What I Learned Searching for Rigid Core Vinyl Plank Flooring

2 years ago

I started my search at a local flooring store the second week of August 2021 and finished my search 5 weeks later when I ordered some flooring. Early in the search I decided to go with rigid core vinyl plank to replace all of the carpet in our house. I wanted a floor that was durable and easy to keep clean, in our single story retirement home in Arizona. I chose rigid core vinyl plank rather than some other hard surface flooring because I wanted something durable, easy to clean, waterproof, and easy to install on a concrete subfloor. That meant a “floating” floor that was not glued, cemented, or somehow permanently attached to the subfloor. I also wanted a floor that looked like real wood, given my 25 years of experience overseeing logging, sawmilling, and drying of Appalachian hardwoods. I did not want a rustic floor of old, worn, low grade, knotty wood.

During the 5 weeks, I visited 4 small local flooring stores, a building supply house, The Home Depot and Lowe’s, where I looked at dozens of samples. Also visited the websites of the following 11 flooring brands, in alphabetical order: Armstrong, COREtec, Flooret from Flooret.com, Hallmark Floors, Karndean, Lifeproof from Home Depot, Nucore from Floor&Decor, Provenza, Smartcore from Lowe’s, Supercore from WeShipFloors.com, and Urban Surfaces. All of the brands offer multiple collections (lines) of rigid core vinyl plank flooring, which differ in some way. Each collection offers multiple colors/patterns. I also visited several online vendors of multiple brands. I must have viewed at a least 500 samples online. Perhaps a 1000; the choice is remarkable, just in the category of rigid core vinyl plank.

I ordered multiple samples from 10 brands, usually from more than one collection. I ended up with 38 samples. I quickly eliminated most samples on the basis of appearance/color. Some of those I used to develop objective measures of resistance to staining, resistance to scratching and resistance to denting. I developed a dozen different tests to evaluate various attributes of the samples. I ran all of the tests on only 5 of the samples but some tests on several more samples. I did not run a test on resistance to slipping when wet, because I didn’t know how to do so on such small samples. I did test some samples for tendency to wear out fabric rubbed across the surface.

I decided to share my findings with you in hopes that it would help you find the right floor for your situation. Here’s what I learned from many many hours of research concerning rigid core vinyl plank floors:

Most, if not all of these floors are 100% waterproof. They are all extremely resistant to any damage from water, even flooding.
Some have WPC cores and some have SPC cores. SPC is more dense than WPC. SPC cores are usually made from powdered limestone and PVC. The practical difference is that floors with SPC cores expand and contract less due to changes in temperature. That’s important if your floor will be exposed to any direct sunlight. Also important if the ambient temperature of the building changes much during the year. Being more dense, SPC is much more resistant to denting, such as dents from the feet of heavy furniture or dents caused by the impact of a small but hard and heavy object, such as a steel tool, exercise weights, or a large can of tomato paste falling off a counter. (The planks I ordered have SPC cores.)
All but one of my samples came with an attached underlayment/pad, 0.5mm to 1.5mm thick, made from cork, EVA, or IXPE. I don’t know which kind is better, but I think that 1.5mm is clearly better than 0.5mm. I would not now consider planks without attached underlayment , even though it can be purchased and installed separately. The underlayment makes the flooring a little less hard under foot, a little more comfortable to walk on. It also makes SPC flooring even more resistant to denting, especially if it’s 1.5mm thick. (The planks I ordered have 1.5mm attached EVA underlayment.)
Regardless of the kind of core, the subfloor must be unusually flat. Most subfloors probably will not be flat enough as is. The high spots will have to be removed and the low spots filled in before installing your new floor. If that is not done, the mechanism that locks the planks together is apt to fail, or the floor is likely to squeak, or the floor will have hollow sounding spots in some places. The process of flattening the floor is rather labor intensive. I suggest that you read the installation instructions BEFORE you buy the flooring.
Most of these floors have a matte finish on top with very little shine or gloss. However, all samples with a matte finish were not equally abrasive. One notable exception was the Armstrong PRYZM collection. All four PRYZM samples I received had more gloss than the other 33 samples. Also, these samples were the least abrasive of those I tested. The abrasiveness of the surface might be important for families with small children who crawl around on the floor or who walk around on their floor in their stocking feet (socks). Very abrasive floors can wear out clothes and also bare skin! But they may be less slippery which could be an advantage for some people. This could be especially important if the floor often gets wet. (The planks I ordered have a matte finish that is mildly abrasive.)
The surface of all samples were embossed to create some texture, but some were much smoother than others. A plank that is supposed to mimic one manufactured many years ago that is now beat up and worn, needs some embossing to look realistic. So should a rustic one made to look like it’s from low grade lumber today. But a plank that is supposed to look like one recently made from high grade lumber should have very little texture. If made from real solid high grade lumber, the surface would be quite smooth and free of defects found in lower grades of lumber. All colors within a collection may not have the same amount of texture but they probably will have nearly the same sheen and exhibit about the same degree of abrasiveness. (The planks I ordered have very little texture.)
Most planks come with all 4 edges beveled. They’re referred to as micro belvels, painted bevels, pressed bevels, enhanced bevels, etc. These terms are not standardized in the industry. Most micro bevels were so small that I could not see them with a magnifying glass. In the case of painted bevels, the beveled edges are all one solid color. If the kind of bevel is important to you, beware. In some collections, different colors have different kinds of bevels. Personally I wanted micro (or nano) bevels. I think that the grooves created by pronounced bevels around the edges of the planks would be a pain to keep clean. (The planks I ordered have nearly imperceptible micro bevels.)
The thickness of the wear layer, primarily made from vinyl (PVC) is the most important determinant of how long the floor will last. Of the samples I obtained, the wear layer thickness ranged from 12mil to 40mil. I did not consider buying anything with less than 20mil. The wearability of the flooring is also affected by the composition of the finish coat which is quite thin. This finish coat is usually made of polyurethane which is cured quickly with UV light. It’s at this point in the production process that the sheen is created. This thin top coat sometimes includes microscopic diamond particles, aluminum oxide particles, or ceramic beads. Some products include these to make the surface more resistant to foot traffic, scratches, and/or scuff marks. Some do not. Vinyl by itself is not very resistant to abrasion, scratches, and scuff marks. (The planks I ordered have a 30 mil wear layer with an aluminum oxide finish.)
The thickness of my samples ranged from 4.5mm to 8.0mm. On average, the planks with SPC cores are thinner than those with WPC cores. While SPC floors are usually thinner than WPC floors, SPC planks usually weigh more per sq ft. I did not consider buying anything less than 5.0mm thick, including the attached underlayment. (The planks I ordered are 6.0mm.thcik.)
The width of the planks I reviewed ranged from 5” to 9”. Since I was looking for plank flooring that resembled planks made from high grade lumber with few knots, holes, bird peck, ingrown bark, splits, etc, I eliminated planks over 8” wide. Clear planks over 8”
wide do not look realistic to me in 2021. They would have been realistic 100 years ago when log diameters were much larger. (Nearly all high grade lumber is cut from the outer part of a log which has fewer knots and other defects.) Vinyl planks 9” wide could look realistic today, if they were made to look like knotty low grade wood, or old and distressed wood, as if cut from high grade large logs many decades ago. (The planks I ordered are 7” wide.)
The planks are held together by similar but different locking mechanisms. Most of the patents on these systems are held by European companies and used under license by the manufacturers of the flooring. Some planks are a little quicker and easier to install because of the locking system. I think the best is probably Valinge 5GC. (The planks I ordered have the Valinge 5GC locking system.)
Most rigid core vinyl plank flooring is certified to be free of harmful emissions by FloorScore or Greenguard. They are voluntary, independent certification programs that test and certify hard surface flooring and associated products for compliance with criteria adopted in California for indoor air emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) with potential health effects. The planks I ordered are certified by Floorscore.
Some rigid core vinyl plank flooring is more resistant to staining than others. I tested 8 of my samples for this attribute. I used crushed blueberries, black coffee, orange juice, chocolate syrup, and mustard. Mustard that was smeared on the sample and left to dry, was most likely to leave a permanent stain that could not be washed off with detergent and water. The stain could be seen even on some dark samples, in bright sunlight. I would rate 3 of the 8 samples very good, and the remainder excellent, with regard to ability to resist staining from mustard. (The planks I ordered are excellent at resisting stains.)
I tested several samples for abrasiveness by rubbing a piece of fabric across the surface until a hole appeared in the fabric. All four colors of Armstrong PRYZM were the least abrasive even though some of them had a lot of texture. Flooret Modin Base, Soho, as well as COREtec Plus 5” plank, Norwegian Maple, were the most abrasive. I don’t know if the abrasiveness of the floor, as measured, is related to the slip resistance of the floor. (The planks I ordered are mildly abrasive.)
I tested 4 products for resistance to scratching using 4 different tests on each sample. I used only 2 or 3 tests on some other samples. Some samples were more scratch resistant than others. No sample was excellent at resisting scratching but SUPERCore Xtreme, Chattanooga Hickory was slightly better than any of the others. (The planks I ordered were the best, but not excellent, at resisting scratches.)
I tested 10 samples for resistance to denting, using 2 different tests. The samples with a SPC core consistently and significantly performed better than those with a WPC core. (The planks that I ordered were excellent at resisting dents.)

I developed a system to rate rigid core vinyl plank flooring products. Half of the total score was based on 17 criteria which could be verified online, or by contacting the manufacturer, or by examining the samples. Half of the total score was based on my objective measurements of the resistance to staining, scratching, denting, and wearing of fabric, when rubbed against a sample. Each criterion was given a weight which I deemed appropriate for my case and preferences. Occasionally I changed the weights over time, to better reflect the relative importance to me of some attributes. If the weight assigned to an attribute was increased, another was decreased so that the sum total was maintained at 100%. This obviously affected the final score for a sample, but seldom the ranking. All data was compiled in a spreadsheet.

At the end of this process I deemed SUPERCore Xtreme, Cattanooga Hickory, the best for us. It’s sold at WeShipFloors.com . I think their standard price of $4.99/sqft is too high, but they often offer discounts via a discount code at the top of each web page. When I ordered 952 sqft on 9/21/2021, they were offering a discount of 30%, no sales tax on orders delivered outside of TN, and free freight on orders over 350 sqft. So the net price delivered to my home in AZ was $3.49/sqft. I consider it a best buy at that price.

The other rigid core vinyl plank flooring that is a very good value in my opinion, is the Flooret Modin Base collection. It’s currently priced at $2.75/sqft plus a $199 flat delivery charge. That comes to $2.96/sqft for 952 sqft, plus any applicable taxes. The Flooret product is not quite as thick, wide or long as SUPERCore Xtreme. Other than that, it’s very similar. I probably would have ordered the Modin Base flooring if it had been available in a color and pattern that I liked. The Armstrong PRYZM also appears to be a high quality product based on the product specs, the testing by Consumer Reports, and my own testing.

The Chattanooga Hickory is on backorder. I expect to receive it by October 15. So far the vendor of SUPERCore Xtreme, a relatively small company, has been very good to work with. Zoe has been extremely helpful, quick to answer questions by email or phone, and quick to send samples. Unlike the people I interacted with at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and 3 of 4 local flooring stores, Zoe really knows her stuff ! I plan to install the flooring myself. Hope to finish by the end of this year. Worst part will be moving the furniture out, storing it somewhere, then moving it back in. Might not know for several months if I made the right decision, but at the moment everything is looking good.

Please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, additional info, or evidence that goes contrary to my findings.

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HU-592188739

2 years ago

Thank you for the super comprehensive review, will be very helpful for years to houzz visitors

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Comments (35)

amyhlr
2 years ago
Wow!! Thank you so much for this very comprehensive analysis of your process and findings. I am in the process of researching new flooring options for my basement, to replace the 20 year old carpeting that is presently covering the concrete floors. We had the basement waterproofed 22 years ago, a french drain was installed at that time. We have two sump pumps located in opposite corners of the basement, one is in the electrical closet, the other in my husbands shop; neither space has a finished floor (just exposed concrete.) In the finished area of the basement we have carpeting. There have been several flooding episodes over the last 30 years, mostly due to sump pump failure, hot water heater malfunctions etc. Each time part of the carpet got wet, but we managed to dry it out and therefore didn't replace it. It was just clean surface water. Nevertheless, we have now decided to replace the carpet with vinyl flooring.

In one area the concrete floor isn't level. Years ago when the basement waterproofers completed their job, they didn't pour the new concrete floor evenly, which left us with an area that is not completely level, it is higher near the wall in 2 areas. My husband measured, and it's about a 3/8 inch difference.

After visiting several local flooring stores and major box stores, as well as researching online, I am now throughly confused. One local flooring store says that his installer can level out the concrete and I am better off with a floating floor. Another local store says that I am better off gluing the product to the floor. I have vacillated back and forth over this, at this point I am leaning towards a floating floor.

Which brings me to my greatest concern. Which manufacturer produces a product that will perform well, be easy to clean, not be abrasive, and last? Of great concern is also its' ability to handle water on the floor. After spending a lot of time online reading consumer reviews, I have seen mostly negative comments about scratches, dents, fading, shifting, cupping, abrasiveness to the point of ripped clothing and injured feet, footprints, and excessive dirt that could not be cleaned. Most importantly, the manufacturers either ignore complaints, or send inspectors to observe the problem, and despite the contents of the written report proclaim that the problem was caused by the installation and therefore not their responsibility. I encountered this with several of the major manufacturers.

So, does anyone have feedback regarding their experiences with Flooret Modin, COREtec and Karndean? I am looking for a product with at least a 20 mil wear layer, is less likely to dent, and is easy to clean. The other woodwork in our basement is a honey oak color, so we are interested in coordinating with that as well as a navy sofa. We were looking for a wood tone with a little gray in it, or a stone look that's beigey and not too busy.

Thanks in advance.

PS Years ago I was very active on the Pool Forum when this was Gardenweb.

Amyhlr
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Ned
Original Author
2 years ago
amyhlr I suspect that Armstrong PRYZM will “perform well, be easy to clean, not be abrasive, and last…[and can] handle water on the floor.” It has an SPC core and is very resistant to denting. It’s not highly abrasive. The 4 samples of PRYZM I received and tested were rather smooth but some had more texture than others. The 6.5mm thick planks will create a floating floor. You’ll need to flaten/level you floor before installing the PRYZM.
amyhlr
2 years ago
Thanks for your response Ned. We are still vacillating over glue down vs. rigid core. Each day we meet a new flooring salesperson who gives an opinion as to what will work best for us and it changes each day. I don't know if we are better off if we have rigid core flooring which can be lifted to dry out and reinstalled, or glue down which can not be lifted, but may harbor moisture and mold beneath the flooring. I don't trust that my floor won't get wet again. I checked the Armstrong Pryzm website, didn't see anything that I liked. At this point we are leaning towards Karndean gluedown Harvest Oak (30mil wear layer) or Jatoba (20 mil wear layer). (the Jatoba is also available in rigid core.) Karndean seems to make their gluedowns without the rigid core. Coretech seems to only make their products with a rigid core, but you supposedly can glue it down intact.
Jen K (7b, 8a)
2 years ago
Excellent thoughts and feedback, Ned. Thank you for sharing your information and efforts, freely and without obligation.

We chose, as offered through our semi custom new home builder, Armstrong Empower line (SPC) because of the features you mention, we have a lot of heavy antiques, and because it had the color we want. I would have been happy with PRYZM but didn't like the colors.

I didn't know about potential abrasiveness until I read the 'beware of Coretec' thread. I hope the matte/gloss veneer doesn't have a negative affect on our enjoying the floor.

I hope many people see this thread. Thank you again!
Kristin T
2 years ago
This is so comprehensive! Do you have a link to your spreadsheet with all your findings?
Carol McNickols
2 years ago
@Ned thank you for your very informative post. Your results correlated with mine and I also ended up ordering a SUPERCore product. I bought SUPERCore Xtreme XLT Maple Brown Sugar. I have been told it is now in so I expect to hear a shipping date soon.

My question to you would be a strange one ( in my opinion). That would be how to find a reputable person in Arizona that will properly prep my subfloors for instillation. There are so many people that say they know what they are doing but when I have them come for estimates I get 99% that say I don't need anything done to my floors they will do ok. Living in Yuma there are so many here today and gone tomorrow people out there including the winter visitors. I just need help knowing where to search to find the great help I need. Is there a reputable site online that you found that help? Sorry to bother you but I am getting pretty worried about the ability to find someone I can trust here.
amyhlr
2 years ago
We had planned to install glue down Karndean flooring but our installer said that he doesn't test the floor for moisture content (we are the first people who have inquired about this.) So we contacted our friend the home inspector and asked him to come test our floor. It measured 100% moisture everywhere that he scanned the concrete. So I think we will nix the entire idea of replacing our flooring.
Ned
Original Author
2 years ago
Kristin T, A link to the spreadsheet would not be of much use to anyone without a lot of explanatory info. I don’t want to take the time to explain how to use it, to help evaluate flooring for you, given your needs and preferences, which are likely different from mine. Also, I don’t want to take the time to figure out how to provide a link to the spreadsheet so you and others could modify it, without modifying my copy or yours.

Carol, I was notified that our order was shipped from the WeShipFloors warehouse in Johnson City, TN on 10/19/21. It’s running about 10 days behind my expected ship date. I attribute most of the delay to the bottleneck at the port in Charleston, SC.

I plan to remove 850 sqft of carpet and replace it myself with the SUPERCore Xtreme. Hopefully I’m not biting off more than I can chew. If I were 20 years younger I’m sure it would be easy.

Do you plan to install the SUPERCoreXtreme yourself? If so, you can probably do the subfloor prep work yourself. The main point is that your subfloor has to be flat, not level. If it’s flat and also level that’s even better. Assuming you can get down on your hands and knees, you can determine if your floors are flat enough. You don’t have to take the word of anyone else. You can do a pretty good job of checking the flatness with only a stiff straight edge that is at least 10 ft long and some shims. A $30 RYOBI Multi Surface Laser Level might also be helpful in identifying high spots and low spots in your floor. Make sure your concrete subfloor is clean, dry, and flat to 3/16" in 10', 1/8" in 6', or 1/16” in 3’. It should be level to ½” in 12’. Watch this video for more on determining the flatness of your floors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzL4PPesBCA

This company may be able to flatten & prep your floors if needed: https://www.azhomefloors.com/

Be sure to read carefully the installation instructions for your flooring. They are available on the WeShipFloors website. A 6 mil thick polyethylene vapor barrier should be installed over a concrete subfloor before the vinyl plank flooring is placed on top of it.

If you have additional questions contact me by private message through Houzz, if Houzz provides that capability.
Carol McNickols
2 years ago
@Ned, Thank you so very much for your answers and help. I have wood subfloors as I live in a mobile home. I have pulled all my own carpet and linoleum. I only have one area I am concerned with and that is subfloor has one area that the plywood is higher than the one it is next to by at least1/16th of an inch. I think I will have to figure out how to screw it down and tighten it up. My flooring was shipped about the same time as yours. It departed North Carolina on the 21st and it says it may be here the 25th which is tomorrow. I truly dread dragging all that from the driveway to my home. I have someone that will install my flooring once I am done getting it ready. The installer had stated he would take care of leveling but stated I did not need any and that if he found a place he would just throw some leveling compound over it. As you know the instructions state the exact product that has to be used and then the use of 4 mil plastic over the flooring if the compound is used. I thought I wanted to tackle this flooring myself but my old knees are wiped out after all the work I had to do when removing the old flooring.

I do have a ton of questions but do not know how to email through here. Thanks so much for helping now!
Carol McNickols
2 years ago
@Ned I forgot to add that It sounds like our flooring may have met ha ha. Is yours going to Blythe, Ca before coming to you? Dumb question but inquiring minds want to know! Also I appreciate the flooring help link but most folks in Phoenix will not come to Yuma to work. It is too far. I will look for something similar here!
Steven Tucker
2 years ago
@Ned would love to see your install photos after floor is in
Lauren Eliz
2 years ago
This is awesome research. I’d just like to add another consideration is number of board patterns. Flooring laid with 7 unique boards vs one laid with 12 unique boards will read differently in a large space.
Mrs. S
2 years ago
Ned, I read every word. thank you.
Kath
2 years ago
THANK YOU NED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kath
2 years ago
How are your floors holding up?
Scotty D
2 years ago
I went through a similar process about 15 months ago, I determined that the Cortec Grande line was the best for me. What I really liked was the thickness 15mm and the 30 mil wear layer, it’s a WPC product so it feels a little softer to live on and so far it has not had any denting issues. I installed about 2300 sq ft about 12 months ago, it’s a very quiet floor and feels luxurious to live on, I highly recommend it. I think it compares very favorably to any other product out there. Good luck in your search.
Raina S
2 years ago
@Ned: loved your report. please share how you feel about your floors and the installation process.
Raina S
2 years ago
@Carol McNickols I'd love to know how your project turned out. I'm about to embark on doing my trailer floors. They are particle board and I'm wondering about where a vapor barrier should be on the earth beneath the trailer as specified in the specifications. Although I have at least 18" from the ground and a secure insulated belly. Congrats on removing linoleum and carpet by yourself! I may go to TN to their storeroom if the samples don't convince me on their own. What flooring did you end up with and how do you like it? What does it feel like underfoot? Thank you for any answers!
Amber
last year
Hi! Hoping for a follow up as well and to see photos of it installed :)
gotoran
last year
Follow-up photos?
aliceblois
last year
Thanks for writing all of that. A year later and I'm on the same flooring journey. Have ordered many of the same samples. This was super helpful as all the information has been overwhelming.
Melissa Fontaine
last year
Thank you for sharing your research - We are replacing a hardwood floor in a condo on a slab - the hardwood was installed by the folks we bought the condo from - and water has ruined this floor FIVE TIMES - each time with a different reason - over the last 12 years. Of course when all this started, the vinyl options were not as good as they are now. But the research is still daunting! So thanks for sharing your opinions, ideas and decisions!
gotoran
last year
Hopefully, your condo board won't have any issues with the attached sound absorbent underlayment.
Jennifer Sexton
last year
Ned, fantastic information! I have to ask, as I'm now considering the same flooring you installed, Chattanooga Hickory....how are your floors? Any complaints? Do you have a photo or two you could share?
gotoran
last year
I'd love to see some of that Chattanooga Hickory as well.
Paige
last year
last modified: last year
@Ned I realize this is an older thread, but I was wondering how abrasive you thought the Flooret Modin felt in comparison to the one you chose? We are looking at the Base line, and it is said to have a smaller bevel than the Signature or Craftsman.
Ned
Original Author
last year
Here is a followup to my original posting.

Installation of the plank flooring is rather easy but preparing the subfloor is anything but! We are very happy with the final results but getting there wasn’t easy. Some of the SUPERCore Xtreme, Cattanooga Hickory, has been down for more than a year. None of it shows any signs of wear, even when inspected carefully. We vacuum all of the floors in the house every week using 2 inexpensive eufy robo vacs and mop once a month. The color does not show the dirt easily. If you walk on it when it is wet after mopping, it often shows footprints when dry, during certain times of the day when the natural light is just right. I expect the floor to be looking good long after I’m gone.

I think the SUPERCore Xtreme, Cattanooga Hickory, is an excellent product. It is really tough. It locks together easily if you follow the directions. Delivery was only one week late; very good considering the supply chain issues at that time. The planks had 5 distinct patterns. I was expecting 6. Bear in mind that the characteristic feature of a pattern, such as a unique knot, can appear on the left side or the right side of a plank and might appear at any location along the length of the plank. So there is a lot of variation among the planks. Before putting them down, I separated a few boxes into 5 different piles of planks, based on the pattern.

I installed the flooring in our smallest bedroom first, by myself in November 2021. Waited for spring to resume work. I hired a helper in May 2022 for the remainder after a knee became very painful. My helper connected the planks together and marked the pieces to be cut. I selected the planks from the piles for him to put down and and made the cuts, so I could remain on my feet. I used an electrically powered table saw, jigsaw and a mitre saw to make the cuts. Discovered weeks later that I tore the lateral meniscus in my right knee, probably from getting up and down from the floor so much. Had surgery on the knee in November 2022. Not sure when I’ll start the last small bedroom.

All rigid core plank flooring that locks together and floats on top of the sub floor requires a subfloor that is unusually flat. The floor does not have to be level. It does have to be flat. If the subfloor has significant peaks and valleys, (high spots and low spots) the relatively rigid planks will bridge over the low spots, leaving an air space between the top of the subfloor and the bottom of the plank. Stepping on a plank that is bridging over a low spot will cause a popping or snapping sound. You may find the popping and snapping sounds to be annoying. I have learned that most of these noises subside, almost completely, after several months. If the valley is too deep, your weight will stress the tongue and groove locking mechanism too much. Repeated stepping on such a spot will likely cause it to fail. Then the planks may move independently of one another and come apart. That would be a serious problem.

Our one story home was built in 2000. It has a concrete subfloor. I have installed the SUPERCore Xtreme, Cattanooga Hickory in one small bedroom, a large bedroom/sitting room and a laundry room. In every room I had to flatten the subfloor before installing the plank flooring.

I did the small bedroom first. After watching several Youtube videos, I decided to grind down the high spots instead of filling in the low spots. I bought all new gear to do the job, since I had 950 sq ft of flooring to install. That was a big mistake. Grinding down a concrete floor is an extremely slow, noisy, dirty, dusty, hazardous, and physically demanding job.

Here is a photo of the floor in the small bedroom.

In subsequent rooms I filled in the low spots with LevelQuik RS Self-Leveling Underlayment, made by Custom Building Products. Mixing and applying this product requires at least 2 people. It’s sold by The Home Depot and others. I did not cover the entire floor with the leveling compound. That would have required about 3 times as much leveling compound and would have raised those floors about ⅛ “ which I didn’t want to do. (Self-Leveling is a misnomer. The stuff is the consistency of thin pancake batter and requires some assistance and tooling to make a smooth flat surface. For the purpose of creating a flat subfloor for plank flooring in a home, I suggest that you add about 10% more water than the directions indicate. Doing so will make it flow better without adversely affecting its performance when cured.)

Prior to applying the leveling compound, I applied Multi-Surface Bonding Primer (MBP) to the concrete floor to ensure a tight bond between the original concrete and the leveling compound. (MBP is also made by Custom Building Products.) If you use the MBP you can feather the leveling compound to zero, and don’t have to maintain a minimum thickness of ⅛” over the entire floor.

Here are some photos of the floor in the large bedroom completed in June 2022.

Finding the borders of the high and low spots is tedious. Next time I will probably pour water in the previously identified low spots of the floor. Then I’ll mark the boundaries of the “puddles” with a large permanent black felt tip maker. Then vac up the water, let dry, apply MBP, and finally the leveling compound.

The floor in the laundry room between the garage and the kitchen gets a lot of abuse. It was installed in September 2022.

As you can see, the color of the flooring is highly dependent upon the light. That's why it's important to look at samples in your home.

Paige; The Flooret Modin Base Soho sample that I tested was more abrasive compared to the SUPERCore Xtreme, Cattanooga Hickory sample.

I hope this update is useful for some of you who are considering rigid core vinyl plank flooring.
gotoran
last year
Incredibly useful information, Ned. THANKS!!!!!!!
Carolyn W
last year
Thank you for your generous insight. Much appreciated.
Jennifer Sexton
last year
Thank you for posting photos! You've made my decision a lot easier.
Anna Reed
5 months ago
Amazing insight
Sky
5 months ago
Absolutely outstanding thread @Ned! You have saved me and others much time navigating this rabbit hole of LVP flooring and installation. Did you look at Flooret Modin Signature line at all? I know it was larger than your 8" max width but was curious your thoughts on that product vs their "base" product. I too am concerned about these large enhanced bevels that are "painted" vs a natural looking wood and, considering the major price difference between the Flooret Modin base and signature lines, the base is an attractive consideration. Again, thank you for your kindness in sharing your research and findings, tips, etc. Grateful 🙏
D Henzey
4 months ago
This is so very helpful! I shared this with my hubby. Now in the process of conducting stain and scratch tests. thank you!
Michele West
2 months ago
We are 99% positive that we are going with We Ship Floors. I have ordered so many samples that I can no longer distinguish one from the other. I wish I had found this thread sooner!