Core Luxe flooring is a beautiful alternative to natural hardwood that offers many advantages over real wood. However, Core Luxe differs in significant ways, including the ease of cleaning and maintenance and cost-effectiveness. This article will break down all you need to know about flooring and whether it’s the best option for your house!

4.8

Our Rating

Based on our 23-point rating system.
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Year Founded:
1994
BBB Rating:
F
Avg. Price Range:
$3–$4/sq. ft.
Warranty:
5–10 years

Our Preferred Flooring Companies

Today’s Homeowner recommends a few top-notch flooring companies to our readers. The panel below features these recommendations and their unique superlatives. Get quotes from each provider to find the best deals and services in your area:

Top Pick
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4.7

Complimentary post-installation follow-ups

Provides convenient in-home consultations

Hundreds of flooring showrooms nationwide

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Limited Time:
10% off all floors during the Twenty-Twenty-FLOOR-Event
Best Shop-At-Home Experience

4.8

Offers next-day installations on certain flooring options

Multiple financing options

Mobile showroom option for convenient at-home shopping

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Limited Time:
Currently offering a 1/2 price sale
Best Flooring Options

3.8

Natural and engineered hardwood options

Offers augmented reality visualizer tool

Provides free samples online and in-store

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Limited Time:
20% Off Select Flooring

What Is Core Luxe Vinyl Plank?

Core Luxe is a fake wood-type vinyl flooring that looks and feels exactly like hardwood, but it is far less expensive, lighter, and comes in a variety of sizes. You can select from various designs such as vintage, modern, conventional, or current.

Core Luxe is a modified vinyl plank flooring manufactured by Lumber Liquidators that has been granted approval. It does not contain phthalates, so it provides excellent air quality. Each of the Core Luxe’s vinyl planks has been certified to Greenguard and Floor Score.

Core Luxe’s solid and robust PVC core makes it extremely stable. Aside from that, it’s a long-lasting vinyl plank flooring that maintains its appearance even after stains, scratches, and flaws are inflicted.

At a glance, Core Luxe flooring is simple to keep clean, has easy installation, isn’t as demanding as hard-surface subflooring, and has no setting time before use. You’ll find everything you need to know about this flooring down below.


Core Luxe Lines

There are many different lines available at Core Luxe. Each line is catered to different stylistic needs, price points, and features.

Core Luxe (Basic)

The brand’s default line is considered the base level for flooring options. It is also referred to as the budget option. Key characteristics of this line include the choice between 6 and 12-mil layer options, which makes it ideal for high-traffic areas when selecting the 12-mil (mil = 1000th of an inch) option. Common spaces like living rooms and hallways are perfect for Core Luxe’s basic line.

There are dozens of styles to choose from in this line, which makes it versatile and adaptable. The pricing is $1.80-$3.00 per square foot, making it Core Luxe’s most affordable option.

Core Luxe XD

Middle of the road, we’ve got Core Luxe’s XD. This is an all-around heavy-duty option ideal for commercial spaces or very busy households. The price ranges from $2.10 to $3.40 per square foot, making it fairly affordable, especially when compared to natural hardwood.

Core Luxe XD is thicker than its predecessor at 20 mils and therefore offers much more protection and durability. Reviews of the product show that this line is preferred much more over the budget option.

Core Luxe Ultra

The last, but certainly not least, Core Luxe line is Ultra. This line is the most expensive one at Core Luxe, but also offers the most benefits, including major durability. The price is anywhere between $3.00 and $4.00.

If you’re in the market for a luxury vinyl plank flooring option – this is a great one to consider. Though keep in mind there are fewer stylistic choices, and the price jump may be a deterrent for some.

Top Pick
fci logo

4.7

Complimentary post-installation follow-ups

Provides convenient in-home consultations

Hundreds of flooring showrooms nationwide

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
10% off all floors during the Twenty-Twenty-FLOOR-Event
Best Shop-At-Home Experience

4.8

Offers next-day installations on certain flooring options

Multiple financing options

Mobile showroom option for convenient at-home shopping

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
Currently offering a 1/2 price sale
Best Flooring Options

3.8

Natural and engineered hardwood options

Offers augmented reality visualizer tool

Provides free samples online and in-store

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
20% Off Select Flooring

Core Luxe Installation

Core Luxe flooring is simple to put in, according to the manufacturer. While we still recommend hiring a professional for your own safety, you might consider DIY-ing your Core Luxe installation. Just be sure to follow all directions carefully, so you do not void your warranty!

The two most common methods to install Core Luxe flooring are as follows:

Glue-down Installation

Most of the Core Luxe planking lines come with glue-down for an installation method. This installation process usually eliminates damage to the subfloor and is quick and easy.

Interlocking Floating Floor

A floating floor is one that keeps its position over the subfloor due to gravity and friction. In most cases, this means click-together flooring systems, in which planks snap and lock together to form a smooth surface and an impermeable seal against water.


Core Luxe’s Plank Durability

Many Core Luxe flooring reviews comment on the product’s robustness. This is a great sign, as SPC floors can be somewhat fragile. However, Core Luxe planks appear to be quite substantial.

This isn’t to say that Core Luxe planks are invincible, but rather that they’re better than average competitors. The planks that Core Luxe offers with the most durability concerns are naturally the thinnest option. 6-12 mil may still run into issues regarding sturdiness, but the brand’s 20 mil layer should be pretty universally protective against damage.


Core Luxe Flooring Styles and Versatility

Core Luxe is often marketed as a faux wood flooring option, and it does an excellent job of simulating different (more expensive) hardwoods like oak, maple, teak flooring, and so on.

Today’s Homeowner Tips
Core Luxe may be used to imitate traditional wood floor patterns in addition. A competent installer can glue the product into a convincing pattern; you may even combine dark and light wood floor planks to create a 3D pattern.

When it comes to wood floor designs, you may use Core Luxe to create a wide range of patterns. If your favorite wood floor designs lean more towards farmhouse looks than townhouse themes, you can utilize Core Luxe to create mixed-width designs—the product is available in versions that mimic both narrow and wide plank wood floors.

Top Pick
fci logo

4.7

Complimentary post-installation follow-ups

Provides convenient in-home consultations

Hundreds of flooring showrooms nationwide

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
10% off all floors during the Twenty-Twenty-FLOOR-Event
Best Shop-At-Home Experience

4.8

Offers next-day installations on certain flooring options

Multiple financing options

Mobile showroom option for convenient at-home shopping

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
Currently offering a 1/2 price sale
Best Flooring Options

3.8

Natural and engineered hardwood options

Offers augmented reality visualizer tool

Provides free samples online and in-store

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
20% Off Select Flooring

Core Luxe Maintenance

Core Luxe’s flooring is notorious for being easy to clean over time. Customers find that the flooring is easier to maintain than competitors and natural hardwood. The floors are extremely durable and simile every day sweeping will suffice for general care.

Should there be any significant issues, or for a deeper sanitization, cleaners can be used. Be sure to check your specific flooring manual to ensure you do not use a product too tough for your vinyl floors.


Core Luxe Affordability

Prices were briefly mentioned in the breakdown of the product lines, but it’s important to discuss the brand’s affordability in depth. Competitors with artificial flooring options like laminate, composite, and even vinyl, often have higher prices than fall just below wood’s price.

However, Core Luxe is a fraction of the cost for wood, both introductory and at the highest end. Pairing the initial upfront cost with reduced maintenance costs, Core Luxe is a flooring option that lowers expenses long term.


Core Luxe Warranties

Unfortunately, warranties are one of the areas Core Luxe could use some improvement. Only the two more expensive options are eligible for warranties, Core Luxe XD and Core Luxe Ultra.

Lack of warranty is uncharacteristic for vinyl planks similar to Core Luxe’s and the answer isn’t quite clear on why that is. Especially so when it comes to limited residential warranties.

Regardless, it’s important to consider whether forfeiting the warranty is something you and your family would like to do for the cheapest options at Core Luxe.

It’s also worth mentioning when it comes to commercial spaces, individuals are also out of luck. There is no Core Luxe warranty for commercial properties, but there is a lackluster one for the XD and Ultra line. Once again, the lowest, cheapest option is excluded from the warranty, but this time, the warranties that are available are not comprehensive.


Core Luxe Temperature Resistance

While Core Luxe’s products are durable to wear and tear, including scratches and stains, they are highly susceptible to temperature issues. Well, to be fair, all vinyl flooring options usually are.

Core Luxe is not the best choice for outdoor spaces, especially in hot and humid places. In extreme temperatures, Core Luxe is known to swell, warp, and split, causing irreversible damage in some cases.


Core Luxe’s Eco-Friendliness 

Vinyl isn’t particularly earth-friendly as a whole. Some brands are recyclable to a certain extent, but the fact remains that vinyl is entirely manufactured and not completely recyclable.

Vinyl plank flooring has a number of disadvantages, the most significant of which is that it is not ecologically beneficial. If you want something environmentally friendly, try hemp flooring or another sustainable wood flooring option such as pine flooring. Composite floors also make use of wood chips and wasted plastic, repurposing them to form durable floors.

Top Pick
fci logo

4.7

Complimentary post-installation follow-ups

Provides convenient in-home consultations

Hundreds of flooring showrooms nationwide

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
10% off all floors during the Twenty-Twenty-FLOOR-Event
Best Shop-At-Home Experience

4.8

Offers next-day installations on certain flooring options

Multiple financing options

Mobile showroom option for convenient at-home shopping

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
Currently offering a 1/2 price sale
Best Flooring Options

3.8

Natural and engineered hardwood options

Offers augmented reality visualizer tool

Provides free samples online and in-store

GET QUOTE
Limited Time:
20% Off Select Flooring

So, Is Core Luxe a Good Flooring Option For Your Home?

Core Luxe’s top-tier collection, dubbed Core Luxe Ultra, is fairly priced for the product received. But, with so many options on the market, it’s tough to recommend this one as being worth it when there are many issues.

In the same price range, customers might be able to find something more, such as more eco-friendly, more cost-effective, a better warranty, and so on.

Editorial Contributors
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Alora Bopray

Staff Writer

Alora Bopray is a digital content producer for the home warranty, HVAC, and plumbing categories at Today's Homeowner. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of St. Scholastica and her master's degree from the University of Denver. Before becoming a writer for Today's Homeowner, Alora wrote as a freelance writer for dozens of home improvement clients and informed homeowners about the solar industry as a writer for EcoWatch. When she's not writing, Alora can be found planning her next DIY home improvement project or plotting her next novel.

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Lora Novak

Senior Editor

Lora Novak meticulously proofreads and edits all commercial content for Today’s Homeowner to guarantee that it contains the most up-to-date information. Lora brings over 12 years of writing, editing, and digital marketing expertise. She’s worked on thousands of articles related to heating, air conditioning, ventilation, roofing, plumbing, lawn/garden, pest control, insurance, and other general homeownership topics.

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