This is unlike the other SmartCore flooring where the decorative layers are digital images which, whilst fairly varied in each carton, do inevitably repeat (this is why it is advised to work form several different cartons when installing such flooring). The advantage of SmartCore Naturals is that you have the waterproof qualities of rigid core plus an actual hardwood or bamboo veneer on the top, so every single plank is entirely unique. The top veneer layer is also sealed with a protective coating. In fact, it is a kind of hybrid vinyl engineered wood, with a layer of actual hardwood or bamboo veneer on the top adhered to a waterproof vinyl core. SmartCore Naturals flooring is a considerably different type of rigid core flooring compared to the other SmartCore collections. The planks and tiles in this collection are 6 mm thick. In terms of sizes, the SmartCore Pro collection has the widest wood look planks at 7” x 48”, and stone tile slabs at 12” x 24”. We particularly like the weathered gray Covington Oak, which is designed to look like multiple width planks, and the Paramount tile made to look like a gorgeous patchwork of encaustic cement tile. What is more significant is the rather more delightful range of styles in the SmartCore Pro collection there are both wood look and stone look designs, with some great contemporary and on-trend options. We at Home Flooring Pros don’t think the difference is that significant. This stone polymer core gives SmartCore Pro a significant advantage in terms of durability and dent protection but conversely some say that SPC rigid core flooring feels less comfortable underfoot. The SmartCore Pro collection is designed to withstand tougher traffic conditions – suitable for commercial environments or very busy households.įirstly, it has a substantially tougher 20 mil wear layer secondly, the waterproof middle layer is more robust with a SPC ( stone plastic composite) core, made by combining limestone powder with plastic polymers. SmartCore Ultra planks are 6” x 48”, and the tiles are 12” x 24”. The SmartCore Ultra wood look planks are mainly oak, maple and pine, in varied shades of brown to gray. There are more stone look designs in the Ultra collection than in the standard collection, with a nice breadth of looks including warm tan travertine, dark gray slate and creamy sandstone options. There are around fourteen different designs – both wood look and stone look styles. The SmartCore Ultra collection may well have more high-def images, but for us the actual range of design options available seems less exciting. The added extras, hence the “ultra” designation, are an image layer with higher definition and a thicker integrated underlayment pad. SmartCore Ultra is constructed in the same way as the standard SmartCore luxury vinyl plank, using the WPC core (wood plastic composite) method and a 12 mil wear layer. Overall thickness for both wood look plank and stone look tile is 6.5 mm. In terms of size the SmartCore planks are 5” x 48” and the tiles are 12” x 24”. The stone look tile options are much fewer – just two at the moment – an attractive, generic stone aesthetic in either dark gray or light gray. The wood representations are oak, maple, walnut, hickory and pine, and there are both classic and contemporary looks available including some quite dramatic multi-toned looks. The standard SmartCore collection has a decent range of wood look flooring. The final bottom layer is an integrated acoustic pad, which acts as an underlayment. The other layers that make up the standard SmartCore flooring are a protective 12 mil wear layer that sits on top of the image layer – that is a printed design that authentically reproduces the look and texture of wood planks or stone tiles. This wood polymer core layer is made from mixing wood fiber, plastic polymers and foaming agents, which gives the flooring a 100% waterproof core and a solid feel, but not so solid as to be completely inflexible like ceramic tile. It’s a type of rigid core EVP flooring called WPC ( wood plastic composite) with a middle layer that keeps it stable and not prone to excessive expansion or contraction. You can think of this as the standard SmartCore collection. * Note that in 2016 USFloors was acquired by Shaw Industries (the company behind Shaw Floors) and so SmartCore is essentially owned by Shaw. In this Smartcore flooring report we take an in-depth look at each collection, and what sets it apart from the others. The different collections are: SmartCore, SmartCore Ultra, SmartCore Pro and SmartCore Naturals.
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