Congoleum Triversa Flooring | Home Flooring Pros

May 25, 2023, by: Greca Fotopoulos

Welcome to our overview of Congoleum’s Triversa flooring, the latest of our 2022 flooring reports. Last time out we took a look at a Congoleum vinyl sheet floor, Airstep. Today it’s the turn of one of Congoleum’s vinyl plank collections, Triversa Prime.

 

WHAT IS TRIVERSA FLOORING

Triversa Prime flooring is Congoleum’s newest offering in the luxury vinyl plank market. This quality-enhanced EVP rigid core luxury vinyl replaces the original Triversa and Triversa ID and retails at between $2.50 and $3.50 per sq.ft.

Triversa Prime features the same wood plank and stone visuals, colors, styles, and collections as Triversa, but the Triversa SKU numbers began with TV and the Triversa Prime SKU numbers all begin with TX. The reason for mentioning it is that many retailers still have a large supply of TV flooring, though it isn’t being manufactured any longer. If you want the latest product, choose TX flooring.

What’s the difference?

Triversa have switched from WPC to SPC. What does that mean? Triversa (TV) was a wood polymer composite (WPC) core flooring, and the new Triversa Trex Prime flooring is constructed with a solid stone polymer composite (SPC) core.

The changes make the flooring  thinner, stronger and more dent resistant. It is also much more resistant to moisture/water damage. But it is also harder, so not as “cushiony” under your feet. We like this product as a waterproof vinyl flooring for bathrooms.

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Triversa Prime is available in 20 wood plank choices with colors ranging from the natural wood looks of Acacia, Oak, and Walnut flooring, in a variety of light to dark browns and grays. Plank sizes include  9” wide by 60” long, 9” or 7” wide by 48” long.

The Wild Mora Collection features random width planks at 5”, 7”, and 12” throughout the floor and the Cabin Door Collection features random length planks at 60”, 36”, and 24” throughout the floor.

The 10 stone profiles include the looks of Carrara Marble, Travertine and Slate, that is, they mimic beautiful stone. Colors range from the white marble to the browns and grays of the travertine and slate styles. The marble is available in 6” by 36” and 18” by 48”. The slate and travertine are available in 12” by 24” planks.

PROS AND CONS

Here are the advantages:

CONSTRUCTION

The stone polymer composite (SPC) core provides strength, durability, superior indentation resistance, the ability to withstand wide temperature changes, and allows the floors to be both 100% waterproof and fireproof.

Triversa Prime is thinner, meaning you will need less modification for baseboards, trim and doors. It has a sound dampening back, which is important because the harder SPC flooring can “click-clack” a little more than WPC floors. The backing helps mask subfloor imperfections and is resistant to mold and mildew.

DURABILITY

Triversa Prime is made with a 20-mil urethane wear layer which will provide excellent long term performance and is backed up with a lifetime residential warranty. To put that in perspective wear layers begin at about 8 mils, and 12 mils is considered good for residential use. A layer of 20 mils will last longer and give less visibility to minor scratches.

ECO-FRIENDLY

Triversa Prime flooring is FloorScore certified meaning that they meet stringent indoor air quality requirements. They are also Green Label Plus certified ensuring their adhesives emit the lowest VOC levels on the market today.

Congoleum is also committed to environmental stewardship through energy management, pollution prevention and recycling. While a “pro,” it’s worth noting that most luxury vinyl flooring made today meet these requirements. In other words, don’t choose Triversa on this point alone.

AFFORDABLE

Triversa Prime luxury vinyl planking provides the look of wood and stone flooring at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Authentic, natural visuals in the design layer, highlighted by realistic texturing, create the look and feel of real wood or stone at about $3 per sq. ft. compared to $8, and up per square foot for hardwood or stone. And by “up,” we mean up to $16-$20.

Here are the disadvantages:

SELECTION

Triversa Prime is available in about 30 wood and stone choices which is less than some of the other luxury vinyl flooring manufacturers offer. That’s not bad. But there are no exotic wood choices (Ipe, Teak, Tigerwood?) or grouting options available for the stone choices.

CHIPPING

Triversa Prime is made with an SPC core, which is harder and less likely to dent, but the hardness can make the flooring more brittle and susceptible to edge breakage. Each piece of flooring should be inspected prior to installation to make sure the edges are not chipped.

COST

The new Triversa Prime costs less than Triversa or Triversa ID because of the switch from WPC to SPC construction. Crushed stone costs less than wood. As a result, Triversa Prime is priced between $2.50 and $3.50 per square foot.

As a whole, luxury vinyl tile flooring material costs range from $2 to $7 per sq. ft. so  this places Triversa Prime in the mid-range price category.

Professional installation cost will run between $1.50 and $3.50 per sq. ft. depending on the specific project.

Take a look at this comparison price table to get a sense of other similar vinyl plank flooring prices.

BRAND	PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT
MSI	$1.60 – $3.50
Islander	$1.70 – $3.85
Smartcore	$2.00 – $3.70
NuCore	$2.35 – $3.80
Congoleum Triversa	$2.50 – $3.50
LifeProof	$2.79 – $4.39
Armstrong Luxe Rigid Core	$2.79 – $4.39
Mannington Adura Flex	$3.00 – $3.50
Mohawk SolidTech	$3.50 – $6.25
Mannington Adura Rigid	$3.60 – $4.60
Mannington Adura Max & MaxAPEX	$3.00 – $6.00
Pergo Extreme	$3.99 – $5.99
COREtec Pro	$3.80 – $7.99
Karndean Korlok	$4.50 – $7.00
Armstrong Pryzm	$4.90 – $8.00

INSTALLATION

Triversa Prime uses Congoleum’s SmartLink System which provides a tough, durable bond with an adhesive-free application. The flooring can be installed over a variety of subfloors and as a floating floor.

It can also be installed over a radiant heating system. Check out the cost of radiant heat here.

Congoleum recommends installation by an experienced professional or as a project for only an advanced DIYer. Complete installation instructions are available on the site.

WARRANTY

Triversa Prime is covered by a Lifetime Limited Warranty stating that the floor will be free of manufacturer’s defects, will not wear out, stain, fade, or tear from normal household use, or develop mold or mildew, as long as you own the floor.

Flooring must be inspected for any visual defects prior to installation. The floor must be properly installed and maintained or the warranty may be voided. If you’re going to DIY, make sure you do it “by the book.”

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Triversa Prime flooring is very durable but Congoleum recommends the following measures to prevent damage. They’re pretty standard stuff:

• Use casters or glides under furniture legs (and choose ones that won’t leave a mark/stain).
• Do not drag heavy items across the flooring – Get help to pick up that box of books rather than dragging it over to the bookcase.
• Use 100% latex backed rugs or mats at entryways and in areas of heavy traffic to avoid staining or trapping moisture.
• Shoeless is better – especially if the shoes in question are high heels.
• Drapes or blinds should be closed during periods of peak sunlight, as extensive UV rays can discolor the flooring.
• Flooring should be swept or vacuumed regularly to prevent dirt and grit from dulling the floors. That’s a universal flooring principle.
• No vacuum beater bars/rotating brushes; no abrasive cleaners; No steam mops. Clean stuck-on stuff as gently as possible, and your floor will look better longer.

The website has complete care instructions as well as recommended products and information about how to remove various types of stains and scuff marks.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Triversa Prime, which replaces Triversa and Triversa ID, was launched in early 2020, and because it is a new product, there aren’t many customer reviews available online yet.

Our feeling is that this will be solid, midgrade LVP and a good alternative to laminate flooring. Just keep in mind it has an SPC core which is durable and waterproof, but harder too. If you plan to stand on it for 30 minutes or more at a time baking something delicious or doing whatever it is you do, consider a WPC flooring like Mannington Adura Max or SmartCore Ultra.

And do please share your Congoleum Triversa flooring reviews with us, you can use the comments section below.

About the Author:

Greca Fotopoulos

Greca is the lead style writer at Home Flooring Pros (more), with a BA in Technical Art, she’s focused on flooring trends, flooring ideas, and flooring brand reviews.

“There’s nothing more satisfying than creating a home that you love. The hardest thing about this job is trying not to covet all the great floors I get to review; if I could remodel my home every month, I would!”