Carton decoder

Read your flooring carton: SKU, model number and run number

Name: FlooringFX carton decoder data
Creator: FlooringFX
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The short end of a flooring box tells you exactly which floor you have, if you know which number is which. This guide sorts the model string from the store SKU, the UPC and the run number, brand by brand, using the manufacturers’ own install guides.

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CARTON ENDEXAMPLE

BRAND: LifeProof
COLOR: Seasoned Wood
MODEL: I114813L
WEAR LAYER: 6 MIL
COVERAGE: 19.53 sq. ft. / case
INTERNET #: 300461633
STORE SKU: 1002241674
UPC: 088969291004
RUN / LOT: on the short end

Seasoned Wood numbers from its Home Depot product page. Layouts vary by brand and year, so photograph the whole panel.

Where the numbers are

Most brands print one label on a short end of the carton. The fields below are the ones manufacturer documents confirm. Not every carton has every field, and older boxes often show fewer.

Field	What it looks like	Use it for
Model string	`HL704 · I114813L · LF000317 · MRO004`	The match itself
Store SKU	`610-300 (older Home Depot) · 1002241674`	Finding the old store listing
Internet #	`300461633 (Home Depot web number)`	Looking up the product page
UPC	`088969291004`	Barcode check
Run / batch / lot	`10.05.2017 (day.month.year)`	Matching shade between boxes
Pattern number	`TM373 on some vinyl tile`	Vinyl tile designs

Home Depot IDs were checked against a live homedepot.com product page: LifeProof Seasoned Wood shows Model # I114813L and Internet # 300461633, and shoppers on the same page quote store SKU 1002241674.

Which number to post

Find the short end
Most cartons print the label on one short end. Turn every box until you find it, and photograph the whole panel before you open it.
Copy the model string
Write down the code next to the color name exactly as printed, including letters, zeros and hyphens.
Add the store numbers
Add the store SKU, the UPC and, for Home Depot, the Internet # if your receipt or the product page shows it.
Note the run number
Copy any run, batch or lot code, plus the date if one is printed. It helps a seller tell you whether their boxes came from the same run.
Post it on Match
Put the model string in the listing title and attach the carton-end photo.

Short a few boxes, or holding spares?

Post the model string and a carton-end photo. When spare boxes are listed, FlooringFX checks them against every open request. Asking is always free.

Find or sell boxes

Pick your brand

TrafficMasterModel string, store SKU, UPC. A run or lot code on some cartons.LifeProofPattern, color, batch (run) number on the short end. The run number is a date.PergoBox label plus codes printed on the back of each panel.ArmstrongStyle, color and an 8-digit run number that is the manufacture date.Other brandsMohawk, Mannington, Shaw, COREtec, Bruce and LL Flooring: what their guides say.

Three numbers, one floor: what readers copy off their boxes

Readers think in store numbers. More than 200 of the 2,700-plus approved comments on FlooringFX mention a SKU, and none use the phrase “dye lot”. Their comments also show how many different numbers one carton can carry:

Estate Cherry. One reader copied three numbers from a single TrafficMaster carton: 857163, EM000716 and LF000102. How to read it

Greystone. A peel-and-stick tile box shows pattern TM373 and store SKU 743-360. Readers post either one. How to read it

Verde Stone. A reader in Canada found the store number was 183-385 there, while US boxes say 356-148. How to read it

Worked examples

TrafficMaster Baytown OakHL7047 mm laminate, 7-11/16 x 50-5/8 in. planks, UPC 664646305143. The model string decides the match; “oak” alone does not.LifeProof Seasoned WoodI114813L6 mil wear layer, Internet # 300461633, store SKU 1002241674, UPC 088969291004. Older boxes may say Harrison Pine Dark.LifeProof Fresh OakI96711L vs I96711LPSame color name, two wear layers: 6 mil and 22 mil. Photograph the line where the mil prints.Costco Harmonics Antique HickoryAH404SWarehouse-club laminate, not TrafficMaster. “Antique Hickory” also exists at Lowe’s and Pergo, so the brand strip and AH404S decide it.

Most-asked TrafficMaster model strings

These eleven come up most often in reader requests without a full Pattern Guide yet. Request counts are ranges of reader comments naming the color.

Color	Line	Model string	Material	Requests
Medium Red Oak	Original	`MRO004`	Laminate	50-99
Sarasota Oak	TrafficMaster	`627671`	Laminate	25-49
Glacier Oak	TrafficMaster	`195-982`	Laminate	25-49
Estate Cherry	TrafficMaster	`LF000102`	Laminate	25-49
Dark Red Oak	Original	`DRO005`	Laminate	25-49
Avalon Oak	TrafficMaster	`610-300`	Laminate	25-49
Greystone	TrafficMaster	`743-360`	Vinyl tile	25-49
Verde Stone	TrafficMaster	`356-148`	Vinyl tile	10-24
Deluxe Redwood	TrafficMaster	`62331`	Vinyl tile	10-24
Brazilian Cherry	Dimensions	`280-704`	Laminate	10-24
Walton Noce 12x12 Tile	TrafficMaster	`WAL00NC`	Ceramic tile	10-24

The full list of 236 colors is on most-requested discontinued colors.

Marks and terms on the carton

Term	What it means
Model string	The manufacturer or store code for one color in one product line, printed beside the color name (HL704, I114813L, LF000317). It is the number to post first.
Store SKU	The number Home Depot or another store stocks the item under. Older Home Depot SKUs read like 610-300; newer ones are 10 digits, such as 1002241674.
Internet #	Home Depot’s 9-digit web catalog number, shown at the top of the product page (300461633 for LifeProof Seasoned Wood).
UPC	The 12-digit barcode number. It identifies the product, not the production run.
Run number	A production run code. LifeProof (Halstead) and AHF print it as an 8-digit date, day.month.year, on the short end of the carton.
Batch or dye lot	Other names for the run. Boxes from different runs can differ slightly in shade even with the same model string.
Pattern number	A design code that some vinyl tile cartons print in addition to the SKU, such as TM373 on TrafficMaster Greystone.

Homer TLCAppears on some older Home Depot private-label cartons alongside Shaw-made TrafficMaster laminate. Treat it as a store-side clue, not a color name.

ShawA Shaw logo or plant code on a TrafficMaster laminate box supports the ID. Suppliers changed over a line’s life, so confirm the model string too.

Halstead / HMTXThe supplier family behind LifeProof and earlier TrafficMaster Allure vinyl. LifeProof warranty and install documents name Halstead.

Pergo / MohawkPergo laminate at Home Depot is a Mohawk-owned brand (Unilin). XP colors can be discontinued while the XP line continues.

Thickness (mm)Total board height: often 7, 8, 10 or 12 mm for laminate and about 4 to 7 mm for vinyl plank. A 1 mm difference shows in a repair.

Wear layer (mil)The clear top layer on vinyl, in thousandths of an inch. 6, 12, 22 and 30 mil are common. It is not the overall thickness.

If the carton says…

Carton says	Likely line	Start here
TrafficMaster + oak, hickory or pecan color, Shaw or Homer TLC mark	Home Depot private-label laminate	TrafficMaster decoder
TrafficMaster Allure, Allure Ultra or GripStrip	Home Depot vinyl (Halstead family)	What replaced Allure?
LifeProof with an …L or …LP model	Home Depot rigid-core vinyl	LifeProof decoder
Pergo XP or Outlast+	Pergo laminate	Pergo decoder
Harmonics or Dimensions (warehouse club)	Costco-era laminate, not TrafficMaster	Costco Harmonics reference
Armstrong, Pryzm or Alterna	AHF vinyl or engineered wood	Armstrong decoder

Other brands: what their install guides say

Mohawk. “check the pattern, color and run (lot) numbers on the carton… listed on the exterior label of each carton.” Mohawk also asks owners to keep one carton end label with the invoice.
Mohawk (Aladdin) floating LVT Uniclic installation instructions · Mohawk Uniclic installation instructions

Mannington. “Always check the cartons to assure the pattern number is correct.” Mix planks from several cartons. The guide does not describe a lot field.
Mannington LVT installation guidelines

Shaw and COREtec. Shaw says to “always work from multiple cartons to achieve a uniform appearance.” FlooringFX has not found a Shaw document that explains its style and color numbers, so post a photo of the whole carton end.
Shaw Floors: plan and install vinyl

Bruce. Bruce asks installers to work from several cartons for color mixing but does not say where a lot number prints.
Bruce installation instructions (AHF)

LL Flooring. Product pages show an 8-digit SKU, for example 10025819. Copy it from your receipt if the carton is gone.
LL Flooring product page showing SKU 10025819

Questions readers ask

Which number should I post if the carton shows several?

Post the model string next to the color name first, then the store SKU and UPC. The model string is what other owners search for.

Is the UPC the same as the SKU?

No. The UPC is the 12-digit barcode number. The SKU is the store’s own stock number, and Home Depot also has a separate Internet #.

Do I need the same run number for a repair?

Not always, but it helps. LifeProof and AHF instructions tell installers to check that all boxes for a job come from the same run, because shade can shift between runs.

What if the label is gone?

Look for codes on the back of a plank, check your receipt or order history for the SKU, and photograph a plank next to a ruler so others can compare thickness and edge.

Open data

The decoder is also available as JSON at /api/decoder.json: brands, label fields, source documents, gap notes and the model strings behind these pages. CC BY 4.0, no personal data.

Dye lots and batch codesWhat to photograph on a cartonSame color name, different brandsHow to write a Match listingDiscontinued flooring index

Sources

Got the number off your carton?

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