Just like the hardwood, vinyl plank is fabricated and made in the form of strips. It comes in diverse styles and forms, with each resembling a particular wood type such as oak, mahogany, walnut and so on.
Vinyl planks are made to be waterproof and also water-resistant. This makes it possible to install this type of flooring in a bathroom as well as damp places like laundry.
In this COREtec flooring evaluated, we hold that vinyl plank is better a flooring material when juxtaposed with a laminate floor which is easy to install and lasts longer.
Besides, it comes as an affordable Lifeproof vinyl plank floor for home upgrades and people who want their home to have the appearance of hardwood without facing a rigorous installation process.
What is DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring
DuraLux comes to the market with a broad array of wood, tiles, stone, vinyl as well as laminate flooring products. Besides, you can get a whole lot of discounts from your purchases. If you are the type who does not cherish a DIY approach, you could get experts in your locality who can fix the project for you. In fact, they can deliver to your worksite at zero cost.
DuraLux flooring is made for a DIY-oriented person. It can be installed for as great as 64,000 sq. ft without the need for transition molding. It features 19 diverse color types, ranging from black to brown and grays.
These appear to be the commonest colors. Nevertheless, the choice along this line is somehow incomplete if you’re seeking for something that’s a bit unique.
One of the premium floorings for the kitchen is DuraLux vinyl plank. The planks are made in a single size, the 6 x36 inches as well as a 5millimetres thickness. The floors make for a 12-millimeter wear-resistant layer. The thickness is quite low when compared to other LVP flooring plank types available.
This can be fixed out of the box without the need for any glue or some machines. The flooring is carefully-mace to be easily set-up by users who chose to fix it by themselves.
Perhaps, the greatest feature that distinguishes DuraLux is that each of the vinyl in the bunch comes with an in-built antimicrobial foam layer.
Benefits of DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring
There are many benefits to purchasing and installing vinyl planks:
Price
DuraLux comes as an affordable option of upgrading your home décor without spending a dime. It is amazing to know that you don’t have to sacrifice style for a low cost.
As opposed to the genuine wood, the price of all DuraLux vinyl plank is less than $4 per square foot. If on the other hand, your floor is covered with a carpet, you can get a carpet vacuum that doesn’t cause floor damage to maintain it properly.
However, caution must be exercised here. Be mindful of brands with too cheap and unrealistic prices per square foot because they might eventually turn out to be substandard. Search properly for what you want and get the best of DuraLux, both the performance and basic series.
Style Variation
You are almost limitless when it comes to styles of DuraLux vinyl planks. Be it that you want to upgrade your flooring to a mahogany or silver-tinged or even natural stone look, DuraLux has got you covered.
The styles available include the vail greige and weathered charcoal for the basic series while the performance series has a silver fantasy, valley mist and henna walnut as the styles available.
You could now choose the various sizes you want and thickness between 3 mm or 5mm. The right combination of style and thickness will give you a very impressive appearance.
Sometimes, you can’t even tell what the differences are, experts can’t do this too. Whichever you wish to have, it is good you always remember that décor is simple to change, however, flooring isn’t.
Ease of Installation
Installing these planks in your home can be done on your own. You can as well vacuum your laminate flooring with much ease. If you are a DIY enthusiast and you’ve done similar things in time past, then this shouldn’t be difficult for you.
While vinyl tiles need to be glued down, vinyl planks from DuraLux are very easy to install because you only need to ensure they are nearly set and then click to lock them down. No glue or other tool is required.
With regard to your house condition, it is very possible for you to fix DuraLux to the previous flooring. Never forget to refer to the instruction manual from the manufacturer for product-based guidelines. Warranty can be easily voided when it is wrongly installed, so the ease of installation is a good thing about this flooring type.
Versatility
As opposed to normal wood, DuraLux vinyl can be used in wet areas because vinyl does not absorb water. As such, it makes a perfect choice for special places in the house such as bathrooms, laundries and so on.
This flooring doesn’t rot nor does it fade in color when exposed to water spills. As it is glued or nailed down, it can be used in basements. What you have eventually is a wood-like look that is impressive.
Ensure that vapor does not seep through the edges or just install the vinyl plank below the flooring. You can as well get a dehumidifier for the excellent performance of your DuraLux floor. It perfectly handles humidity and wetness.
DuraLux Vinyl Plank Pros and Cons
Pros
- Feature a high-quality foam underlayment.
- The antimicrobial layer is also available.
- There are price discounts for various types.
- There is a very great warranty on the product lines and it is simple to buy online.
Cons
- The styles available are rather limited.
- Just a few tile alternatives are available.
- Quality is still in doubt as a result of the dearth of reviews.
- The plank sizes are not as much varied.
Short History of DuraLux
DuraLux is a private company that produces vinyl plank flooring sold only at Floor & Décor shop all over the country. It offers a life-proof, sturdy and imitated look of organic wood, which isn’t difficult to clean and maintain with the best spray mop that will clean it perfectly.
They have their headquarters located in Atlanta since the year 2000 and their brand retailer Floor and Décor sells their product in the flooring market.
DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring Lines
DuraLux vinyl plank lines come to as two major products – DuraLux Basic and DuraLux Performance.
DuraLux Basic
The DuraLux basic has just one form of a plank, but the style is Vail greige and weathered charcoal. The thickness is 3 millimeters in both cases and the warranty is 30 years.
The price is $1.69 per-square-foot for the Vail greige type, while for the weathered charcoal type the price is $1.59 per-square-foot. One good thing about this product is that while using it on your floor, you can prevent allergies by using the right vacuum cleaner.
DuraLux Performance
This flooring line comes in three different forms – tile, herringbone and plank. The styles available include silver fantasy, valley mist and henna walnut. As regards the thickness, it is up to some 5 millimeters thick regardless of the style and form.
The warranty on the Performance series is a lifetime, meaning it can last for decades. The price of this product varies. For the silver fantasy tile style, the price is $1.59 per square foot. For the herringbone style, the price is $3.99 per square foot. For the henna walnut style, the price is $2.39 per square foot.
DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring Features
Design
When juxtaposed to other bigger vinyl plank suppliers, DuraLux comes with a fairly small selection of planks as well as tiles. The implication of this is that you don’t really have many choices to make as regards appearance and styles, however, few products range offered are still enough to accommodate all the needs.
The finishes are simple, however, textured as well as smooth planks can be bought. At present, there are up to eight wood-like vinyl plank designs made by the company’s general products available. The number of browns and greys in the product lines and performance capacity is almost equal.
DuraLux equally features a “performance flooring” with nearly 40 styles which look like stones and have intricate patterns. Mop that removes dirt from laminate floors can easily be used in cleaning them.
Durability
This vinyl plank flooring is made to last for a long time when compared to the conventional vinyl tiles or sheet ones. With this in mind, it is good to note that they yet feature a tear layer and it is equally a good idea to mind the overall thickness of the particular plank.
A majority of the products made by DuraLux are 3mm thick and have a 6-millimeter wear layer. It is okay if you wish to upgrade to the Performance series. The planks and tiles sampled are all up to 5mm in thickness and come with an additional 6-millimeters of protection, making up to 12-millimeter wear layer.
The additional layers and thickness imply that what you will have eventually is an age-long residential warranty when juxtaposed with the 30-year warranty offered by some other brands.
If you desire durability, then, DuraLux Performance is certainly something you should look into. Besides, a vacuum for a hardwood that doesn’t scratch your floors can be easily used in cleaning this floor with ease.
Dimensions
A majority of the luxury vinyl planks made by DuraLux can be classified under the “wide” class with the duo of their performance and regular types. Certainly, there exist myriads of options to explore from the premium planks, however, there are not less than 20 boards quoted from 3” to 5.9” too.
When scrutinized more rigorously, it was found out that they are really 5.67” by 36”. This same principle is applicable to length as there are no boards longer than 37”.
Be it that you wish to have wide vinyl boards or the narrow planks, you will find something that really looks like DuraLux, as such, don’t be searching for 6” wide options. With regards to the tiles, there are just for design and the size is 12” by 24” all through.
Environmentally Friendly
Vinyl flooring is truly a biodegradable material, one which cannot be found in a landfill and this is why the warranty is a commendable thing. A few companies have started recycling old vinyl plank to make new luxurious ones, however, DuraLux is not of them.
There are no details on Floor and Décor about the environment-friendliness of the vinyl plank. However, the indoor air quality is superb because DuraLux comes with a GreenGuard certification.
In fact, mop that removes dirt from laminate floors can be used on it to get an excellent result while cleaning it.
DuraLux Vinyl Plank vs Other Types of Luxury Vinyl Planks
DuraLux presents luxurious vinyl plank flooring with a unique difference which is a solid core made of stone. This feature is an exclusive feature of the DuraLux line and offers incredible scratches and fissure proof property.
It comes with an excellent impact-resistance which is greater than that of almost all other luxury vinyl planks (LVPs). It also has a thinner wear-layer when compared to other LVP’s.
How to Install DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring
Step 1 – Plan the Layout
DuraLux is easy lay out just as steam mops are great for tiles. Nevertheless, the very first step in installing is pre-determining the layout to give room expansion. Determine the length and breadth and plan how the flooring will look like.
Step 2 – Prepare the Room
Remove old floor finishes and pads to reveal the plywood subfloor. You can start by vacuuming the subfloor.
Step 3 – Lay the planks
Lay the DuraLux planks and use the click and lock to perfectly key it down the subfloor.
Step 4 – Cut edges and corners
Cut and replace around edges and corners to get a perfectly-laid setting.
Step 5 – Make room for expansion
Make provisions for expansion and contraction in the hardwood flooring.
Step 6 – Finishing
Use baseboard molding to hide the expansion spaces, then tidy up the whole surface.
How to Clean and Maintain DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring
Cleaning your DuraLux floor is easy to do since the wood is finished to a glossy and shining surface. However, you can equally improve your floor’s durability using an easy to use shop vac to clean it.
Step 1 – Clean your floor
Begin by dusting or sweeping your floors meticulously.
Step 2 – Prepare the cleaning solution
The next thing to do is to make a cleaning water solution by mixing soap with water in the correct proportion.
Step 3 – Start cleaning
Carefully mix the soap with the rest of the mixture and afterward mop or scrub the wooden surface section by section.
Step 4 – Dry the surface
Dry the surface with a neat, dry cloth or use a dry mob to do this.
Why Choose Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
It is advisable to choose luxury vinyl plank flooring over traditional hardwood flooring because they are cheaper, lightweight, more resistant to water and more versatile than other flooring materials. They are also more durable, comfortable to use, offer more insulation and are much easier to maintain.
DuraLux Vinyl Plank Cost
A 3mm DuraLux basic plank costs $1.69 per square foot for the Vail greige style while the weathered red charcoal style costs $1.59 per square foot. For the Performance series, the tile form costs $1.99 per square foot, the herringbone form costs $3.39 per square foot while the plank form costs $2.39 square foot.
All are of 5mm thickness. It is easy to perform a quick floor sweeping with DuraLux flooring as a result of the glossy surface.
Does More Spending Mean More Quality
Most assuredly, spending more on vinyl plank flooring does not necessarily translate to getting more quality products. You must be certain of the product you want to buy, brand and what exactly you want to use it for. The right vinyl plank for the bathroom is different from the one needed for the living room.
Do’s and Don’ts to Do With DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring
Do’s
- Ensure you fix the flooring with the aid of a technician.
- Always maintain your flooring to last longer.
- Fix any damage you notice immediately.
Don’ts
- Don’t use the wrong thickness in the wrong locations at home.
- Never allow moisture along the seam of the vinyl flooring.
- Don’t allow hard and rough surfaces to scratch away the coating on the vinyl plank surfaces.
FAQ About DuraLux Vinyl Plank Flooring
Who makes DuraLux flooring?
DuraLux flooring is made by Floor and Décor in Atlanta.
Is DuraLux vinyl plank really waterproof and environment-friendly?
Yes, it is truly waterproof and eco-friendly as it gives a very safe-to-breathe air. It doesn’t absorb moisture due to the glossy surface.
Can you install DuraLux vinyl plank over tiles?
Yes, it is possible to install these vinyl planks over existing floors such as tiles.
Is DuraLux vinyl plank compatible with underfloor radiant heat?
Yes, it is sturdy enough and really compliant with underfloor radiant heat.
Can you use DuraLux vinyl plank in unheated areas where the temperature may reach -20?
Because DuraLux is waterproof, it can be used in unheated areas where temperature can go below -20.
Does water slip through DuraLux vinyl plank in a spill?
No, the flooring is waterproof, so water does not slip through it.
What is the best-rated vinyl plank flooring?
DuraLux brand is the best-rated vinyl plank flooring so far, but this might change in the near future.
Does luxury vinyl plank increase home value?
Yes, luxury vinyl plank does add to the value as it increases the resale value of homes.
Does vinyl plank flooring fade in the sun?
No, it doesn’t.
What is the difference between a luxury vinyl plank and engineered vinyl plank?
Luxury vinyl plank is dent-resistant, scratch-resistant and impact-resistant whereas engineered vinyl plank might not necessarily be impact-resistant.
Conclusion
DuraLux vinyl plank is an affordable floor for very heavy traffic areas in your house and comes with sturdy rock-like cores that guarantee that your floor is not left with any fissures or scratches. It looks like the original hardwood, however, it is waterproof and can be easily cleaned.
DuraLux makes its vinyl plank flooring to be sound-proof so your home can remain quiet at all times of the year.
Photos from: NikD51 / depositphotos.com, munich1 / depositphotos.com, urfingus / depositphotos.com and halfpoint / depositphotos.com.