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If you've started shopping for LVP, you've seen the dizzying array of brands. COREtec, Shaw, and Mohawk dominate the Austin market — here's an honest breakdown of what each one does best.
Why Brand Actually Matters with LVP
If you've started shopping for luxury vinyl plank, you've already encountered the dizzying array of options. Every big-box store has its own private-label LVP, and dozens of brands compete for shelf space at flooring retailers. The honest truth is that quality varies significantly, and the brand matters more with LVP than it does with some other flooring categories.
The reason is construction. LVP is a layered product — a wear layer on top, a design layer with the printed wood pattern, a rigid core, and a backing. The quality of each layer, the thickness of the wear layer, the stability of the core, and the precision of the locking mechanism all affect how the floor performs over time. Budget LVP can look fine on day one and start showing problems within a few years. Quality LVP from a reputable brand should look good for decades.
In the Austin market, three brands consistently come up in our conversations with homeowners: COREtec, Shaw Floorté, and Mohawk RevWood. Here's an honest breakdown of each.
COREtec: The Benchmark for Rigid Core LVP
COREtec essentially invented the rigid core LVP category and has spent years refining it. Their products are built around a proprietary cork-composite core that provides excellent sound insulation and a more solid feel underfoot than many competitors. If you've ever walked on LVP that felt hollow or plasticky, you probably weren't walking on COREtec.
The waterproofing on COREtec products is backed by a lifetime warranty — not a 25-year warranty, not a limited warranty, a lifetime warranty. That's a meaningful commitment. Their wear layers range from 12 mil on entry-level products to 20 mil on commercial-grade lines, and the 20 mil products are genuinely appropriate for high-traffic residential and light commercial use.
The trade-off is price. COREtec is typically the most expensive of the three brands, and their color selection, while good, is somewhat more limited than Shaw's. For Austin homeowners who want the best rigid core product available and are willing to pay for it, COREtec is the recommendation.
Shaw Floorté: The Realism Leader
Shaw's Floorté line has built its reputation on visual realism. The embossing on Shaw products — the texture that makes the surface feel like actual wood — is among the deepest and most detailed in the industry. When you run your hand across a Shaw Floorté plank, it feels like wood in a way that some competitors don't quite achieve.
Shaw also offers the broadest color selection of the three brands, which matters if you have a specific look in mind. Their warm honey and greige tones are particularly well-executed, and they've been ahead of the curve on the warm-tone trend that's dominating Austin right now.
Shaw's waterproofing is solid — their Floorté products carry a lifetime waterproof warranty on the core — and their wear layers are competitive. They sit in the middle of the price range, which makes them the most accessible of the three for homeowners who want quality without paying COREtec prices.
Mohawk RevWood: The Scratch-Resistance Specialist
Mohawk's RevWood line takes a different approach than the other two. Where COREtec leads with core technology and Shaw leads with realism, Mohawk leads with surface durability. Their scratch-resistant coating is among the toughest in the residential LVP market, which makes RevWood a strong choice for homes with large dogs or heavy foot traffic.
Mohawk also offers one of the broadest color selections in the market, and their pricing is competitive — often slightly below Shaw for comparable products. Their waterproofing warranties are solid, and they carry FloorScore and GreenGuard certifications on most of their product lines.
The one area where Mohawk sometimes falls short compared to COREtec is the underfoot feel. Some RevWood products don't have the same solid, dense feel that COREtec's cork-composite core provides. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's worth noticing when you're walking samples.
How to Make the Right Choice for Your Home
Here's the framework we use when helping Austin homeowners choose between these three brands. If sound insulation and underfoot feel are priorities — say, you have a two-story home and you're installing on the upper floor — COREtec is the recommendation. If you have a specific color or style in mind and you want the most realistic wood look, Shaw Floorté is the place to start. If you have large dogs or a high-traffic household and scratch resistance is the top priority, Mohawk RevWood is worth a close look.
Beyond brand, pay attention to wear layer thickness. For residential use, 12 mil is the minimum we'd recommend. For homes with pets or heavy traffic, 20 mil is worth the upgrade. And regardless of brand, invest in a quality underlayment — it affects how the floor feels, how it sounds, and how long it lasts.
We carry all three brands at C & C Flooring Co. and can bring samples to your home for a free consultation. If you're in Austin, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Georgetown, Leander, or anywhere in Central Texas, give us a call and we'll walk you through the options in person.
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Not Sure Which LVP Brand Is Right for You?
We carry COREtec, Shaw Floorté, and Mohawk RevWood and can bring samples to your home. Free in-home consultations across Austin and Central Texas — honest advice, no pressure.
