new favorites – my luxury vinyl plank floors (lvp)

When we moved into our new home two years ago we decided to put a trendy dark hardwood floor down. I was in love! It looked beautiful! And then…we moved in. Once you add kids, dogs, and life to any dark hardwood floor, they never look the same. Dark hardwood shows EVERYTHING! Every piece of dust, every dog hair, every cracker crumb, and every foot print. I was spending most of my time vacuuming and going through bottles and bottles of Bona floor cleaner. My floor would literally be clean for ONE minute.

We finally decided to look at other more practical options for our downstairs flooring. We were considering wood plank porcelain tile, when I discovered a new product, LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank). We were unsure at first of the quality of vinyl. It doesn’t glue down, similar to laminate, and we were worried about it making too much noise while walking on it. However, after researching this option in depth we decided to give it a try.

I am so glad we chose LVP!

• First, there are so many more color options to chose from. We found a color that blended well with the tones in our house. It looks gorgeous and high end, just like hardwood.
• Second, this floor doesn’t show any dirt! No dog hair, no crumbs, no dust. Cleaning it is a breeze and it actually stays clean for more than one minute. We went with a lighter multi-toned color to help blend the dirtiness away.
• Third, the cork backing provides much needed support for walking around barefoot. When I would walk on my hardwood, or even tile, after a while my feet and claves would just ache. Not anymore! I can go barefoot all day. The cork backing also eliminates noise and clanking while you walk.
• Fourth, this floor is affordable and can be used in any room in your house. The price is comparable to engineered hardwood or tile.
• Finally, this floor is water proof AND scratch proof. So in other words, kid proof. A beautiful kid, pet, and family proof floor. WOW!

There are many brands of LVP, but we chose COREtec Plus. Below are some specs on the floor from the manufacture:

COREtec Plus XL Luxury Vinyl Plank:

“With being the largest LVT plank on the market, COREtec Plus XL is in a category all its own. Rigid plank technology allows easy handling and installation making COREtec Plus XL a great alternative to glue down LVT, solid locking LVT, or laminate flooring. The patent-pending* construction of COREtec Plus XL features our innovative COREtec core structure, which is an extruded core made from recycled wood and bamboo dust, limestone, and virgin PVC. Since COREtec Plus products are 100% waterproof, they can be installed in wet areas and will never swell when exposed to water. COREtec Plus XL is inert and dimensionally stable; it will not expand or contract under normal conditions. Further, COREtec Plus XL never needs expansion strips in large rooms. Each COREtec Plus plank has an attached cork underlayment for a quieter, warmer vinyl floor that is naturally resistant to odor causing mold and mildew.

The floor works great in every room of your house. Living, kitchen, dining, and I would even use it in bathrooms (it’s water proof!)

If you are looking for an alternative to hardwood or tile, go and check out LVP. I would definitely recommend it! Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

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