A wave of disappointment hits when you enter a room with chipped and cracked floorboards, faded and uninspiring surface colours, and creaking slates. All these signs indicate that you’ve fallen prey to the worst vinyl plank flooring brands. The substandard flooring glares up at you, exposing its flaws. What you thought would mimic natural elegance is, in reality, a lifeless imitation, lacking character and depth. From scratches and dents to squeaks and groans, defective flooring destroys the look of the entire space. Choosing a substandard brand for your vinyl planks flooring can have disastrous consequences. Subpar companies’ flooring materials are susceptible to rapid wear and tear due to low durability and low-quality construction, making them vulnerable to scratches, dents and discolouration. This makes your beautiful space an unsightly mess, demanding constant repairs and replacements. Moreover, poor quality vinyl flooring planks jeopardize your health, emitting harmful chemicals affecting indoor air quality. This regrettable choice not only ruins the aesthetics of the place but also drains your hard-earned money due to constant repairs and replacements. Therefore, watch out for the worst vinyl plank flooring brands, as they can screw the surface of your spaces, go heavy on your pockets and become a real headache. But the question arises, how will you know which vinyl plank flooring brands to avoid? Let us help you.This blog will shed light on the worst vinyl plank flooring brands. We will also share what to check while choosing a flooring company and some of the best vinyl plank flooring brands.
Table of Contents
ToggleWorst Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands
COREtec Floor
Owned by Shaw Industries, COREtech Floor’s luxury vinyl planks have horrible reviews. From damaged and worn-off planks to poor customer service, COREtech floor has caused excessive inconvenience to their customers.Although the warm colours of its luxury vinyl planks look beautiful, this flooring option is unsuitable.Several customers faced the issue of never getting the ultimate clean floor after installing COREtech’s vinyl planks. No matter how much the floor is cleaned, there is constant haze and dullness. Additionally,the footsteps and wipe marks from installation are permanent and won’t go.Many reviews show that after a month of installation, the bevel paint of the planks started coming off,and the exposed edges started peeling off. Despite using approved cleaning methods, COREtec’s luxury vinyl plank floors start withering off and fading, giving an unattractive look. Moreover, the adhesive used to hold the planks together was insufficient, which caused them to move and come loose.You might think that’s all, but the worst part is that COREtec’s flooring gives white patches on clothes and holes in socks and pants. An unusual residue comes out from the planks, destroying clothing. Their customer service provides zero support and no solution, wasting buyers’ money and time.
ROSEROSA Flooring
Although you may find tons of positive reviews for ROSEROSA peel-and-stick vinyl flooring, this is one of the top vinyl planks flooring brands to avoid. Several people have complained that they’ve got flawed planks with the usual peels and bubbles. Due to the heavy costs invested, some helpless customers still proceed with the installation. However, the ROSEROSA vinyl plank flooring doesn’t blend together,leaving gaps and giving an uneven surface.Moreover, the brand doesn’t offer sufficient adhesive to lay and interlock the floorboards tightly. This causes planks to shift and dismantle. Additionally, ROSEROSA planks fail to adjust to temperature changes. As a result, this emits harmful substances from the planks.ROSEROSA planks are also known to curl upwards and expose sharp edges, increasing the chances of injuries. Another prominent reason why ROSEROSA is regarded as one of the worst vinyl plank flooring brands is that its planks’ colours fade quickly, spoiling the entire space’s visual appearance. This brand causes immense inconvenience and stress to its customers due to the subpar quality of its flooring products. Therefore, don’t be fooled by ROSEROSA and many other top LVP brands like this,who have tons of positive online reviews but zilch quality control and customer service.
Cali Bamboo
Cali bamboo is one of the prominent vinyl planks flooring brands which you should not consider if you want aesthetic flooring in your living or commercial space. Despite having warm tone options and comparatively better quality than many other brands, they fail to give a visually appealing look. You might be wondering why? This is because Cali Bamboo’s flooring has repeat patterns, preventing it from providing the perfect staggering flooring pattern. Many customers have complained that although they made it precisely clear that they wanted randomly staggered pattern flooring, they were miscommunicated by the sales department and provided the same four repeat pattern planks. This does not bring out the desired look as the flooring has a regular and repeat pattern. Moreover, customers also suffered from poor customer service as Cali Bamboo refused to replace or refund the open and installed planks. The customers genuinely protested how they were supposed to know the plank’s pattern if they did not open and install them. Having said that, Cali Bamboo refunded the money, stating that the new patterns would be restocked after six months. However, the brand had the same repeat patterns even then, rendering Cali Bamboo one of the worst vinyl plank flooring brands.
NeuType Luxury Vinyl Flooring Plank
NeuType has struggled to make its place in the market for a long time but has never got the limelight. The reason is its low-quality luxury vinyl flooring. Anyone who purchased NeuType has complained of receiving planks with visible scratches and dents. This alone is a big red flag as the second customers rest their eyes on your products, they’ll be disappointed, thinking the brand has sent poorly constructed and transported vinyl planks. Additionally, this is one of those LVP flooring brands whose delivered products fail to match the images displayed on the website, frustrating the purchasers even more.
Moreover, their vinyl planks had difficulty fitting together as their edges were not straight, creating locking issues. The cheap quality of their products is prone to chipping and dents. Another big flaw of NeuType flooring is that its adhesive has a strong and highly unpleasant odour, making it challenging to install the flooring in peace. NeuType claims their flooring is waterproof, but this is not the case, as many users have noticed swollen planks on water exposure damage. Customers are usually subjected to long waiting hours when they contact NeuType customer service.
Supreme Click
Supreme Click is another company that comes under the radar of vinyl plank flooring brands to avoid. Although you might get their flooring at an affordable rate, their planks are often delivered with faulty locking mechanisms. Their planks snap out within a few months of installation. Supreme Click’s flooring’s low durability makes them an unpopular choice amongst homeowners.
CoreLuxe
Sold at lumber liquidators, CoreLuxe comes under top LVP flooring brands if you want something budget-friendly. However, a common reason why this company is not the go-to place for flooring shopping is its repeat patterns. CoreLuxe has just five uniquely patterned planks. This fails to create an aesthetically pleasing floor with a staggered pattern.
Armstrong
Armstrong falls in the list of big brands of LVP, but their rigid core flooring has received several negative reviews. First, the product is mainly delivered with scratches and visible damage on the planks. Second,although the rigid core flooring mechanism is designed to offer increased stability, resistance and firmness, Armstrong’s flooring is susceptible to dents, scratches and chipping just a few days after installation. Moreover, the flooring is not water resistant and does not adjust well to the fluctuating temperature. Armstrong’s rigid core flooring also had weak adhesive, which caused the planks to shift and loose. On top of that, Armstrong’s rigid core flooring is dangerously slippery, making it difficult to stand or walk on it. The flooring’s overall quality is below grade.
Flooret
Flooret’s Nakan Signature Flooring is another company considered to fall under the growing list of the worst vinyl plank flooring brands. From bad quality and low durability to poor locking systems and unhelpful customer service, this brand is no less than a headache when it comes to vinyl plank shopping and installation.
Their Nakan signature flooring easily scratches and chips. Immediately after installation, there are prominent signs of wear and tear. Moreover, the planks do not adjust with temperature fluctuations as
they expand. This makes locking and fitting the planks as they leave behind gaps and spaces.
Additionally, the planks shift and lose overtime due to faulty products. In addition to that, their customer service is known to be highly unresponsive, making it difficult to obtain refunds and replacements. That said, you should rethink your decision to opt for Flooret as your vinyl plank flooring brand.
MSI
MSI is one of the top luxury vinyl plank flooring brands, as it’s known to have scratchless and easy-to-maintain products. However, this is not the case with its Rutledge Luxury Vinyl Flooring. Its purchasers said that when the product was delivered, it looked beautiful. However, many planks did not fit together when the installation began, creating gaps. This was mainly due to poor-quality adhesive, which did not stick the planks together, causing them to lift, buckle, warp and cup.Moreover, Rutledge Luxury Vinyl Flooring quality is substandard as it dents and scrapes easily with regular walking activity. Having said that, this flooring option substantively lets down people who have active families or pets. Additionally, many users complain that the Rutledge Luxury Vinyl Flooring is extremely slippery, making it unreliable for children.
Shaw Floors
Shaw Floors is another notable flooring brand but is attributed as one of the worst vinyl plank flooring brands in the case of their Prodigy HDR Plus Floorte Elite Vinyl Flooring. Several customers regard them as deceptive as their products fail to deliver what the company claims.Shaw claims that their Prodigy HDR Plus Floorte Elite Vinyl Flooring is scratch free, durable and waterproof. In contrast, the planks leave a visible mark even if someone accidentally drops a feather!
Moreover, the floors are slippery, making walking challenging for children and older people. The worst part is that their planks start fading due to sun exposure. Therefore, you should double-think this option if you want a long-lasting aesthetic flooring option.
MIRUO
MIRUO is one of the top LVP brands, but they need to do better big time in their Stone Plastic Composite vinyl plank flooring category. The SPC Vinyl Plank Flooring peels, scuffs, scrapes, and come loose over time due to misaligned planks. A significant turnoff is when the flooring fades due to sun exposure, leaving behind a patch and
appalling patch. The company needs to work on SPC’s sustainability, durability and quality.
Things To Consider To Avoid Picking The Worst Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands
As you can see above, picking a low-quality vinyl plank flooring brand can extensively mess up your peace of mind. Therefore, checking a few things before you shop for vinyl planks is crucial. Let’s have a look at the necessary aspects
Type of vinyl flooring Quality Durability Aesthetic appeal Staggering pattern Water-resistance Wear layer thickness Installation method Texture and embossing Warranty Samples and swatches Compatibility with under-floor heating Noise reduction Scratch and dent proof Sun exposure resistant Availability and distribution Environmental impact Price range Easy to maintain Installation assistance and support Brand reputation Online reviews and LVP flooring ratings
Best Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands
No one likes to waste time and money buying and testing different vinyl plank flooring brands. Hence, to make buying vinyl planks easy for you, we’ve listed some of the best LVP flooring brands we tried and tested. You can trust them with your eyes closed. Let’s look at them.
- Floor and Décor (NuCore Waterproof Flooring): This is a Greenguard gold-certified flooring option that results in low emissions, reduced environmental impact and increased healtfactors. The NuCore Waterproof flooring has a 22 mil wear layer and 5.5-6.6 mm thickness.
- Lumber Liquidators (Tranquility): Lumber Liquidator’s Tranquility range comprises phthalate-safe planks and is certified for indoor quality by FloreScore.
- Lowe’s (SMARTCORE): SMARTCORE by Lowe’s is 100% waterproof. It has an exceptional UV acrylic finish to give durability and a 12 mil wear layer for protection against high traffic.
- Home Depot (LifeProof): Home Depot is another best LVP brand. Its LifeProof range is a popular choice for homeowners due to its closed-cell PVC core, which makes it super rigid and durable.It is also Floor score certified for indoor quality and has a lifetime residential warranty.
- Shaw Floors (Matrix Hazelnut Maple Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring): The Matrix Hazelnut Maple Luxury Vinyl Plank is one of the best flooring options due to its click-to-install method. Its water resistance makes it more beneficial for active families.
- Mohawk: This is considered the best LVP brand by the masses due to its affordable flooring range. Mohawk goes easy on the pockets and has a great aesthetic appeal, making it the go-to company for buyers. It also has excellent quality as it is also certified by FloreScore.
In A Nutshell
There is nothing more disastrous than falling prey to the worst vinyl plank flooring brands. From poor quality products to frustratingly awful customer services, several deceitful brands of LVP can steal your money, time and peace of mind. Therefore, it is necessary to be vigilant while picking a flooring company so that you get not only value-for-money products but also top-notch customer service.