Installing Coretec

I’m sure that you’ve heard about this great product called Coretec by now.  A few years back, it took the flooring industry by storm, and has only improved since its first arrival.  Here’s an overview of COREtec flooring;

What is COREtec?

COREtec is “Engineered Vinyl Plank flooring,” or “EVP” for short, and it’s simply great all around.  COREtec created an entirely new category of flooring.  It’s not just the water-proof vinyl and soft, eco-friendly cork, with the exception of the COREtec One line which doesn’t have the attached cork underlayment, installing COREtec means you’d get the best of both.  It comes in so many styles that you could literally install this in every room of your home and have different looks throughout.  It is manufactured as floating clickable planks; which means there’s no messy glue or harmful VOC’S.  These planks and tiles are, by far, the most durable on the market today.  They are vinyl on top and have a waterproof core.  The core is called “Hydracore,” and it’s not like anything else.  It’s constructed of recycled wood, bamboo dust, limestone and virgin PVC; the material itself is so waterproof that even if submerged under water, it won’t swell.  The cork underlayment makes this material much softer, warmer and quieter than hardwood or tile.

COREtec comes in 7 lines, here’s an overview of each:

COREtec Plus 5” Plank – This line of COREtec has probably been the most popular one here in Westchester and its surrounding counties.  It consists of 5 inch wide planks that mimic real pre-finished hardwood with an attached cork underlayment, micro-beveled edges and is installed as a floating system.  The wider plank is so trendy right now, and has been for the past couple of years, that there’s no confusion as to why this COREtec Plus line has been so popular.

It comes in 12 different wood-look options, including some of our favorites – “Gold Coast Acacia,” “Red River Hickory,” “Carolina Pine,” and “Black Walnut.”  I’d have to say the most popular has probably been the “Boardwalk Oak” which is completely unique and unlike any of the others.  It has a contemporary look, combining grey tones, tons of texture, and honestly transformed every home we’ve ever installed it in!

The next is COREtec Plus 7” Plank –

Similar in construction to the COREtec Plus 5”, but differs greatly in appearance.  The COREtec Plus 7” line also comes in 12 different styles of wood-look planks, all being 7 inches wide with micro-beveled edges, attached cork underlayment, and is also installed as a floating system.  This line really has a lot of character!  A few of the style options like the “Nantucket Oak,” “Kingswood Oak” and “St. Andrews Oak,” have the look of distressed hardwood which shows (what would appear to be) saw marks, and wire-brushing texture.   A few other styles in this line have a lot of color-variation between the planks, so remember to do your research on the style you choose (or just give us a call with your questions, we’re very familiar with all of the COREtec products).  On a large scale, the look can be really beautiful, but just remember to have an experienced installer, because if you don’t know that the boards have a lot of variation, you could wind up with a disaster in a smaller area.  “Hudson Valley Oak” has the most color variation out of all of them.  We’re not saying don’t  install this in a small area, because we’ve done it successfully, picking and choosing each piece, giving the area an equal amount of variation; all we’re saying is, get someone who knows what they’re doing. My personal favorite has got to be the “Olympic Pine.” It has really beautiful warm dark brown tones and great grain lines.

Next is COREtec Plus Tiles –

There are two sizes of tile, the standard tile size is 1 foot by 2 feet wide, and the larger tile is 18.5 inches by 2 feet wide, both are an incredible alternative to standard tile.  Because COREtec Plus Tiles also have the eco-friendly cork underlayment, they’re much warmer and softer on your feet than standard tile floors.  These tiles come in 11 different style options, all with micro-beveled edges which include looks of porcelain, travertine, slate, marble, concrete and one wood-look tile. They all have their own interesting character and colors.  If you were thinking about a tile floor installation, consider the tile installation cost and how much more is usually needed for proper floor preparation, as opposed to the floor preparation needed for laying a floating floor.  As far as a favorite style, I can’t say that we have one, simply because they’re all unique and attractive in their own way.

Next we have COREtec Plus XL –

These big beautiful boards are 9 inches wide and 6 feet long!  Don’t like the look of a lot of seams in your floor?  Look no further! If you ever thought about having a hardwood flooring company special order you custom hardwood in all long lengths, the cost would add up pretty quickly.  With COREtec’s XL line, you don’t need to!  The makers of COREtec weren’t kidding when they named this line Extra Large, because that’s exactly what they are!  These over-sized planks give you way more of the actual floor to look at, instead of a bunch of seams.  Like the others in the COREtec Plus category, the XL line also has micro-beveled edges and the eco-friendly cork underlayment attached.  This line comes in 15 different color styles ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other.  You’re in luck too, because high contrast is trending, and COREtec XL has it all.  There’s “Gotham Oak,” which (if you’ve ever watched a Batman movie) you’d guess by the name that it’s really dark!  It has dark cool-toned greys with the graining of an Oak floor.  On the other end of the spectrum, following the European flooring trend, there’s “Mt. Pleasant Pine.”  This super-light floor with its low sheen is going to be seen more and more this year, as we follow this trend of light natural colors and low sheen levels.

Next, there’s COREtecs newer line, COREtec Plus HD –

COREtec really outdid themselves with this one.  They truly brought the look of hardwood made from reclaimed materials into play here.  With new technology known as E.I.R (Embossed in Register) they’ve taken the visual imagery of these planks to a whole new level.  The HD line comes in 15 different style options and I have to say that our favorites are the 5 different colors of the “Driftwood” series.  There’s “Vineyard Barrel Driftwood,” “Mont Blanc Driftwood,” “Shadow Lake Driftwood,” “Odessa Grey Driftwood” and “Fresco Driftwood.”  They all have characteristics of reclaimed, distressed and textured wood.  There is also a “Rustic” series that includes five different rustic wood-look options.  You won’t be able to believe the look of the wood graining on these planks; they’re incredibly realistic.  They’re all so unique, the hardest choice you’ll have to make is which one you like the best!

Second to last on our list, there’s COREtec Design –

This look brings a whole new dimension to your floor.  If you are looking for something that will really stand out, and brings a look that blends contemporary lines and colors with a weathered, textured surface finish, look no further.  COREtecs “Design” series has everything you need for a really unique floor.  There are 10 different options in the line, all with the eco-friendly cork underlayment, micro-beveled edges and installed as a floating floor.  In the “Design” series, you’ll find two options of tiles, and the rest are wood-look planks with varying widths.  All of the style options also include a large variation in color, making no two floors exactly alike!  One of our favorites here is “Fascination Oak.”  It has great color, graining and a mix of 5 inch and 7 inch width planks.

Ok, last on the list is COREtec Plus One –

This is the only series in the COREtec Plus line that doesn’t have the attached cork underlayment.  It comes in 8 different style options which include the look of some of my favorite wood species; there are 3 different Walnut looks, 3 different Oak looks, 1 Ash, and (my favorite) Acacia.  They all have a different color and beautiful wood graining.  The COREtec One is a great idea for any area that holds the threat of a lot of water; like a mud room, basement or laundry room.  The material is made not to need expansion space of any kind, is completely waterproof, and the material will never swell.

Built with long lasting durability in mind, these engineered vinyl planks have been designed for both commercial and residential use and are perfect for living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, basements, laundry rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, playrooms, family rooms, dens, garages, offices and really any other areas of your home or business.  It’s easy to keep up with flooring trends and have a material that, well, just makes sense too! COREtec flooring is considered the next revolution of luxury vinyl.

It’s waterproof and mold resistant making it a great choice for moisture prone areas of the home.
COREtec is such an incredible kind of flooring.  If moisture is or may be a potential issue for your basement floor, or any other room of your home that has a slab/cement subfloor,  than looking at the vast variety of styles that COREtec offers is a GREAT place to start.