Over the past few months we’ve received a number of emails and comments about COREtec Plus engineered LVT plank and tile flooring, so in response here’s our in-depth COREtec review of the company and their flooring products. For further vinyl flooring reviews click here. You may also be interested in our core vinyl flooring guides
In fact COREtec flooring is produced by a company called USFloors. Based in Dalton, Georgia, the company was established in 2001 primarily importing and marketing cork and bamboo flooring. A few years later – when the company bought Natural Cork – USFloors became the leading US cork flooring provider and not long after that they opened their first domestic factory – manufacturing cork, bamboo and hardwood floors.
Today USFloors also have facilities in Shanghai, China, and offer a large range of flooring products for both commercial and residential use including cork, strand woven bamboo, FSC-certified hardwoods, LVT, and cork underlayments. And one of their largest product ranges is now their USFloors COREtec Plus luxury vinyl flooring.
COREtec Luxury Vinyl Tiles and Planks
There are currently six different lines in the COREtec Plus flooring range, each featuring a specific look or style, but all of them share the same construction. Let’s review their specifications.
A wear layer of at least 0.5 mm/20 mil which is rated for commercial use protects the durable and resilient luxury vinyl top layer; this layer sits on the extruded waterproof stable core layer made of recycled wood, bamboo dust, limestone and virgin PVC; and the final layer that sits against the subfloor is an integrated cork underlayment which works both as additional soundproofing and is resistant to mold and mildew. There is also the COREtec One range – the very first in the COREtec products – which has a similar construction to COREtec Plus flooring except that it does not have a cork backing.
All COREtec products can usually be installed as a floating floor but should always be installed with the direct glue-down method if heavy furnishings or loads are going to be used on the floor; the company naturally recommends using their own brand flooring adhesive. COREtec can also be installed over radiant heating.
Assuming instructions and recommendations have been followed carefully, the robust 4-layer construction will result in a great floor that should last a long time (USFloors offer either Lifetime Limited or 25 year Limited warranties on their COREtec products for residential use).
It is also important to note that all COREtec products have achieved the GreenGuard Gold Certification for low chemical emissions, so COREtec is one of the safest LVT products currently on the market.
COREtec Product Range In Detail
Now let’s take a closer look and review the different product lines in the COREtec flooring range:
COREtec Plus 5” Plank – an elegant line of traditional-styled wood-look LVT planks, sized 5” x 48” x 8mm; there are currently twelve colorways featuring oak, pine, walnut, maple and hickory aesthetics and ranging from warm yellows to gray-ish tones. We particularly like the looks of the Gold Coast Acacia with features beautiful honey tones and strong, curvaceous grain details.
COREtec Plus 7” Plank – the slightly wider planks in this product line (dimensions 7.125” x 48” x 8mm), have a more distressed, industrial look and urban color tones featuring beiges, coffee tones and several interesting grays. There are twelve colorways in call, mainly oak and pine replicas; our favorite is the burnt, charcoal tones of the Hudson valley Oak
COREtec Plus Tile – a rather smart line of rectangular stone-look tiles (12“ x 24” x 8mm or 18.5” x 24” x 8mm) give all the classy looks of real stone tile with a warmer, softer feel underfoot! COREtec floors can be installed in wet areas, as long as you follow their recommendation in properly preparing the subfloor, so these are a good option for bathrooms. The tile line comes in eleven colorways including slate, travertine and marble stone, and three alternative looks: Aged Copper, Petrified Forest and Weathered Concrete.
COREtec Plus XL – at 9” x 72” x 8.mm this is the widest and longest wood-look plank line in the COREtec range with a strong range of statement colorways. The line features mostly oak wood-look; but with fifteen different colors in the line there is something for every décor style, ranging from deep gray to whitewashed. In fact the whitewashed Mt. Pleasant Pine is one of our favorites from this line.
COREtec Plus HD – COREtec claim that the Embossed In Register (E.I.R.) technology along with a 4 side painted micro bevel edge used in making the HD product line gives “a realistic visual unlike any other LVP or WPC product available today“. We think there are other similarly impressive products on the market, but for sure the HD line is the most detailed of the COREtec planks. Sized 7″ x 72″ x 8.5 mm and available in fifteen colorways, we particularly like the gently distressed looks of the Contempo series.
COREtec Plus Design – consisting of multi-toned and multi-width planks (5″ x 36″ x 8 mm, 7″ x 72″ x 8 mm, and 9″ x 72″ x 8 mm) and tiles the Design line gives you more room to fully customize your floor. Currently available in ten colorways – seven wood-look and thee stone-look – the overall multi-toned effect may not be to everyone’s tastes, but does look rather good in the Sand Slate colorway.
COREtec ONE – the original COREtec range is still in production and still offers a good alternative to glue down LVT. Plank dimensions are and the range comes in eight nicely varied colorways including golden, chocolate and gray tones. The naturalistic, warm toned Peruvian Walnut is our favorite in this range.
COREtec Moldings – to finish off your COREtec flooring project there is also a good range of moldings to match each style of floor. The moldings are 94” long and are available in Quarter Round, T-Mold, Reducer, Baby Threshold, Stair Cap and Stair Nose.
All images courtesy of www.usfloorsllc.com
COREtec Plus Pricing
The recommended retail price for the USFloors COREtec flooring range of products described above is between $4.99 and $5.99 but we have seen it for sale at a number of different retailers priced between $3.69 and $4.68 so it is worth taking the time to shop around for the best prices.
Conclusion
Overall, we think that COREtec Plus is a good quality vinyl tile brand and well worth your consideration.
COREtec Plus reviews on several prominent flooring and renovation websites suggest customers have been happy with the look and feel of their COREtec Plus flooring. On the whole, those customers that have had a negative experience with the product have also agreed that the product was badly installed in the first place. In fact, as with many flooring products, it is highly recommended that you work with a tried and trusted flooring installer.
If you have any COREtec flooring reviews of your own that you would like to share please leave them in the comments section below.
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