We have installed glue down cork tiles in two bathrooms. After the cork planks are glued down, an additional three layers of polyurethane is brushed on. They are dream floors--soft, quiet, warm and beautiful. Things don't break when you drop them. We installed them ourselves. My husband was very reluctant at first. It took me years to convince him. Now he is the biggest fan and recommends cork to everyone. He wishes we had done cork in the kitchen. Ours are an 8mm from Forna.

Looks like beckyledosquet found my cork (I'm the distributer for Forna)...I'm glad you like our cork. The 8mm is a SERIOUS cork floor! Very impressive even by my standards!

I'll have to agree...

Had cork in our downstairs Powder Rm. and it always got great comments from guests. It was installed AFTER having limestone installed in the upstairs baths... and had we known how nice it would be earlier, the tile would have been nixed.

We ordered Cancork floors and had a professional install it February 2015. We got the floating laminate, and love the material. It's warm comfortable in the kitchen. BUT--it has a hollow sound when you walk on it. Cancork did not recommend an underlayment until AFTER we commented on the hollow sound! We would have done it if we had known, but now it's too late. Now, the very expensive imported polyurethane Cancork recommended is peeling off the floor, and, of course, they offer online advice, but it's really our problem now. I would highly recommend using a local, established, flooring company to do your cork floors so that you will have recourse if there is a failure. I would never trust online again.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions .

I'm sorry this has happened macmartha. The old marmoleum may have something to do with the hollow sound as it may not allow everything to sit flat. The polyurethane can be corrected but it isn't fun to do. I'm very sorry you have been upset with the cork flooring.

Cancork. Thank you, but your company knew exactly how I was planning to install the flooring and never warned me that the marmoleum might potentially be a problem. You knew that we chose the floating floor system because the floor was not perfectly flat and still you did not recommend (until after installation) an underlayment. Yes, the polyurethane can be corrected, but a) it's expensive, b) it's labor intensive, and c) there is no guarantee that it will not recur because neither you nor the manufacturer of your polyurethane can tell me why it happened since we followed the instructions explicitly. For all these reasons, I am warning other people in these forums not to install a flooring unless there is a local installer who will guarantee the floor, the work, and the finish--otherwise (as anyone can see from reading your comment) a customer has no recourse which is why I am letting people know not to trust online suppliers.

A perfectly flat floor is a baseline requirement for any floating floor, as is an underlayment. Your issues are all due to improper installation, not the material itself.

GreenDesigns, we measured our floor and it was in the range of acceptable levels of flatness. In Cancork said that our floor was not suitable for glue-down cork tiles, but was perfect for the floating floor. They never mentioned an underlayment until I complained about the hollowness in some places, and since they sell to the public and promote their products as being suitable for DIY, they should have mentioned to us that a cork underlay would be extra noise reduction.

Cancork--the marmoleum was completely adhered and your company told us that it was a great substrate for the floor. The real problem is with the poly, and you have not helped me with this issue

aaaahhhh, I feel deeply for you macmartha, but we are here to try to help anniekate. Though it would be a nice thing to know, in the end, that our professional advisors are fully trustworthy, honest and knowledgeable. So this might a great time for someone to maybe bend a little backwards for macmartha. I am sure she would love to sing your praises to the rest of us houzzers.

@havingfun... at the risk of stepping into the line of fire, I'll submit that your hopes "that our professional advisors are fully trustworthy, honest and knowledgeable"... is subjective.

All too often, the advice &/or opinions offered (without charge, btw) by those "professional advisors" is either overruled or undermined by the general population of Houzz, simply because the advice given: a} doesn't fit the desired narrative or opinion of the non-professionals, b} is misconstrued, or c} discarded (all or part) because the recipient feels as though there is an ulterior motive behind the advice...

Been there... done that!

There is entirely too much "cherry picking" through the FREE information offered on Houzz.

More often than not... when things go right, the homeowner BEAMS with pride having displayed what they present as their own creativity and ingenuity. But if the project goes off the rails... the 1st person to get kicked down the stairs is the Pro who made suggestions for a product or service.

i applaud your valuable information and opinion. i only have one suggestion. You say the pro gets kicked down the stairs for their suggestions, because should they not be dead on? I think often confusion comes in between what someone thinks they are saying and what everyone believes they are saying, including the pros. But when everyday people do it, it goes without saying that it is just our opinion, you know how those are. But when you guys say it, well that means a lot. Maybe you should just have a made up name and not use the pro moniker, less responsibility, no?

But back to poor anniekate.........

@havingfun-There's a reason for the saying "We're professionals; don't try this at home". Social media is a crummy way to make a point, because of misunderstandings.

A) I believe you should be telling the professionals that B) That is now 5 professionals making I don't know what point, besides a battle, when I just wanted everyone to calm down and help the person who wanted help C) Forgive me, I give, I apologize for how you feel I have harmed you, I concede both the battle and the war.

Love my cork flooring. I used Torly's, and have used it in the past in clients' homes. Nicks and dents are natural. I recommend getting a stain made of the same colour as the cork to stain the exposed cork if you get a gouge. My floors are warm under feet and the natural qualities of cork make them quiet. And I love the enviro factor. Enjoy your new floors!

a} no battle, b} no war, c} nobody needed to be "calmed down", d} no more circular argument/discussion. (Insert smiley face here)

Hopefully @anniekate has received enough input to aid in the decision making process.

Interesting discussion!

The takeaway for me is that cork floors can be great, but can be tricky to install, and perhaps best installed by a flooring prof with lots of experience installing the specific cork product you select

Best to all

Anniekate

Anniekate13, I hijacked you r discussion, and I'm sorry. I agree with your takeaway. Installing cork flooring is not a DIY job, no matter what the distributors say!

@macmartha, I prefer not to discuss client issues openly on an open forum. I feel it is a breach of privacy (to the homeowner). Since this has upset you so much and you wish to continue on an open forum, I will let everyone know that we have offered to send you replacement polyurethane for free. Our product warranty states that we are not responsible for "labour costs". I've asked you when you would like to receive your free product on two different occasions. You have not yet set a date for me to send the product.

As for the marmoleum, the requirement I stated in an email, was that the loose tiles were to be adhered to the subfloor OR patched appropriately. I did not hear anything further about the preparation (this was up to your professional flooring installer to ensure it was adequate).

Our floors have a tolerance of 3mm over 3ft on the 'waviness' scale. That means the FLOORING can tolerate the waviness. Sometimes a wavy subfloor causes a hollow sound. Sometimes it doesn't. There is no way to tell prior to the floor being installed that this will cause issue with the homeowner. Technically the planks can handle the waviness. Their structure allows for it.

The proper amount of polyurethane can be shipped to you as soon as you ask for it. I've offered it this last week. I've offered this same solution this week. I will offer it next week. Please let me know when you would like to receive your free replacement polyurethane. As always, I await your decision as to when you would like me to ship your product. I cannot let this ship without your knowledge as there should be someone available to receive the delivery. It is expensive stuff that should never sit on a porch or be left where someone can take off with it. Strangely enough it has a street value.

Cancork--I appreciate your concern for my privacy. I have accepted your offer for replacement polyurethane, but since I have been blamed for problems with the flooring after I followed your instructions, I am looking for a professional to repair the floor. When they look at your requirements and the fragile nature of the Lobo, they refuse.

As for the marmoleum, it was not laid as tiles, but was full sheet, and was completely adhered to concrete which is why you told me it would make an excellent subfloor. There were no loose patches, and I told you that in the email. I also see you hiding in technicalities, and that's what I want other homeowners to know. Technically, the floor can tolerate certain things, but practically speaking, if I had been told by you that a cork sublayer would have made the floor quieter, I would have done it, but you never told me that.

Finally, I found you on this site, and I simply want other homeowners to know that a) your product needs to be installed by a professional who is willing to take the liability for issues not well-explained in your literature such as needing to abrade the factory finish before applying the Lobe (which you never told me) and subfloor. Your product is a good price, but when factoring in the need for professional installation, it might change the minds of those considering using your product. I actually like the floor very well, but I do not like the fact that you did not give me proper instructions to make it the floor you promised. (i.e. "25-year floor with two coats of Loba poly applied over the factory finish"). Actually, it's not a 25-year floor--it's an 8-month floor.

macmartha: Feel free to send me a time line for when you wish me to send the Loba. I will ship it same or next business day.

Well, I was considering a cork floor in my sun room.... Perhaps NOT;(

Are you poking fun at the direction this thread has taken, Margo? That's not like you;-)

NO. I am so profiled *hanging head*

So sorry Annie,that your post became a battle ground. I have never seen this happen before and should have been moved to another forum.good luck with your project!

Brenda- you must be new to Houzz eh? ;)

Yes,do u want to enlighten me? Any advice is welcomed!

I think the thought @Margo was trying to convey was that, regardless of how benign a post or conversation starts out... eventually there is a clash between all of the self proclaimed "experts", which invariably leads to differences of opinions... which CAN end up as full blown confrontation, at times! haha

Soon Select we will be finishing each others sentences...wink wink nudge nudge hahahahaha

Well Margo... at least you didn't finish as @River Valley would have with a: *snort*snort... lol

Seems River has been laying low lately.?

I thought it was people helping people, no one said,only pros respond.

blake93- anyone can respond. This is a public forum. You are welcome to give your advice. What do you have to say?:)

@infused living, we are looking at Torleys cork flooring for our kitchen/entrance but are a little worried about wear in the entrance area (Northern Ontario winters/gravel driveway). We were totally impressed with Torley laminant after a small flood left water on it for at least 2 hours and it survived without a trace of damage so thought that it might be durable in cork as well. Any thoughts on whether Torleys or any cork product is a suitable choice for an entrance area?
Thanks!

Hi @susannecouture. I have installed the Torly's cork in my entrance way in the Vancouver area. It has been there less than a year though, so I don't have any insight into long term durability, but I am happy with it so far. We don't track in snow, but we do track in rain and sand. So far so good. As a designer, I have used cork throughout a basement in a Calgary client's home, and through the entire main floor in a Regina client's home. They are both really happy with it as well. As mentioned earlier in this thread, it does dimple, and can gouge, but there is the potential for damage in almost any flooring medium. Good luck with it, I have used Torly's many times and always had good results.

About 20 years ago (1998) we installed a Wicanders glue down cork tile floor in our kitchen. It was pre-stained (a weathered gray and a dusty teal) and pre-finished with a polyurethane type finish. We laid it out as a checkerboard, and our friend who was a vinyl floor contractor installed it after leveling the floor and preparing it as for a vinyl floor. I don't recall the specifications as to thickness, etc. of cork and finish, so don't know how it would compare to what is out there now. (Some time after it was installed, Wicanders stopped selling cork floor...I don't know, but think they were bought by someone else, and they are on the market again--might be a very different product now.)

Anyway, this floor does not get any direct sun, but has had no fading whatsoever. The finish looks great. We just wipe with a water/mild soap as needed. The cork's spots and character mask dirt until we can clean it, so it always looks pretty good. At the dishwasher and sink, we've had the usual water spills, sometimes water sitting on the floor for a few hours before we notice it. There is almost imperceptible lifting at the corners in one little spot at the back of the toe kick that I can feel running my hand over it. We ran this same floor into the adjacent half bath/powder room and have had the occasional water spill from a leaky toilet, etc. but it didn't lift the floor at all.

The cork is probably not as spongy/thick as some that is available now, but it is warm and it is fairly soft on the feet/legs. There is one spot where my husband dropped a very sharp knife and it made a slash, but the cork still didn't swell or split.

Oh, and we have had an active black lab for 14 years and several cats, two kids and all their friends tromping through. You wouldn't know it. Except for its somewhat dated color/design, I don't think you could tell it was 20 years old.

Based on my understanding, "cork floors" are not just one thing, but a whole spectrum of different layers, options, etc. As to fading problems, think of what happens to wood floors. They also fade in the sun, because natural materials are damaged by the sun's UV light. So you might need to investigate UV-protection or some kind of special staining or coloring to counteract it on a cork floor.

Sorry about the long post. Bottom line is, if you like cork, I am confident you can use it and love it, but just look into all the particulars so what you install is exactly right for your situation. Good luck.

Hi! I've heard alot about the fading issue too...think mainly it's about areas exposed to the sun of course. I'm not planning on worrying toomuch about it as we have a 3M film on our windows that filter the light (sunglasses for the windows) and decrease sun damage to floors/furniture as well as decrease heat transfer. The film really does make a noticeable difference in the inside temperature. You could try this if you need to install cork in a sunnier area.

Torlys is THE name in the Canadian cork market (being a Canadian based flooring producer will do that). The wear surfaces for Torlys starts with their "entry level" finish (urethane/polyurethane product) = $5.99/sf or more. This floor can be refinished/refreshed and/or sealed in "splash" areas such as kitchens, entranceways, laundry rooms.

The "tougher" Torlys finishes = $7.99/sf or even as high as $15.99/sf. These finishes are so tough they shouldn't need refreshing/refinishing but you do have to be quick to clean up spills. The "2 hours" of water sitting on the planks is something any high-end HDF core plank can handle (mine included).

I have dozens of clients who use a cork floating floor in entranceways and kitchens and have had very few issues with "surface moisture". I've had several people tell me they had a little flood (or a big one) and the planks were reusable once they had been allowed to dry. There might be some loss (1-5 planks) do to warping that didn't "straighten out" but the majority of the flooring was reusable.

And when I say floor, I mean 3 feet of mud sitting on a cork floor for a week. A farmer in Manitoba had his Forna cork in his basement flooded a few years back. He removed the planks, hosed them down (to get them ready to burn in the fall) and stacked them in the barn. When he went to bring them out to burn them, he noticed they looked reusable. He installed the salvaged planks in his son's bedroom. He stated that 75% of the planks were reuseable...the other 25% had too much mud left on them. He was so impressed he took time out of his harvest to call me to tell me this story.

This is an extreme story...but I've heard this over and over again. Most are due to dishwasher/fridge icemaker mishaps. I've never had an "entranceway" have an issue.