Another poster described it perfectly as I quoted above. Now for the update. After meeting with the project manager and the salesperson we have come to a solution. The top tread has a rise that is 1/2" lower than all the other steps. They did this to allow the carpet and padding to roll over and keep the height within code. The project manager's solution will work. We can remove the top tread and replace it with a tread that is 1/2" thicker. This will make it 1/2" higher than the subfloor on the upstairs landing. This will allow us to use 1/2" flooring that will then be level with the step. The step will not be higher than the rest of the steps since it was made 1/2" lower (for the carpet.) Whew. I hope this makes sense. I am not happy that we will have the carpet over the top tread for a while but I am glad that eventually we can put wood floors in the upstairs landing and connecting hallways. The builder went further to please us. We had eliminated some cabinets from the kitchen above the range because my husband will be building a custome mantle hood. The cabinet company said they would not credit us for the cabinets so today the builder told us THEY are going to credit us $500 for them. Our salesperson also called us today to let us know that they are going to remove two dead trees that are beyond the line of where they clear the lot. The trees are pretty far back so they did not have to do this but wanted to honor our request due to our confusion over the stairs. So all and all I am very pleased with how the situation turned out.

Love the color, it is exactly what we wanted. As for quality, it‘s our 1st experience with LVP (we are more used to engineered hardwood), and we’re glad we went with the CoreTEC Grande line. I‘m not sure we’d like a thinner LVP that doesn‘t have that super realistic surface layer or the weight to it. The CoreTEC Grande planks are super realistic, heavy and thick, more like wood would be. And they transition nicely to floor tile. Plus, they have a slightly thicker cork layer on the bottom (compared to most LVP planks) and it does feel very nice underfoot. Overall, it’s holding up very well and still looks like new. It’s a little more difficult to get rub or scuff marks off but it resists dog claws and our kids‘ toys better than wood does. One thing to note…if you plan to use rugs with a polypropylene backing on them (most on Wayfair or Amazon have this backing), you need to use a special rug pad in order to protect the floor from developing serious surface problems. Wool or cotton rugs are fine, though. We have two rugs with polypropolene backing, so we bought a couple rug pads from Rug Pad USA before laying down those rugs. So yes, so far so good for us. Good luck and make sure you hire a good installer. There are definitely some tricks to installing the Grande line as the tongue and groove mechanism is VERY fragile. Use a scrap piece of a plank as an install block instead of a regular floor install block. The scrap piece fits together with the plank you are installing and when you hammer the scrap piece (or a regular block up against a scrap piece), it pushes the plank into place without breaking the tongue and groove material, if that makes sense. A regular block just crushes the tongue and groove material once you start hammering. Anyways, sorry for the long post. Hope its hepful.

@autumnjohnson no, I really didn't notice until you said something. I think once all the planks are put down, it kind of blends in. I found the floors to be much more beautiful once they were installed versus the store samples. My mom installed Coretec Ravenswood Oak, and she didn't care for some of the distressing on hers, which come to found out, mine have to. Again, I didn't notice until she said something about it. Now if every plank had the same markings, that would be different. There are some planks that I love better than others, but overall, this flooring is beautiful, and I can't say enough about durability. No scratches or dents and we've been here for 8 months. My only complaint is that it was difficult for the installers because they said it was more rigid than standard LVP (not to mention heavy!). It is essential for the planks to be line up perfectly or there will be gaps. There were several gaps that they had to fix before moving in, and there are new ones that I will be having them address at our 1-year check-in. I would make sure whoever installs your floor is experienced and comfortable with this type of thick flooring and be sure to order extra. I don't think this is a flaw of the flooring, but rather the installation, and the nature of floating floor. Gaps will occasionally occur.

We have 7 unused and boxed flush stair nose pieces in Lotte Oak for sale. We went with a different shade and are not able to use these. Price is very reasonable Please pm me if interested.