Ok, so I'm a fan of cork! I admit. I'm an addict. A cork floating floor can be used in all spaces except a bathroom. It is as "expensive" as a high end laminate or medium end engineered hardwood ($2.30 - $4.20/sqft at Icork Floor LLC) and can be installed with or without underlay. It will retain the warm feeling of the carpet without having to deal with the dirt that gets trapped in the carpet. It can be laid DIRECTLY OVER TOP of the tile. To "match" floor heights, a thin or thick cork underlay can be used in place of "subflooring" materials like plywood or self leveling concrete.

It is considered a "low-slip" surface that deadens sounds and echos. Is easy to install (the same cost as a "Laminate installation" ($1.50 - $2.50/sf throughout most of the USA/Canada). No glue, no nails, low dust. Can be done in a day (for a small space) or over 2-5 days depending on square footage/

You can choose between 40+ designs/colors/styles! Easy to maintain and even easier on your heating bills. You can choose between a "wood floor" look, a "stone floor" look, a "tiled" floor or even a "marble floor" look.

Oh, right. A cork floating floor is an excellent choice on stairs! It glues strait down to the substrate! A 1ft x 3ft plank often fills the entire tread! It is a dead simple install for most contractors! All you need to do is choose your stair nosing (I always suggest going with an oak trim stained to compliment the cork...cork is a cousin to the oak and the grains often hold stains in the same way!).