Proximity Mills Flooring | Pros and Cons, Options and Prices

There’s a buzz around Proximity Mills flooring at the moment. Known initially as a fast growing luxury vinyl flooring brand, Proximity Mills has more recently turned its attention to hardwood, carpet and porcelain tile. Industry pros are getting super excited about their latest collections which offer a lot more than just pretty aesthetics.

Thank you to Broadloom for sponsoring this post. As usual all reports reflect the honest opinions of the Home Flooring Pros team.  Click here for more information.

So, what’s all the fuss about? We’ve been given the inside track to analyse all the different Proximity Mills flooring and put it through its paces. Here’s what we found out and what you need to know:

Proximity Mills started out offering top-of-the range luxury vinyl plank and tile flooring, but has since expanded into high-performance engineered hardwood, quality nylon carpet and an impressive range of rectified porcelain tiles.

To that end, Proximity Mills offers a fantastic opportunity as a one-stop destination for all your flooring needs, whether you want to have the same type of flooring in every room or want to mix and match with tiling in the bathroom, carpet in the bedroom and hardwood everywhere else!

Along with a globalized approach, there is an overall commitment to providing the best quality products at prices that most homeowners can afford. And what’s more, every single collection has great eco-credentials for sustainability and are safe for your home with either low or no VOCs!

Best of all – in these difficult times – Proximity Mills has made a conscious decision to support local business by only selling their products via independent flooring retailers.

This decision ensures that consumers can get Proximity Mills flooring from a retailer that really knows the flooring in depth, can give you the best advice and suggest the correct accompanying products such as underlayment or grout.

Proximity Mills is also committed to only using ethically sourced materials and products from manufacturers that use certified free-trade labor.

Now, let’s take a closer look at what types of flooring Proximity Mills produces and what makes it such great value for money.

PROXIMITY MILLS LUXURY VINYL PLANK FLOORING (LVP)

There are currently 7 collections in the Proximity Mills resilient vinyl flooring product line. Each collection has been carefully curated to feature different aesthetics – with two stone look tile collections and nine wood-look collections.

Each collection has several different options or styles, offering a wide choice of aesthetics from the Twin Rivers (Shadow) tile that emulates the elegant lines of vein-cut travertine, to the characterful wood look of Yukon River (the Fire Wood color way is a lesson in rustic charm). All of the collections boast great graphics that most people won’t be able to distinguish from the authentic material.

The LVP collections at Proximity Mills also manage that careful balancing act of being up-to-date with current trends, whilst also choosing styles that will stand the test of time: For example, several of their collection feature wide planks but there’s nothing in these collections that is too “out there”. You can rest easy that your investment will not look completely outdated in a few years’ time!

Other key advantages of Proximity Mills Luxury Vinyl Plank:

• Generous wear layer: when choosing luxury vinyl it is crucial to pick a plank that has a decent wear layer. The Proximity Mills LVP ranges have between 12 to 22 mil wear layers, which is exactly what you need to ensure performance longevity.
• Completely waterproof and mold-resistant: Proximity Mills LVP planks and tiles are made with a stone-plastic composite (SPC) core, which means it is 100% waterproof and mold-resistant.
• Durable: The SPC construction method has a core layer that combines limestone powder with plastics, this makes it incredibly durable, dent and scratch-resistant
• Can be installed in any room, even in a basement or bathroom (see above).
• Easy installation: Using the unique i4F drop-lock system, Proximity Mills LVP can be installed as a DIY friendly floating floor; alternatively, glue-down and loose lay options are also available.
• The integrated UV-coating in the finish layer means that these resilient floors will not fade in sunrooms or verandas.
• Easy cleaning: regular vacuuming and a damp mop is all that’s needed to maintain LVP at its best.
• Good eco-credentials: Proximity Mills resilient floors are not made with formaldehyde, are phthalate-free, are 100% recyclable and have ben FloorScore certified as either low or no VOCs.
• Impressive warranty: All Proximity Mills LVP flooring comes with a lifetime limited warranty, and either 5, 7 or 10-year commercial warranties depending on the collection. This is an extremely good warranty for this type of flooring.
• Affordable: All the great advantages mentioned are available with Proximity Mills floors at a very reasonable price, from between $3 – $7 per square foot depending on the collection and the retailer.

Disadvantages of Proximity Mills Luxury Vinyl Plank:

• Underlayment required (sometimes): The floating floor options all have an integrated cushion underlayment on every plank or tile, but not the glue-down or loose lay versions. Your retailer will be able to advise you about whether extra underlayment will be needed according to your project needs.

HOW MUCH DOES PROXIMITY LUXURY VINYL PLANK COST?

As we mentioned above, Proximity Mills flooring is not sold direct to consumers, but via independent flooring retailers across the country. The retailers can set their own prices, so we have shopped around for you to get an average price of between $3-$7 per square foot.

Here’s a price comparison with similar products from other brands

Brand	Material cost per square foot
Home Decorators Collection	$1.99 – $3.49
Proximity Mills LVP	$3  -$7
COREtec	$7 – $10

PROXIMITY MILLS ENGINEERED HARDWOOD FLOORING

The hardwood product line at Proximity Mills features 6 collections of very beautiful, but also high performing, engineered hardwood. As you’ll know from our article about different types of hardwood, solid hardwood has a certain misplaced cachet – since in fact it is engineered hardwood that is much more durable and resilient. Engineered hardwood comprises real wood veneers that are adhered to a tough plywood or HDF core.

Furthermore, the Proximity Mills engineered hardwood cores are made using one of two cutting-edge methods: depending on the collection, Proximity Mills offers either waterproof or extra strong high-density planks.

But, what we like the most about Proximity Mills hardwood offering is that they are really gorgeous! Over the six collections there is a great choice of either domestic or exotic species – so whether you go for the classic timelessness of the Rancher collection in white oak, or the pared-down chic of the bamboo Heritage collection – your home is going to look amazing!

Key advantages of Proximity Mills Hardwood:

• Ultra-strong finishing: All the engineered hardwood from Proximity Mills is finished with a UV-cured polyurethane + aluminum oxide finish which gives it an added layer of protection.
• Waterproof Options: A rarity for much engineered hardwood, some of the collections at Proximity Mills are made using a waterproof core which makes them ideal for installation in bathrooms and basements.
• Ultra-strong and Durable: The collections produced with the high-density core are extra-strong and durable, scratch and dent-resistant – perfect for pets!
• Easy maintenance: regular vacuuming and a damp mop is recommended. Depending on the collection, it may be possible to refinish the floor and your retailer can advise you on this.
• Good eco-credentials: All Proximity Mills hardwood floors are certified as low-VOC products (by FloorScore, GreenGuard,or Benchmark, depending on the collection) and are sourced from sustainable forests.
• Impressive warranty: Most of the collections have a very impressive full lifetime warranty (those that don’t have a 20-year warranty), and up to 10-year commercial warranties depending on the collection.

Disadvantages of Proximity Mills Hardwood:

• Not cheap: The Proximity Mills engineered hardwood is not the cheapest engineered hardwood on the market, but it is worth it! (see below)
• Pro Installation: Some of the Proximity Mills hardwood collections need to be nailed down or glued down and for these installation methods Home Flooring pros would recommend that you use an experienced pro contractor. The collections that are available with floating floor installation could be tackled by a proficient DIYer.

HOW MUCH DOES PROXIMITY MILLS HARDWOOD COST?

Priced between $6 – $10 per square foot, Proximity Mills is not cheap engineered hardwood. However, it is competitively priced in the mid-range bracket for engineered hardwood generally (which ranges between $3 – $16 per square foot.)

Bear in mind that Proximity Mills is offering a superior product – with high-density or waterproof options, and lifetime warranty – so it’s worth paying that extra for real quality.

And, given that their top-range wood-look LVP retails around $7 per square foot, for just a little bit more than that you have an authentic actual wood veneer flooring – which is a consideration for some home décor purists and adds to your homes resale value.

Here’s a price comparison with similar products from other brands:

Brand	Material cost per square foot
Harris Wood Floors	$3 – $5
Proximity Mills Hardwood	$6 – $10
Andersen Tuftex	$9  -$20

PROXIMITY MILLS CARPET

If you’re looking to install or replace your carpet, then look no further than the extensive Proximity Mills carpet collections! Exclusively using 6.6 stain-resistant nylon fibers, the product line currently features no fewer than 22 collections, with each collection available in several color options.

And it’s not just colors that are abundant. The Proximity Mills carpet collections cover every conceivable style of carpet such as cut-pile, looped, cut-and-loop, tufted and textured. It’s really an abundance of choice for both residential and commercial spaces.

Amongst our favorites are the Hawthorne Lane collection, specifically in the Shipyard color option which has a bold blue and white tone linear pattern; the cut and loop pile By the Sea collection which has a subtle arabesque/ lantern pattern; and the stylish Calypso with its delicate plaid pattern available in various tones of gray.

Here are the key advantages of Proximity Mills carpet:

• Durable 6.6 Nylon: All of the Proximity Mills carpets are made with 6.6 Nylon – first used by DuPont and Stairmaster, and known as the gold-standard for synthetic carpet fibers. Not only is it durable, but it’s dent resistant too.
• Stain and fade resistant: Nylon 6.6 also has the great qualities of being stain resistant and fade resistant; plus many of the Proximity Mills carpets are solution-dyed which means the color is completely integrated into the fiber.
• Good eco-credentials: As with their other product lines, the Proximity Mills carpets are safe for your home and good for the environment, with CRI Green Label Plus certification that guarantees low-VOCs.
• Affordable: Proximity Mills carpets retail around $4-$8 per square foot, making them a sensibly priced alternative to their popular Luxury Vinyl product line.
• Impressive Warranty: Proximity offer a 20 -year warranty on their carpets, which is a very good offer in the world of carpeting!

What are the disadvantages of Proximity Mills carpet?

• Pro Installation: You will need a pro to install Proximity Mills carpets, but that is true for all brands of wall-to-wall carpeting.
• Safe design: Whilst we do really like all the collections, it’s true to say that the overall aesthetic design-wise is “safe”. If you’re looking to add a real statement carpet in your home, then you’d be better off looking at what’s on offer at Proximity Mill’s sister brands Doma or Paradiso.

HOW MUCH DOES PROXIMITY MILLS CARPET COST?

Carpet prices vary widely depending on fiber (for example wool carpet an cost up to $20 per square foot.)

Proximity Mills carpet retail prices vary according to the retailer and the collection, but on average they are between $4 – $8 per square foot, which is a good price for these quality nylon carpets.

Here’s a price comparison with similar products from other brands:

Brand	Material cost per square foot
TrafficMaster	$0.89 – $2.99
Proximity Mills Carpet	$4 – $8
Fabrica	$6 – $16

PROXIMITY MILLS TILE

We are big fans of porcelain floor tile here at Home Flooring Pros, so we were particularly excited about exploring the tile product line from Proximity Mills. We were not disappointed!

With currently 48 collections, amounting to over 200 different tiles, this is a huge range with lots to recommend. The collection includes on-trend wood-look tiles, budget friendly stone-look tiles, faux cement tiles and even several mosaics (in numerous shape permutations).

Collection highlights include the gorgeous Worchester faux parquet wood-look tile; the exquisite Garnett Caspiano design in Cielo, which looks like a fine blue onyx with golden veining; and the delicate Isola hexagonal lozenge mosaic design that is so pretty in all its color options!

What we also like is the variety of sizes available in the tile line – with some collections available in an extra-large 40” x 40” that isn’t easy to come by in most big-box or national chain stores.

Here are the other key advantages of Proximity Mills tile:

• Durable: All Proximity Mills tiles are made from porcelain, which is the most durable of tile materials, made at very high temperatures to magically transform soft white clay into tiles that are much tougher and less porous than ceramic ones.
• Look good forever: The kiln firing process and glazes that are used to add the design onto tiles are completely stain and fade resistant; these tiles will look good forever!
• Rectified tiles: The rectifying process ensures that porcelain tiles are consistent in size and shape, so that you can have beautiful, even and fine grout lines for a pro finish.
• Indoor and Outdoor: These high-quality porcelain tiles are perfect for transition spaces from inside to outside, say from a sunroom to a patio!
• Good eco-credentials: The sheer longevity of porcelain makes it a great choice for the environment, since they need never be replaced; they are made with natural and easily available materials, and can be recycled. Also, made locally, stone-look porcelain tiles have a much lower carbon footprint than authentic natural stone.
• Installation: Porcelain tiles are, of course, ideal for bathrooms and wet rooms, but can be installed anywhere – both above grade and below. There is a certain skill to ensuring a good tiling job so pro installation is recommended – especially in large rooms; that said, if you have proficient DIY skills you can certainly tile a simple bathroom yourself.
• Impressive Warranty: Proximity Mills offer a 20-year warranty on most of their tiles for residential use. This is above average compared to many other porcelain brands.

The biggest disadvantage of Proximity Mills tiles is:

• Vast price range: It’s tricky for Home Flooring Pros to give you a price comparison for Proximity Mills tiles since the vast range of styles and sizes mean that the prices differ considerably, from as little as $5 per square foot to as much as $50.

HOW MUCH DO PROXIMITY MILLS TILES COST?

As mentioned above, the downside of having such a vast collection of tiles of differing styles, shapes and sizes, is that it’s impossible to give you a useful average price. Plus, of course, since Proximity Mills retails via independent flooring stores, who set their own prices.

What we can say is that, if you’re going for porcelain tiles, these are really good quality and worth consideration.

WHERE TO BUY PROXIMITY MILLS FLOORING

You can’t buy Proximity Mills flooring at any of the national big box stores like Home Depot, Lowes or Floors & Décor. Proximity Mills is competing directly with the big box in-store brands, like Lifeproof flooring at Home Depot, Smartcore at Lowes and NuCore at Floors & Décor and therefore Proximity Mills refuse to retail their products through these national chain stores.

The reason why lies in their underlying ethos. Proximity Mills say that by retailing exclusively via independent flooring stores across the US, they feel confident of having people representing their brand who really love their flooring.

After all, independent flooring stores are only going to stock flooring that they know their local customer base are going to want; they also want to ensure that they choose high quality products and get to know everything about those products to achieve maximum client satisfaction. Ultimately they choose flooring products that they can stand behind.

Proximity Mills flooring is a win-win for everyone. Your local independent retailers gets to offer a high-quality flooring at a competitive rate; and you get to support a local business while benefiting from the retailer’s in-depth knowledge and understanding of the different product lines and ensuring you make the best choice for your home.

So where is your independent local flooring store, I hear you cry? Proximity Mills have made that step easier for you too by offering a dealer directory service here on their website.  If you still find that you can’t find a retailer near you, then get in touch direct with Proximity Mills and they will help you.

Also, two other cool tools available on their website:

Flooring visualizer – This allows you to see what different floors will look like, either on pre-set room photos or via your own uploaded image. And we at Home Flooring Pros were particularly impressed with this visualizer – it is really easy to use, with quick and smooth transitions and lots of great extra functions, so you can really go to town. And on the pre-set images you can unleash your inner interior designer and also test different wall colors too!

Order Samples – This is currently only available for the Luxury Vinyl Plank collections. You can order samples direct from Proximity Mills for $3 each to be delivered straight to your door. This is a great way to see what their flooring looks like in situ, before you then head to your local retailer to order.

PROXIMITY MILLS: THE HOME FLOORING PRO’S VERDICT 

Home Flooring Pros are more than happy to recommend this brand. Here’s a recap of what we like about Proximity Mills:

• Quality flooring products at a competitive price
• Very good range of choices across all product lines
• A certain contemporary classic aesthetic, that ensures their products will be on-trend for some time
• Advanced technical specs, such as the i4F drop-lock installation system on the vinyl plank collections
• Impressive warranties
• Commitment to environmentally friendly products and manufacturing processes
• Commitment to working with manufacturers that have good labor policies

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!”