Well, a new hardwood floor can save you a lot of headaches – literally. They only carry Oak and Pine, however, so their hardwood selection is limited compared to other brands. It adds warmth to a room, and unless you choose a colored finish, it provides you with a fairly neutral pallet to design a room. WE Cork can fulfill all your Cork needs, while companies like IndusParquet and Kahrs carry several exotic species like Brazilian Cherry, Rosewood and Chestnut. As for the hardwood, it’s all engineered, but the planks range from light creamy color to a dark, chocolate brown. While you can use steam cleaners on certain types of flooring safely, solid hardwood certainly isn’t one of them. Domestic species that come from the United States are prevalent and popular with a few exceptions. The SmartCore Ultra collection may well have more high-def images, but for us the actual range of design options available seems less exciting. Smartcore Smartcore Ultra Smartcore Pro Smartcore Naturals. Everyone that sees the floor compliments it!” – Trey. Looking for the best flooring? We discovered two brands carried locally that are engineered wood and also waterproof — Smartcore Naturals and Bruce Hydropel. Bruce offers a very broad selection of solid hardwood flooring (more than 200 species and colors) and engineered hardwood (more than 150 options) at moderate prices. An efficient team should have no trouble handling between 700 to 1000 square feet per day. Evoke Flooring | 2020 Laminate Flooring Review, How to Install Vinyl Sheet Flooring | Tools, Tips & Tricks 2020, DuChateau Flooring Review | 2020 Flooring Review, Best Engineered Wood Flooring – Top Brands Reviewed, LifeCore Flooring | 2020 Hardwood Flooring Review. Read our Terms of Use and Disclosures page for more information. The final bottom layer is an integrated acoustic pad, which acts as an underlayment. * Note that in 2016 USFloors was acquired by Shaw Industries (the company behind Shaw Floors) and so SmartCore is essentially owned by Shaw. Thanks to advances in printing and manufacturing, you can find vinyl flooring or laminates that look like real wood. Armstrong is one of the few brands the average consumer may be familiar with. We brought home a sample and put it through several tests, including soaking it in water, cleaning chemicals, and pounding it with a hammer. Ultra planks and tiles are 7.5 mm thick. Home Flooring Pros is a consumer guide that specializes in providing professional advice on different types of home flooring. Required fields are marked *. HOW DO I PREPARE MY ROOM BEFORE INSTALLATION? Wire Brushed is another popular option, and a great idea when you want some texture to your flooring or have pets as the style helps hide scratches. You just spray it on, then mop it up. Our website is supported by advertising. This stone polymer core gives SmartCore Pro a significant advantage in terms of durability and dent protection; but conversely some say that SPC rigid core flooring feels less comfortable underfoot. It’s easier to clean than most styles of flooring and can be easier to replace if you do have an issue. Video Tutorials. Here’s how it compares to other vinyl plank flooring brands: Customer Smartcore flooring reviews have been largely positive for SmartCore flooring; most customers like the way it looks and feels, and most people found it relatively easy to install (though not totally simple). Overall thickness for both wood look plank and stone look tile is 6.5 mm. A: Most manufacturers recommend using a broom or microfiber mop or dry debris and spot cleaning for stains. Bruce Hydropel Hickory 5" Engineered Hardwood Bruce Hydropel Hickory 5” EHWR54 presents a well balanced flooring that is sure to catch your attention. With over 100 options on the engineered side, Mullican carries exotics like Cumaru, Jatoba, Amendoim, and Tigerwood along with domestic species like Oak, Maple, Birch, and Hickory. Q: How many times can solid hardwood flooring be refinished? Bloodwood, Caribbean Heart Pine, and Wenge are a few other alternatives worth considering. Some types of finishes can only be applied by professionals or in a factory setting as well. Formaldehyde is an ever-present, colorless gas that can give off a pickle-like smell. Blue Ridge Hardwood, Shaw, and Mohawk are also available while the store-branded Home Legend and the Home Decorators Collection represent bamboo. The majority of GBS’s products are engineered, so you’ll only have a handful of solid hardwood options to choose from. We’re going to cover all the important areas you should consider before settling on a style, and we’ll even tell you where to purchase some of the best hardwood flooring. As you might suspect, Oak, Hickory, and Maple make up the bulk of the selection due to their popularity and price point. When you want real hardwood flooring, you only have two choices with Solid Hardwood and Engineered Wood. In fact, it is a kind of hybrid vinyl engineered wood, with a layer of actual hardwood or bamboo veneer on the top adhered to a waterproof vinyl core. WHAT INSTALLATION METHOD CAN I USE WITH SMARTCORE? Finally, there are a range of matching trims and moldings for all SmartCore floors to help give your floor project a professional looking finish. Hardwood that’s ¾” thick can typically be sanded 3 to 5 times. Armstrong’s hardwood floors come in smooth, hand scraped, distressed or parquet style depending on the species and your preference. However, the heating should never be set at more than 85°F, and you should closely follow the very specific installation instructions for best results. Wicanders is different from the other brands as they carry a varied lineup consisting of wood, stone and cork products. Their floating floor system is ideal for beginners that want to install their own flooring and RevWood is certainly an option if you’re interested in luxury vinyl. In terms of sizes, the SmartCore Pro collection has the widest wood look planks at 7” x 48”, and stone tile slabs at 12” x 24”. The more confused I get! This coating is often guaranteed for 25 years or more and holds up better than polyurethane-based finishes when it comes to general wear and tear. DO I NEED TO ACCLIMATE SMARTCORE FLOORING? There are more stone look designs in the Ultra collection than in the standard collection, with a nice breadth of looks including warm tan travertine, dark gray slate and creamy sandstone options. ScooterGirlinAL New Member. Believe the other reviews and dont buy this junk. Those are just a few of the bigger names you are likely to encounter when shopping for new hardwood flooring. The main cause of poor finish results and rigid core flooring problems are due to bad subfloor preparation. If you own large dogs with or cats with sharp claws, hardwood floors can be an issue. Q: Can hardwood flooring really increase the value of my home? No mop water needed here, with this hardwood floor cleaner from Bruce, maker of hardwood floors. Textures for both styles include smooth, hand sculpted, wire brushed, whitewashed, and saw marks. While most of their lineup is Oak, they also have Maple, Hickory, Cherry, Birch, and Walnut. Overall, their products are a little cheaper than other box-box retailers or flooring stores, and some flooring can be purchased by the pallet instead of by the box or case. When you hire a pro, you won’t have to waste time with endless trips to the hardware store when you run out of supplies (it will happen), and you won’t break your back. That said, if you want to add some color to a room, there are a variety of prefinished planks available from a light cream to ebony or even blue. They have Caribbean Walnut, Cork and Bamboo as well as Oak, Hickory, and Hard Maple. Solid Hardwood Vs Engineered Hardwood – consider the best type of hardwood flooring depending on where you are using it. The wood representations are oak, maple, walnut, hickory and pine, and there are both classic and contemporary looks available including some quite dramatic multi-toned looks. They are a natural product and are warmer and more elegant than anything else. If you plan on hiring a contractor to finish your flooring, your color options are unlimited which is ideal for new construction or if you want to make a dramatic change in a room. ft.) IMPACT_RAD Bruce Water-Proof Engineered Hardwood with Hydropel Technology is made from 100% wood construction and is water-proof up to 36 hours, providing extended protection against every day spills. Unfortunately, while the NWFA has a scale in place, it only applies to certain species and many manufacturers or mills often use their own terms as well. Bathroom makeovers are a nice investment in your home, especially with Smartcore Natural Floors sold at Lowe’s. With the former, you can choose from solid Hickory hardwood with Autumn Apple or Bark Brown if you want something durable. You can purchase their products at carpet and flooring stores in the U.S. and a dozen other countries around the globe. It’s almost an equal split between engineered and solids a swell with over 150 of each style available. If you’re concerned about how your wood was harvested, the FSC is a great place to start. If we had to find a negative it’s that it is not 100% scratch resistant, but we knew that so we’ve been careful and the floor still looks beautiful after a couple of months. For a while we were torn between the medium toned Hot Springs Hickory from the Smartcore Naturals line and the lighter Natural Hickory from the Bruce Hydropel line. closed. 260-782-3319. The top veneer layer is also sealed with a protective coating. That includes cork, tile, luxury vinyl planks, and traditional or engineered hardwood flooring. If they don’t have the style or shade you want, there are hundreds of other options, but here are a few of our favorites. If you plan on installing the flooring yourself, a floating or click-lock floor is your best option. Engineered planks are also more stable and less prone to expansion and contraction from humidity. It’s not as stable as engineered products in that regard, but you can sand it numerous times regardless of species or brand. SmartCore Naturals flooring is a considerably different type of rigid core flooring compared to the other SmartCore collections. The SmartCore Pro collection is designed to withstand tougher traffic conditions – suitable for commercial environments or very busy households. Do you have allergies? Green Building Supply has you covered, and we think you’ll be impressed by their Jarra, Beech, and Ash flooring as well. The types of flooring can be compared by their visual aesthetic, lifespan and care requirements. smartcore pro- wear layer thickness of 20 mil, has the attached underlayment and is designed for commercial settings such as kitchens, show rooms, salons ect.. has a stronger stain resistance than the other two options. You still have to finish the flooring, which requires additional material and time. While we won’t go through the brands, Wayfair has everything from APC Cork to Wicanders. Toothpaste? Note also, that after installation, your rooms should be kept at a temperature of between 32 and 100°F to ensure best performance. One of the bigger perks to hardwood flooring is the sustainability factor. You can lightly sand boards a few times with some brands, and they are much easier to install overall. Firstly, it has a substantially tougher 20 mil wear layer; secondly, the waterproof middle layer is more robust with a SPC (stone plastic composite) core, made by combining limestone powder with plastic polymers. Pergo vs hardwood – Appearance, durability, maintenance. A: No. As you can refinish it, you won’t have to replace it unless you decide to go for a completely different look. Like all rigid core flooring, SmartCore claim that their flooring helps diminish subfloor imperfections. If you’re not blown away by Armstrong’s selection, you may want to check out Bruce. Bruce Hydropel Hickory Natural 7 16 In T X 5 W Varying Prefinished Hardwood Flooring Pros And Cons READ Laying Tongue And Groove Chipboard Flooring On Joists. When you’re looking for top quality wood, keep an eye out for a grading system as that can tell you a lot about the quality and character of the wood. We also like the way their products are broken down on-site as they have filters for Gloss, Look and even DIY level. This style looks great in older homes, especially residences filled with antique furniture. Choosing the right type of flooring can significantly increase the value of your home, but the wrong type of hardwood can leave you with an expensive problem. Hydropel™ has six dimensions of water protection, keeping all sides (and its hyper-dense core) safe from moisture. They also have a solid selection of hardwood spanning 90 styles across five different collections. In fact, they even have Tigerwood, Kupay, and Brazilian Teak all of which can be difficult to find. Smartcore is a low to mid price brand of waterproof rigid core vinyl flooring available exclusively from Lowes, and manufactured by USFloors* using their COREtec technology. Their cork is in tile form with a whopping 26 styles and shades available. Regardless of who is installing the floor, door jambs and closets take additional time along with any prep work that’s needed. Hiring a contractor may seem like a daunting task, but the benefits far outweigh the cons unless you’re experienced with flooring or remodeling. This means that any products it sells as strict set limits for VOC emissions and formaldehyde. You can think of this as the standard SmartCore collection. With engineered flooring, you can choose from species like Brazilian Koa, Acacia, Beech, and Spanish Hickory just to name a few. It’s a type of rigid core flooring called WPC (wood plastic composite) with a middle layer that keeps it stable and not prone to excessive expansion or contraction. IAQ is something you may run across, and it stands for Indoor Air Quality. Vacuums for hardwood are an option as well, as long as follow a simple few rules outlined in our guide. They have a nice mix of both domestic and exotic species as well with standards like Oak, Hickory, and Walnut along with Cork and Jatoba. Solid Hardwood Flooring – Solid hardwood flooring is made from one piece of wood and built to last decades. There are plenty of videos online that can lend a hand, but engineered is always going to be easier to deal with than solid planks. There are some circumstances where that may be suitable, however, depending on the climate where you reside. If you want vetted green goods from a reliable source, Green Building Supply is the first place you should look. They can also be cold and unforgiving on your feet if you’re used to walking across plush carpeted floors. All of the SmartCore floors are designed to be waterproof – but that does not mean you can flood a room or leave water standing in puddles for hours on end. My smartcore floor is lifting in one area , it’s in the middle of the floor so it’s not easy to remove the tiles to get at the one lifting . Their engineered selection covers the same species, and the usual finishes and sizes are available. Hand Scraped wood is a popular choice when you just want to show a bit of wear while Distressed flooring is intentionally roughed up or comes from reclaimed boards. In that case, most homeowners just cover it up instead of removing it. 1 best-selling, most-recognized hardwood flooring brand in the world. The advantages of SmartCore rigid core flooring are: The disadvantages of SmartCore rigid core flooring are: SmartCore flooring is generally suitable for DIY installation, though we would advise that if you choose to do this job on your own that you take time to read the installation instructions carefully, and fully prepare your room before you start. Shop hardwood flooring and a variety of flooring products online at Lowes.com. In a nutshell, when you buy unfinished hardwood flooring, you’ll have to “finish” it yourself unless you hire a pro. You will want to have a good back and some knee pads however as it is not as easy as you think. good value product, retails at under $4 per square foot, four different collections to suit particular needs, SmartCore Naturals offers actual hardwood veneer, good visuals, wood look and stone look options available, can be installed in all levels of the home, including basements, can be installed in bathrooms, kitchen and laundry rooms, not usually necessary to acclimate before installation, SmartCore Naturals appears to dent more easily than other collections, using area rugs, and doormats in high traffic areas to avoid tracking dirt and grit through your home (ensure the rug backing is non-staining), adding felt pads or coasters to the bottom of tables, chairs and other moveable furniture, moving heavy furniture items carefully, not dragging them over your floor. You can find a Lowes in every state, so it’s a great place to browse for flooring if you’re undecided on a style. You will also want to keep an eye out for the term “and better” when attached to a grade. Hydropel Technology allows you to enjoy the beauty of hardwood in every room of the home, including kitchens, bathrooms, and basements, while giving you confidence it will stand up to lifes everyday … If necessary, apply a floor leveling compound first before installing your SmartCore. “We installed the flooring ourselves. They are professionals for a reason although we recommend getting a breakdown of the full cost from any contractor. They both did good, but the Ultra did best with the hammer. Most of these species are available in solid and engineered form although the latter can be difficult to come by with some types of wood. Their selection is just as vast as their main competitor, and as they carry some of the same brands, it gives you an opportunity to price match. I reckon because the Naturals collection is actually engineered hardwood, not just vinyl, it dents much easier.” – Max, “I’m mostly happy… We installed SmartCore Naturals in our lake house. Engineered Wood Flooring Comparison Guide You can refinish or sand solid hardwood planks and some forms of engineered flooring if the wear layer is thick enough. The company’s cork lineup is called Cortica with Go and Essence. Considering there are dozens of domestic and exotic species to choose from, navigating the world of hardwood flooring is going to be difficult when you don’t know where to begin. Those are just a handful of hardwood flooring options you can find locally or online without any problem. In comparative terms SmartCore flooring is in the low to mid range price level for rigid core flooring. We also like the way they things down with modern, rustic, and traditional along with eclectic and coastal vibes. SmartCore Ultra planks are 6” x 48”, and the tiles are 12” x 24”. Cant believe Bruce hardwood has fallen this low. But these guys are so used it and some don’t recognize what makes a better product. Ensure that stains and spills are dried up quickly. smartcore ultra also has a wear layer of 12 mil, but has an attached underlayment. Floors & Stairs Repair; Read More. This is true too for SmartCore, but the manufacturers advise that you do install it in a climate controlled environment, maintaining a temperature of between 55°- 85°F. There are products rated for below-grade rooms; however, and engineered products are often found in bathrooms. The SmartCore Naturals also retains another element of authenticity – whilst each plank is 5” wide, the lengths of the planks in each carton vary – as you would find with real hardwood flooring. Planks with over 150 of each style available gives you an easy question to answer it for... 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