Haute shoppe Studio, is the Merino Oak an SPC? Do you remember what the mill layer is? I almost signed my contract for Republic SPC today in Countryside Eastern Cottonwood after having a sample of it in my home for a week. But I changed my mind today after seeing pics of it installed on Instagram. I dont like all the darker variations that almost look like stripes when it’s laid out. I also like the Coretec products but I dont know if they make an SPC.

OK, so let's get our terminology working here. There are two thicknesses that *seem to be getting in the way. The term 'mil' and the term 'mm'. 1. 'mil' = 1 THOUSANDTHS of an INCH (very small...wear layer thickness) 2. 'mm' = millimeter = 1 thousandths of a METER (1 meter = 3ft) = very close to 1/32 of an inch Great. Now we have a definition of 'mil' vs 'mm'. The LifeProof (sold ONLY at Home Depot...ahem....Home Depot...) is 7 mm thick (the website says 6mm or more). That means it is more than a 1/4 of an INCH thick (it's almost 1/3 of an inch...but that's a weird thing to see). As vinyl goes, that's a middle of the road thickness. The 12 mm THICK vinyl is the SPC stuff like CoreTec (the mineral core makes it thicker). And 12mm is almost 1/2" (it is SUPER close to 0.5 inches). OK...now on to wear layer. The wear layer is what I was talking about with 12mil vs. 20mil. That is the MICRO COATING (super thin....thinner than a piece of paper thin...can't be measured using a hand held tool using the naked eye). That's where I was going with the statement '20 mil' wear layer thickness. First thing's first...please work with a reputable independent flooring company. Home Depot sells toilette paper, paint and chewing gum...and in the back they sell flooring. For me this isn't a place to go shopping if you have many quality requirements for look/feel/wear. If you can by Christmas lights and lawn gnomes at the same store where you purchase your flooring, you might be looking in the wrong place. To be clear, a FLOATING FLOOR is what causes the feeling of 'hollowness' underfoot. That's why the subfloor needs to be flattened to within an inch of it's life! A flat subfloor = a solid feeling floor. Wood can be used in basements so long as it is floated (ahhh....again with the floating = can still bounce and feel hollow under foot). You can have wood so long as you have humidity CONTROL (humidistat built-in to the Heating/cooling system because A/C doesn't always cut it). But again the floor would need to be floated and that is the BIG issue. Floating = hollowness (when done POORLY). So...here are your options: A PERMANENT floor (such as tile, carpet, sheet vinyl, glue down wood, etc) will give you the FEEL you want (solid feeling without being hollow). A permanent floor gets tricky in a basement setting where ground water is an issue. But it still can be done. As Patricia points out, you can use something like DriCor underneath and then nail down the wood. That is totally acceptable. This decision is best done before doors are hung...but it doesn't have to be. Please get out of 'big box' stores and go shopping at your high-end flooring stores. They will not deal in junk. And for a quality vinyl/floating floor product you will be looking at prices that are 2-4 times HIGHER than Home Depot.

Paul, the chevron wood floors are hardly trendy. They're historical. they date back centuries ago in France . however, I can see you think they're overdone. but the ones they're tearing out were probably done badly! were they done w/large stubby tiles? I agree, those do look 'trendy'. I guess i like more of the classic design. The chevron on those porcelain tiles I posted aren't too bad. they have more of a modern/classic look to them. However, a lot of the wood-look tiles are far more trendy than a chevron design. As for the square tile, Don't know why Miami pops up ! most modern floors go w/that size. but I suppose these are readily used in florida. that should tell you how good they are for the beach! I was thinking of something like this for yours. simple to clean and works w/everything. this is a 12x24 size in a slate, but it still looks great. as for the parquet design, just depends on what else is going on in the room. I happen to think this cool looking for a upper end rental. you could even use your wood-loo tile for something like this. or maybe the hex tile but they do make a decent laminate too.

Good morning Tammi, We're happy that you're considering GAIA! I'd be happy to answer your questions. Regarding SPC vs eSPC: To be clear, GAIA White and Red Series are SPC and our Black Series is engineered SPC (eSPC). The main differences between the two are length, width, thickness, texture, and engineered. Length: White= 48" vs Red= 60" vs Black= 70.87" width: White= 7.2" vs Red= 9.00" vs Black= 9.05" Thickness: White= 6mm vs Red= 8mm vs Black= 10mm Texture: White= High Def. Film vs Red= High Def. Film vs Black= Laser-Aligned High Def. Film w/ Realistic Texture Regarding sound proofing & spills: All GAIA flooring is equipped with high-density IXPE antimicrobial underlayment, designed to absorb sound effectively. As Patricia highlighted, it is waterproof and ensures safety against topical spills. However, it is important to avoid letting excessive water accumulate on the floor for extended periods. Regarding the color in the picture: The color in the picture you posted is Sole! I hope this helps! Be sure to stop by a dealer near you or stop by our showroom to see the floors in person. Let me know if you have any other questions. Best Regards, GAIA Customer Care