2019) and didn't like anything, but the top one u showed here is very close to the one I bought a box from home depot and now discontinued. It's not the same but it's close. I'm being rushed by designer, hubby, and even my neighbor. I don't want to regret my purchase but the one at floor and decor would slow me down to take the time to buy a box. I will check into it though as it's really close, really inexpensive, and surprisingly warrantied for life for residential. 12 mil wear layer where the coretec is 20, i think, it's commercial grade. If 20 is a LOT better than 12, scratching is one of my main concerns, but I'm not sure how better 20 is. I do know that the one I wanted to buy from home depot was said to possibly be the one designer had before that only lasted 5 yrs before it started peeling up and separating...

thx!

You know you can get vinyl or laminate in different patteres not just wood look. I have laminate on my main floor 13 yrs old same dogs it had no scratches looks awesome but is not wood look it looks like slate and even has bit of texture like a slate floor would have.

You can buy a plank and scratch it up as you see fit. It’s yours to experiment

I install flooring, I will always recommend LVP over laminate, unless its a cost decision, 100% waterproof is a big plus. I installed LVP the next day my customer had a leak...we Uninstaller, dried the concrete out and reinstalled, with laminate, even water resistant, it would have been ruined. Coretec has one of the best LVPs out there, thicker and more wear layer than some other brands/stores

you also get tile looking LVT in 24x12 marble look

I prefer lvp in kitchens. Laminates, unless specifically DESIGNED to handle kitchens normally cannot. The recent water leak has already shown that it doesn't like water.

If your laminate in the rest of the house has been spared, I would look at an LVT in a TILE or STONE look. You can have the 'kitchen appropriate' floor in the kitchen (vinyl) and the 'everywhere else' floor, well, everywhere else.

Pergo laminate has a long history of doing well in the REST of the home but not very well in spill areas. That's why I would simply put in an appropriate coloured stone or tile looking vinyl. It's the best of both worlds.

the specific pergo is said to be meant for kitchens and baths and shows a pic of a kid next to bucket of spilled water wirh rain boots or somethign like that.

McKinney, I also have heard that it's hard to click the planks back together after having to pull them up. It's great to hear in your case they were able to salvage the floor and click them back into place!

How special is the extra wear layer? I'm wondering if I shouldn't spend the time to look into floor and decor's wood that i may like and grab the coretec before it's gone/out of stock or discontinued... like my sink and other floor were. However, I dont' want to make a rush decision and wonder if I should buy a box first. According the a floor guy 95% of people make a decision without buying a box and he thinks it's usually a fine way to go and not necessary to buy a box. I'm not sure as the floor I'm looking as is more busy than I thought I wanted but I like it on the 2 panels I brought home.

thx!

Have you considered cork?

I think if you are worried that the floor you are thinking about is too busy, it probably is too busy. Follow your gut on that one.

Can you find any photos online of that particular LVP that show a whole room installed or a large patch with multiple planks? Another potential issue with a very busy LVP is how many times the pattern repeats. Often this is much more apparent in the busier looks, especially is they have things like large knots.

I would never buy a product with a wear layer of less than 20.

This does not seem to have knotsknots that are too unique or anything like that but interestingly the floor guy that I like best Recommend that I buy a box first. I I am a bit worried about things going out of stock or being discontinued but it's a big commitment so I'll go with his recommendation. Great info that you shared about the 20 wear la. Thank you!

CoreTec is beautiful, durable, and scratch resistant. We have had the floor for two years,and it looks great even with small children and dogs. Maintenance of the floor is extremely easy - just sweet and mop with water. I highly recommend this product.