What are the BEST Brands of Vinyl Plank and How to Test their QUALITY

DON'T BUY just any vinyl plank, here are some simple tests you can use on the Vinyl Plank you are choosing. I also am considering the ease of installing luxury vinyl plank when I share what brands I think are best. This is important for anyone installing vinyl plank for the first time. Everyone wants there home renovation to be a success and no one wants to install a bad product.

Using a good quality flooring as a DIY who is learning how to install vinyl plank flooring can really make a difference on how well your installation will go.

Here are the links to tools I use. If you use these links I do get a commission and my family and I thank you very much for your support!

iRobot Handheld Vacuum H1 - (coming soon)

This is where you will find all the tools I mentioned in the video

While you are there hit the like button!

[stuart]

A year ago before I did all the floors in my house I watched your videos on how to lay laminate flooring. The most important thing I learned was with your vid on how to lay out your floor before you start. I did all the measurements and laid down chalk lines and my floor turned out perfect. It wouldn't have without your help. They are a must watch for anybody who has never done flooring before like me.

[Motor-City_Ben-Diesel]

I found a discounted finish of trafficmaster a month ago at Home Depot on clearance for only 43 cents per sq ft. Originally $2.00 per sq ft. I couldn’t even break the locking joint with my hands. Installed very easy. Great finish. Got 580 sq ft for only $249. So happy with the results.

[seanoneill]

The man knows his stuff, im fitting all types of flooring for 40 years, watch,listen and learn he is honest and is really trying to help you, slan mo cara

[alabamadirtygirl]

Thank you! We just returned a load of lowes shaw product after testing the paper-thin locking system. I'm a female w/ tiny fingers & was able to easily snap it off. We went w/ Lifeproof rigidcore. Much better product! I installed 1100 sq ft myself. You prevented a catastrophe, & saved us $5k, I could never have done it without you & your channel! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

[mcclendonrealestate]

JOE .. you have one of the most informative and honest channels about LVP flooring. God bless you sir and great videos!

[govtfunded]

did a 1700 sqft modular home. started with NuCore from Floor & Decor. Looks great, pain in the *** to install, a fight all the way. Gave up, took it back, argued for my money back, went to Costco and bought the Mohawk 'misty harbor oak' for about 80 cents less per sqft than the NuCore. It's 5mm vs 6mm but went together almost too easy. So far with work boots, big dogs, and the occasional pitching wedge....so good.

[gyientgreen]

Currently Installing lifeproof luxury planks in large basement and it’s going pretty well. One thing I wish I knew before starting was just how fragile the locking mechanisms are. Extra care should be used when emptying the boxes, don’t just dump them out and let them hit the ground. Also, use care in transporting them, the boxes are large and heavy so depending on how you load them into your vehicle, one pot hole can take out an entire box.

[MrTBoneMalone]

Wow, watching you snap away the locking mechanism on these planks makes me realize just that much more how important it is to make sure the floor is completely flat. There are so many videos out there on how to pick out LVP, but I think this is just about the best one I've seen. Thanks for posting, good useful information.

[bjk]

I have Coretec + and find it quite durable as well as beautiful. Extremely tight fit. Did a direct install to concrete slab.

[ronaho]

Most sincere, guy trying to help other people get it done right, wow that’s incredible.

[andrewbrown]

Currently installing 2000 sqft of coreluxe ultra from LL Flooring, heavy plank, strong locking tabs, durable finish. Installs easily with no gaps. Super happy!!!

[BoiseG]

I have 2 high energy dogs and scratch resistant flooring was a high priority for me when I was shopping for flooring material. Everything I read about the various flooring options claimed that laminate is more scratch resistant than LVP, so to test that, I used my house key rather than a butter knife. I had to really dig in with the key to scratch both the Mohawk and Shaw laminates, but the same test on the LVP was a real eye opener to it's poor scratch resistance. It took very little effort to make highly visible scratches on the LVP. I still had one concern with the laminate however, and that was how well the laminate material would hold up to standing water. For that test, I again used samples from both Shaw and Mohawk laminate, as drink coasters for a week. I also placed laminate samples in my kitchen sink and left them there to be exposed to my everyday sink usage. Both the Mohawk and Shaw samples that were used as coasters held up fine and showed no sign of water damage what-so-ever. The samples I placed in the sink were a different story however. The Shaw flooring sample was twice as thick as the Mohawk so I expected it to be an unfair comparison; but the Shaw sample swelled and warped within the first day. The Mohawk sample held up for 2 and a half days before I saw visible signs of water damage. The Shaw sample swelled and warped at both the joint and face, and it was completely ruined. The Shaw flooring would have to be replaced if it were on a real floor. The Mohawk sample curled slightly at the joint and a crack developed, but to my surprise, the joint remained very rigid and easily snap together with the other Mohawk samples, and there was no noticeable gaps where the samples snapped together. From my layman experiment, I believe the water damage to the Mohawk was not severe enough to require it be replaced if it had occurred in a low traffic area. A high traffic section of flooring would have most likely caused the cracked joint to break off completely, so replacement would have ultimately been required in that scenario. I didn't try to snap the locking system to see how strong it was, but the Shaw's was much thicker and I expected it to be much stronger that the surprising thing Mohawk locking system, but that was not the case, the Mohawk was superior. The flooring company where I obtained the samples, really promoted the Shaw flooring as being the superior quality, but my simple tests proved different. Long story short, my tests gave me peace of mind about going with laminate flooring made by Mohawk. It looks great and is holding up very well and best of all, Mohawk was less expensive than Shaw. I'm happy with Mohawk and will purchase this brand again in the future.

[gnagorski]

Started installing Coretec today. On the second row, we noticed the edges began peeling up or chipping. Boxing it all back up and returning it tomorrow. Wishing we would have found this video before buying, but at least we noticed issues as soon as we did. This is my first time ever commenting on a video, but hopefully this helps others avoid wasting money.

[larrykoz]

I installed Quick Step from Lowes and had good success. Passed the scratch test, locks together tight and has a very tough tongue. It also comes with an attached backing. Wish I would of watched your videos beforehand. But, I am getting ready to remodel an entire house and will be using laminate all throughout. Also, as a fellow believer in the Lord Jesus Christ I appreciate your knowledging Him.

[kimlombardo]

We used Lifeproof and we have been very happy with it. We have two dogs and high traffic areas and it has really held up. It was very easy to install and I liked the fact it has no formaldehyde in the product.

[edwardupton]

I’m planning a floor plan for our other empty house and have been studying your videos among others before I start and rate you 5 huge Stars over all others. Thank you for your time video suggestions, recommendations, positive attitude and rebuilding my confidence to aggressively take on this task. Appreciate you as much as I do Hickok 45 with his gun demonstrations and that is top notch! May God continue to Bless you.

[derekharkins]

I’ve done a few floors here and there. Used both the Costco Mohawk and H.D. Lifeproof. Much preferred the Lifeproof as far as ease of installation. With the Mohawk you had to angle the small end joint in first the try and angle the long seam joint after and it’s a PIA. With the Lifeproof just angle the board in along the long seam and slide it over tight to previous board tap to lock in then tap the end joint down to lock it in, much easier!

[midaham]

I installed carpet for a living in the 90s and installing vinyl plank is so much easier. I love the durability and installation ease. I just installed Corelux blue pine in my son's apt. It looks great. The subfloor was very uneven and the Corelux went together easy. I didn't have a tapping block or a tapping bar for up against walls. Super happy with Corelux.

[brandicopas]

Thanks for your unbiased videos! We bought 4 different type before landing on Mohawk. Did the kitchen a while ago, now extending into dining room. Love love the product, very durable as you mentioned. Love your advice, I'm feeling much more confident this time since finding you and your helpful channel/website & FB page!!! You're awesome, , keep it up! Thanks.

[fishon]

I personally recommend the Black Lab test. Also known as the Tasmanian Devil.