If you’re a home builder fortunate enough to avoid skilled labor shortage, thank your lucky stars. For most builders, contractors, and specialty contractors, finding and keeping talent is a constant headache.

Consider floor installers, for example. According to the Floor Covering Leadership Council, the trade will be short up to 6,000 installers each year for the next 10 years (not counting existing shortages). You know what that means for hardwood floors. Expect more cost and installation delays, probably both.

Small wonder why many home builders have shifted to flooring alternatives that don’t require the same installation skill and time. One beneficiary of the switch are resilient flooring substitutes that offer high-end aesthetics, like luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and rigid core products.

“Home builders are rethinking traditional flooring products, even at the luxury end,” says Tony Pastrana, a 43-year veteran of the residential and commercial flooring business. “LVP and new rigid core flooring are on the rise because they present builders with fewer callback issues.”

Pastrana notes several reasons why LVP and rigid core products are trending strong with builders:

  1. Affordability. LVP and rigid core flooring carries a variety of pricing advantage for builders. First, the cost of materials is often less. Installation speed and simplicity also reduce costs, especially with labor in such short supply. No special installer training or tools are required, simplifying a material change.
  2. Resiliency. The latest rigid core technology outperforms traditional wood polymer composite products for indents and stability. In fact, the new class of rigid core products is 25x more dent resistant than WPC, says Pastrana. No risk of splintered or tunneling, either.
  3. Acclimation. Forget the days of the 48- to 72-hour wait to acclimate the subfloor and flooring product. Pastrana says rigid core flooring is ready for prime time without the wait. “Install kitchen cabinets as soon as the floor is installed. There’s no need to acclimate with the HVAC running,” advises Pastrana.
  4. Acoustics. Creaking floors go away, too. High-end rigid core products incorporate an embedded sound-dampening underlayment. Pastrana says multilayer construction also helps keep the floor warmer underfoot, something a new owner will appreciate on cold mornings.
  5. Aesthetics. Next-gen rigid core and LVP products compare well to traditional luxury-grade flooring material, observes Pastrana, with plank lengths available at 72 inches. Plank widths range from four to nine inches, offering designers more layout freedom. Colors can include trending matte-finish grays that are nearly indistinguishable from true oak or hickory.
  6. Durability. Pastrana says his company’s rigid core flooring product, Empower, includes a 20 mil layer and patented Diamond 10 Technology, a coating that makes the plank nearly impervious to staining, scratching, and sun fading. “Rigid core flooring is perfect for three-season porches with heavy sun exposure,” he says.

In a build environment that places an ever-increasing premium on availability, installation speed, and all-around durability, Pastrana says nothing in his experience is more builder-friendly than Empower for luxury and custom home applications.

“Yes, hardwood floors are great. But today’s home builder needs every advantage they can get. I can’t think of a better one than Empower.”

Learn more about how LVP and rigid core flooring offers you a competitive building edge for your discerning buyers.