Duralux Vinyl Flooring Review (Floor & Décor)

In this review of Duralux flooring from Floor & Decor we will take a look at the collections available, plank width, thickness and wear layers, as well as installation and pricing.

ABOUT DURALUX FLOORING

Floor & Decor is both the manufacturer and exclusive seller of DuraLux Flooring. DuraLux is sold in the company’s 120 local stores and online. This strategy is similar to the business model of LL Flooring (formerly Lumber Liquidators).

Having no “middleman” means more profit for Floor & Decor – or does it mean lower prices for you? The truth is somewhere in between, perhaps a win-win for seller and buyer. Floor & Decor flooring is a good value at competitive pricing.

DuraLux flooring comes in two grades.

The cheap brand is DuraLux. It could be described as an entry-level LVP.

DuraLux Performance is the better stuff and gives you far more options. It has several upgrades over standard DuraLux: Longer/wider planks, thicker core, attached pad and wear layers of 12 mils and 20 mils vs 6 mils.

Both lines are waterproof because there is no organic material in any of them – it’s all synthetic from the rigid core to the vinyl coating to the clear PVC wear layer.

*Waterproof means that the flooring itself won’t be harmed by water. However, if your floor is flooded, water will eventually seep through seams where planks adjoin. And if the subfloor is wood, it will be damaged. The Floor & Decor warranty says this on the topic, “The moisture warranty excludes damage resulting from mold and/or mildew growth due to prolonged exposure to moisture. In a prolonged flood situation, the product should be uninstalled to avoid such moisture.”

That’s the recommendation – if flooded, unclick the flooring pieces and dry them, and reinstall them when the water issue has been solved.

What flooring does Floor & Decor produce? Four lines of vinyl including LVT/LVP and rigid core, porcelain and stone tile, solid and engineered hardwood, cork, bamboo and laminate.

Floor & Decor has its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Georgia. It has been a publicly traded company since 2018 and operates retail stores in 26 states.

DURALUX PERFORMANCE FLOORING

Our DuraLux flooring review starts with the featured collection – DuraLux Performance.

The Performance line gives you 70+ choices for color, length and width combinations.

A few of the options are $1.49 to $1.99, but most range in cost from $2.49 to $3.49 per square foot.

General Appearance: 80% of the choices mimic wood and 20% have a stone look. 90% has a Textured finish. The rest is a smattering of smooth and handscraped.

Four choices have a high-gloss finish. The rest are evenly divided between low gloss and medium gloss.

The spectrum of DuraLux Performance colors is what you would expect from a top line manufactured by a major luxury vinyl brand. It ranges from light weathered wood looks to pale neutrals to rich browns to darker charcoal hues as well.

Floor & Decor uses four designations for tone – Light, Medium, Dark and High Variation, the last designation meaning it is a blend of tones. The High Variation lines are ideal for installing in a room that needs some energy because the rest of the decor is neutral or does not have a lot of variability. However, if you put “high variation” flooring in a room with a rich palette of colors, then the combination might be too visually “busy.”

In terms of plank widths, you have an appealing array of options to give you the look you prefer. They include 5.5, 6, 7, 7.5, 9, 12 and 16 inches. What’s missing is narrow plank widths that are found in some solid and engineered hardwood that deliver a very modern feel. The 12-inch flooring is 24 inches long, and the 16-inch flooring is 36 inches long. These products are also referred to as tiles.

As for length, planks and tiles are manufactured in 24, 32, 36, 37.5, 48, 60 inch lengths.

Here are more technical aspects of a complete DuraLux Performance flooring review:

Flooring thickness: Most are 5mm thick. The most affordable two in the Performance Collection are 4mm. Two are 6.5mm and among the most expensive choices.

Wear layer: Most DuraLux Performance flooring has a 12 mils PVC wear layer. That’s the average for midgrade luxury vinyl flooring. Hinsdale Stout and Cottage Lake boast 20 mils wear layers and a higher price tag.

*Premium LVP usually has a wear layer of 20 mils or more. A few, like LifeProof rigid flooring LVP, have a 22 mils wear layer, for example.

Attached Pad: All Performance flooring has attached IXPE polyethylene closed-cell foam pad similar to memory foam. It is waterproof and 1mm thick, improving the flooring’s comfort, sound-dampening quality and warmth. Additional underlayment isn’t necessary, but if you want enhanced cushioning, Floor & Decor suggests its Sentinel Protect Plus foam underlayment.

Edges: Micro-beveled, beveled and 1 option, Everest Frost, with a straight edge. Here’s a primer on edge beveling.

1). Straight edges are not beveled, and planks fit together with no visible gap. The seam is difficult to see, and the result is a very modern appearance.

2). Beveled edges are beveled at 45-degrees. When joined, they show a deep “V” design where planks adjoin one another. The look is traditional and distinctive.

3). A micro-beveled edge is a shallower cut that produces a neat and clean contemporary design.

There is more information below on cost, warranties, VOCs, maintenance, where to buy and other features you might like to know about.

DURALAX FLOORING

Considered an entry-level rigid core vinyl flooring, the basic DuraLux is produced in 9 wood-look styles.

The colors range from cool grays to warm amber to brown with reddish highlights.

Cost ranges from $1.39 to $2.19 per square foot – the price differences are mainly based on color. Deeper, richer colors cost more.

Dimensions range from 5.75 inches to 7 inches wide and 36 inches to 48 inches long.

Flooring thickness: 3mm (.12” – a stack of 8 is about 1” high)

Wear layer: 6 mils. One mil is 1/1000^th of an inch. The thicker the wear layer, the better the flooring stands up to heavy traffic, pets, furniture legs, etc. 4 mils is about the thinnest you’ll find on any brand of LVT, so the wear layer on DuraLux isn’t a lot thicker.

Attached Pad: None. Floor & Decor recommends its Sentinel Protect Plus 1mm foam pad underlayment for all DuraLux flooring. The company produces a cheaper foam pad too and an enhanced sound-barrier foam pad for the same price as the Sentinel Protect.

Edges – Beveled, micro-beveled and straight.

FLOOR & DECOR DURALUX AND DURALUX PERFORMANCE WARRANTIES

Floor & Decor warranties are average at best. They seem quite robust. But as with all warranties, you have to read them carefully. The warranty “warrants to the original purchaser that the flooring will be free of manufacturing defects, and the surface will not wear through, stain or fade from sunlight or artificial light throughout the life of the product when used under normal residential traffic conditions.” By “wear through,” the warranty says the pattern must be “completely worn off ” in an area at least 2 inches square. That is a high bar for a warranty claim, and you will likely want to replace it before it looks that bad.

The DuraLux Performance flooring Manufacturer’s Warranty is Lifetime for residential installations. The warranty is prorated after 1 year by 2% per year. In the 11^th year, for example, the warranty would be worth 80% of replacement value. If a claim is accepted, it is for materials only. Labor isn’t covered in any flooring warranty that we’re aware of.

DuraLux flooring warranty is 30 years for residential installations, and it is also prorated after the first year.

Commercial warranties are 15 and 5 years for the floors.

Pet Friendly Warranty – The warranty for each line guarantees the flooring won’t be stained by pet accidents if they are thoroughly cleaned up before they dry. Here’s a tip – if your pet stains the floor, don’t expect Floor & Decor to accept a warranty claim. Most flooring manufacturers are known to reject stain warranty claims.

INSTALLATION

Floor & Decor says, “We strongly recommend the customer consult a licensed installer/contractor.” And you might want to get installation estimates from pros to know the cost and what you can save by doing it yourself.

While most homeowners hire a flooring contractor for installation, you can DIY with a short list of common tools: Tape measure, utility knife, pencil, rubber mallet and spacers to keep the flooring ¼” away from walls.

Start installation on the left side of the room, and stagger the planks – start the second, fourth, sixth etc. rows with a half plank. Follow the brief instructions, and you should be fine.

Tip: Floor & Decor recommends bringing most flooring into your home for at least 48 hours to acclimate it to your home’s temperature and humidity. Not all flooring requires acclimation (see the box/instructions for details of the line you buy), but it is always a good idea.

FAQs & FACTS

Where can you install DuraLux? DuraLux and DuraLux Performance can be installed on any level of your home – above, at and below grade.

Can it be installed over concrete? Yes. Suitable subfloors are concrete, plywood, vinyl and tile.

Can you glue down DuraLux? Planks and tiles are usually floated, but can be glued to the subfloor.

How is DuraLux flooring cleaned? Floor & Decor says you can use a vacuum, damp mop or jet mop to clean the floors. Some lines allow using a steam mop. See the maintenance instructions for your specific flooring.

Can it be installed above radiant floor heating systems? Yes!

It resists fading. Installing it in a sunroom won’t void the warranty. Some lines require glue-down installation in sunrooms – check the installation instructions.

This flooring meets stringent low-VOC GreenGuard Gold criteria.

HOW MUCH DOES DURALUX FLOORING COST?

Standard DuraLux starts at $1.39 per square foot. That’s about what cheap laminate costs. Most of this flooring costs around $1.69. The top price is $2.19 per square foot. Color appears to be the only reason for cost differences.

DuraLux Performance cost is $1.49 to $3.49 per square foot. The price for most ranges from $2.49 to $2.99 per square foot. The majority of choices above $3.00/sq. ft. are stone-look flooring.

PRICE COMPARISON TABLE

Here you can see how Duralux stacks up pricewise compared to other leading, popular vinyl flooring brands. As you can see it’s one of the cheapest.

WHERE TO BUY?

Bricks and mortar: These flooring products are sold exclusively at Floor & Decor stores. There are 120 stores around the country, and they are located in large metro areas. The Floor & Decor site has a Store Finder. If there isn’t one near you, or for the widest selection, buy online.

Online: You can browse all flooring options on the Floor & Decor site. If you buy online, then expect to pay significant shipping costs.

Buying tip: You can avoid shipping costs if you order flooring from a local store instead of online.

MOST HELPFUL CUSTOMER REVIEWS

Most who have purchased DuraLux flooring give it high marks. A few reviewers have a different perspective.

“It is simple to clean with a hard surface vac and spin mop. Happy with the purchase.”

“After a lot of shopping around, I decided on DuraLux Performance over Mannington Adura Flex because it seemed like I got more for the money.”

“I am mid install with Duralux rigid core material from Floor and Decor. It goes together pretty easily, but you do need to sort of flex and angle it from both sides to make sure it’s slotting in right. It’s going OK so far.” (Via Reddit)

“We had a floor guy put DuraLux over concrete in our somewhat damp basement a year ago – very happy with the look. No mold or musty smells.”

“We compared DuraLux with Pergo Extreme. Chose Pergo because it seemed tougher and more durable. It looks great after 18 mos.”

“We installed the regular DuraLux in a bedroom last year. It’s quite hard underfoot but great otherwise. So we went with DuraLux Performance in the kitchen and added the recommended underlayment for extra cushion – highly recommend doing that.”

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!”