I have exactly the same dilemma. And when I get the samples, they don't show the true color variations that exist across the planks. I always seem to get the dark-only samples! Following.

Hi @Liya. My other top contender is Provenza LVP. They have a new SPC line out called Concorde Oak. The color I'm interested in is Royal Crest. It is similar to Sutton, but even more pretty! I found someone on Insta that put it in her whole house - so you can see pix and video. Let me know if you want more info ... It very well could be the flooring I decide to go with.

@flashpolkadot i am interested in the new SPC line too. other than "pretty", quality wise, any difference? the $/sqft is close to engineered wood, so is it true that LVP really is more resistant to tear and wear? i am so torn b/w LVP and Engineered wood.........

Jinan: Higher quality in that it has an SPC core, a step above the Moda line. in terms of price, I’m getting quotes around $4 per square foot. Engineered wood vs LVP? It just depends what your requirements are, and what your budget is. I’ll tell you that I put a sample of SPC LVP in a bucket full of water for 20 minutes- no damage at all. And, it seems to be pretty indestructible in terms of being scratch resistant. I will post a pic of Concorde Oak - Royal Crest.

Provenza Royal Crest

UGH - for some reason I can’t upload pic ☹️

@flashpolkadot Thank you very much for taking the time to reply. I was planning on flooret, but my contractor convinced me to do engineered wood. He said that LVP still gets hot with plastic smell under straight hot sunshine (we are in california). Also, regarding Flooret vs. Proenza, Flooret is 40mm wear layer, isn't that the big advantage? I got four samples from Flooret, family all liked Sutton. Provenza still 20mm, does that difference matter?

thanks,

I'm really interested in Supercore's Oak Gunstock, but it's so hard to gauge true color from small samples when the planks obviously have more variation plank to plank. You can find photos and videos online, but even then in one photo it looks yellow, in another dark, etc.

@Jinan Lee Flooret is industry leader with that 40mil wear layer. In the research I've done, no one else comes close. ButI've also read/heard that a 20mil wear layer is more than enough (in other words - 40 may be overkill). Did you install that engineered hardwood yet? Yes, given your sun exposure - that was probably a good decision. I'm in South Florida, its HOT, but none of my floors get direct sunlight so I'm all good. I've ordered 4 full size Sutton planks. I should be getting them any day now. Will post photos when they arrive.

@flashpolkadot Thank you again for your reply. My husband also thinks 40mil might be an over kill, even with 3 kids (no pets). can't wait to see your pictures of Sutton. I haven't installed floor yet. my house is to be built by March 2020. I wonder there might be new fancy products coming to market by then :)

@flashpolkadot I’m loving Royal Crest right now, just ordered a box to compare with my box of Sweet Talker. Could you share the Insta poster with the photos of Royal Crest? I can’t seem to track it down. Thank you! :)

P.S. I’m in South Florida, too!

@Nena Filange

Hi Nena. The Insta account is: ourfarmhousebuild__.

Who did you order your box of Sweet Talker from? And, may I ask - how much did it cost you? I'm getting quotes of approximately $200 (something like $90 for shipping). I want to order a box of Sweet Talker.

After looking at the two sample boards, I have decided to go with Sweet Talker. In the morning light, when looking at Royal Crest from an angle, it just looked too plastic-y. I love that Royal Crest is SPC and was dead set on going that route but - I just can't seem to find a color as good as Sweet Talker. What sold me was a picture of a kitchen I saw online of Sweet Talker; it had almost the same color countertops as me, same color cabinets, and similar blue/black counter stools and I just love the way it looked (see photo attached).

I'm in Palm Beach County, where are you? Do you know who you are buying the product from yet?

Deb

@flashpolkadot Thanks for sending the Instagram account. It appears they used Loyal Friend, not Royal Crest, but the two are really similar, still the first real life pics I’ve seen from the new line.

I know what you mean about Sweet Talker, there are so many awesome pictures of it out there, lots of designers using it as well, it’s easy to love it. Not sure if you watch/have seen, but Hidden Potential on HGTV has used Sweet Talker as well, so you can get a great idea of what it looks like in “real life”.

I haven’t seen a sample board of the Royal Crest yet, based on your comment I think I’ll head out tomorrow to try to do just that. I bought my box of Sweet Talker the same place I plan to buy the whole lot, will DM you the info if you’d like.

As far as buying the single boxes, the shipping has been about $100. It’s because of the weight, combined with being oversized; all the couriers really bump up the price for that, I see it in my work as well.

Hi @Nena Filange. Oh yes, oops - that was Loyal Friend but yeah, they are very similar. At least you can get a feel for the look.

I didn't know about the HGTV episode. That's great. I'm going to have to track that down and take a look.

Were you able to get a sample board of Royal Crest? Any closer to making a decision?

@Nena Filange oh - one more Q - do you know what episode Sweet Talker was in? I just went online to take a look and there are MANY episodes. How can I find the right one?

@flashpolkadot I wasn't able to see a sample board of Royal Crest, one store told me they’d have the boards for Concorde Oak this weekend, but I think I’m recommitted to Sweet Talker. Took my box of planks back out and I think it’s the one. Royal Crest, if like Loyal Friend, is a bit too busy for me.

As far as the episodes, one I remember off the top of my head is It's My Dream Home Now.

@Nena Filange Thanks. Yeah, I think I've settled on Sweet Talker too :-). When are you planning to do the install? I would LOVE to see pix of the completed project. They came to take measurements on Friday. I'm waiting to hear back on the estimate. Maybe we can communicate offline (not sure how to send a DM). Maybe even compare numbers (cost).

@flashpolkadot sorry for the delay in getting back, crazy days lately, you can dm/pm on houzz by following the person, then I think you send the message at their profile page. Wish I knew when I was doing my install, I’d first have make a definitive decision and order my flooring!

I’ve just ordered one more box of another floor, this will be my last for sure. I plan to compare side by side with my Sweet Talker and the winner will be it! I need to move forward, my budget has already gone up too much since I started looking due to the tariffs and it’s only getting worse. :(

As far as install photos, there are so many pics of Sweet Talker out there, have you explored Instagram? Did you end up buying a box of to see it in your space?

@Nena Filange Yes, I think I've seen every Sweet Talker photo there is out there! I've been searching and looking at samples for months now and I'm over it too. Time to move along and just pull the trigger. So what is the other floor that you're considering?

Oh no - is that true? Really? The tariffs have driven up the cost/price? UGH!!!

So the first company that I had to come out and measure (2 weeks ago) never got back to me with an estimate/proposal. I called and inquired, they said 'someone will get back to you'. No one ever did. So they have been canned. I had someone else measure this past Friday, I'm expecting the proposal today. I will see if I can DM you. Once I get the info - I would be more than happy to share the details.

@flashpolkadot I've been looking at Supercore for almost a year now, I couldn’t pick a color, everything was too something. Provenza came on the radar several months back, while I was looking at Karndeen. With soooooo many actual install pictures of Sweet Talker out there, it’s an easy (and beautiful) choice. I’ve just been hesitant, because every time I think I’ve made my decision, something else comes out an messes me up! Like the Concorde Oak!

Anyway, Supercore‘s a got new one, Sol, that’s the front runner now. I’ve liked Krypton since the beginning, but thought it was a bit dark & rustic for me. Sol seems to solve that. I also like Oak Natural & their new French Oak, although I think this will tend too grey. I want something warm, just like the colors/tones in Sweet Talker. Someone recently posted an install pic of Oak Natural that looks really similar to Sweet Talker. Anyway, after so much time and looking, I thought I had to get a sample box before moving forward with the Sweet Talker. Trying to avoid regrets. So I just ordered a mixed box of Supercore, heavy on the Sol. It’ll be here Thursday. Decision will be made this weekend no matter what! :)

Yes, the tariffs have and continue to drive up pricing. All these floors are made in China. In the year I’ve been trying to choose, prices have gone up at least 20%. I understand Provenza has a price increase coming October 1st. My budget is at its max, so I have to pull the trigger now!

I feel your pain with trying to get a bid. I’ve had so much trouble trying to get work done at my home, it’s awful. Fortunately I have a floor guy, whose pricing also went up $0.50/sqft since the last time he installed for me. With the rising material pricing and labor costs, I’m more hesitant than ever to make a choice. I have to love the floor, I WILL NOT be doing this again any time soon!

@Nena Filange Thanks so much for all of the info. Very helpful. I received my proposal for the project. It's a little bit higher than expected (about $1700 higher than what I was hoping to pay). I will try to see if I can DM you the info. Again, would be great to compare (for bargaining power). Stand by.

@Nena Filange Looks like you are not set up to receive DMs. To receive messages from me - 1. Follow me. 2. go to Your Houzz > edit profile and settings > advanced settings. Then scroll down and set as follows:

@flashpolkadot good morning, should be good now

@Nena I sent you a private message yesterday- did you get it?

@flashpolkadot yes, I replied a bit ago.

@flashpolkadot and @Nena Filange,

I'm on the hunt for the same thing as you both. Have you made a decision? I love Sweet Talker too, but it doesn't have the SPC core that SuperCore, Flooret, and Concord Oak has. (I've read the entire thread about SuperCore on Houzz.) I've been researching for a year and a half and this is my first time I've jumped into a conversation. Sutton, Oak Natural, Royal Crest, Loyal Friend... I have samples of or have brought home sample boards. I probably have 40 or more samples from SuperCore, Flooret, Home Depot, and others. It's such an expensive and difficult decision.

Thank you for your response. I didn't think about how the different flooring felt underfoot. I just assumed all the padding would be about the same, except maybe the cork. So you think your Coretec is harder? We are putting the flooring in all of our downstairs and we have a cement foundation. I wonder why Provenza didn't include Sweet Talker in their new line of SPC, especially since it's so popular. I plan on getting sample boxes before I decide. Which of the SuperCore planks did you order besides the Sol? Online, Sol looks a bit rustic with the knots. Did you happen to get Sandal? I'm wondering if it looks like Sweet Talker.

@T. D. My Coretec is definitely harder, but I have Coretec One. It was installed over cork underlay, so it feels fine underfoot, but the cork was an additional expense. I can’t speak to any of the other Coretec products. Here are photos of the backsides & profiles of the Coretec One, Supercore and Provenza Maxcore, hopefully they give an idea of the differences.

Coretec One (white back, flat, no pad)

Supercore (black pad attached)

Provenza Sweet Talker (grey pad attached)

I just find the Provenza to feel better underfoot, not sure if it’s because it’s not SPC, if it has a softer or thicker pad, or if it’s something else.

I did not get Sandal, just French Oak, Sol, Krypton and Oak Natural. The Sol and Krypton look more rustic to me in photos, I was surprised they didn’t seem as much so in person. From the photos I’ve seen of Sandal, I don’t see any resemblance to Sweet Talker.

I’m also considering Flooret Modin in Sutton, or Provenza in Sweet Talker or Finally Mine. Anyone regret going with the Provenza? The Provenza is actually about $0.50/sqft cheaper, and I can find it locally for pickup and save on shipping. Plus that allows me to split upstairs and down stairs in to 2 projects. My only concern is the durability of Provenza, and the Flooret Modin just seems to be higher quality. When comparing my Provenza, Coretec, and Supercore samples, they all seem similar, then Modin feels even Better. Any feedback is much appreciated!

@parehm where did you find the Provenza $0.50 cheaper than Flooret Modin? I'm getting quotes locally of $6.25+ a square foot for Sweet Talker.

@Mark local place near me (NC). Flooring Liquidators and Floorzz are around the same price ($3.50) although they are internet sales and may void the warranty.

@parehm, We have Flooret Modin in Arbor in our entire house (actually just laying our living room and kitchen planks today!). We did extensive research and got samples of the Flooret, Provenza, Coretec Plus, Mannington Adura Max and Kardean. We chose the Flooret because it felt and looked the best, and we especially liked the extra wide and long planks, attached underlayment and 40mil wear layer. Some people don't like the bevel but we love it. The next best choice for us was the Coretec Plus, but it was $2 more per sq.ft and didn't look as good. We have a beach house and two 90-lb dogs that constantly bring gritty sand in on their paws. We've had the Modin in our master bedroom/bath and high traffic hallway for 9 months. This floor takes a beating and cleans up beautifully. The main negatives are the shipping cost plus having to deal with a freight company for delivery. But the company has been great to work with by phone with excellent response times and customer service. I always prefer to work with local dealers, but in the case, we have no regrets going with Flooret.

We installed Sutton Base in our storage room. It is beautiful but I can't speak for wear yet. I don't have a photo of the finished room because we immediately filled it with storage. lol. We aren't moving in until Monday so all the extra boxes went into storage.

@ottoandlillysmom How different does the smaller bevel look? I like flooret but wasn't crazy about the giant bevel.

@Kate If you join the FB group called "Flooring Advice", you can see lots of photos of Flooret base. The group is sponsored by Flooret. I have samples of base and feel like it isn't really a bevel, but more of a seam.