Cork Flooring

[glenlake]

Considering installing Cork flooring at my cottage in wasaga. we have a dog and sand in the house constatly. Can anyone tell me if Cork is the way to go? What can I expect to pay for installation?

Thanks!

[patrob]

Cork is the softest of all flooring products, if it's a bigger dog that likes to run around, it could chip out pieces of cork with it's claws. Sand will affect all flooring products and dull the finish.

I don't recommend cork in a cottage...the best choice would be the good-old hardwood that can be refinished or laminate. Rustic or ranch grade would be a good choice which is less money. Approx. installation for cork is $2.50 +++

[Dustbunny]

I just installed cork in my kitchen and I have a dog. You really have to watch what you buy as there are varying levels of product. I scratched store samples and some scratched very badly, others not at all. Some have tough protective coatings, some don't. There are also spray on sealers you can put on some (not sure if they adhere to all or not). You can also buy tiles which glue down or click and lock which is like laminate flooring in it's design and size.

The flooring I bought is a click & lock and lays just like any laminate would. Mine has cork on the bottom so did not require an underlay (although I used one just because I had a roll of it around and it did make the floor more cushiony than it already was). Depending where you are, install price is the same as a laminate. In Calgary that means $2.50 - $3.00/sq ft is average.

As far as the dog goes, if you get a good cork it isn't an issue. My wood floor gets more scratched than the cork seems to (actually the cork doesn't have one scratch on it yet and it's been down just over a month now). My dog loves the cork and it's become her favourite sleeping spot for some reason. It's also not slippery for her the way laminate is.

I can tell you it does dent and did dent when the fridge was rolled back in. The dent has bounced back out now with some time though.

As far as sand goes...well I assume there aren't many floors or finishes that could stand up to that but ask at some flooring stores. Again, some come with some good finishes. I don't think you would want to recoat a dulled surface with anything other than a proper sealer as cork is soft and flexible so I could see some coatings not adhering properly. Meanwhile, given the textures and patterns available, some wear may not be a big deal anyway.

I have to say I love the cork. It's probably my favourite floor right next to wood and it's very comfortable to stand on or walk across. It's also very quiet.

Do shop around. Prices are all over the place and the grades and quality are too. I actually found the best deal at an independent lumber store and felt the stuff at Home Depot was junk (it scratched badly). I got the same stuff at the lumber store that the flooring stores were selling for twice the price but it took some looking around.

[Muncher]

Hi Dustbunny,

Do you mind telling me if the cork is slippery dry or wet? I just posted a message looking for some flooring for my kitchen and bathroom that's non-slip. Also can one install the click-together ones on top of tiles? I hope they won't be too thick for the doors to open if I do that.

Thanks!

[patrob]

Hi Dustbunny,

Do you mind telling me if the cork is slippery dry or wet? I just posted a message looking for some flooring for my kitchen and bathroom that's non-slip. Also can one install the click-together ones on top of tiles? I hope they won't be too thick for the doors to open if I do that.

Thanks!

Cork does not seem slippery in any condition, wet, dry, dusty... But there is good & bad cork, so shop around. Like Dustbunny said, the dog likes to sleep on cork, of course since it reflects the heat & makes it soft & warm:lol:

You can install the cork click over any surface incl. tiles... & you can always cut the bottom of the door.

[Dustbunny]

Yes, what patrob said. So far I find the floor very easy to deal with whether bare foot, socks, or shoes. I had some laminate with a texture like stone in my last house and even with that texture it was slippery especially with socks.

So far my floor hasn't had a lot of water on it but what has been on it has beaded up a bit. I assume that means that if it had a lot of water on it, it could be slippery as any amount of water anywhere would be but since the floor has the texture of cork (porous) you don't get a slick like you would with smooth flooring.

As far as laying over tile, the cork click and lock would be fine. It shouldn't take on the shape of the subfloor like other flooring or cork tile might and since there is no adhesion to worry about that isn't a big deal either. The thickness would depend on what brand you got and I would go with whatever thickness was required to be able to go over tile without a leveller and work around water. You need to buy the cork that is recommended for bathrooms as some definitely are not. As I understand it, it's only been the last year or two they've made them with the water resistant coating. One's like mine are fine because they have that sealer already on them. One thing about cork is if it gets soaked it swells and it stays that way so with bathrooms being what they are, you need that protection on it.

You can trim the bottom of the doors off easily enough. If you were having it installed you could arrange for the installer to fix that while they are there. They probably have to trim the door frame and other trim so it would be nothing new to them. You'd also have to add an extension ring to your toilet seal but again, nothing new to installers and even if you DIY, nothing you can't handle (I was actually surprised an how easy dealing with a toilet is when I redid my bathroom floor.).

[Muncher]

Thanks for the replies; this was very helpful. May I ask where you went to get it installed? Or to buy it? I'm in the GTA. The only places I know are Home Depot, Home Hardware and Rona, and sometimes there's some rather new staff there who aren't experienced enough to advise. I'm assuming that the click and lock is waterproof so the water won't seep through the joints to the tile underneath?

I think I'll get the thinnest type as I won't be living in the condo for more than a few years and install it myself as bathroom is small.

[Dustbunny]

I'm not in GTA so can't advise there except to say I imagine it holds true that you will probably have better luck finding better flooring and better advice avoiding the big box stores. If you look in flooring stores you shouldn't have any trouble finding info and help. Flooring stores also usually have their own installers so you can buy the floors (installed) in one go. As well call local lumber/building supply stores and ask what they carry as that is where I found a good price on mine. They can also sometimes recommend installers.

If you have some skills and tools you can do it yourself without a lot of trouble. You need a rubber mallet ($6), a laminate kit (spacers and pry bar)($20), and a saw that will cut laminate. I found the cork easier to cut than other laminate flooring I used but this time I also bought a new little saw from Cdn Tire called Mastercraft MultiCutter Precision Saw ($70). That little saw was super as it cut the flooring like it was butter (while my miter saw chugged a bit) and made smaller cuts like around floor vents much easier. Considering that little saw cost as much as a new laminate blade for the miter saw and I can use it for other jobs, it's been a good buy.

I had to get help with my kitchen just because the floor slid around on the first rows so helper sat on the floor while I banged the pieces into place. The dog tried to help but she just wasn't heavy enough to hold that floor in place. Sounds funny to just need someone to hold the floor, but it sure made the job go faster than when I tried it by myself. It took us about 6 hours to do my kitchen which is about 100 sq ft and we weren't going for speed. This may not sound great, but it was my first time doing a whole floor. I had some handyman type do my last kitchen in laminate and no kidding, 200 sq ft took him 5 days plus me actually finishing the areas he never did get to. He wasn't so handy it turned out.

As far as the joints go, I wouldn't go saying water'proof' although they are super tight if you install it right (see why you need the mallet and pry bar?). I suppose you have to see if they preseal down the sides to judge the joints for water. Again, this is where you need to ensure you are getting a floor recommended for bathrooms. I would think that as long as you can use the sealer after (sprays on) to take care of the joints you'd be good to go without worrying about the joints. The mfg may say you don't need it but you need to judge by whatever flooring you buy and what you can find out about it.

[Muncher]

The cheapest one I can find in the GTA is $5.29/sq ft (self-install) for the click-and-lock cork tiles. Does anyone know where else to get a lower price please? My kitchen is unfortunately 14x10' but I'd like to spend about $500 max.

[patrob]

The cheapest one I can find in the GTA is $5.29/sq ft (self-install) for the click-and-lock cork tiles. Does anyone know where else to get a lower price please? My kitchen is unfortunately 14x10' but I'd like to spend about $500 max.

Click flooring tiles generate a lot of waste so many times you have to add an extra 10% just for waste. So in your case, you really need 154 sq. ft.

So good luck getting anything good for $3.25/ft. plus don't forget your underlay & all your reducers (thresholds) which are not cheap;)

Looks like you need to increase your budget or forget about good quality cork.

Try calling http://www.stansflooring.com/content/index.php

[numommie]

In my research of cork flooring in the GTA, I've only come across Torlys. Does anyone know if it's good quality in terms of durability? Any recommendations for good place to purchase (i.e. low price) and decent installers (i.e. good quality)?