Why people choose COREtec
- Water is not the end of it. COREtec calls its planks 100 percent waterproof and says they will not swell, cup or crack from water, which is why it goes where wood would worry you: a basement, a kitchen, a mudroom, a bathroom.
- Two cores, two feels. Originals are built on WPC, a foamed core that COREtec says reads softer, warmer and quieter underfoot. Pro is built on SPC, a denser stone polymer core made for dents and dropped things.
- Quiet from the start. Nearly every plank carries its own cork backing, and a few lines COREtec's Soft Step pad instead, so there is no separate underlayment to buy for most rooms.
- Real plank widths. Planks run 5, 7 and 9 inches wide, so a room reads as boards rather than strips, and the tiles run 12 and 18 inches.
The floors
COREtec Originals
The WPC family, a little thicker and softer underfoot. Originals Classics are the everyday planks, including the 5 inch VV023 for a narrower, more traditional board. Originals Enhanced includes the long 9 by 72 inch planks. Originals Premium is the heaviest build here, with 20 to 30 mil wear layers and planks up to about 0.59 inch thick.
COREtec Pro
The SPC family, thinner and harder: Pro Classics, Pro Enhanced and Pro Premium, all with a 20 mil wear layer, at 7 and 9 inches wide. It is the one to look at for a busy entry or a room with heavy furniture.
COREtec Tile
Tile looks at 12 and 18 inches wide, on WPC or SPC, with the grout line built into the tile. The 18 by 36 inch tiles carry a beveled line across the middle, so the floor reads as 18 inch squares.
The warranty, in plain terms
COREtec backs its residential floors with its own lifetime residential limited wear warranty, and the Pro planks with a COREtec Pro version of it. For light business use, the Originals carry a 10 year medium commercial warranty and Pro a 15 year heavy commercial one. Each line's own page links its warranty, and COREtec's own document governs.
How we install it
COREtec planks and tiles click together and float over the subfloor, so the floor moves as one piece and nothing is nailed or glued to the house. A floating floor wants a flat, solid base, so we look at the subfloor when we measure. COREtec also allows some lines to be glued down, and its cork backing means no separate pad for most rooms.
Living with it
Sweep or vacuum, then a damp mop with a cleaner that is pH neutral, which is what COREtec asks for. Felt pads under chair legs and a mat at each door keep the wear layer looking new for longer.
Questions
Is COREtec really waterproof? COREtec says its planks are 100 percent waterproof and will not swell, cup or crack from water. Water on top of the floor will not hurt the planks, though a leak still needs drying out underneath.
What is the difference between COREtec Originals and COREtec Pro? Originals are WPC, a foamed core that feels softer and quieter. Pro is SPC, a denser stone polymer core that stands up better to dents. Both come with a pad attached, cork on nearly every line.
Do I need an underlayment under COREtec? Most COREtec planks have cork attached at the factory, and a few carry COREtec's Soft Step pad, so most rooms need nothing more.
Can COREtec go in a basement? Yes. A waterproof floating floor is the one we are happiest to put on a basement slab, as long as the slab is flat and dry enough.
Where is COREtec made? The COREtec lines we carry are imported, as the maker lists them.