NuCore is a low-cost luxury vinyl plank brand. Of course, many people are curious as to whether it is worthwhile. So, we will give the specific NuCore Flooring Review.
It’s Not the Worst Ever, but NuCore Flooring Reviews Suggest it’s A Product to Avoid. Worrying about durability is problematic, especially in light of the similar prices of major brands like Pergo and Proximity Mills and the absence of such issues. We believe that this brand may be one that should be avoided given its warpage, tarnish, and warranty confusion.
We examined NuCore flooring reviews in-depth, listed the brand’s benefits and drawbacks, and contrasted it with some other well-known LVP brands like LifeProof and SmartCore to see how it stacked up because we’re here to assist you in selecting the floor that’s right for you.
So, is NuCore waterproof flooring a good investment? Find out below!
What is Nucore Flooring?
LVP produced in-house by Floor & Decor is known as NuCore.
As you probably know, LVP (luxury vinyl plank) is one of the best fake wood flooring options on the market.
What you might not know: LVP is the exact same thing as LVT flooring, EVP flooring, and PVC flooring.
They’re just different names for the same product—a durable, super-attractive, totally waterproof hardwood floor alternative made of vinyl. That’s why NuCore is often referred to as “NuCore waterproof flooring”.
What Kind of Core Does NuCore Flooring Actually Have?
If you’ve been researching various vinyl plank flooring brands, you probably already know how important a material’s core construction is to its quality and durability.
For example, SPC (stone-polymer composite) cores are known for their toughness; they can put even the most durable wood flooring to shame. WPC (wood-polymer composite) cores are known for their comfort underfoot, with a springiness that can go toe-to-toe with the best engineered wood flooring. So what makes NuCore cores “Nu”? What material do they have?
Well, that’s difficult to say. Floor & Decor simply says that NuCore floors have a “rigid core” but provides no other info. Thus, it is likely that the core of NuCore is simply made of vinyl. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s also not ideal (we’ll explain why below). And while it seems odd to us that a product called “NuCore” would have a generic core, we’re not here to judge—we’re here to review!
On the other hand, NuCore Performance possesses something that sounds like an SPC core, according to Floor & Decor’s website (though they don’t call it that). So again: unclear.
How Thick is NuCore’s Wear Layer?
All NuCore flooring options sport a super-thick 22-mil wear layer. Anything over 12 mils thick is advised for residential use, for reference.
However, a lot of NuCore flooring reviews claim that this wear layer isn’t as resilient as one might believe (more on that in a moment).
How Much Does NuCore Flooring Cost?
NuCore waterproof flooring generally ranges between $2.50 and $3.80/sq. ft., which is below average for quality LVP, and keep in mind that NuCore Performance falls toward the top of that range.
Keep in mind that we’re not talking about the cost to install vinyl plank flooring here. LVP installation typically adds $2–$4 per square foot to the cost. ft. (if you hire a contractor).
Additionally, it’s important to note that, in the case of vinyl plank flooring, you typically get what you pay for. Even the best vinyl plank flooring brands offer affordable options. However, this price is low for a reputable brand.
Furthermore, Floor & Decor does not disclose the manufacturer of NuCore flooring or the components of its core or wear layers; so, you do the math.
NuCore’s Different Finish Options Explained
Many of the best vinyl plank flooring manufacturers offer a variety of finish options. NuCore is no different, and offers 5 options ranging from high-shine to “authentic texture.”
Before we dive into the texture options, though, it’s important to highlight that NuCore Performance is only offered in the Textured and EIR finishes. The standard NuCore is available in all five. Floor & Decor doesn’t explain why, so we’re not sure.
NuCore Textured
The majority of Floor & Decor’s NuCore product selections are NuCore Textured. As suggested by its name, NuCore Textured has the same texture as whatever it is meant to imitate (i.e. oak NuCore ought to have a genuine oak wood-like feel.
NuCore EIR (Embossed-in-Register)—aka “Authentic Texture”
NuCore EIR (or Authentic Texture) seems to go a step further and—we guess—fully mimics the “authentic texture” of the source material. What is the cause of our hesitation? There isn’t a lot of information out there that describes the distinction.
The opinions expressed in NuCore flooring reviews seem to favor both finishes, but there is one peculiarity: NuCore EIR is either less expensive or priced similarly to Textured variants, contradicting the notion that EIR is a more expensive option.
Maybe the manufacturing process is simply EIR (embossed-in-register) rather than the one that produces NuCore Textured? Once more, Floor & Decor is ambiguous, so we can’t say for sure.
The EIR finish is said to be effective at simulating hardwood flooring, though.
In addition, unlike hardwood, which typically needs to be refinished every decade or two, the finish lasts the entire lifespan of the floor. With NuCore LVP, you don’t have to worry about the cost to refinish hardwood flooring (or refinish bamboo flooring, if that’s the look you go with).
NuCore Handscraped
If you’ve seen “hand-scraped finishes” on different types of wood flooring, you’ll know what this finish looks like. Moreover, even though they aren’t actually finished by hand, we think these options do look good.
NuCore High-Gloss
As it might sound, NuCore High-Gloss merely increases the finish’s glossiness. Although there are some tile- and stone-look options, wood-look floors still predominate in this category.
NuCore Smooth
NuCore Smooth is essentially the same as the High-Gloss option, minus the “high” part. Less style options are available and the effect is more matte and subtle.
The Pros of NuCore Flooring
Okay, now that we are fully informed about NuCore’s fundamentals, let’s discuss some of its unique benefits. Fair enough, the main benefit of NuCore waterproof flooring is that it is LVP, not the floor itself. And yet, for the (extremely low) cost, it seems to be a decent vinyl plank floor.
NuCore Mimics Hardwood Reasonably Well
NuCore flooring is a great substitute for many wood flooring types, and you can use it to create classic wood floor designs like herringbone parquet.However, from a distance, NuCore might deceive a casual observer. You can definitely tell the difference.
NuCore Waterproof Flooring Is—No Surprise—Waterproof!
Vinyl flooring has the significant benefit of being waterproof. That’s not something almost any type of real wood can say, even among the best engineered wood flooring brands. In fact, one of the big engineered wood disadvantages is that it’s still susceptible to water damage.
According to Floor & Decor, NuCore flooring is waterproof on (almost) every layer, and the NuCore flooring reviews we read appear to support this claim. This makes it a good choice for mudroom flooring, and it’s clearly superior to water-resistant wood flooring in this regard.
But as we already mentioned, there may be a reason to doubt this assertion (more on this in a moment).
Read about Is Vinyl Flooring Waterproof?
NuCore Flooring Warranties Are Decent
A 20-year commercial warranty and a lifetime limited warranty for residential use are both included with NuCore. That’s a fantastic warranty for any floor.
But: these warranties have a huge downside that we’ll get into in a second .
NuCore is Certified Low-VOC
Harmful volatile organic compounds (Some flooring products frequently contain VOCs. And if you’ve looked into eco-friendly flooring, you’ll know that one of the biggest disadvantages of vinyl plank flooring is its tendency to off-gas these VOCs.
That said, NuCore is GreenGuard Gold-certified as a low-VOC flooring choice—meaning it’s very safe for your family and home. Although there are still some trace amounts of VOCs present, they are not dangerously high.
Of course, if you want zero-VOC synthetic flooring, non-toxic laminate flooring and non-toxic vinyl flooring do exist. And while there are many differences between vinyl plank vs. laminate, they’re not so different that you can’t substitute one for the other.
The Cons of NuCore Flooring
Despite the majority of positive reviews for NuCore flooring, there are a few flaws—big, big flaws, in fact—that tend to surface after reading enough of them.
It Scratches and Dents Really Easily
First and foremost: Reviews of NuCore flooring frequently point out how simple it is to dent and scratch the surface. For a supposedly “resilient” floor, that is really not good.
After all, people buy LVP because they want scratch-resistant flooring. It would be a major issue if this vinyl plank wasn’t actually scratch-resistant. The concern that Floor & Decor might be exaggerating NuCore’s durability is once more raised by this.
The following two drawbacks, however, may help to explain this susceptibility to damage.
NuCore Flooring’s Warranty Has Really Frustrating (and Bizarre) Limits
For one, NuCore’s warranty is prorated—which means that for each year of ownership, the warranty covers less and less damage. In essence, this negates the advantages of any warranty.
The warranty also excludes labor costs and only covers the original purchaser.
Even though it is said that the product is resistant to both scratches and dents, many types of common damage, such as those two, are not covered by the warranty. The list of durability issues is growing quickly, so include this one.
Floor & Decor will cover fading, defects, and a “total loss” of pattern in spaces of at least two square inches so long as the flooring was installed properly and subjected to “normal residential traffic.” Vague.
NuCore Lacks Transparency
As you may have noticed, there seems to be a lot left out in the product listings and reviews for NuCore flooring in Floor & Decor. Who actually creates it? How is the core constructed? Can it actually be applied in sunrooms? The wear layer’s composition is. Why does it seem to be warping? Why is the website devoid of reviews? What the heck is “Techtanium Plus”?
There seems to be a pattern here, and the silence… well, it seems to be an answer. Lack of transparency is almost never a good thing with most products (of any kind). And that’s the last word on that.
FAQs
About How Long Did Install Take?
Naturally, this will depend on the size of the room you are installing it in, but once you get the hang of it, installation goes fairly quickly. After work, my husband spent about two hours a day working on ours. He probably completed one decent-sized room on average in two to three days, which translates to 4-6 hours of actual work.
How Do You Install It on Stairs?
A few planks can be installed on the stairs, and the stair noses that are available to match the edges can then be fitted. But we chose to install real hardwood treads in place of the worn-out ones we had before. On the edges where the top floor descended to the stairs, we used the stair noses.
How Does This Stuff Stay in Place Without Gluing It Down?
Tongue and groove installation called NuCore floats. It becomes heavier as more snaps are connected, which aids in keeping it in place. In order to give the NuCore a finished appearance after installation, we also added quarter round trim to the baseboard and its edges. Naturally, this also aids in maintaining its position.
Can You Lay Down a Barrier Underneath NuCore?
Although the flooring specifically states that there is no need to install any kind of underlayment or barrier beneath it, if you still want to do so, I recommend speaking with the staff at Floor & Decor, who sell NuCore.
Does NuCore Scratch Easily?
Even in the rooms they frequent the most, their messes are simple to clean up and their nails leave no scuff marks. But I’m certain that if I looked close enough, I could find a few minor dings on the floor. Being brown rather than white, they blend in with the floor, making them difficult to spot.
Is NuCore Flooring Really Waterproof?
Exclusive to Floor & Decor, NuCore® is 100% waterproof flooring. NuCore can be installed in places where real wood cannot because it feels and looks like wood. It can be installed over most existing floors and requires no acclimatization time because it is ready to use right out of the box.
Who Company Makes NuCore Flooring?
Floor & Decor
Exclusively available at Floor & Decor, the The Floor & Decor company owns and manages the NuCore Flooring brand, which is a specialty product line. As a small, specialized flooring business in Atlanta, Georgia, Floor & Decor was established in 2000 by a former executive of The Home Depot.
So, Is NuCore Flooring Good?
What about NuCore waterproof flooring? In contrast to less expensive choices like LifeProof and SmartCore, Though slightly lower in quality, we’d say it’s comparable. However, purchasing is more cost-effective, so you get what you pay for.
Compared to prestigious brands like CORETec, how good is NuCore flooring? Definitely not.
The durability issues are problematic, especially in light of the fact that great brands like Pergo and Proximity Mills are both reasonably priced and do not share these issues. And given its problems with warping, losing its sheen, and warranty hiccups, we’d say it’s probably a brand to steer clear of.
However, as we previously stated, it is incredibly cheap. So, if you’re willing to take a chance for that price, we say go for it!
