LifeCore Engineered Hardwood Flooring | Home Flooring Pros
Is LifeCore Wood Flooring Any Good?
LifeCore offers a strong range of sustainable, allergen free, engineered wood floors at reasonable price. Oak, maple, hickory, birch and acacia flooring in ten different styles and priced between $4.00 and $7.00 per sq.ft.
June 2, 2023, by: Greca Fotopoulos
If you’re considering LifeCore Flooring for your wood floor remodel then read our LifeCore flooring report right here on Home Flooring Pros.
WHAT IS LIFECORE FLOORING
LifeCore Flooring is an innovative flooring company owned by Samling Global, a multinational forest resource and wood products company. LifeCore manufactures engineered hardwood flooring and recently launched a line of engineered wood flooring that is 100% waterproof under the H2OME brand.
PROS AND CONS
Here are a few things you’ll like about LifeCore:
SELECTION
If you’re looking for more traditional choices in flooring, you will find many options including 5 wood species, a variety of finishes, and colors ranging from light to dark browns and some trendy grays. The wood is treated and finished in many traditional and stylish ways, as seen in the Collections discussed below.
ALLERGY AND ASTHMA FRIENDLY
LifeCore has an emphasis on safe manufacturing. Its products are made without added formaldehyde allowing their flooring to achieve the lowest VOC levels in the industry. EPA and Carb 2 acceptable levels are .05. LifeCore levels are .005 and .015 making them some of the safest floors available.
ECO-FRIENDLY
LifeCore is committed to responsible, sustainable forestry practices through forest management plans. LifeCore is Lacey Act compliant. The Lacey Act, in part, prohibits trading in illegally sourced timber. All of their waste wood is repurposed or recycled.
AFFORDABLE
LifeCore flooring is affordable with costs running between $4 and $7 per sq. ft. placing them on the lower end of average. With few negative customer reviews, LifeCore flooring should provide very good value for your money.
Where LifeCore doesn’t quite match some of its competitors:
FEW PREMIUM OPTIONS
The selection is pretty good when considering species and colors. What’s missing are high-end design choices available from competitors like Kahrs and the high-end options from DuChateau. Perhaps as this newer flooring brand grows it will introduce options like ultra-wide and extra-long planks, high variation colored planking, chevron flooring or white and black wood tones.
OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTIONS
LifeCore flooring is available in Oak, Maple, Hickory, Birch (Betula), and Acacia within their 12 collections. There is also a wide variety of design finishes to browse including distressed, hand scraped, reclaimed, smoked and wire brushed.
All flooring is treated with a UV hardened top coating providing a durable protective finish less likely to fade than cheaper finishes.
The Allegra Maple Collection features fine-grained maple with planks measuring 7.5” wide, by ½” thick, and random lengths between 2 and 6 feet. The flooring is available in 6 medium to very dark browns. The Adela Oak Collection is oak in 6 colors, all treated with an organic reactive smoked process to create richly appealing brown tones.
There are two Hickory collections: Arden is wire brushed with a weathered finish. Aurora boasts a hand scraped finish. Planks in both measure 7.5” wide, 1/2 “ thick, with 2 to 6 foot random lengths. The Betula (or Birch) Collection offers 4 color choices, all with subtle whitewashing, and planks measuring 3” wide.
The Abella Acacia Collection is available in 6 color choices ranging from warm browns to cool grays in hand scraped 7.5” planks. Acacia is durable wood with uniquely dramatic grain.
H2OME FLOORING
LifeCore’s new H2OME product is a waterproof wood flooring made with a wear layer of real hardwood over a waterproof rigid core. Closed cell construction and an edge coating creates a sealed waterproof performance. H2OME is available in 7.5” wide planks and in 16 Oak options through four collections – City Spa, Urban Oasis, Farmhouse Fresh and Designer Splash.
PRICING
LifeCore flooring retails at between $4.00 and $7.00 per square foot making it a very competitive mid-priced engineered flooring. With it’s green credentials you get an eco-friendly flooring without having to break the bank.
Lifecore wood flooring is available from local retailers and online.
The value price of LifeCore hardwood is easier to see when you compare it with its reivals as shown in the price table below.
| Brand | Solid Hardwood, per sq.ft. | Engineered Hardwood, per sq.ft. | |
| Bruce | $3.30 – $9.00 | Jasper | $1.50 – $5.00 |
| Blue Ridge | $3.50 – $5.50 | Pergo Max Flooring | $2.99 – $4.99 |
| LM Flooring | N/A | LM Flooring | $2.20 – $7.20 |
| Mohawk TecWood | $3.50 – $7.00 | Mohawk SolidWood | $4.50 – $8.50 |
| LifeCore | N/A | LifeCore | $4.00 – $7.00 |
| Mullican Hardwood | $4.30 – $7.40 | Mullican Hardwood | $4.20 – $5.60 |
| Johnson Hardwood | $4.40 – $8.99 | Johnson Hardwood | $7.99 – $8.99 |
| Somerset Hardwood Flooring | $4.50 – $8.50 | Somerset Engineered Flooring | $6.00 – $8.50 |
| Kahrs | N/A | Kahrs Hardwood | $6.00 – $14.00 |
| DuChateau Flooring | N/A | DuChateau Flooring | $10.00 – $16.00 |
| Anderson Solid Hardwood | $8.00 – $12.00 | Anderson Engineered Hardwood | $12.00 – $14.00 |
INSTALLATION
LifeCore floors can be installed by glue, nail, staple or floating methods. The subfloor should be plywood – no OSB – or concrete with a moisture barrier.
The Oak, Maple, and Birch flooring can be installed over radiant heating (click here for heated floor costs). Not so the Acacia and Hickory.
The installation guideline, which is available on the LifeCore website, must be followed or the warranty may be voided. That’s one reason we recommend you have the flooring installed by a professional contractor.
LifeCore flooring may be installed on, above, or below grade, such as in a basement, provided the humidity levels are within the recommended range.
WARRANTY
LifeCore provides a warranty, to the original purchaser guaranteeing that the finish will not wear through, peel off, or delaminate for a period of 50 years under normal wear and with proper maintenance.
The limited lifetime warranty guarantees that the floor will be free of manufacturing defects, workmanship defects, including delaminating, milling, and grading issues.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
All LifeCore flooring is treated with a protective UV hardened finish and is easy to clean.
Dust floors regularly with a dry microfiber mop, sweep with a soft bristle broom, or vacuum with a soft floor attachment. Do not use a vacuum with a rotary or beater bar or a buffing machine, as these may damage the floors.
To clean, mist the flooring with an approved cleaner and use a microfiber mop for hardwood floors or soft cloth to wipe up. Do not wet mop, steam mop or leave excess moisture on the floors as this may damage the finish or cause the floor to warp.
Vinegar and water make a popular homemade cleaner, but the acid in vinegar might damage the LifeCore finish, so that’s a no-no.
To maintain your floors, LifeCore recommends using rugs or mats at entryways and in high traffic areas, use felt protectors or casters on furniture legs.
Avoid walking on the floor with cleats or high heels and keep pet nails clipped short to avoid scratching. Complete maintenance instructions are available on the LifeCore website.
LifeCore is a new flooring company and customer reviews are thin on the ground. So please help us and other potential customers by leaving your LifeCore flooring reviews 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!”
Is there a wear layer on top, if so, how many mils?
This is important information and it seems to be left out everywhere….even the manufacturers website.