Waterproof LVP Conquest 20MIL SPC Baron CON2033PAD 6.5mm — Paradigm
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Soft whitewashed greige with creamy undertones · 100% waterproof · Conquest 20MIL collection
FloorScore Certified
Independently certified for indoor air quality
20 mil Wear Layer
Commercial-grade thickness handles years of high-traffic wear
Lifetime Residential Warranty
Backed by Paradigm Flooring for as long as you own your home
What is Baron?
The thickest tier in the Paradigm lineup at 6.5mm with a 1.5mm IXPE acoustic pad. Baron sits in this line as soft whitewashed greige with creamy undertones — a neutral option versatile across transitional and modern designs.
Is it waterproof?
Yes — 100% waterproof. Survives dishwasher leaks, pet accidents, mop water, and plumbing burst events without swelling, warping, or delaminating. Not approved for outdoor installation; mold/mildew not covered by moisture warranty.
Who’s it best for?
Property managers, investors, contractors, and homeowners doing long install runs. Baron hits durability targets for rental upgrades, kitchen/bath remodels, and whole-home projects. Trade pricing available for verified general contractors, flooring installers, interior designers, and architects.
How thick is it?
6.5mm total. Sits between budget tier (5-5.5mm with thinner core) and high-end commercial tier (8mm+). For most Bay Area residential installs, 6.5mm delivers durability without overspec. See Specs section above for full breakdown.
Price range?
Baron runs $3 to $4 per square foot, material only. Plus CA sales tax. Trade pricing available for verified contractors, designers, and architects. For products available in stock, browse our in-stock SPC flooring page. Call (408) 753-3220 for current quote.
Sergey Stotskiy
Overview
Where Baron earns its place: 6.5mm of rigid SPC sits between three alternative product categories, and the trade-offs are explicit. Baron reads as contemporary flooring, which gives it the breadth to substitute for hardwood, LVT, or tile across most of those categories’ design ranges. Versus solid hardwood: hardwood can’t survive kitchen and bathroom moisture or below-grade installation; the floor is 100% waterproof at the core, rated for above, on, below grade, and the pale greige with barely-there cream warmth reads as authentic sawn-wood under normal viewing distance. Versus thinner LVT (2-3mm flexible): thin LVT has a lower first cost but transmits every subfloor imperfection through to the surface and crushes underfoot at chair-leg and appliance loads. Baron’s 6.5mm rigid SPC core bridges minor subfloor unevenness and resists crush-indent at the 20 mil wear layer. Versus full porcelain or ceramic tile: tile wins on absolute waterproof and 50-year wear life but requires mortar bed, takes longer to install, and reads cold underfoot — where Baron installs over existing flooring in a day, click-lock, with the attached pad warming the step. FloorScore certified low-VOC formulation.
Specifications
| SKU | CON2033PAD |
|---|---|
| Brand | Paradigm Flooring |
| Collection | Paradigm Conquest 20MIL |
| Color | Baron — Neutral tone, soft whitewashed greige with creamy undertones |
| Plank size | 9 inches wide × 72 inches long |
| Thickness | 6.5mm |
| Wear layer | 20 mil |
| Surface texture | Embossed in Register |
| Edge profile | Mini Enhanced Painted Bevel |
| Finish | Ceramic Bead |
| Locking system | Unilin Angle-Angle click |
| SF per carton | 17.67 sq ft |
| Installation grade | Above, On, Below grade |
| Waterproof | Yes — 100% |
| Warranty | Lifetime Residential / 15-Year Commercial |
| Certifications | FloorScore certified, low-VOC compliant per CDPH/EHLB v1.2-2017 (CDPH/EHLB v1.2-2017 indoor air quality — LEED, WELL, and GreenPoint Rated qualifying) |
Why homeowners choose it
✔
Color & pairing. In the install photo our supplier shipped, Baron sits beneath white walls and sage green cabinetry — the light grey tone carries the floor without competing for attention. That’s what we look for when matching Baron to cabinet, paint, or tile samples in our showroom.
✔
Thickness & core. The 6.5mm total plank thickness combines the rigid SPC core with the attached acoustic pad in a single factory-bonded stack. Noticeably firmer and quieter underfoot than thinner SPC at the same step. 100% waterproof — safe for every room including kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms.
✔
Wear layer & finish. The 20 mil commercial-grade wear layer is rated for kitchens, entryways, and pet households — tested for chair legs, pet claws, and daily mop-and-go cleaning. FloorScore certification confirms emissions meet CDPH/EHLB v1.2-2017 — California’s strictest indoor air standard, LEED + WELL accepted, GreenPoint Rated qualifying. Safe for families with infants, asthma, or chemical sensitivities — tested annually by SCS Global.
✔
Acoustic pad. The attached 1.5mm IXPE acoustic underlayment arrives factory-bonded to the SPC core, ready to install over the subfloor — no separate purchase, no extra-underlayment decisions. The attached pad is the only approved underlayment under the manufacturer warranty; installing additional pad above or below voids the warranty (the plank itself remains physically waterproof regardless). Dampens footfall noise throughout the home.
✔
Surface & edge. Close inspection of Baron reveals narrow-board random pattern, soft wire-brush relief, board-to-board light-to-medium variation — what actually distinguishes premium SPC from printed-vinyl tier. The soft straight-to-cathedral figure catches light directionally; the minimal-knot, refined character of small character knots reads as authentic floor texture, not flat-printed pattern. That’s what makes the floor read as wood at 5 feet rather than vinyl at 18 inches.
✔
Locking & grade. Installs over wood, concrete, or existing hard flooring. No adhesive, no acclimation wait, DIY-friendly with a tapping block. Baron’s Unilin Angle-Angle system plus 6.5mm rigid build works above, on, and below grade — basement to second floor, no construction-type restrictions.
✔
Showroom & installer. Kapriz Santa Clara: supplied and installed flooring across 3,000+ Bay Area projects since 2003 (installed through 2016, retail since). 80+ brands of flooring, Boxy Cabinetry, and tile collections under one roof — only a fraction shown online. Designers and architects browse the full showroom inventory in person, pulling cabinet + tile + flooring samples side-by-side in one visit instead of three. Don’t see what you want? Stop by — we likely have it.
General contractors and flooring installers source through us because we don’t install — never your competitor — and deliver always-on-truck. Trade pricing with verified license. Whole-home, kitchen/bath, commercial, and rental projects across Cupertino, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, San Jose, and Santa Clara — concentrated install referrals in Fremont and Milpitas. Homeowner installer referrals: CSLB-licensed pros.
How it compares
Baron at 6.5mm vs other Paradigm SPC lines:
| Feature | Performer PLUS (6mm) |
Baron (Conquest 20MIL, 6.5mm) |
Odyssey 20MIL (7mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection | Paradigm Performer PLUS | Paradigm Conquest 20MIL | Paradigm Odyssey 20MIL |
| Total thickness | 6mm (incl. 1mm pad) | 6.5mm (incl. pad) | 7mm (incl. 1mm pad) |
| Wear layer | 20 mil | 20 mil | 20 mil |
| Underlayment | 1mm EVA acoustic underlayment attached | 1.5mm IXPE acoustic underlayment attached | 1mm IXPE acoustic underlayment attached |
| Waterproof | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Warranty | Lifetime / 15-Year | Lifetime / 15-Year | Lifetime / 15-Year |
| Price (per sq ft) | $6 to $7 | $3 to $4 | $3 to $4 |
| Best for | Mid-tier residential — character-grade visuals with MaaXguard scuff coating | Premium residential + commercial | Mediterranean-inspired residential |
| Style fit | Mid-tier residential — character-grade visuals with MaaXguard scuff protection | Contemporary, modern, refined interiors — 2010+ contemporary builds | Mediterranean-inspired residential — refined contemporary interiors |
| Pairs well with | warm cream walls + warm-wood cabinetry + brushed-chrome or matte-black hardware | white walls + contemporary-tier interiors + warm wood or matte-black cabinetry | cream or off-white walls + walnut or natural-oak cabinetry + matte-brass hardware |
Prices are estimated ranges. Call (408) 753-3220 for exact pricing and project quotes on Baron and comparable Paradigm SPC collections we special-order from our Santa Clara showroom.
Installation & care
Below are Paradigm’s manufacturer specifications plus installer best-practice notes (author byline at top of page). Paradigm’s warranty follows manufacturer spec; real-world installation often benefits from the extra steps below.
Acclimation:
Acclimate sealed cartons 48+ hours at normal room conditions before install.
Pro tip: If boxes have been stored in a cold truck or warehouse below 50°F, let them sit in the install room for 24 hours before cutting. Rigid-core planks tolerate temperature change better than wood, but extreme cold can make the click-lock edges brittle during installation.
Subfloor flatness:
Subfloor must be dry, sound, flat to 3/16-inch over 10-foot radius. Concrete fully cured.
Pro tip: On older concrete slabs, we measure flatness in multiple directions — not just one straight line. A 3/16-inch dip in a 2-foot circle under a refrigerator telegraphs through even the thickest SPC eventually, regardless of what the 10-foot average says.
Moisture testing (concrete):
Test concrete subfloors per ASTM F2170 (RH) or ASTM F1869 (calcium chloride) before install.
Pro tip: ASTM F2170 in-situ RH is the gold standard test, but the number you want is lower than most installers think. Manufacturers commonly cap at 80-90% RH, but slabs hovering at 85% can still cause long-term gasket and adhesive issues. If your slab tests above 80% RH, slow down and investigate the source before scheduling install — high readings rarely fix themselves.
Moisture barrier (concrete subfloors):
Below/on-grade concrete: install 6-mil polyethylene moisture barrier with 6-8″ sealed-tape lap joints.
Pro tip: We recommend 6-mil polyethylene vapor barrier over every concrete subfloor regardless of test results. Seasonal moisture shifts, future plumbing leaks, and unseen slab cracks mean a clean moisture test today doesn’t guarantee a dry subfloor in five years. 6-mil poly is $30-50 for a whole room — inexpensive protection. Overlap seams by 6-8 inches, seal with waterproof tape, run 2-4 inches up the walls (hidden by baseboard). This is industry-standard per NWFA and what we’d do in our own home.
Underlayment (do not replace the attached pad)
IXPE/EVA acoustic pad pre-attached — do not add underlayment beneath floor.
Pro tip: Customers sometimes ask about adding a thicker pad under Conquest 20MIL for more softness. Don’t. Conquest 20MIL ships with a 1.5mm IXPE acoustic pad already factory-attached to the SPC core — this is the only approved underlayment, and adding any second pad creates an unstable stack-up that causes click-lock seam failure over time. The warranty specifically voids structural-integrity coverage if a non-manufacturer pad is used.
Installation method:
Floating click-lock per Unilin Angle-Angle method. Maintain 3/8″ expansion gap at all walls and transitions.
Pro tip: For rooms wider than 25 feet or longer than 40 feet continuous, add a T-molding expansion break. SPC is dimensionally stable but not dimensionally inert — large rooms need room to breathe. Ignore this on thicker SPC at your peril; the extra thickness makes seam pressure more pronounced when expansion has nowhere to go.
Radiant heat compatibility:
Hydronic radiant systems compatible up to 85°F (29°C) surface. Increase temperature gradually after install.
Pro tip: Turn the heating system on at least two weeks before installation to purge slab moisture. After installation, raise temperature in 5°F increments per day back to operating level. Never go from room-temp to full heat in one day — thermal shock can compromise the click-lock edges and 1.5mm IXPE acoustic pad adhesion.
Daily maintenance:
Sweep or vacuum daily. Damp-mop with vinyl cleaner. Steam mops allowed at lowest power, 5-min max per spot.
Pro tip: Use a cleaner specifically labeled for luxury vinyl or SPC — Bona Pro Series Luxury Vinyl Floor Cleaner works well. Avoid ‘mop and shine’ products that leave a film; they trap dirt and dull the Ceramic Bead finish over time.
What to avoid:
Avoid abrasive cleaners, bleach, ammonia, wax, oil-soaps. Do not drag furniture. Avoid latex/rubber-backed mats.
Pro tip: Steam mops are the #1 warranty-void cause on Paradigm floors — Paradigm’s master warranty explicitly denies coverage for any damage caused by steam cleaners, and the moisture/heat breaks down the adhesives in the plank construction. Customers sometimes say ‘but it’s waterproof’ — the core is waterproof; the seams and adhesives are not designed for pressurized hot water.
Furniture and pet protection:
Use felt protectors under furniture legs. Wide non-marking casters for rolling chairs. Walk-off mats at exterior doors.
Pro tip: Office chairs with plastic wheels are harder on SPC than pet claws. Paradigm’s warranty specifically excludes damage from caster wheels unless they’re wide rubber — swap plastic wheels for rubber or silicone, or use a chair mat. This is in the written warranty, not a suggestion.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate how much flooring I need?
Pro tip: don’t return extras after install — colors can shift slightly between production runs. If you need 5 replacement planks in 2 years, your only exact match is the stock you kept. Bring floor-plan dimensions into the showroom and our staff will walk through the calculation with you.
Can I install SPC myself?
Most common case: DIY is allowed, but install mistakes (missed expansion gap, bad subfloor prep, wrong stagger, skipped moisture barrier) void that portion of coverage. Material defects from the manufacturer remain covered.
A few brands go further — their warranty requires “professional installation by a licensed contractor” as a coverage condition, so any DIY = warranty void even without mistakes. Check your brand’s warranty language before deciding.
Pro tip: when a claim is filed, the manufacturer sends a licensed flooring inspector. DIY that followed manufacturer spec to the letter passes inspection; DIY that cut corners won’t. We recommend: price out a licensed contractor quote first, read your warranty carefully, and decide based on your comfort with the procedure — not just labor savings.
Will it work in my basement?
Layer 1 — concrete moisture epoxy applied directly to the slab (manufacturer-approved liquid-applied membrane). Allows ~25 lbs/1000sqft/24hr vapor transmission vs the 8 lbs/1000sqft/24hr ASTM F1869 requires.
Layer 2 — 6-mil polyethylene sheeting on the cured epoxy. The epoxy resists normal slab conditions; the plastic above is insurance against slab cracks from settling or seismic movement (common in older Bay Area homes built on fill). If the slab cracks in year 12, the plastic stops moisture before it reaches your SPC.
Cost: $600-1,100 for a typical basement vs $50-100 for plastic alone. For a floor lasting 20+ years in a moisture-prone slab, double protection pays for itself the first time the slab shifts.
How does SPC compare to real hardwood?
Real hardwood investment = engineered with 3mm+ veneer. That’s the threshold where the floor becomes refinishable (2-3 refinishes over 50+ years, updated stain colors as trends shift). Appraisers factor genuine hardwood into home value; they don’t factor SPC.
Caveat: engineered hardwood with 1-2mm veneer (common in budget lines) is functionally the same as SPC — can’t be refinished, lasts 20-25 years. If you’re paying hardwood prices, verify the veneer spec. We carry both categories — happy to walk through specifics based on your rooms and refinishing expectations.
Do you offer samples I can take home?
How fast does it ship?
What’s your return policy?
Defective products are Kapriz’s problem, not yours — manufacturing defects, wrong product, or transit damage documented on the delivery receipt all get free replacement or refund. Note any visible damage on the receipt before the driver leaves.
Why returns aren’t standard: reverse logistics on a flooring pallet runs $300–800 with damage risk Kapriz absorbs.
Written exceptions (rare): 25% restocking fee + customer pays freight. Opened cartons, custom orders, and discontinued runs are never eligible.
Pro tip: unsure how Baron will look in your home? Call us — sample loan available (confirm Baron is in showroom; inventory rotates).
What does it look like installed in a real room?
Our website shows a fraction of our showroom inventory. We carry 80+ flooring brands in person, including samples not yet listed online. Bring Pinterest references, designer drawings, or specific brand/color targets to our Santa Clara showroom — we’ll cross-check against current availability and supplier catalogs. Many designers come with clients to browse the full collection and pull cabinet + tile + flooring samples side-by-side. Don’t see what you need? Text photo to (408) 753-3220 or stop by.
Will it match my cabinets?
Where it gets harder: very dark espresso cabinets can compress visual contrast — consider a lighter floor for those. Bring a cabinet door sample to our Santa Clara showroom; we’ll pull Baron for direct side-by-side comparison.
Best way to confirm a match: bring your cabinet door or paint card to our Santa Clara showroom — we’ll compare it against Baron under real lighting. Don’t have cabinets yet? We carry Boxy Cabinetry on-site (framed, frameless, regular shaker, slim shaker, flat panel — 11 finishes from Ivory White to Black Walnut) — use Boxy door samples to dial in your cabinet + flooring combination in one showroom visit.
What does the plank look like up close?
Sample tip: the difference between $2/sqft printed-vinyl and Baron only shows at close inspection. Hold samples side-by-side in daylight at 12 inches.
Will it look this bright in a windowless basement?
Windowless spaces: the light grey tone reads slightly cooler under artificial-only lighting. Hex stays same; perception shifts.
Best test: grab a 24×24 sample from our showroom for an hour-long basement test.
Is this floor suited for plant-heavy interiors?
One concern: direct sun under south-window fiddle-leaf can fade some SPC tones over years. UV-filtering film worth pairing for maximalist plant + sun setups.
Pricing and availability current as of 2026-05-11 — call (408) 753-3220 to confirm current price and lead time on Baron.
Additional information
| Brand | Paradigm |
|---|---|
| Collection | Paradigm Conquest 20MIL |
| Color Tone | Grey (Light) |
| Thickness | 6.5mm+ |
| Water Resistant | Yes |
| Wear Layer | 20 mil |
| Width | 9 inches + |
| Flooring Type | SPC |





