« Cleaning Hardwood Flooring | Main | Discount Flooring »
Cork Flooring
Cork flooring has been part of the construction scene for over 100 years, and is making a comeback. It has a very different look and feel from ceramic tiles, hardwood, stone, or carpeting, and worth looking into for your next floor.
Uncorking the Joys of Cork Flooring
Cork isn't just for wine bottles any more! Cork makes a great foor too. Cork has been used in a variety of ways for thousands of years, and flooring has been on the list of cork uses since the late 1800s.
>
Cork is the outer bark layer of the cork oak tree. Cork consists of a tight web of up to 40 million cells per cubic centimeter, cells that retain gas and give cork its unique character. These trees are found growing in Mediterranean climates like Portugal, Spain, southern France, Italy, and the Maghreb region of north-western Africa. Cork is considered environmentally friendly and sustainable; not only does cork regrow, but also it is readily recycled and biodegradable.
Cork floor qualities include:
* cushiony and comfortable to walk on
* impermeability
* light weight
* insulating
* resilient and elastic; re-expands quickly after compression
* muffles sound
* warm to the touch
* resistant to insects and fires
* non-allergenic and no offgassing
Cork flooring's possible drawbacks are:
* seems fragile
* too soft to make it a good flooring
* flaky
* expensive
Cork flooring's two styles are tiles and planks, and it comes in a range of natural colors. Tiles are glued down and planks are generally floated. Cork tiles are solid cork, about 1/4" think and are usually 12"x12" or 12"x24", with a veneer of decorative cork on top. Cork planks are a sandwich, the layers being cork, a solid center core, cork, and a decorative cork veneer. The solid core is typically made of a fiberboard like HDF (high density fiberboard). The plank dimensions are about 1/2-5/8" thick, and a nominal 1 foot wide by 3 feet long. Tiles are typically glued directly to the subfloor or concrete slab, while planks are clicked or glued together but floating on the subfloor.
The hardness of cork is rarely discussed because it is so different from wood and laminate flooring materials. Its Janka rating is 200, but that doesn't accurately reflect its durability. Its softness seemed like a problem when I dropped a wood sample on it, and the corner of the sample cut into the flooring. I went to show our flooring installer the cut a few months later and couldn't find it; the wound had "healed" without a trace.
Cork has been around for thousands of years. It has been used for floats for fishing nets, stoppers for wine and olive oil bottles, sandals, insulation on boats, and even roofing in northern Africa. As a flooring material, it has been used for over a hundred years in buildings like churches, private homes, courthouses, health clinics, libraries and banks. Cork flooring has recently made a comeback, and it's being used in a wide range of buildings, including restaurants, bars, showrooms, as well as private homes.
From personal experience, I see the cons of cork flooring being in the new approaches to finishing the product. The floating cork floor we put in our house has a finish that streaks when damp mopped, has attained a dull finish, and scratches easily. The finish hasn't kept the cork bits from flaking out of the tile, even in low-traffic areas. I frankly blame that on the finish rather than the concept of cork flooring. I haven't tested this yet, but I wonder if a urethane finish would not only improve the existing finish, but also seal the seams that don't seem to bet as impervious to moisture as advertised.
Cork flooring has the most abundant list of benefits I have ever seen or experienced. It is such a delight to walk on, adding a spring to your step, and it muffles sounds, like carpeting does. Its hard surface keeps allergens from hiding, so cleaning is easy and reduces allergy problems. It is beautiful to look at, partially because of its lack of grain and directional growth. Because of its insulation quality, cork mutes sound transfer between floors, and maintains a reasonable temperature range. If you are striving for a "green home", take note because it qualifies for points under LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building rating system developed in the U.S. by the Green Building Council); that's a huge statement of support for the sustainable aspects of cork.
If you are looking for an elegant flooring that is durable, comfortable, easy to maintain, and has a unique look to it, then cork is the right choice for you. When you choose a cork floor, you are choosing to have a floor that will last several lifetimes. What a great choice!
Comments
I'm back for another question. The guys came and put a leveler on the laminate (first they primed it the night before) and then a couple of days later they came and feathered it out and then layed (yet again) the cork. The hump has definitely improved but there are some soft spots so I feel we traded one problem for others. There was a soft spot in a high traffic area near the sink and the installer put a couple of small nails in and then puttied them. Is it possible for cork to crack over the years with these soft spots or because it's a soft flooring will it just flex with traffic.
We noticed also that one of our cats had scratched the surface which is strange as she's been sliding on it for a couple of months now as she chases her ball and we also noticed a little scuff probably due to moving the fridge back to its spot. Can those areas be buffed by steel wool for example or do we have to live with these imperfections so soon after installation. Maybe with cats we just have to give up on it being pristine although it has numerous coats of topcoat (verathane/urathane ?) so thought it would hold up better. Thanks so much for your time.
Lucy
Lucy at November 28, 2008 08:28 PM
Hi Lucy, It's hard to tell how your floor will react over time - this is a new type of product and it's going to take time before people hear about all it's little quirks. I would think that it'll be ok though (referring to the soft spot).
As far as the scuff/scratches and getting them out, I'm not sure how to go about advising you. Did the installer apply the top coats or was it already this way from the factory? You are correct in assuming that they can probably be buffed out, but without knowing what kind of urethane they're finished with you won't know which type to use - you need to know or else you can really ruin your finish.
The Flooring Lady at November 30, 2008 07:11 PM
Thank you for you comments. The floor was already finished when we bought it and is supposed to be industrial strength. I'll contact Wicanders directly to see if they can tell me what they used and if I can buff and then reapply.
Lucy
Lucy at November 30, 2008 08:43 PM
Best of luck Lucy! Let me know what happens.
The Flooring Lady at December 1, 2008 07:51 AM
Hi, we walked into our Chicago home last night and we greeted with a burst pipe and a flooded basement. The new pergo-type flooring in the basement is warped and needs to be replaced and as I become more eco-friendly about renovations and I am interested in replacing the 'wood' with cork tiles. Can we use them in the basement that is possibly prone to flooding? If the flooding happens again can we pull them up and save them? We have a sub-floor that may have to be replaced but they won't be put on the concrete. Thoughts?
Suzanne at December 24, 2008 09:32 AM
Cork tiles are wonderful, but I would be hesitant to use it in a basement that is prone to flooding. Does your basement flood when you have lots of rain too? I'm really having mixed thoughts about this because you haven't clarified what "prone to flooding" really means. If you're implying that it would only get flooded if you have a pipe burst, then by all means you may as well put down the cork tiles. Chances are, any flooring you put down is going to get ruined if you have a pipe burst again. I don't know if they'll be reusable even if you take them up and let them dry out.
You might want to look at the section of moisture proofing and read the articles about some of the different sub-floor systems available. I don't know if even these would work though as you didn't mention how high the water gets.
The Flooring Lady at December 27, 2008 12:27 PM
we are finishing our basement and am thinking of putting in cork (floating). we are going to have a large back bar, pool table, ping pong table and it will basically be used by our teenagers and their friends. do you think cork is a good choice, or do you recommend another flooring. we love the fact that it is "green", warm, and absorbs sound, but am concerned about scratches. we also have a 70 lb dog that loves to run and play. we would love to hear what you think.
thanks,
diane
diane at February 15, 2009 02:46 PM
Hi Diane, If you read through the comments from this article and other cork flooring articles, you'll get a pretty good idea of what I'd recommend - this has all been covered before.
The Flooring Lady at February 19, 2009 09:16 AM
Hi,
I want to lay down a floating cork floor in my kitchen. I have a large heavy oak table that i am afraid it will dent or rip the cork. Is there a way to protect the floor? The table has small disk at the bottom of the legs. Being so small it does not disperse the weight properly. Would it be possible to cut cork disks larger to disperse weight evenly? Any suggestions? Thanks
al
al at May 23, 2009 10:20 AM
Hi Al, I'm not sure what you mean by your last sentence. I would suggest removing the small floor protectors from the table legs and replacing it with larger ones so the weight is dispersed better.
Are you planning to seal your cork flooring? If so, I'd recommend Diamond Coat Varathane Polyurethane -- it will protect your flooring better because it will actually make the surface harder.
The Flooring Lady at May 25, 2009 12:55 PM
