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CoreLuxe Ultra/Smartcore Ultra- looking to finalize decision in next day or so
My project is to install ~1,300 sq ft of vinyl on a plywood subfloor. One room is over a dirt crawl space. A couple of rooms are over a garage. The rest is over an intermittently heated workshop type space. As I heat with electric baseboards and wood stove/fireplace insert, and don’t have AC, an SPC core is essential. Because of where I live (Sierra foothills), availability & delivery are an issue for most brands. Hence I’ve dropped Mannington and others from the final list.
I’m looking (online) at at Lowe’s Smartcore Ultra and LL Flooring CoreLuxe Ultra. They’re both around the same thickness (7-7.5mm) and Smarecore has a 12mil wear layer while CoreLux Ultra has 28mil. CoreLuxe is 6″ planks and Coreluxe is 7″ (I prefer the wider aesthetic).
Both seem to get ok reviews, with maybe an edge towards CoreLuxe. Both are similarly priced, though LL has a bit of a break thru tomorrow, 11/30. This decision process is dragging on and I need to get the project done, so I’m trying to make a decision & place the order in the next day or so.
BTW both of these seem to “encourage” the use of a (their) underlayment even though both come with an attached pad. I’ve watched the video where Joe says this is unnecessary, but since they both recommend it I’m contemplating whether I should. My subfloor has significant peaks and valleys (another topic) so even with leveling mix I doubt it will be perfect.
I have two cats who use their claws extensively for “braking” when playing zoomie games so scratch resistance is key. Budget is a big factor right now but I still want to do what’s best for the flooring to last long term.
Any words of wisdom to help me decide so I can kick off this project? Would either of these products be a mistake? Yay or Nay on the vendor suggested underlayment?
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4 Replies
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Thanks for the quick reply, Joe!
I’m almost done with my floor plan so I’ll be able to submit a blueprint request soon.
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And CoreLuxe Ultra it is, I placed the order today. In a couple weeks I’ll have qty 55 of the 55lb boxes to carry upstairs to the main floor.
In getting the measurements I learned that the actual square footage is 180 sq ft less than what the county thinks I have (and what I paid for). Even if I use the exterior measurements it’s still lower.
It measured out as 1116 (I thought it was 1296) and I ordered a 5% overage. My sq footage number includes the space occupied by cabinets, vanities, and fireplace hearth so that’s another 6-7% buffer. I’d like to have some left over because at some point I want to replace the bathroom vanities (circa 1969) and the new ones won’t have the same footprint. This would be the ideal time to do that but I don’t have the budget for it now.
I went with the underlayment due to my subfloor situation.
CoreLuxe • Premium Vinyl Floor Underlayment 100 sqft. Roll
1-7/8″ x 100′ Underlayment Seal Tape
Time to study up on the prep videos and get things together for the blueprint request.
The long-awaited project just got real! 😎
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You got this!!
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