@Cynthia Cunningham We have two LVPs in our house that we are trying to replace due to unfortunate reasons (defect in the first LVP and then misleading sales in the second, both companies ended up refunding us but it was a huge pain on both counts.) The finish matters. The one we have with a matte finish (Coretec Berlin PIne) tears up our socks and pants at a ridiculous rate (we are on the floors a lot with our toddler). We also have experienced the haze/footprint issue with that one that people complain about. The other LVP (Cali Bamboo North Shore Oak) does not have a matte finish, you can see and feel the difference comparatively, and it cleans great and has not torn apart our clothes. We hate going upstairs because that is where the clothes-shredding Coretec floor is and we have to try not to touch it with our clothes. Just by getting down on our knees and getting back up once ruins our pants because it leaves whitish patches (that turn to holes quickly with repeated exposure to the floor). I've had to apologize to friends whose kids ruined their pants in one afternoon of playing on our floors. Both companies say they use the same top coat (UV acrylic) and the one that has the most embossed texture (Cali) is the one that isn't shredding our clothes, so it is not a difference in wear layer composition or in embossing/not embossing. it really does seem to be a difference between matte and non-matte finishes. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to find any new LVP samples so far that don't have the matte finish that seems to have overtaken the industry in the last year. If it weren't for the fact that we were promised 10 patterns from Cali Bamboo and there were only 4 when we installed (and the repeats look glaringly, stupidly obvious) then we would go with Cali Bamboo just because it isn't shredding our clothes. Now, I could see how it wouldn't matter if you don't wear socks and don't get on the floors much. Even the clothes shredding floor is comfortable to walk on barefoot. It took us several months to figure out that was what was tearing up our clothes (but once we did figure it out, it was super obvious it was happening just on the Coretec matte floor). My point really is to say, yes, there is definitely some (if not most) LVP that certainly shreds clothes but there apparently is at least one out there that doesn't (Cali Bamboo). Still searching for another non-matte finish LVP and will let you know if we find one!

I originall installed the floor myself. there is nothing wrong with the installation but with the product itself. The first time around when some planks were delaminating i called my dealer and they came and replaced that section professionally. After a while more planks delaminated, so they came another time and redid another whole room. Now I discovered another plank that is peeling off. Either it’s a crappy product or they sold me a bad batch.

Living with my Karndean Warm Ash 9" planks for 2 months. Its very pretty, love 9" and the color. I was going for exactly whT the OP was goung for and the look is right. But. Has no bevel. Not Into cleaning, the idea of any bevel sounded gross with my not so often cleaning. Wish I had done a micro bevel if it was avail. Didnt even consider and wish I had. Prof install, Karndean is not maybe the best but decent brand......the ends of the planks stick up just a tiny bit. Most noticeable when walking down the hallway as the planks are laid Ling. Really distracting. And of course I can't imagine it not chipping. Really sad, super expensive small new build. Other thoughts, I hate the grain in lvp. although I went with a very minimal grain, again the idea if dirt building up in the grin was gross. But even with minimal grain you notice if you Re sweeping with or against the grain. You have to sweep with the grain. I have soft spots that you can feel give. Drives me nuts. No noise, just give. Btw that and the flex in in the trex I feel like I'm living in a fun house mystery spot. Wish I had gone glue down but assumed it was some cheap way to go. It can be fixed, click cannot. No give.

@Mrs. S Thank you so much, this was very helpful! I didn't realize 8mm was thin for a top layer. We are not limited to one store. It's just where our contractor suggested we go. I think this place is easy for him to work with, but the flooring material appears in our contract as an "allowance" and can be from wherever we want. We aren't limited to 3.99/sf -- actually our contract has a $5/sf allowance for the materials and I'd happily spend a little more for quality. We're only putting down about 500 square feet here so an extra dollar or two per sf is not really a concern against the overall cost of this project or value of the house. Two years ago we dropped 14k to run site-finished white oak through the upper two floors, so while i am budget conscious I am not a cheapskate about flooring :) Our basement will contain a rec/tv/play room, laundry and guest space. It won't see heavy traffic the way our kitchen would, for example, and we are a no-shoes house (normal in our region, guests always remove shoes without being asked) and don't have pets, but our small child(ren) will do rambunctious things down there for years to come. We've got radiant hydronic heating in the slab. I suspect not all the brands available in the US are available in Canada, or some might be available here under different brand names (this turned out to be the case with our bathroom tile, for example -- turns out the tile we fell for in a local show room is the super-popular Cloe tile, rebranded in Canada). This flooring business is well-reviewed and popular (tonnes of customers in the show room when we went) and friends have bought their flooring through here as well, so it's not a random sketchy spot -- one of the top flooring businesses in the city, I think. But I realize that doesn't mean this specific product is much good. What are some of the top high-quality brands you'd recommend hunting for? Is Coretec (mentioned by eld6161) a good one to look for?