Let me just say that when I first wrote about the new flooring we would be installing in the main living area and kitchen at the 70’s Landing Pad, I was not ready for you. I thought I had done enough research on the flooring we chose, but you guys brought the questions and had me saying multiple times, “Why didn’t I think to ask that?” You brought your A-game.
If you don’t remember, we went for NuCore flooring from Floor & Decor which is an engineered floor that has luxury vinyl on top of a waterproof core. It also has a cork backing which was supposed to give better noise resistance than traditional vinyl planks or wood laminates. There are more details on the flooring and how we installed it in this post. Floor & Decor did provide me with the NuCore flooring, however it was the top contender in the flooring department after we researched various types and we would have bought it for the renovation anyway. While they did provide me the flooring, all these opinions are mine.

There were a few reasons that NuCore stood out to us:
- Installation
We were able to install NuCore ourselves. It’s a tongue and groove installation that snaps together. We were on a budget and having someone else install the flooring wasn’t much of an option. Grunt Labor had installed our traditional hardwood at the Beloved Foreclosure, but literally every piece had to be nailed down and it was a back breaking task. He didn’t want to go through that again and I didn’t want him to either. Now of course, we did have to think things through a bit in the beginning, but once we got going, it was relatively smooth sailing. The video below shows how to install the NuCore Flooring.
You can read more about the installation here.
- Waterproof
NuCore is waterproof. We have a four year old and a dog. That in itself should be enough to warrant waterproof flooring for us. Honestly, until I started researching, I didn’t know there were any wood look waterproof floorings available that weren’t straight sheet vinyl. When I found out NuCore was, it was a game changer.
- Look & Feel
Of course, when you are putting new flooring in such a large space in your house, you want it to look good. We knew for the 70’s Landing Pad, we wanted wider planks and maybe even a little more texture to the flooring. We wanted to stick with a darker stain as well. The Cocoa Oak shade of NuCore fit the bill.
The photo above was taken just after I had cleaned the floors, thus the oily look, however it’s also the best way for me to show you in pictures the texture of the flooring. You can see the hand-scraped texture in each plank. The texture isn’t so much to where it’s hard to clean or bothers you when walking on it. It’s just enough to add a little depth.
This image best shows the color of the floor up close. It’s dark, but not too dark. To me, the color seems to somewhat have a 70’s vibe going on and that of course, fit perfectly for the house.
We installed NuCore in January of this year, so we’ve had it for about five months. Since then, the following things have happened:
- The flooring got covered in at least a 2 inch layer of dust.
Okay, maybe not 2 inches, but pretty close. Either way, it was disgusting, but cleaned up perfectly well.
- It also took it’s fair share of paint splatters and tile mortar splotches from us working on the house.
Once more, those also cleaned up just fine with the help of a regular kitchen sponge scrubber.
- The dog has peed on it – multiple times.
And the pee just sat there. The flooring didn’t absorb it, there wasn’t a stain, and it wiped right up.
- The dishwasher leaked.
When I say the dishwasher leaked, I mean that water was pouring out of the sides like no tomorrow. The NuCore didn’t let it go anywhere though.
- We moved in.
While I was certain that moving in would cause at least a few dents / dings /scratches on the flooring, I was wrong. Even the three piece cabinet unit that Grunt Labor and Nicky refer to as the three steel boxes I bought didn’t hurt the flooring. The only place where we got scratches on the floor was when the kitchen oven had to be moved in and out while we were working on the cabinetry. I think most of that was due to the fact that Grunt Labor was doing it alone and therefore couldn’t really lift it like it needed to be lifted to be moved.
Like I said earlier, there were many questions you guys posed that I didn’t think to ask when I went with this flooring. I tried to get you the best answer I could by asking the people at Floor & Decor if I didn’t know and responding to your questions in the comments of the first post or email. There were also some questions I had asked, but forgot to include in the first post about the flooring, so I thought I would take this time to answer questions most frequently asked here:
Q: This flooring has joints. How can it be waterproof?
I’m assuming since this is a tongue and groove flooring that when those snap together, they form a waterproof seal. Now, that isn’t to say that some tiny amount of water wouldn’t get in those joints, but I don’t think it would be enough to damage the flooring as long as it was installed properly.
Q: Does it feel like vinyl? Does it feel cheap or plastic-y?
I am not a great one to ask this because my experience with wood look vinyl flooring is minimal. I had it in one other house and I can tell you that that flooring did feel cheap to me. That was also nearly 10 years ago and things in the vinyl department have greatly improved since then. I often associate vinyl flooring with being really shiny – like sheet vinyl we all used to have in our kitchens. This flooring doesn’t look or feel like that to me. It does feel different than traditional hardwood flooring because obviously it isn’t hardwood flooring and isn’t as thick or hard like hardwood. I’ll have to pay more attention to how my feet feel and sound on it when I’m walking and come back to this one again.
Q: How long did it take to install?
Like I said earlier, once you get the hang of installing it, it goes pretty fast. Grunt Labor worked on the flooring for about 2-3 hours each day after work. He was probably able to complete one room every 2-3 days.
Q: Did you lay down a barrier or put it straight on the floor?
No, we did not lay down a barrier. NuCore has a cork backing which helps as a sound barrier. NuCore can be installed over many existing floors. We went right over the old laminate flooring in the den area with NuCore. Of course, we pulled up the carpet in the living room and dining room before installing it there and put it on top of the subfloor. Most people would also be able to take it right over vinyl flooring in their kitchens, but we had some issues in our kitchen where previous owners had remodeled and the kitchen actually had two subfloors, so we had to rip some of that out first before installing NuCore in there.
Q: Does it scratch easily?
Like I said above, the only problem we had with it scratching was right around the oven.
Q: How do you install it on stairs?
They make stair noses that fit over the front edge of the steps and then you would do regular installation on the rest of the step.
Q: We have 700+ square feet of tile in the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, etc that’s gonna cost $7000 to demo and re-tile, so I’m trying to see if there’s a cheaper DIY alternative. I assume you can install this on top of existing tile? But how thin is it? The issue I see there is a dropoff when transitioning into other rooms.
I do believe you could install it over existing tile if your tile is level for the most part. I’m pretty sure that each color of NuCore has various accessories in that same shade you can purchase. I know they have transitions you could use for the variation in floor levels. The flooring is thin, so it shouldn’t add too much height. We installed this on our landing which actually had tile previously. We could have went right over the tile, but the problem we ran into was that the tile was really thick and we would have had a really large transition which I didn’t feel too comfortable with. I was worried it would be so much that someone might trip over it.
Q: This flooring is thin. I’m worried it won’t hold up and will snap.
Dude. This was my biggest concern when we were considering this flooring. The flooring is 6.5 mm thick. According to Google, that translates to 0.255906 inches. It’s tough though. One of the first things I did was get a piece out and try to bend it in half to break it. It didn’t crack at all. The only way to cut it is with of course with a saw or score it with a utility knife and then snap it while holding one half of the piece on a solid surface and bending the other half. I won’t lie – this thinness still freaks me out a little, but time will tell….
Q) How does this stuff stay in place without gluing it down? My concern would be if there is a slightly uneven place in the floor then this could shift or not rest flush.
The way I understand it, the tongue and groove locks it all together. Once it’s all locked together it’s pretty heavy enough that it stays in place. Most people will need to go back around the edges where the flooring meets the baseboard and add quarter round, which will hold it in place even more.
If you’ve got any other questions, send ’em my way! I’ll do my best to answer them or get the answer for you.
UPDATE: I did a review of our NuCore Flooring one year later. You can read about it here.
You can also get more information about the install of NuCore including a video here.
Disclosure: Floor and Decor provided me with NuCore flooring. However, all opinions and roughness that our family and this renovation gave our floors are 100% mine.
Amy says
I have two *very* large dogs (Great Dane and Bloodhound) and we are always worried about their nails scratching any flooring that we purchase…Sometimes we like to play chase in the house 😉 Since you also have a dog, have you noticed any problems with his nails scratching the floor at all??
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
We have a Boxer, but she isn’t a big Boxer. So far, she has ran all over the flooring and we haven’t seen any scratches. At our previous house, we had real hardwood flooring and she scratched it up everywhere!
Shannon Fox says
Thank you for such a comprehensive review!
We hope to install new flooring at The Little Cottage and it’s posts like these that make it easier to decide.
When you go higher-end, the luxury vinyls are amazing.
We had a sheet version in the kitchen before the flood, and it was so pretty. (and easy)
Much easier than our hardwoods.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
I love hardwoods, but man they are not fun to install! Hope you find something great for the cottage, Shannon!
condo blues says
I had no idea this is vinyl until I read your post! My living room needs new flooring desperately and I really don’t want to go with carpeting again. This might be our answer to the hardwood we want but can’t have because our house is built on a cement slab.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
I know – it doesn’t look like it at all! This can be installed over concrete, so it might be a good option for you!
Debbi Rowe says
I put it on a cement slab an love it. I have a friend who had hardwood on a sub floor and she can’t believe how soft it is because of the cork backing. I even spilled stain on the floor and it wiped right up!
Barb says
We have a different brand of luxury vinyl and are VERY happy with it! Like you said, it holds up to dog nails, kids, water, etc. No one knows it is not hardwood until we tell them. I love it and do not miss the worries about hardwood at all. Highly recommended.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
That’s great to hear, Barb!
Lory says
Hello!
I just had NUCORE installed, and with construction and everything, there is one big scratch. I’m thinking about asking the contractors to repair it? Would it be easy enough? To repair one plank? I’m happy with the floors so far tho!
I also recently had engineered hardwood installed, and is full of scratches and I am super careful!
I Kinda wish I’d just used NUCORE straight throughout!
Jenna says
It might be a little difficult to pull up that plank. They would probably have to use a small saw to cut it out and then nail the new one down. I think I would probably ask them to replace it though and see what they say if I were you.
Kam Yu says
Hello Lory
Did you get it fix? I am in the market of a new floor for my upstair.
thanks
Heather Tirak says
Can I ask what type of other flooring you chose? I’m in the market and have 4 small dogs and need to be sure and check the different companies out!
Linda says
Which one did you go with?
Jessi says
We have checked out this floor from floor and décor and are very interested in it. My biggest concern is if it muffles sounds well. We did the key test on several different types of flooring and this one was by far the loudest. We have 3 dogs, 3 cats and a toddler all of which can sound like a parade of elephants if we do not put down the right flooring.
The fear of “loudness” is the only thing holding us back from choosing this flooring.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
I haven’t noticed a huge amount of sound when someone walks on the floor at our house. That being said, I also haven’t been paying a huge amount of attention to it as well. It seems that the cork backing helps to absorb some of the sound.
Lee Ann Crnko says
I’m looking to put this in my daughter’s mobile home with 3/4″ plywood. The home is in Louisiana where they recently had all the bad flooding. My concern is that the cork backing, over time, might show imperfections in the sub floor. Did you have any places in your sub floor that is showing up after months of being installed?
We have some old glue left in areas that had glue down vinyl and in one bath all the vinyl glue down tiles didn’t come up.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
So far, I haven’t noticed any places like that Lee Ann. Now, we did have one place where there had been two different subfloors and they didn’t meet up quite right. I can tell where that spot is when I walk on it, but not when I look at it.
Skye says
I’m currently having nucore flooring being installed at my new house, so far it looks beautiful. I had researched tons of flooring options and my husband and I decided to go with vinyl planks since we have 2 dogs and 3 kids. We really wanted to have vinyl planks that had a cork backing and we narrowed it down to the nucore from floor and decor and a new brand that Home Depot just came with, we needed up going with the nucore because we liked the color better.
We will be moving into our new house in about a week and I’m nervous about the new floor getting dents and scratchs when we move everything in. Did you lay down cardboard or anything when you move any heavy items into your house?
What do you use to clean the floor? I’ve read to just sweep and to mop with water and mild soap or vinegar, but I’m wondering if there is a cleaning product that would work or is made just for vinyl floors. And what type of mop do you use?
Your floors look great and I love the artical!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Skye! No, we didn’t put down cardboard or anything like that when we moved in. However, I had a couple of guys who basically carried everything. There wasn’t any “scooting” items so to speak. To clean the floor, I just use Mop and Glo. I squirt it on there and use one of those flat rectangle mops that has a pad attached to wipe it back and forth. Hope all that helps!
jeannie says
I was told by floor and decor not to use mop and glo on nucore as it can yellow it
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Didn’t know that, Jeannie – thanks for letting me know!
Barbara says
What about steam mop for cleaning? Any issues you know of?
Jenna says
None that I know of.
Amanda Eilers says
Steam mops are not safe due to the heat not the moisture. They can dull the finish also. I’ve been selling floor covering for eight years. raised in the business forty.
Kim says
Hi Skye, what color of NuCore did you go with? Can you share a pic?
REGINA says
Hello, Jenna I live in Dallas Texas area and need someone to install the Nucore Flooring. I was wondering do you know of anyone.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Regina! I’m sorry, but I don’t know of anyone in that area who installs it. I think you could use a service like HomeAdvisor or Angie’s List though to find someone.
Jennika says
Hi! My parents are looking for new vinyl flooring and your review is super helpful. My parents have 35 grandchildren that come and play often, so they have a lot of traffic obviously. I’m wondering if you were able to do anything about the area that got scratched? Like did it turn white or what color did it scratch to? Is it really noticeable? Also, you still haven’t noticed any dents? They need something super durable and they’re wanting to replace their carpet with another type of flooring!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Jennika! I didn’t do anything to the area where it got scratched. It didn’t turn white, in fact, it’s still brown. You can’t really see the scratches unless you look really closely. I haven’t noticed any dents. 🙂
Lori says
I cannot get it to snap like that – just started installing it a little while ago an I think I’m just not strong enough 🙁 I am using the trim saw attachment on my Black and Decker matrix drill to trim it and it works 🙂 Definitely some work though – doing a few rows at a time and taking a break. Going to eventually do all 2000 square feet of my house but starting with my 198 square foot office.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Lori! Oh no! I’m sorry it’s not snapping easy for you. Make sure you’re connecting them at an angle when you’re snapping them together.
Dan Poehler says
I am remodeling a second floor bathroom with a plywood T&G subfloor. Do I need to provide some type of waterproofing or plastic sheeting under my Nucore? What do I need to do besides skimming/leveling my plywood subfloor?
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Dan! NuCore is waterproof, so you should be good going over the subfloor!
Jay says
I was in the check out about to make a large purchase of NuCore to replace the worn out floor in my vet clinic when i asked the guy how it held up to chemicals like bleach water. He said bleach was very bad for it. Ugh! Back to the drawing board!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Oh no, sorry to hear that, Jay!
Ellen says
Hi Jenna – what type of backing is on the rugs you have put down? We did these floors the first of Sept and the house is cavernous sounding…so we got some rugs from Wayfair and they have a rubber backing. I think I need to put a pad under them to protect the floor and have looked at the rug pads like the cabinet liners you can use that are waffle type so the carpet would breath/not cause the LVT to stain or discolor.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Ellen! I have one rug pad (a rubber kind) under only one of the rugs I have on the floor. And the reason it has one under it is to keep it from moving. The rest of the rugs are just put straight down on the floor. Hope that helps!
Shari says
The box of NuCore says not to use rugs that have a rubber backing, but I’m not sure why. That was disappointing because I had just recently purchased a new kitchen rug that is super soft and cozy feeling on tired feet.
We’re in the process of redoing our floors now. I have noticed that my laundry appliances seem much louder than before, however, the laundry room is right off the kitchen and also serves as a pantry. We had to remove the shelving in there to put the new floors down and I haven’t moved everything back in yet. Maybe once that’s done, the sound will be better. Hopefully, anyway…
P.S. The NuCore floors are not as cold feeling as the old laminate flooring that was down. There is a significant difference!! I’m loving this new floor already and we’re only about halfway done!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Glad to hear you’re loving it, Shari! To be honest, I didn’t see that about the rugs with rubber backings. I have a rug pad that I’m pretty sure is some form of rubber under one of my rugs that is on top of the floor and it hasn’t damaged the floor there.
Amanda Eilers says
Steam mops are not safe due to the heat not the moisture. They can dull the finish also. I’ve been selling floor covering for eight years. raised in the business forty.
Kathy says
Jenna, in your picture adjacent to the reddish colored rug, it appears you can see lighter color lines where the seams are with some of the planks? Does that make sense? Like you I’m sure, I want this to look as close as possible to the real thing and I wouldn’t want some light coloring at the seams to make it look less real. We went to a Floor and Decor warehouse today and the display for the color we are looking at, had about 8 planks together and I didn’t notice this problem, but it threw me a little when I looked at your last picture. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Kathy! I just went and looked at this spot you are referring to and it looks like that might be caused to some slight unevenness in the floor underneath the NuCore.
Brett Kyle says
Hello,
Just checking in to see how the floor is holding up? I am installing new flooring and looking into all options.
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
Hi Brett, so far so good! We haven’t had any issues with it!
Taylor says
Hi! We are currently renting a house- is the flooring rental friendly or would it ruin the flooring underneath?
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
I don’t think it would ruin the floor underneath, Taylor.
Daniela says
Does the floors sound hollow? How does the smoothensss feel when walking barefoot. I’m concerned about the hollowness over concrete subfloor. Thanks!
Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof says
They don’t sound hollow to me, Daniela. As far as the smoothness, these have a hand-scraped finish, so they aren’t completely smooth, but they don’t hurt your feet or anything.
Trina says
We were looking into getting laminate for our floors. How much does the Nucore typically cost per square foot?
Jenna says
About $2.69 – $3.00 a square foot.
Mollie says
Jenna where did you all purchase your flooring? I am having a hard time finding a supplier!
Jenna says
Ours came from Floor and Decor.
Shawn says
Will be purchasing NuCore vinyl planks. Have yours held up well.
Jenna says
So far, so good!
Tami says
Hi…love your post! It’s hard to find info on such new flooring options. I was considering water resistant laminate because I have 4 little girls and two dogs, but then I came across this option and now I can’t decide! Does it make a click-clack noise when the dogs walk across the floor? Does it sound really loud when something falls on the ground? (Those are two issues I’ve had with laminate – even with high quality underlayment). Thank you!
Jenna says
Hi Tami! Yes, it unfortunately does make a click-clack noise when the dog walks across it. I can’t recall it making a loud noise when something falls to the floor on it though.
Julie says
I have a weimaraner. Her nails make a clicky sound as she walks. But she is stable on the floor (no slipping legs for my old girl). But I can deal with the clicky sound when I see her trailing water from her waterbowl. It just sits there on the surface. Clicking is starting to be ignored and once I get my furniture all installed, I’m sure I will be oblivious to her walking. Have to say, it has only been down for a week (over 900 square feet of it). And, I really like it. People see it and want to buy some.
Heather says
I am soooo glad I found this article!! We are looking to purchase NuCore flooring for our home as we begin the remodel and I had the same concerns you did as well. We have three children of our own, but being dubbed “the neighborhood house” by all the kids, we often have anywhere from 3-15 kids in and out of the house. We want something that is going to hold up to the plethora of God knows what coming in and out on their shoes, as well as waterproof for those accidental spills or rainy days. We are needing about 1500 sq ft covered, so I’m not excited about the nearly $5k price tag, but in the long run, I have no doubt it will be worth it! Thank you for the great review!
Jenna says
Glad it was helpful, Heather!
Roy says
Does it hurt to lay a 6 mil plastic layer prior to laying the flooring or are there any concerns with such?
Jenna says
I’m not completely sure, Roy. I don’t think it would hurt, but can’t say for certain. I’m sure someone at the store selling the flooring could answer your question.
Dawn says
are there any stores that sell nucore or do you have to buy directly and have shipped?
Jenna says
Yes Dawn, you can buy it at any Floor & Decor stores.
nancy glander says
Jenna do you have any familiarity with Nucore on steps. We have rail posts to work around as well
Did you compare Nucore to other waterproof vinyl planks such as Coretec, Palmetto or tidewater?
Thanks. Your posts are great.
Jenna says
No, I didn’t compare NuCore to those, Nancy. We used traditional wood treads on our steps, however we did use what NuCore calls “stair noses” on the edges of the flooring that dropped off on the stairs.
Jessica Vick says
Can you lay padding down first, before Nucore?
Jenna says
I’m not completely sure, but would think so. I would ask the folks at Floor and Decor, who sell NuCore.
Roger Grant says
What is the top coating of the LVP? Is it aluminum oxide? I went to floor and decor this evening and they could not tell me!
Jenna says
Hi Roger, I’m not sure about the topcoat of this either. Maybe you could call corporate Floor & Decor to find out?
Lynet says
What product do you use to clean your floors? You mentioned that the pictures looked best just after cleaning.
Jenna says
Lately, I’ve been using just a wet Swiffer pad!
pam says
Yep….I need to try these floors out. I love the look of them. Thanks for sharing.
Kate says
The nucore rep as well product label states not to use bleach, wax or abrasive cleaners. I am having a VERY hard time finding an approved cleaner. I want to ensure I am using an approved cleaner to not void any warranty.
Jenna says
Hi Kate! I’ve been using a wet Swiffer lately and it seems to be working fine!
Skott says
Mr. Grunt Labor…lmao. Thanks for your article, I am looking specifically at the same Cocoa Oak. Seeing your installation helped seal the deal.
Best,
“Beast of Burden”
Jenna says
You’re welcome – glad it was helpful! Love your signature! 😉
Tomomi says
Hi Jenna! Thank you for sharing this. I have very ugly outdated mosaic tiles (sounds pretty but it’s not.) in my bathroom and have been searching for the best rental friendly flooring to cover it. I’m very interested in this product but I have a few concerns and questions.
1) I’m renting so I have to be able to remove it smoothly. Is it possible? 2) The existing mosaic tiles are in very bad condition: most grout is gone and there are cracks and some parts are missing near the toilet. And there are bulges on both sides of the toilet where concrete is oddly rising. But I can’t remove the tiles to even out the floor since it’s rental. Any suggestion? I’m almost thinking to leave those parts uncovered and hide with plants or something…:( 3) There’s a radiator in the bathroom. (ugh) Is NuCore Flooring heat resistant? 4) Can I also make a round cut to fit the obstacles in the bathroom? Thank you so much for your help, Jenna!
Jenna says
Hello! You should be able to remove it pretty smoothly, since it’s just click together. I’m not sure how you could even out that part of the floor you were talking about though. I’m not sure on the heat resistant part, as we don’t have a radiator, so I would ask the folks at Floor and Decor were NuCore is sold about that. Yes, you should be able to make a round cut to fit the obstacles – I think you could probably use a jigsaw for that.
Stephanie A Swanson says
Hi there! So I’m actually looking at this now after being set on the AquaGuard floors.
I’m a little nervous to look at this since it’s about half as thick as AquaGuard, but the waterproof factor (and a special needs cat who tinkles out of the box) has me reconsidering. Can you tell me how it’s held up? I also have an Aussie and a toddler who don’t understand “down time” and constantly are running and barking/screaming/throwing things all over the main level.
Do they also have stair noses? Has the thickness been a regret at all vs something thicker?
Jenna says
Hi Stephanie! So far, this is still holding up great for us! No regrets on the thickness. And yep, they do have stair noses.
Beth says
We are looking at these floors, only a different color (100% waterproof NuCore from F&D). 3 samples have been laying clicked together in our main walkway for over a week. They seem to be taking the traffic of our 7 family members and puppy just fine! I’m guessing you are still very happy with your choice?? Ant updates on durability or water damage? Thanks for your post! Being a newer product, there is not a lot out there about them. –Beth
Jenna says
Hi Beth! Yep, we are still happy with the NuCore! So far so good on durability and haven’t had any issues with water!
Stephanie Bailey says
Interested in installing in my house. One question though, that I am hoping you can answer. Do you have any rooms where this was installed that are longer than 40 feet? If so, how does it look? Did the floor buckle in any places? I do not want to use transition pieces in an open roo, but the manufacture said it should not be installed on spans longer than 40 feet 🙁
Jenna says
Hi Stephanie. No, I don’t have any rooms like that, I’m sorry.
Deneise says
Hi Jenna we’re thinking about the nucore cocoa Oak as well and loved your picture and article thanks. We too are concerned about the thickness and whether it looks cheapies. But I do love the fact you don’t have to use an underlayment. It’s going in a 1500 square foot basement and my husband is concerned if it will break under pressure of heavy Furniture such as a treadmill. Any thoughts?
Jenna says
Hi Deneise! I don’t have a treadmill on any of my NuCore. The heaviest things we have on ours I guess is a refrigerator and a stove. We haven’t had any issues with it breaking or cracking in those spots or any other ones though. Hope that helps!
Shane says
Hi Jenna,
1st time to your blog. Love it! Thanks for taking so much of your time to review this product. I’m thinking to use NuCore for the waterproof factor alone. Question: I noticed in your video that Grunt Labor did not remove the baseboards first and measure the plank to the actual wall and then replace the baseboards. I would love it if this step isn’t necessary because it would save a lot of time/effort! But I’m wondering how that worked for ya’ll (achieving a seamless look around the baseboards) and how you keep water from getting past the end of the plank and underneath the baseboards? Also, can you share your thoughts on the lifetime warranty advertised with this product? Thanks!!
Jenna says
Hi Shane, no we didn’t remove the baseboards. After installing the flooring though, we came back with quarter round all along the baseboards to give it a finished look.
Cheyenne says
Does the flooring remove easy? Like would it be good for a rental update and be easy to remove ?
Jenna says
I would think it would remove pretty easily, since it just snaps together, it’s not something I’ve tried though.
Dionne says
Hi! Thanks for your article! I have a question for you-have you noticed denting/divots where chairs or furniture has been sitting on it? My installer says that can happen with lvp? How long have you had yours? Thank you!!
Jenna says
Hi Dionne – We’ve had ours for a little over a year and no, we haven’t noticed denting or divots where chairs or furniture have been on it.
Mallory says
Hi Jenna!
My husband and I are doing a pretty large floor renovation in our home (2600 sq ft) and the NuCore is definitely a contender! How are your floors holding up? We have three crazy dogs in and out of the house through a dog door all day, so I am basing a lot of the decision on scratch resistance and waterproofing.
Jenna says
Hi Mallory! The floor is definitely A+ for waterproofing. We had a few dog accidents and also a big dishwasher leak and the floor held up through all that. We do have a few scratches though. Our boxer slowly lost control of her back legs and they would often fall out from her under her, which caused some scratching on the floor and then caused her to try and get a better grip on the floor to get back up. The scratches aren’t very noticeable or deep, you have to look for them but they are there.
Alex says
Is it still holding up? Have you had any problems with it splitting at the seams?
Jenna says
Hi Alex! We have one place where a seam popped. I think it is mainly due to the fact that we put a very large and heavy piece of furniture right beside that seam though.
Scott Stockdale says
Like so many others I’m thinking about buying the Nucor flooring, but I have concerns with the 6.5mm thickness. The fridge, stove, china cabinet, dining table are all fairly large and heavy. Should I be worried about indentions or cracking? Your review has been very helpful!
Jenna says
We haven’t seen any issues with items like that on our floors.
Cheryl says
Jenna: Love your post and all the details you provide. You stated that you did not use NuCore on your stairs. Can I ask why you decided against NuCore? I understand that it is very expensive to put hardwood on stairs (particularly the installation cost). Therefore, I would like to use the NuCore on the stairs and on the second floor common areas. Also, upstairs are three bedrooms which are currently carpeted. Did you use NuCore on your bedroom floors? Thank you for your help and all the insight you’re provided.
Jenna says
Hi Cheryl! We went with replacing the stair treads with regular hardwood stair treads because there was going to be a lot of cutting involved with putting the NuCore on the stairs. We were also doing the install ourselves, so we didn’t have the issue of new stair treads being too expensive to install. We did not put the NuCore in our bedrooms. Personally, we just like carpet in the bedrooms as it makes them a bit more cozy to us.
irene says
Where does the wet go? can you install a drain and squeegee it down?
Jenna says
You just have to soak it up with paper towels or a towel.
SaRenna says
Just introduced to NuCore yesterday. I wouldn’t attempt to install myself, so I’m in need of answers. LVP was my choice and would need underlay and compound to even minor dips. Removing carpet and need to know what I’ll need to move forward before hiring an installer.
Jenna says
After you remove the carpet, I think you should be good to hire an installer.
Bryan says
We installed NuCore everywhere except the bathrooms and bedrooms, which includes the stairs. Any chance that you guys did this, or have a clue on how to do it? Our contractor nailed the planks down and then installed the stair nose so it overlaps the planks. Not sure if this was the correct way, but Floor and Decor says they don’t have installation instructions. So it’s a guessing game.
Jenna says
We didn’t do the stairs, but I think that what he did sounds right. 🙂
Joe says
Hi. We’re looking t o install NuCore waterproof laminate flooring with cork backing over a tile floor. The installer we contacted wants to fill in the grout lines to even out the surface. Is this necessary?
Jenna says
I don’t think that would be necessary since you have the cork backing on the floor.
Brandi C says
After installing our daughter’s new bedroom floor, we moved the dresser and twin bed back into place. We did notice some big scratches. The dresser has wheels and rolls smoothly, so we’re not sure why it scratched. Also, when I pushed the bed a few inches to get it into the corner of the room, it scratched. They’re not super noticeable unless I point them out, but we were disappointed of course to see scratches on our brand new floor. We installed the darker color, Cocoa Oak, which probably shows more scratches than other colors. I would definitely be careful when moving heavy furniture on Nucore flooring. We’ve had the floor for 2 weeks now, and for the most part, we are happy. Just wish we didn’t have to be so careful like when we had tile.
Jenna says
Thanks for sharing that, Brandi. Good to know!
Mary says
I am considering Nucore Coffee Oak in our home but having some trouble finding photos of it installed. One concern I have Is the number of times an image is repeated in the box of planks. We are doing a large area and I don’t want to see the same pattern repeated over and over. Can anyone comment on their experience with that aspect of Nucore?
Lisa says
Can I use a shark steam vac on the flooring?
I really love this flooring and want to do this right
Jenna says
I have not used a steam cleaner on it myself, but I have heard of other people doing so and they said it was fine.
Marwin says
Glad I found this tread. I am looking to install new flooring and Nucore and Cali Vinyl Pro are my two top choices. How is your flooring holding up to this date? Any issues you can share or any good stuff about it? I am most worried about denting since I have an upright piano in which I will be using piano coasters on the wheels. Do you have any feedback on scratches? Any cracking or popping? My installer says any LVP are susceptible to denting because its plastic even if its made of crched stones.
Jeff Schaewe says
We (myself) installed this in the hall way, living room and front door entrance and it came out great. We like it a lot, we have a Golden retriever and the floor holds up well. If he is running down the hall he can slide, but he thinks if fun. But to keep him safe we are looking in to something to put on his feet, don’t need him slipping and getting Hurt as he ages. So we did notice that we have two different textures on the floor as we installed it in section. We must have bought from two different MFG lots. The hall is slightly more smooth then the family room. Everything else is exactly the same and you can’t tell unless you walk bare foot. When the kitchen is remodel we will put it in the kitchen. She(JENNA) put a Good review together and I would agree with it. – Jeff WA.
Al says
I’m considering the cocoa oak but when I walk on it with tennis shoes, it squeaks. None of the other samples of different colors squeaked. It didn’t make any difference what was below it. Have you noticed this? I don’t like loud floors. Thank you.