COREtec vs Shaw Floorté: Which Vinyl Plank Is Right for You? (2026)

• Where the numbers come from
• Side by side
• Core and feel underfoot
• Wear layer and warranty
• The attached pad
• Installation and what it costs
• Which one, then?
• Shop both
• Frequently asked questions

This comparison is built from the spec sheets of the products on our own site as of September 2026: about 230 COREtec floors and about 180 Shaw Floorté floors. Where a figure says “most”, it means the largest share of those sheets. Individual collections vary, and every product page shows its own numbers.

COREtec built its name on the foamed core, a WPC-type construction that is thick, warm and forgiving underfoot, and it still makes up the majority of the range. Its Pro lines switched to a solid polymer, SPC-type core that is denser, thinner and more dent-resistant, aimed at heavy traffic and commercial use.

Shaw runs the same two constructions under two names: Floorté Classic is the WPC side, Floorté Pro the SPC side. The practical difference is the same for both brands. WPC feels softer and quieter and hides small subfloor dips; SPC resists dents and heavy furniture better and suits a slab that is not perfectly flat. If you are standing in a kitchen all day, WPC is kinder. If you have a heavy island or commercial traffic, SPC.

Both brands centre on a 20 mil wear layer, which is the residential standard and enough for a family with a dog. COREtec puts 30 mil on more of its range, about 40 planks against about 10 for Floorté, so if you want commercial-grade wear in a home, COREtec offers more choice. Floorté offers more at 12 mil, its entry level, which is fine for bedrooms and light traffic and costs less. Warranty terms are printed on each product page; read the residential term, not the headline.

COREtec attaches cork to almost everything. Cork is naturally resistant to mould and mildew and takes some of the noise out of a floor, which matters in a condo. Floorté uses an EVA foam pad on most Classic planks and an attached pad or IXPE on Pro. All of them remove the need for a separate underlay, and all of them help with the sound ratings condo boards ask for. Cork has the edge for warmth and mildew resistance; the difference is small.

Most planks in both ranges click together and float, and 22FLOORING installs those from $3.20 per square foot. Many COREtec planks and a good share of Floorté are also rated for direct glue, which is the right method over a slab in a large open room or in a commercial space; glue-down is from $5.50 per square foot including the glue. Floorté’s small loose-lay range is a glue-down product by our pricing, because loose lay is fixed with adhesive. Every product page on our site states which method applies and the matching rate.

• Condo on concrete, noise rules: either, with an attached pad. COREtec’s cork gives a little extra.
• Kitchen where you stand for hours: COREtec foamed core or Floorté Classic.
• Heavy furniture, rental unit, commercial: COREtec Pro or Floorté Pro, both SPC.
• Tightest budget: Floorté’s 12 mil Classic lines.
• Longest wear in a home: COREtec’s 30 mil lines.

Browse our COREtec and Shaw Floors vinyl ranges, or read how we install vinyl in Toronto. Send us your square footage for a free in-home measure across Toronto and the GTA.

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