Flooring Compared

Rigid core vinyl · manufacturer declarations, normalized and cited

COREtec Pro Premium 9x72

installation constraints 9/9 specification claims 0/6 · 6 not read here 2 document conflicts

COREtec’s COREtec Pro Premium is a SPC (solid polymer core) rigid core plank measuring 9 by 72 inches at 5.2 mm overall. Everything on this page is COREtec’s own declaration about it, read from documents COREtec publishes, and reproduced next to the document each figure came from.

The row is the product line, not a color. COREtec publishes one specification per line and per plank size, and the color underneath changes none of the figures below, so this page covers every color offered at 9 × 72 in.

Every cell in the tables below is one of four things. A figure means the manufacturer declares it, and the document it was read from is named beside it. A cell reading no declaration means the manufacturer publishes nothing for that field, which is a finding about the product rather than a gap in this table. A cell reading held pending resolution means two independent readings of the same document disagreed, and nothing is published until a person settles it. A cell reading not collected means no document has been read for that field yet, and that shortfall is ours rather than the maker's.

The six fields this reference argues are worth reading first. Each appears again, in full, in its own section below.
FieldDeclared
Wear layer 20 mil (0.508 mm)“Wear Layer 20 mil”“Wear Layer: 20 mil”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Wear layer finish no declarationThis reference’s note: the finish is named (UV Acrylic) but no wear layer reinforcement isThis reference’s note: UV Acrylic is the finish; no reinforcement of the wear layer is claimedCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Locking system angle-tap (no system named)“Angle tap system can be installed easily over existing floors”“Easy to Install: Angle tap system can be installed easily over existing floors”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Attached pad Yes“Underlayment: Attached Cork”“Pre-Attached Cork Underlayment”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Pad material cork“Underlayment: Attached Cork”“Pre-Attached Cork Underlayment”“Natural cork underlayment blocks out chills and noise”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Residential warranty Lifetime“Lifetime Limited Warranty coverage”“COREtec Pro Lifetime Residential Limited Wear Warranty”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
What this row is, as the maker identifies it.
FieldDeclared
Brand COREtecCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Collection COREtec Pro PremiumCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Product line Pro Premium 9x72COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Core SPC (solid polymer core)“Core: Solid Polymer Core”“Construction: Coretec Residential SPC”“Coretec Residential SPC”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Plank size 9 × 72 in“Dimensions 9" x 72" ”“9" x 72" ”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Sq ft per carton 36.64“Square Footage / Carton 36.64 ft²”“36.64 ft² per carton”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read

No rule about reproducing this manufacturer’s images could be read from their own site, and silence is not permission. Their page is linked instead. The manufacturer’s page for this line

Durability

The wear layer is 20 mil, or 0.508 mm. That is the clear film above the printed layer, and not the thickness figure: this plank is 5.2 mm overall.

No reinforcement is named for the wear layer in the documents read. Where a maker does name one, that name sits next to the mil figure on this site; here the mil figure stands alone, which is worth knowing before comparing it against a product whose layer is treated.

Declared durability figures, each with the document it was read from.
FieldDeclared
Wear layer 20 mil (0.508 mm)“Wear Layer 20 mil”“Wear Layer: 20 mil”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Wear layer finish no declarationThis reference’s note: the finish is named (UV Acrylic) but no wear layer reinforcement isThis reference’s note: UV Acrylic is the finish; no reinforcement of the wear layer is claimedCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Total thickness 5.2 mm“Thickness 5.2 mm”“Thickness: 5.2 mm”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Core thickness no declarationThis reference’s note: one overall thickness is published; the core is not broken out of itThis reference’s note: the product page publishes a single thickness figure onlyCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Abrasion cycles not collected

Joint and pad

The locking system is not named. It is declared as angle-tap (no system named), which tells you how it goes down but not whose mechanism it is. See locking systems, named and unnamed.

A pad is bonded to the underside at the factory, declared as cork. That rules out a second underlayment beneath it. See attached pad material.

How the planks join, and whether anything is bonded underneath them.
FieldDeclared
Locking system angle-tap (no system named)“Angle tap system can be installed easily over existing floors”“Easy to Install: Angle tap system can be installed easily over existing floors”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Edge profile enhanced painted bevel“Edge Profile ENHANCED PAINTED BEVEL”“ENHANCED PAINTED BEVEL”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Attached pad Yes“Underlayment: Attached Cork”“Pre-Attached Cork Underlayment”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Pad material cork“Underlayment: Attached Cork”“Pre-Attached Cork Underlayment”“Natural cork underlayment blocks out chills and noise”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Pad thickness no declarationThis reference’s note: the attached cork is named without a thicknessThis reference’s note: no thickness is given for the attached corkCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Unique planks no declarationThis reference’s note: no pattern repeat or unique-plank count is published on the product pageThis reference’s note: no pattern repeat and no unique-plank count is published in the product recordCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read

Warranty: what it does not cover

The residential term is published as a word, not a number: a lifetime warranty. No document read for it turns that into a number.

The commercial term is conditional: 15 years applies to the heavy commercial term, which the maker also names a limited wear warranty. A period that depends on a purchasing decision made at installation is not the same as a period that runs from the sale, and a floor laid with someone else's adhesive is not covered for the term printed in the table.

Labor is covered, but conditionally: the first five years of the heavy commercial term only: reasonable labor in full to year one, half from year one to five, none after. See lifetime warranties and labor.

12 exclusions are named in the warranty, and they are listed in full below, not summarized. Among them are the everyday sort a household does not expect to be excluded: sunlight and UV fading; pets; and loss of gloss and scratching. The grouping is this reference's; the wording below is the maker's.

Warranty terms as published. The named exclusions are quoted below the table.
FieldDeclared
Residential warranty Lifetime“Lifetime Limited Warranty coverage”“COREtec Pro Lifetime Residential Limited Wear Warranty”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Light commercial warranty no declarationThis reference’s note: no light commercial tier is offered; the commercial term is stated as heavy commercialThis reference’s note: the documents list a heavy commercial term and no light commercial oneCOREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Commercial warranty 15 years“COREtec Pro 15 Year Heavy Commercial/Limited Wear Warranty”“15 Year Heavy Commercial/Limited Wear Warranty”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Prorated Yes“Shaw will arrange for a pro-rated credit based on the terms outlined below in the section headed "Terms of 15 Year Commercial Warranty" ”“After Ten years: ... Shaw will provide the sufficient replacement amount of the product to repair the defective area of floor. Labor costs are not included.”15 Year Heavy Commercial Limited Wear Warranty (COREtec Pro) · read
Labor covered Yes“Within One Year: ... Reasonable labor costs are included. Between Year One - Five: ... Shaw will pay 50% of reasonable labor costs. Between Year Five - Ten: ... Labor costs are not included.”“Between Year Five - Ten: ... Labor costs are not included. After Ten years: ... Labor costs are not included.”15 Year Heavy Commercial Limited Wear Warranty (COREtec Pro) · read
Sunlight clause It is normal and expected for there to be color variations due to use of natural components, exposure to UV light and/or sunlight, and age of material. Therefore, color inconsistency between samples, replacement product or illustrations and actual product is not a manufacturing flaw.“exposure to UV light and/or sunlight, and age of material”“color inconsistency between samples, replacement product or illustrations and actual product is not a manufacturing flaw”This reference’s note: a fragment of the color-variation clause; the value is that clause in fullThis reference’s note: the second half of the same clause; the value is the clause in full15 Year Heavy Commercial Limited Wear Warranty (COREtec Pro) · read

Named exclusions, from the maker’s own warranty document:

Twelve entries are published here; how many the document lists was not recorded.

“The Limited Wear Warranty does not cover: Damage due to adhesives or tape, scratches, gouges, scuffs, punctures, cuts, indentations, burns, accidents, lack of proper furniture rests or any intentional misuse of the product.” · “Cracking, warping, soiling, fading, improper maintenance or abuse caused by items such as roller skates, golf shoes or pets. Floor covering installed in inappropriate locations is excluded from this warranty. ... This limited warranty does not apply to Shaw moldings and trims.” — 15 Year Heavy Commercial Limited Wear Warranty (COREtec Pro) · read

This reference’s note: the quotation is an excerpt of the list, elided

Where the maker’s documents disagree

COREtec’s own documents do not agree about 2 fields on this product. Nothing is published for them above, because a value two of the maker's documents contradict is not a value to publish under anyone's name. The disagreement is itself a fact about the documents, it is checkable, and it is set out below with both sources named.

Not published as values. Two documents, two statements, both cited.
FieldOne document saysAnother says
Subfloor MVER limit 8 lb/1000 sq ft/24h Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) — “maximum moisture level per ASTM 1869 CaCl is 8 lbs ... per 1000 sq.ft. in 24 hours” 3 lb/1000 sq ft/24h 15 Year Heavy Commercial Limited Wear Warranty (COREtec Pro) — “When using a Calcium Chloride Test, the result must not exceed 3 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. in a 24 hour period.”
MVER test method ASTM F1869 Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) — “maximum moisture level per ASTM 1869 CaCl is 8 lbs.” This reference’s note: printed without the F of the designation; read as ASTM F1869 anhydrous calcium chloride test 15 Year Heavy Commercial Limited Wear Warranty (COREtec Pro) — “concrete should be tested for moisture prior to installation using the Anhydrous Calcium Chloride test method, a non-invasive moisture meter, or a pin/probe meter” This reference’s note: no ASTM designation is given, and two instruments appear that the installation guidelines do not name

Installation constraints

9 of 9 declared

The floor may run 2,500 square feet before a transition is required. Converted for comparison against makers who declare the limit the other way round, that is about 50 linear feet on a side, but only if the field is square. A long narrow room reaches the linear bound first. See how far a floor runs before a transition.

A 0.25 in gap is required; the reading recorded for this cell states the distance without naming what it is measured to.

The subfloor limit is declared as 90% relative humidity, and the test named for it is ASTM F2170. A calcium chloride limit is declared as well, but two of COREtec’s own documents give different figures for it, so none is published here as this product’s. Both readings, and the document each came from, are under the conflicts below.

No acclimation is required, which is the practical difference between this and a wood floor. The material can be laid the day it arrives. The reading records a condition on that: a climate controlled environment, which the maker asks for even where it requires no acclimation.

Over radiant heat the floor surface may not exceed 85 °F (29.4 °C). That is a surface temperature, not a thermostat setting. What the figure does not carry is a consequence: radiant heat is not among the warranty exclusions read for this product, so it stands as an installation requirement, not as a stated ground for refusing a claim.

The reading gives a service temperature band of 55 to 85 °F. It is the clause that catches holiday homes and unheated rooms. Whether leaving the band costs the cover is a separate question, and the exclusions are below. A three-season room is permitted; the permission is stated without a separate band of its own.

What the maker requires of the room, normalized where a conversion is defensible.
ConstraintDeclared
Acclimation None required“Acclimation of material prior to installation is not required”“Acclimation of material prior to installation is not required, however, the floor covering should be installed in a climate controlled environment”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Approved adhesives no declarationThis reference’s note: glue down is permitted but no adhesive is named for it in these guidelinesThis reference’s note: no adhesive product or class is specified in these guidelinesResilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Subfloor flatness 3/16 in over 10 ft“Subfloor must be flat – 3/16" in 10' or 1/8" in 6' ”“All subfloors must be clean, flat, dry and structurally sound ... Subfloor must be flat – 3/16" in 10' or 1/8" in 6' ”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Glue-down permitted Yes“Installation Methods: Floating (on, above or below grade) / Glue Down (on, above or below grade)”“Floating (on, above or below grade) / Glue Down (on, above or below grade)”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Max run without a transition 2,500 sq ft“Required perimeter expansion spacing for Floating or Glue Down installation is as follows: For areas less than 2500 sq ft, use 1/4" gap For areas larger than 2500 sq ft. use 1/2" gap.”“For areas less than 2500 sq ft, use 1/4" gap For areas larger than 2500 sq ft. use 1/2" gap.”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Perimeter expansion gap 0.25 in“For areas less than 2500 sq ft, use 1/4" gap”“Required perimeter expansion spacing for Floating or Glue Down installation ... For areas less than 2500 sq ft, use 1/4" gap”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Vapor barrier required No“Additional layer of 6 mil poly film or equal vapor retarder with a perm rating of .1 or less may be used as an additional layer of protection.”“a moisture barrier/mitigator like 6 mil poly should be considered ... Additional layer of 6 mil poly film or equal vapor retarder ... may be used as an additional layer of protection”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Radiant heat limit 85 °F (29.4 °C)“Maximum operating temperature should never exceed 85°F”“after installation gradually increase the temperature in increments of 5°F to avoid overheating. Maximum operating temperature should never exceed 85°F”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Service temperature range 55–85 °F“the floor covering should be installed in a climate controlled environment with an ambient temperature range between 55° - 85°F (13°-29°C)”“ambient temperature range between 55° - 85°F (13°-29°C) or average temperature of 70°F (21.1°C)”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Subfloor pH range pH 7–10“pH level of concrete should be between 7-10”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Subfloor RH limit 90% RH“maximum moisture level per ASTM 1869 CaCl is 8 lbs. and ASTM 2170 In-situ Relative Humidity 90%”“ASTM 2170 In-situ Relative Humidity 90% per 1000 sq.ft. in 24 hours”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
RH test method ASTM F2170“ASTM 2170 In-situ Relative Humidity 90%”“ASTM 2170 In-situ Relative Humidity”This reference’s note: printed without the F of the designation; read as ASTM F2170, the only standard those digits nameThis reference’s note: the guidelines write the number without its letter throughoutResilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read
Three-season room Yes“For installations involving 3 season scenarios ... the post installation temperature range allowed is an ambient room temperature between -25°F and 155°F. This allowance is for floating floors only”“For installations involving 3 season scenarios, meaning, the dwelling or installed space is without climate control for extended periods during certain seasons of the year, the post installation temperature range allowed is an ambient room temperature between -25°F and 155°F”Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) · read

Specification claims

0 of 6 declared
Standardized test results as declared. A figure without its method or its assembly is not carried into a specification.
ClaimDeclared
Certifications GREENGUARD Gold“GREENGUARD Gold Certification”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read
Commercial class claimed Heavy Commercial“COREtec Pro 15 Year Heavy Commercial/Limited Wear Warranty”“15 Year Heavy Commercial/Limited Wear Warranty”COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) · read

Source documents

3 documents
Every figure on this page was read from one of these.
DocumentAddress
Resilient Installation Guidelines for SPC Products (COREtec Pro) https://pdmsview.shawinc.com/USFloors/COREtec-Pro/Installation/Residential-Installation-Guidelines-for-SPC-Produc
COREtec Pro Premium product specification (Berkshire Elm, VV488-02097) https://coretecfloors.com/en-us/products/coretec-pro-premium/berkshire-elm-vv488-02097
15 Year Heavy Commercial Limited Wear Warranty (COREtec Pro) https://pdmsview.shawinc.com/USFloors/COREtec-Pro/Warranties/15-Year-Heavy-Commercial-Limited-Wear-Warranty

How much of this row is filled

Of the 9 core installation limits this reference tracks, COREtec declares all 9, and enough for the installation coverage badge.

Of the 6 core standardized test results this reference tracks, COREtec declares none. The other 6 have not been read here at all, because no document held for this product carries them. 4 more declarations would carry the specification badge, so it is neither earned nor refused here. The count beneath it measures the reading done here, not COREtec’s disclosure.

6 fields are recorded as undeclared instead of left blank: Approved adhesives, Core thickness, Pad thickness, Unique planks, Light commercial warranty, Wear layer finish. Each of those is the maker publishing nothing, not a failure to look here.

The opposite gap is recorded too, and this one is ours and not COREtec’s: 15 fields in the dictionary have not been read for this product: ASTM product standard, Abrasion cycles, Slip test condition, Slip test method, Slip resistance, E648 class, Critical radiant flux, EPD / HPD, among others. They are missing from the table for want of a document held here, not because COREtec publishes nothing about them.

What each field means · how these figures were read · the same constraints across every product ·