Put in a floating snap/lock in cork floor in my office and love it!! Two rolling chairs and kids and animals in and out constantly since we have 3 computers set up to play games on too. No experience with water but it is supposed to be great.

I really love the cork floor in my kitchen. It has enough "give" to alleviate leg and foot fatigue, feels warm underfoot, and takes all the abuse my family can dish out while maintaining its beautiful appearance. It has stood up to spills, dropped objects, kid's, pets, etc. The best test of all - I've dropped wine glasses and they BOUNCED instead of breaking. Mine is glue down, not floating. Floating has a much thinner cork layer so may not do as well.

Hi Aliceinwonderland:

Can I ask which brand of glue down cork flooring did you get? My wife and I are considering cork but the price range various for glue down. we found .99/sq ft at Lumber Liquidator and saw Duro Designs for $8 something a sq ft.

How did you make your decision on which brand to use?
Thanks

Rustigger: how long has your floor been down? I want cork for my office/library, but have been warned I'd need one of those mats under the roller chair...

Kairous: It's tough, isn't it? What I'm finding is that the thickness of the cork layers varies a great deal. Allegedly, you want a very dense cork for maximum wear, but few companies publish their numbers, so its tough to compare. I've also noticed quite a difference in the finish: the sample from Simple floors has a nice, matte finish and is much less slippery than the stuff from Wiccanders and Duro.

I'm a little freaked by how thin the 'decorative' layer is: practically paper thin on some samples...

Mine is Jelinek from thecorkstore.com, unfinished. Dents don't last long, but it does have some "give." I finished it myself with 4 coats of poly. Even on prefinished cork, it is advisable to apply a coat or 2 of poly after installation to seal everything up.

We have had cork floors for two years in the kitchen and they are beautiful and functional. (I would post photos, but don't know how!) They are great on the back and knees when cooking for long periods of time. The company we used is Natural Cork, based in Augusta, GA - www.naturalcork.com. I believe this company uses a high quality product. I can't vouch for any other cork product that may be thinner, etc. We used a floating floor which "clicks together". I put the dimensions below. We also used this same floor in part of our basement. We are actually moving this summer and although the kitchen in our new house has new tile, I am working on replacing it with cork and also we will use cork for part of the basement.
Dimensions
Thickness - 1/2"
Width - 11 13/16"
Length - 35 13/16"
Top Wear Layer - 1/8" (3mm)
Edge - Square
Type - Engineered
Finish - 5 Coats UV-cured acrylic finish
Finish Sheen - Matte

Alice, thanks: the finish is part of what has me a little freaked. Wicanders has a ceramic finish [on some products] that's supposed to out last the aluminum oxide used on wood floors. Makes the finish matte, and non-slip. But it can only be renewed by a pro, the consumer can't buy the stuff [could be trying to protect a trade secret..] The poly will wear out much faster, but I'm told you can 'selectively refinish' cork by just painting the poly on any area showing excess wear...

Nature, thanks to you, too: the wear layer thing is really strange. You can clearly see on the duro and simple floors that the pretty stuff is just on top. If that got torn, what lays beneath is much looser, and made from smaller peices. Almost like a bulletin board. It's harder to be certain on the wiccanders, and since I have to give that one back, I've been reluctant to torture it. I think Natural is one of the links I have saved, but I haven't contacted them for a sample yet: will do so now.

Here's a silly question from another Alice: Are there no issues mopping cork? Just wondering how to keep it clean in such a messy area. Thanks!

Just curious if you might share the approximate cost per sqft of your cork installations?
We are about to re-do the floors in a new (to us anyway) house and are considering cork. Glad to hear so many positive experiences.
I would also be curious to know more about the sealant/finishing options, particurarily the water-based and less "toxic" options.
thanks!

oruboris - should you happen to see this old thread :), were you suggesting above that the wicanders could be more durable than the natural cork based on finish? these are the two brands that i have been able to find locally. i think the natural cork was a little softer (no store had both) - maybe due to the diff. finish?

dallasmodern -- doubt you're still looking for pricing info since this is an old thread, but my quotes were $14/sf installed for the wicanders and $12 for the natural cork. don't know if the difference relates to the diff. brands or the stores. i'm in nyc area btw, so on the $$$$ side!

In retrospect, it would have been nice to group all the cork questions in a single thread, like they do with various topics in the appliance forum...

At any rate, here's a link to the 'tough cork' thread: sadly, I don't know much more than what's in that thread.

Right now, I'm back to favoring a glue down cork for softness, trying it without pads under the chairs with casters, since you can always add the pads if they are needed, and protecting the main traffic zones [like the stairs] with some easily replaceable nylon carpet runners.

Here is a link that might be useful: tough cork thread

thx, oruboris, for your update. i want to avoid the glue down because it is so "permanent". my decision is between plank cork and tile. who knew the floor would be the most indecisive part of the remodel. ;) good luck in making your choice!

oruboris and glad: I have both the floating planks (APC Cork) and 12x12 glue down tiles (duroDesign). We hate the planks. It could be the color which encourages the "seams". We have a colbolt blue in the kitchen and you can absolutely tell where one plank begins and one ends. We have the 12x12 tiles set on a diagonal in the LR and DR (which has a 6" inlay) and love this product. They custom match and once we win the lottery, we will redo the kitchen with this company.

Overall we love the cork and wouldn't ahve anything else.

cgpaytas- thx - that is yet another thing to think about! i guess a darker color would be less likely to show seams.

We have selected Natural Cork Earth Series in "Toledo". I just visited their web site and found a FAQ, which may help others in their decision to cork or not to cork. (see link below).
The cork we've selected is $6.85/sq ft. + $2.25/sq ft. to install. There are added expenses such as end cap & stair nose transitions, and retucking the carpet to the living room and hallway, but the total is $4,279.21 for 440 square feet. We live in Bend, Oregon. No sales tax. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: FAQs for cork flooring