Anyone have experience with cork flooring?

[brucenecho]

Thinking of cork for the basement but not sure what to do.

 

[NWL]

Check out this thread:

http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105480&highlight=Cork+flooring

Cheers!

 

[MRSFUSSY]

our son had

a cork floor and their cats used it as a littler box. They had to rip it up and it took forever to get rid of the urine smell.

 

[spirits]

I'm getting me some cork floors

HI Everyone. I am stubborn if nothing else. 3 years ago I was replacing my flooring in kitchen,hallway bath and considering cork. (See my previous posts) My husband has a bad hip and said NO TILE. I love him and think he will outlast any floor so I needed to pay heed. Here in Edmonton the only cork floors you could get were the click type in many different quality price points. I was afraid to put it in the wet areas because of the nature of the beast. I also considered luxury vinyl tile but was worried about the seams lifting after time. In my researches I learned from old tradesmen, was that the glue down tiles that you could finish on site with verithane was the best way to go. Europe uses this method. Expensive but good. The only problem was that noone had glue down tiles for sale or the expertise to go with it. 20 years ago installers had problems with glue lifting and will not recommend it today. Now there is a person in Kelowna importing these tiles from Portugal and commercial establishments are using it with good success. I have found a local person in Edmonton who is starting the glue down process here and has done his own house in it. He had wood floors in his old house in the kitchen and his little kids beat it up pretty bad He has gone to cork and his floors are holding up well. He is Italian and tells me his parents are going to rip out their tile floor and put in cork. (Bad hips in aging peoples homes) I believe that this is going to be a great product for the future. Am willing to bet $4200 for a 300sf install. It will go in sometime in Jan. and will let you guys know how it holds up.

 

[spirits]

Floor going in

HI everyone. It is Sun pm and our floor is almost in. In previous posts I spoke about 3 layers of old flooring with asbestos tile as original floor. We actually had 4 layers The original tile was left and we floated the floor with a concrete type product to smooth out all irregularities. The cork tile has been glued in and 3 coats of sealer are going on with the last one a commercial grade. The cork looks beautiful and is supposed to dry with a durable finish. This cork is being laid in kitchen, hallway, bath and is glue down not click. Will keep you updated since I know a lot of people are looking at cork as an alternative to tile and hardwood in the kitchen, bath areas.

 

[Rose Pink]

Thanks for the update.

 

[spirits]

Cork floor is in

I know there was some interest in cork but a lot of responses were going on what they were familiar with a long time ago. We just installed our cork floor and are very happy with it. But like everything else there are pros and cons.
Pros
1. We love the look but it is not for everyone. We have a 1200 sf bungalow built in the 60's and it really suits the home. We have hardwood in lr,dr and the cork was put in the wet areas of the kitchen, hallway, bath. It complements the hardwood but is a strong pattern and may not be to everyone's taste.
2. It is a wood product and will fade in sunlight. It is in a north part of the house and does not get direct sunlight so works for us.
3. Husband has a bad hip and this is forgiving. Easy to stand on, warmer than our hardwood. Can work in the kitchen for hours without getting tired
4. This is the glue down tile and is finished on site. Almost water proof, like tile
5. Pattern does NOT show dirt or scratches. Love it.
5. Varathane coatings give durability.
6. Broken dishes do not shatter
7. A green product and so may have resale value but rare and may turn off potential buyers. We are staying for 20 more years, this is our home and we do not care.
8. My 100 lb granddog can come visit and will not scratch the floor

Cons
1. Expensive. $4200 for around 300 sq feet. Same price as very expensive hardwood
2. Not too many people know how to install the glue down tiles. Make sure your installer is experienced and good. This costs money.
3. Needed 3 coats of varathane. Last one was commercial grade. Kitchen out of commission for 3 days. Ate out lots. Ooops this is a negative?:whoopie:
4. Hard to find. Although this has been around for 100's of years, the flooring industry has been geared to quick installs (think laminate) for many years. This is a "craftsman type product" But I think there are enough people who have experienced the disadvantages of tile and hardwood and are willing to give this a try.
5. Hard to find. I spent 3 years looking for a store that sells glue down cork tiles. The installer saw it in a high end condo building in another city where it was all through the building is starting to market the tile here. He and I are the only ones in our city to have it. (Unless there is original cork somewhere from 50 or so years ago) The best tile comes from Portugal or Spain. Beware of cheap imitations from China etc. You pay for quality.

My husband and I love our first home. It was well built and has many features such as solid mahogany window valences. That means I could never put in a bay window. I love the quality 60's look and am willing to spend money if it is for my home and meant to last. The installer said this floor will last 50 years and I believe him. I hope the next owners value the product as much as we do but I know we will not recoup the cost.
The cork has just gone in. Will give a 1 year report and hope it is still in our good books. If you have any questions please ask. I love to talk about cork!

 

[Rose Pink]

Oh, please do give us a one-year report. I am very interested in this product.

Do you think this would do well in a very wet area like a basement bathroom?

Is the cork flexible enough to accomodate an uneven, sloped floor?

The sheet vinyl we installed did not hold up well. I had had high hopes for it since it is flexible and there are no tile joints but it is black in some areas and I don't know if that is the mastic showing through or if it is mold. It is black from the underside, not the top. IOW, it doesn't scrub off.

My other consideration would be real linoleum.

 

[spirits]

You need a good floor installer

Hi Rose. This is an expensive floor. Do you want to spend the money in a basement? If so I would go with it. It would be fine in a wet area. This stuff is used on expensive boats and is very good in wet areas. If it is a small bathroom, I would ask a good tile installer to take a look. The tile itself is cork and flexible. It was glued down to the subfloor and then varathaned and siliconed around the edges in the bathroom and kitchen where it might come in contact with water. When the guys ripped out 3 sheets of old lino the flooring was very rough. They floated it with a liquid concrete type substance that they sanded when dry. This gives a smooth surface to glue the cork tiles down on. The tiles themselves are very pliable but still you would want a level surface. That's about all I know. However I think that this tile might be hard to find. Keep looking. Let me know. Mary