Many homeowners has been shifting from traditional hardwoods to vinyl plank flooring. The low-cost, durability, water resistance, and easy DIY installation makes vinyl planks one of the most prominent flooring in today’s world.
But, not all vinyl plank flooring brand is equal. Due to consistently receiving negative reviews, consumer complaints, and problems such as peeling, cracking, and durability, there are some brands that has fallen into a category of worst vinyl plank flooring brands.
In fact, choosing the wrong brand for your vinyl flooring can create several issues – from peeling, warping, and cracking to horrible customer support. This can make you feel frustrated and disappointed.
That’s why, we the team of hookedhome, have crated this guide to help you avoid making costly mistakes by not choosing some poor vinyl plank flooring brands. The list has been created based on custom reviews, industry forums, and insights taken from flooring experts.
You may like reading the below posts:
10 Worst Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands
In this section of this post, we will dive deeper into the bad vinyl plank flooring brands to be avoided. The information and data is curated based on the consumer reports, market places, industry forums, and expert reviews from the industry.
These worst vinyl plank flooring brands has consistently gained too many negative reviews, consumer reports, and complaints over a consistent period of time, making them fall into this list.
Here’s the list of the 10 worst vinyl plank flooring brands that has got negative image in the market:
1. Coretec Floor
Overview:
Coretec Floor is a well-known flooring brand known for its high-quality luxury vinyl flooring flooring which are sturdy, waterproof, and give a nice wood finishing. Their flooring system comes with a rigid structure that provides stability, soundproofing, and comfort underfoot.
Complaints:
While Corete Floor is well knows for its luxury vinyl plank flooring, however, their customers have consistently reported concerns about their flooring materials getting damaged or worn off within a small span of time. They also complained that the planks keep warping or cupping at certain points, and they come off the floor very easily.
In 2019, a user reported that coretec berlin pine flooring had paint chipping and a “haze” that made it difficult to clean. Moreover, it was damaging the cloth every time.
Another user on reddit reported that they installed coretec floor in February 2023, and it started cracking in the beginning of the august. Look at the below images:
Furthermore, customers has reported over and over again that their Coretec floor planks started to appear faded and had some scratches, which made the flooring look dull and lose its visual appeal as time went by.
2. Nakan Signature From Flooret
Overview:
Nakan Signature is a luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring brand from Flooret’s Signature collection. Nakan Signature is known for its appealing designs in flooring planks. Their planks are designed to provide premium feel and luxurious look.
Complaints:
While Nakan Signature flooring is premium, but their customers have reported issues related to the poor quality of the planks, low durability, and poor locking system.
Their planks don’t stay in place because of poor locking mechanisms. Moreover, in 2022, a user on redit reported that their flooring is causing skin irritation.
This can pose a huge problem if your home has high traffic, there’s a high risk of anyone tripping and dust accumulating in the gaps between these planks, making it difficult to clean them. These planks get scratched easily over time and easily lose their shine, this makes them less ideal for busy households where you have pets or kids running around.
3. Shaw Prodigy HDR Plus Floorte Elite Vinyl Flooring
Overview:
Shaw Prodigy HDR Plus Floorte Elite Vinyl Flooring, you must have come across this brand multiple times while looking for vinyl plank flooring., As per their claims, they have the best quality vinyl plank floor planks but unfortunately, this brand doesn’t live up to its claims.
Complaints:
Their customer were left dissatisfied with their services, they complained that their flooring planks arrived damaged and had other flaws.
Moreover, their customers has consistently faced problems with the durability, scratches, and the overall quality of their vinyl plank flooring.
Shaw claims that their plank flooring is durable, scratch-resistant, and waterproof, but customers has complained that their plank flooring started showing signs of wear and tear just a few months after installation. Another issue that most customers faced was the discoloration of the planks under sunlight.
4. MSI Rutledge Luxury Vinyl Flooring
Overview:
MSI Rutledge Luxury Vinyl Flooring is a great brand that offers a wide range of options in flooring planks. But customers have complained that they regret and are disappointed after purchasing their vinyl planks flooring. Their planks look amazing and give a natural look and texture, but the only downside is that they lack durability.
Complaints:
If you’ll go to amazon and see their ratings, you’ll notice they only got 3.8/5, which is concerning. Such a low rating is clear point that their flooring doesn’t really have good customer satisfaction.
As per the reviews on amazon, a lot of customers struggled with the installation process and said that it was difficult and time-consuming. Customers had faced issues like their planks not really fitting together, some had gaps between them, or scratches and dents visible after some time of installation.
This ruins the overall appeal of your home, making it appear messy. Furthermore, various customers has reported that their planks don’t stay in place which can happen due to improper installation, causing them to lift or buckle.
This is unsafe if you have children or the elderly at your home as they can fall or trip over these uneven planks.
5. MIRUO SPC Vinyl Plank Flooring
Overview:
MIRUO SPC vinyl plank is known for its amazing quality in their planks but the buyers have complained that their planks were damaged or faded when they arrived. MIRUO claimed that their vinyl plank flooring is supposed to provide enhanced stability and durability, but unfortunately, it doesn’t stand up to what it claims.
Complaints:
As per the amazon, they only have 3.6/5 rating, which makes it concerning and a valid point on why they could a bad vinyl plank flooring brand.
Despite their plank flooring containing SPC, customers have consistently complained that their planks started peeling, warping, or buckling in some places.
While some customers complained that they had issues while installing these plank floorings, they noticed that some planks were too tight while some planks were too loose, which created an uneven surface.
The locking system wasn’t working well in some planks, causing some planks to have gaps in between them.
6. NeuType Luxury Vinyl Flooring Plank
Overview:
NeuType Luxury Vinyl Flooring Plank is another flooring brand that falls in the list of worst vinyl plank flooring brands.
Their customers remained disappointed with the quality and appearance of their vinyl flooring material, consistently over-and-over again. They also stated that when proceeded to installation, they faced other issues like the planks were not able to fit together, and their edges were not straight, which is very a big issue.
Complaints:
The most common complaint regarding these planks was that they get easily scratched and chipped even with light use. So, if you have high foot traffic or have pets at home, then these planks are not the best choice.
Furthermore, many customers complained that these planks had a very unpleasant smell that stayed for the next few days after installation.
7. Armstrong Rigid Core Flooring
Overview:
Almost everyone is familiar with the name Armstrong, a well-known name in the flooring industry. Unfortunately, it has made its way to the list of worst vinyl plank flooring brands due to their consistent issues, reported by their customers.
Complaints:
Many people who bought Armstrong Rigid Core Flooring online were met with disappointment. Their Rigid core technology is supposed to provide stability and resistance to scratches or dents, but customers have reported that their planks started showing signs of wear and tear just after a few days of installation.
These scratches and dents become more visible as time goes by, so if your home is very active then this flooring is not the best choice for you. Another issue that customers mentioned was the expansion and contraction of these planks due to fluctuations in temperature, causing them to shift or have gaps between them.
This ruins the aesthetic of your house, making it appear messy and shabby.
8. ROSEROSA Peel And Stick Vinyl Flooring
Overview:
While looking for cost-effective and appealing flooring planks, Roserosa comes first in our minds. But this brand also has its own fair share of negative reviews from customers regarding its durability and material.
These planks do give you ease of installation but the adhesive used in the process is quite weak, making the planks shift or come off the floor after some time. Other customers complained that their planks had fitting issues, that created gaps between them, leaving behind an uneven surface.
Complaints:
Many customers were disappointed with their purchase, they had to spend extra money on repairing and getting new planks to replace those faulty planks. Another complaint customers had was, that these planks get curled edges after some time, making the floor unsafe if you have children or pets at home.
If your place has heavy foot traffic then this plank flooring is not a great choice. Consider exploring other brands that are more reliable when it comes to durability and quality, and give your home an aesthetic touch.
9. Supreme Click
Overview:
Another company that has made its place on this list, is Supreme Click. You might find their flooring affordable but later you will regret your purchase.
Complaints:
Many customers have complained that their planks are often delivered scratched and damaged. Some customers said that their planks had trouble with the locking mechanism, causing the planks to lift off the floor after some time.
And because of the poor locking mechanism, these planks don’t stay in place, they tend to shift easily. So it’s not very ideal for those households that have high foot traffic, as this can pose a safety hazard.
Another complaint was that these planks don’t last very long and because of this, it’s not the best choice for your home flooring.
10. Cali Bamboo
Overview:
Cali Bamboo, you might have come across this name while searching for flooring planks to buy. Cali Bamboo does have an amazingly warm tone collection in their flooring planks but the only downside is that they repeat the patterns over and over.
Complaints:
Due to the repeated patterns, you are not able to get the desired staggering flooring pattern. Many customers complained that they wanted different and unique patterns but they received the same four patterns.
Their customer service wasn’t very helpful when customers demanded a refund from them and had new designs stocked in their flooring plank options.
Common Signs of Worst Vinyl Plank Flooring Brands
Not all flooring brands lives up to their promises. Understanding the common signs or pitfall in low quality vinyl plank flooring brand is essential before making an informed decision.
Below, I’ve discussed what key factors can make you identify if the brand is a bad investment. The signs will help you stay away from various poor vinyl plank brands.
Unrealistically Low Prices:
You must have heard about this quote; “If something is too good to be true, its probably not”.
Same rule can be applied here as well. If an LVP brand is having too cheap price they are probably not the best one, and won’t last long.
These flooring brands keeps hidden costs, lacks essential features, and have huge quality issues, that often comes often comes visible after they have been installed.
So, notice if a brand is too cheap, and stay away from buying anything from them.
Lack of transparency:
A quality brand often provides a detailed information of their product, such as material type, manufacturing process, how it has been tested, different layers, and many other things.
On the other side, poor or bad vinyl plank flooring brands will often hide these important details. For example, there are many inferior brands who don’t provide any information on thickness layer of the vinyl plank, which is an important consideration to check scratch resistance and durability.
Moreover, be careful of words such as “Premium Vinyl plank flooring” or “High-quality”. If a brands claims being premium, see their specification on why they are premium.
Poor vinyl plank companies often says “premium” without giving a strong specifications.
Too many negative reviews
By looking at the reviews, you can easily identify if the product is good enough. Moreover, by looking at various other products of the same brand can help you understand if its a good vinyl plank brand or they are just here for fancy showoffs.
While, no brand will have a full-rating, however, a same problem reviewed by many customer could be a potential red flag.
Look at the review of the brand’s product and notice if they are frequent. For example, if several customers has concern about peeling, wrapping, or cracking, it’s a strong point of poor vinyl plank brand.
Limited product and customization
A good quality vinyl plank flooring brands often provides variety of options in their product to fulfill different needs of their customer. Options such as color, textures, materials, thickness, warranty period, installation, etc are usually remain mentioned on their product specification.
On contrary, poor vinyl planks companies often lag in providing multiple options and often have very limited product.
Overall, noticing these key-points will help you identifying some bad brands for your vinyl plank flooring.
How to choose the right vinyl plank flooring brand?
To avoid making purchase from worst LVP brands out there, you must know key factors of choosing the best vinyl plank flooring for your home.
To ensure that you are choosing the right vinyl plank, consider giving attention to the below key factors:
Durable Layer
When buying vinyl plank flooring for your home, check the layer of the plank. If you look closely, you can see a clear top layer, this top layer protects your flooring from any kind of damage like scratches and stains.
There are two types of layers- 12mil and 20mil. For most homeowners who don’t have high foot traffic, a 12mil layer is perfect but if your place has heavy foot traffic or have pets then a 20mil layer is perfect for you.
This top layer ensures the protection of your flooring, even under harsh conditions.
Moisture Resistance
One of the most important factors that you should check before buying a plank, is the moisture resistance. It is important that when you are looking for vinyl planks, go for those that have moisture-resistant properties.
Most planks often have weak moisture resistance, making them expand in size or curl from the edges. Go for those planks that have a tight locking mechanism that binds the planks together and prevents water from invading between them.
Installation
There are two types of installation methods, one is by click lock vinyl method, and the other is glue down vinyl method.
Try and look for those vinyl planks that come with ease of installation, for most customers, click-lock vinyl installation is the easiest and gives a seamless experience. With this method, you can ensure that your planks fit securely with no gaps between them.
While in the glue-down vinyl method, you have to use adhesive to stick the flooring to your subfloor. This works well if you have heavy foot traffic at your place, just make sure to use strong adhesive while installing.
Warranty & Customer Review
Warranty is a very important thing to check before you buy a product from any brand. This showcases the brand’s confidence in their product’s quality. So when you buy plank flooring, always check the warranty provided by the flooring brand.
You can also read reviews made by those people who already purchased the product, this gives you a clear insight into their real-life experience and helps you make more informed decisions with the flooring brand.
Strong Core Layer
There are two types of core layers that vinyl flooring is made of- SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) and WPC (Wood Plastic Composite).
Both of these options are great, but when it comes to their performance, there is only a slight difference between them.
Flooring with a WPC core layer feels more comfortable when you walk and is better at retaining heat. However, WPC is less dense in comparison to SPC flooring.
SPC flooring is denser and feels kind of hard under your feet when you walk. SPC offers more stability and durability in case of heavy foot traffic.
Appearance
After checking the quality and durability of the flooring planks, another important thing that you should check is the appearance of the vinyl planks.
These days you can find varieties of vinyl flooring available online and offline. Choose the style that suits your home aesthetic. Many vinyl flooring comes with natural wood-like patterns that seem too real and beautiful.
Check whether they are scratch-resistant and fade-proof because in most cases, vinyl flooring starts fading after a few months of installation.
Thickness
Last but not least, the thickness of the vinyl flooring plank, plays an important role in the quality of your flooring. The ideal thickness for high-quality vinyl flooring planks is 5mm, but if there is a pad attached to the plank, just subtract the thickness of that pad.
But if you want more sturdiness and durability then you can also go above 5mm while choosing the flooring planks. However, with more thickness, you will have to pay extra, but that’s justifiable because you are also getting improved performance.
Conclusion
To avoid any issues with the flooring, it is crucial to be aware of the worst vinyl plank flooring brand. Try to avoid the brands that have an alarming number of negative reviews on their platform.
Choose value-for-money products that also offer amazing customer service. Most of the mentioned brands are well-known yet, they still have many customer reviews that reported common issues such as installation problem, locking issue, scratches, wear and tear, etc.
Installing vinyl plank flooring is a heavy investment, and you must choose your brand wisely. One of the best way is to ask your local installer. They should be able to provide you better idea on which brand you should go after.
Feel free to share your view and experience in the comment section below, we want to make this post as helpful for readers as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
How to tell if vinyl planks floor is good quality?
To know if your vinyl planks flooring is a good quality, make sure that it has thickness more than 5 mm, their core construction is built open SPC or WPC, as they are more rigid and stable. Further, make sure they are water resistant and has atleast 15-20 years of warranty.
What is the best grade of vinyl plank flooring?
The best grade vinyl flooring is often identified as rigid core vinyl, such as Stone Plastic Composite(SPC) or Wood Plastic Composit(WPC). Both composition offers rigid thickness, durability, stability, and resistance from water.
What should you not use on luxury vinyl plank flooring?
Avoid using harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, wax, or steam mops on luxury vinyl plank flooring. These chemicals can easily damage the top protective layer. They may even cause discoloration. Instead, use a mild cleaner specifically designed for vinyl floors, such as Fabuloso.
How long does good quality vinyl flooring last?
A good quality vinyl plank flooring can last up to 10-25 years, depending on the brand, thickness, and how well it’s maintained. Flooring with thick layers (20+ mil) and rigid cores (SPC or WPC) generally lasts longer.
What is the best vinyl plank flooring brand?
Some of the best vinyl plank flooring brands are LifeProof, Mohawk, SMARTCORE, and Mannington. These brands are best known for offering high quality floor planks with durable thick layers, water resistance, and too many customization options. Moreover, these brands generally offer 15-20 years of warranty, making them perfect choice.
