Comparison
Mohawk Waterproof Flooring in Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina: SolidTech, PureTech or RevWood?
Many homes in Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina were built in the last fifteen years with builder-grade carpet and thin vinyl, and those floors are now reaching the end of their life. When owners come to us to replace them, Mohawk's waterproof lines are often on their list. The tricky part is that Mohawk uses the word waterproof across three quite different products. This guide explains what SolidTech, PureTech and RevWood actually are, where each one fits, and what to check in the warranty before you buy.
Three products, three different cores
The surface of all three can look almost identical: a realistic wood print with a textured finish. The differences are underneath, in the core, and that decides how the floor feels, sounds and handles water.
- ✓SolidTech is Mohawk's rigid-core luxury vinyl, built on a dense stone-plastic core.
- ✓PureTech is a rigid plank made without PVC, using a polyolefin-based core.
- ✓RevWood is laminate, with a wood-fiber core and a very hard wear surface, sold in several grades with different levels of water protection.
SolidTech: rigid-core vinyl
SolidTech is the most familiar choice and the one we install most often for whole-floor replacements. Its rigid core does not absorb water, so a spill, a leaking dishwasher or a wet dog does not damage the plank. The rigid core also bridges small imperfections in the subfloor better than flexible vinyl, which helps in homes on slabs that are not perfectly flat.
Within SolidTech there are several grades. The higher grades have a thicker wear layer, a more convincing surface texture and an attached pad. In a busy family kitchen or a house with large dogs, the step up is usually worth it. Our SPC vs WPC guide explains rigid cores in more depth.
PureTech: waterproof without PVC
PureTech performs much like rigid-core vinyl. It is waterproof, stable and installed the same way as a floating floor. The difference is the material. It is made without PVC, which matters to some homeowners who want to avoid vinyl for environmental or indoor air reasons.
It tends to sit at a higher price than comparable SolidTech, and the color range is narrower. If avoiding PVC is important to you, it is a good option. If it is not, SolidTech usually gives more choice for the money.
RevWood: waterproof laminate
RevWood is laminate, not vinyl. That gives it two clear advantages: a harder, more scratch-resistant surface, and a solid, wood-like feel and sound underfoot that many people prefer. For homes with dogs, the scratch resistance is a real benefit.
The water protection varies by grade. The higher RevWood lines add sealed joints, a water-resistant core and Mohawk's WetProtect warranty. Entry-level lines are more water-resistant than waterproof. Even the best laminate is designed to handle spills and wet mopping, not standing water for days. We still steer laminate away from full bathrooms and laundry rooms. Our laminate buying guide covers this in more detail.
Read the waterproof warranty carefully
Mohawk's WetProtect warranty goes further than most because, on qualifying products, it can cover water damage to the subfloor as well as the floor itself. That cover comes with conditions. It usually depends on the floor being installed to Mohawk's instructions, and in some cases on using Mohawk's own installation accessories such as transitions and moldings.
Water can also get under any floating floor through the perimeter gap at the walls, which no plank can prevent. In kitchens, baths and laundry rooms we seal the perimeter for that reason. Our post on what the waterproof label actually promises explains this, and we go through the specific warranty for the product you choose before you buy.
Matching the product to your rooms
Many Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina homes have open kitchen and living areas, and owners want one floor running through. That is a good fit for SolidTech, which handles the kitchen and the living room equally well. For homes where scratching is the bigger concern, RevWood in the living areas and bedrooms, paired with SolidTech or tile in the wet rooms, is a common combination.
If the house is on a slab, we test the concrete for moisture before installing any of these floors. In crawlspace homes, we check the crawlspace vapor barrier, because moisture rising from below affects laminate more than vinyl.
- ✓Kitchen and open living areas: SolidTech or PureTech.
- ✓Full bathrooms and laundry rooms: SolidTech, PureTech or tile.
- ✓Bedrooms, living rooms and homes with large dogs: RevWood is a strong option.
- ✓Basements and bonus rooms over garages: rigid-core vinyl handles temperature swings best.
Mohawk flooring in Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina
Our Angier showroom is about 18 minutes from Fuquay-Varina and 25 from Holly Springs. We carry Mohawk alongside Shaw, Mannington and Armstrong, so you can compare Mohawk's waterproof lines against other brands, and we bring samples to your home if that is easier. At the estimate we check the subfloor, look at how each room is used, and give you a written recommendation and quote.
APW has served central North Carolina since 1973. Our own background-checked, trained installation professionals install every floor to the manufacturer's specification, which keeps the warranty valid, and every job carries our 100% product and labor guarantee. See waterproof flooring in Holly Springs, luxury vinyl plank in Holly Springs, waterproof flooring in Fuquay-Varina, luxury vinyl plank in Fuquay-Varina and our guide to Mohawk's ranges, or book a free estimate.
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