Mannington Vinyl Plank Flooring | 2022

Remodeling a room can be an exciting project, and when you get to the flooring, that excitement can either grow, or suddenly become stress.

There are a lot of flooring options out there to choose from.

Whether you currently have carpet or laminate, tile or vinyl, there is always room for improvement.

Luxury Vinyl Planks (LVP) is one of the easiest DIY installing floors out there, saving you both time and money.

It also comes in many textures, styles, colors and sizes, so you can get the right planks for your room’s complete look.

Reasons to Choose Mannington LVP

Why should you choose Mannington as your next LVP purchase? Have a look:

• 100s of color and design options. Mannington’s Adura lines offer over 115 colors, wood and stone grains and designs.
• Six Line-up Options. Mannington has value and performance balanced between their Adura Max, rigid, Meridian, Flex, Adura MaxAPEX and namesake line ups.
• Natural stone tile looks. Made specifically to mimic stone tile installations, you can go as far as using grout between the tiles, too.
• Adura Max offers HydroLoc waterproof core, something not found on many LVP options.
• Underlayments pre-attached. You don’t need to worry about buying separate underlayment with Mannington.
• IAQ certified. Almost all of the planks and lines are RFCI FloorScore certified and all of the LVP is made without formaldehyde, reducing toxins found in a lot of LVP.

What You Can Expect From Mannington

Luxury Vinyl is so popular that making a final decision can be one of the toughest choices during your remodel. Not only do you need to decide on a color, but also a style, wood, stone or some graphic design.

You also need to decide on plank or tile, width and length, and if you are going to install it yourself or hire the job out to a professional. However, before you can make any of those decisions, you have to choose a brand.

Among the most well known brands such as Shaw flooring, COREtec Floors and Mohawk, the name Mannington doesn’t come up very often. When it does, though, those that find this little New Jersey gem are more than surprised and a little excited.

Similar to NuCore, Mannington has a huge line up. With 116 (current) options, you aren’t without choices. The Adura name is the baseline for their luxury vinyl, in both plank and tiles. However, you get much more choice than that.

From the highly affordable and basic Adura, to the 100% waterproof, sound-dampening and scratch-resistant Adura MaxAPEX, you will find a solution to meet your needs.

Mannington also helps eliminate toxins in the production by using new materials that give off less toxins and gasses during production and many of their planks are certified.

Whether you need a quick, cheap solution for a small space like your guest bathroom, or you plan to outfit the entire home at once, Mannington LVP is a choice you can be satisfied and happy making.

Mannington Plank Construction

WPC

The wood-plastic code uses extended PVC unlike traditional planks that use standard PVC. This process creates tiny air pockets giving the planks slightly more flex and higher sound absorption properties.

These planks are constructed with a wear layer and a vinyl cap on top of the WPC core. Under the core layer is the stability layer followed by the underlayment, which is attached to almost every plank the company produces.

SPC

The stone-plastic core options offer more rigidity than WPC but maintain a softness underfoot that is more rare with this core construction. Here, the core is made from solid PVC giving the planks and tiles more durability for high traffic areas, kids rooms and even commercial applications.

The wear layer and vinyl cap on top are followed by the SPC solid core. Underneath you will find the stability layer followed by the bottom underlayment layer.

Traditional Tile

The traditional luxury vinyl tiles are a glue down installation and consist of many layers. They aren’t as rigid as the vinyl planks, but with the semi-permanent attachment, and a solid subfloor, you won’t have any problems walking on these tiles.

The wear layer and vinyl cap give you the colors, images or designs you are after and each tile is composed of many layers of flexible PVC. The stability and firmness of the tiles goes to the quality and the final install with glue keeps everything looking great.

For a more authentic tile look, you can use the Mannington grout specifically manufactured for use with their tiles.

All That Mannington Has to Offer

When it comes to choosing vinyl planks or tiles, Mannington isn’t without their options. They have quite a few families to choose from, including the basic, low-cost REALTA through the highest-quality and best resistance Adura MaxAPEX.

Let’s take a deeper dive into their vinyl family to find out which one speaks most to you and your decoration needs.

REALTA

REALTA, also known as the base Adura line, or Basic tiles, is the cheapest tile in the line up. There are 12 SPC tiles and 12 glue-down tiles, for a total of 24 colors, and textures to choose.

The SPC tiles are 5mm thick and offer a beveled edge as well as a complete FloorScore certification. The glue-down tiles are 2mm thick and also FloorScore certified.

Each tile comes with a 15-year residential warranty and is highly affordable for all budgets.

Adura Flex

The Adura Flex line is one of the most popular. It mixes lower cost with higher quality to give you a floor that looks great and performs well. All told there are almost 80 different colors and styles to choose from, including the snow-white smooth planks to the deep mahogany and cognac colors.

Each plank is 6 inches by 48 inches and 2.5mm thick. There is a wear layer that falls between 17 and 19mil for added scratch and wear protection.

All of these planks and tiles come with a lifetime residential warranty and over 98% of the planks that aren’t glue-down come with an attached underlayment.

Adura Rigid

The Adura Rigid line is usually selected for installation in kitchens and bathrooms. The tiles come in 70 color and style options and each one has a lifetime warranty.

The Flex and Rigid line can use the Adura grout to give a more authentic look, but will work just as well without it. When selecting this line, you are getting tiles that look and act like actual floor tiles, which make kitchens and bathrooms warmer and more inviting.

Adura Max

With 79 colors and styles to choose from, Adura Max is the line most often purchased. It combines the look, feel and warmth of the best LVP and adds in Mannington’s HydroLoc waterproofing as well as additional scratch resistance.

These planks come in 6-inch by 48-inch dimensions and have an 8 to 12mil wear layer.  What sets these planks and tiles apart, though is the attention to detail in the machine-edged micro beveling with Ture-Detail styling which gives the appearance of actual wood, stone or rock to your floors.

Adura MaxAPEX

Adura MaxApex is the top of the line planks and tiles from the company. While they are the most expensive, they are also the most detailed. Like the Adura Max line, each plank has micro-bevel detailing, realistic painting and offers the HydroLoc and scratch resistance for a long-life plank.

Each plank has a lifetime warranty and you won’t find much difference in the MaxAPEX versus the Max lines, with the exception that the MaxApex line offers only 48 options compared to 79 and those options are more modern with a few design laden models.

Installing Mannington Vinyl Planks

Installation has a total of four possibilities. There are the floating planks and tiles or the glue down installation tiles and each type can be installed by a professional or as a DIY project. 

Professional Installation

When looking for professional installation, you need to get at least three quotes from reputable contractors.

When the contractors come to give you an estimate, you need to make sure they cover several things.

• Will material costs be included? Sometimes the actual planks are supplied by the contractor, other times they are owner purchased.
• Current floor removal. If you are removing the current flooring, this needs to be a part of the quote.
• Subfloor inspection and repair. When removing the previous flooring, the subfloor may need repairs. It is important to find out if the contractor will do the repairs or not.
• Debris clean up. As harsh as it sounds, many contractors will charge extra for cleaning up any mess they make.
• Leftover material handling. This one can be tricky, especially if it is contractor supplied. You want to hang on to any extra planks or tiles in case you need them in the future.

DIY Installation

Deciding to do the installation yourself can save quite a bit of money. However, it will take some time out of your day or even your week. It is important to know what to do and to have the right tools on hand to perform the project.

• The right tools. You will need a hammer or rubber mallet, knocking block and rubber spacers along with a circular saw for the installation.
• The first row. Once you have the flooring removed, furniture out of the way and the subfloor cleaned, you need to install the first row. Using spacers, you want to leave about 1/4-inch space from the wall. Line the planks against the spacers and lock them together, end to end.
• The second row. Next you want to take a new plank and cut at least 6-inches off of it. This will prevent the end seams from lining up on adjacent rows.
• Continue cutting and installing. Each row will lock into the previous one. Make sure you use the cut off parts to start a row, or cut a new plank to maintain an off-set pattern so the end seams don’t align.
• Final row. Once you reach the opposite wall, the final row will need to squeeze into place. This may take some twisting and bending. Once it is in place, you can remove the spacers, allowing the floor to settle.
• Rest period. LVP needs between 15 and 24 hours to rest, expand and settle. During this time, you should avoid walking on the flooring or placing your furniture back in.
• Double check. After the rest period make sure the floor has settled flat and level. Clean the floor with a broom or vacuum and replace your furniture into the room.

Care and Maintenance of Mannington Flooring

Proper care and maintenance of your new Mannington floor is crucial to the long-lasting look and feel of the floor.

The process isn’t difficult, of course, but depending on which style you choose, it is a bit different.

When buying the REALTA, Adura Flex or Adura Rigid lines, you will want to avoid wet mopping. A good sweep, dust mop or vacuum is all you need to keep the floor clean. For any stuck on messes or liquids, you want to clean them up as quickly as possible to avoid staining.

With the Adura Max and MaxAPEX lines, the waterproofing and micro-bevels allow you to use any type of floor cleaner, including steam mops and wet mops. However, if you choose the glue-down style tiles, you must avoid using steam cleaners or mopping water that is too hot, as it can make the glue come loose, and damage the tiles.

Mannington Vs. Other Brands

By this point, if you are still reading, you may be wondering how Mannington stacks up against the competition. Below are comparisons between Mannington and other top or leading LVP brands so you can see for yourself.

Mannington Vs. NuCore

NuCore and Mannington are a lot alike. Both brands give you plenty of choices, with NuCore offering slightly over 100 choices and Mannington giving you over 115 options. However, NuCore doesn’t have planks and tiles, and only lists planks for their selection.

Both are also DIY installs and can be purchased online through the direct websites. NuCore is an exclusive, though, sold only though Floor & Decor, where Mannington has retailers and distributors around the country.

NuCore features the Performance line which is their high end plank and the most expensive of all their lines. To compare, the Performance is also 100% waterproof and scratch resistant. However, the Adura Max (the comparable line) also has beveled edges, more selection and features a stronger core for added durability and dent resistance.

Mannington Vs. Mohawk

Mohawk is and most likely always will be a leader in flooring names. Part of a larger flooring conglomeration that includes names like Shaw, Mohawk offers affordability, durability and stunning designs.

While they don’t have near the amount of options as Mannington, Mohawk has enough to please most design pallets. Mohawk LVP is scratch resistant, dent resistant and 100% waterproof.

The biggest difference here, aside from color and style option numbers, is that Mannington has lifetime warranties where Mohawk doesn’t. With Mohawk you can get up to 30 years warranty (which should be plenty) but that extra confidence from Mannington may bolster your final decision.

Mannington Vs. LifeProof

When it comes to selection, LifeProof may be one of the lowest in the industry. An exclusive of Home Depot, LifeProof doesn’t rely on huge selections, but instead focuses on higher quality.

The planks come in 6 different color shades (including beige, white, black and brown) which have different styles and textures in each shade. Comparable to LifeProof would be the Adura Rigid or Max lines.

LifeProof is slightly more durable than the Rigid line from Mannington, but has a better warranty, and is 100% waterproof, like the Adura Max line. Being sold through the Home Depot, LifeProof has a longer reach and better shipping costs.

However, if you are looking for a larger selection with a better quality over all, the hAdura Max or MaxAPEX lines will outshine most of what LifeProof has to offer.

Mannington Vinyl Pros

• Hundreds of colors, textures and designs to choose from.
• Five style lines to fit every budget
• DIY install with plank or tile options.
• Durable, waterproof and scratch resistant planks.
• Can use Adura grout for a true tile appearance.
• Lifetime warranty on most styles.

Mannington Vinyl Cons

• Not every option is low VOC or FloorScore certified.
• May not be readily available in all areas.
• Shipping costs and times are not highly reasonable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here, we will answer some of the most common questions about LVP and Mannington in general. If you have further questions, feel free to use the comment section below.

Q. Is LVP okay for pets?

1. All Mannington LVP and LVT options have scratch resistance built-in. This makes them okay for high traffic areas and homes with pets. However, no vinyl plank or tile will hold up forever against scratching from claws or running and sliding. Mannington does hold up better than a lot of other brands, though, making it viable for most homes with dogs and cats.

Q. Is vinyl better than laminate?

1. The answer will depend more on where you plan to install the flooring more than anything else. Laminate does not hold up well to moisture and humidity, so wet areas like bathrooms, basements and laundry rooms are not well suited for laminate.

In this case, LVP is a better option. Both are affordable and look great when installed, though, so you can go either way in any other room of your home.

Q. How does Mannington LVP handle heavy furniture?

1. Depending on which style family you go with, Mannington will do very well with heavy items. Any LVP, regardless of brand, will be prone to denting and scratches over time.

The higher end Adura lines have a tough exterior and solid, strong core. According to Mannington themselves, these lines are less dent-prone than other LVP or LVT options.

Q. Can I install Mannington LVP in wet areas?

1. Yes. LVP is ideal for most wet area installs including the basement or laundry room. With the Adura line you get the waterproofing and beveled edges making them ideal for wet area installs as well as installation in any room of your home.

Conclusion

Shopping for luxury vinyl can take its toll. There are a lot of great brands on the market, each offering high-quality and affordable LVP and LVT. One of those options is Mannington.

This smaller, New Jersey based company offers some of the most rugged and durable LVP and LVT on the market. They also have some unique designs and special features such as HydroLoc, making their higher-end lines something worthy of a closer look.