I have not used that particular manufacturer, but have specified cork flooring for a client. She loves it. Pluses include softer than hardwoods, better for standing on, environmentally friendly. Minuses: high heels can gauge the flooring,

Hydrocork is a new product for Wicanders. It is a vinyl-cork hybrid. You will be WALKING on vinyl...not cork. Just to be clear.

The Hydrocork has been in use in Europe for 3-4 years and in N. America for 1-2 years. It is quite expensive but the benefits are extensive. Your cost to benefit ratio is OK.

The Hydrocork is a form of "drop lock" in reverse order. You have vinyl on the top, vinyl on the bottom and cork in the middle. The cork CENTRE is what makes up the lock system. The Hydrocork that has been installed in Europe (European markets require HUGE amounts of testing before it can be introduced....roughly 1/2 Million Euros of testing just to bring it to market) for 4 years or so are doing well.

Europeans are more accepting of cork and more forgiving of cork. They also renovate their floors twice as often as the N. American culture (they are happy with 10 years of performance whereas Americans insist on 30 years of PERFECTION).

If you have the BUDGET for Hydrocork, I would say, "Go for it!" It is a magnificent product...with a magnificent price tag. As a vinyl-cork hybrid it will require near-perfect subfloors...but the install is VERY fast.

I would expect $10-$15/sf for the Hydrocork itself (some retailers will be MUCH more expensive). We were approached by Wicanders to carry their product but we could not come to an agreement on their production line (we only wanted the Hydrocork...and they wouldn't allow us to carry only 1 product).

Wicanders is THE NAME in cork. You can't go wrong with this product....but you need to realize it is a VINYL surface....not cork. This could be a plus for you....it could be a minus...I don't know.

Thank you both so much for your answers! I have seen Hydrocork for around $5/sf on Wayfair, which seems doable. I'm okay with vinyl overlay as long as the major benefits of cork are still there: cushioning and warmth. In your professional experience, does the vinyl overlay wear better than other cork plank brands, such as Lisbon cork? Or do you have a preferred cork floor that is your favorite to recommend?

An update on this, as I received samples in the mail and can finally feel the difference: I absolutely love the feel and look of Wicanders Corkcomfort line, but the Hydrocork looks and feels like vinyl, which I wasn't expecting. I assumed it would be much more realistic feeling and looking, and was really surprised how much more I liked the look and feel of the Corkcomfort.

Thank you all again for your quick replies. You were so helpful!

This product was developed and introduced in 2015 by a Portuguese company called COR or Corticeira Amorim. So it is very new - not a lot of reviews.

Yes...Wicanders is part of the Amorim conglomerate. The Hydrocork is new enough that the N. American installer is have a STUPID hard time getting it to work. The European installers have an edge: they can nip over to Portugal for a quick "working holiday" where they learn about the product/how to install AND enjoy the weather/beaches.

Not a lot of N.American flooring stores are willing to send a person to Lisbon to see how this gets put in. That, for me, is the biggest difference with Hydrocork. If the installer has the training, it works well. If they don't (like 99.99% of American installers) then it is extremely difficult to get to work.

I will recommend my installers take a trip to Porto. Or maybe they can watch a video about it: https://youtu.be/EVkx7Sl2_JI

I installed the hydrocork - which I believe ran $3.69 US/ SQ foot. Another local supplier sells it at $7.99/SQ but one company matched what I found online so we got it for under $4/sq. We have pets which is why we chose this over hardwood. Floors have to be super level to install or it just won't sit right. Reviews were not existent when I purchased the flooring a couple months ago. It was not quite as easy as I thought it would be to lay down, its super thin and curvy, and it does leave gaps here and there where pieces don't lock precisely into place. This was a let down and at first I felt I made an expensive mistake as I did SEVERAL rooms and it just didn't seem nearly as thick and durable as the hardwood I was looking at. I could not find info online about how to clean it other than using a mild soap. It would be helpful if there was an approved list of cleaning materials on their website (with brands) so that I could simply buy something and wash the floor. The company is impossible for reach. I have emailed them, left messages, reached out via Facebook messenger and have received no responses (in over a month).. so, I feel like if you buy this, you are on your own. It is softer than the 11mm vinyl we took out. It seems to offer some sound benefits as well and the best quality is the fact that it is water proof. Of course we have only had it a few months but we have noticed water sits on top of it, and doesn't soak through. If I could have done it again, would I have? I don't know. I feel like I would have liked the look and feel of a nice hardwood under my feet, however the perk of this stuff is the water proof feature for pets. Trade off I guess. Biggest disappointment is that it shows a gap here and there. If we tap it into place, the gap appears elsewhere. We tried VERY hard to get no gaps when installing.. Just stayed at a hotel and noticed a few of these splits at the seam too..so wondering if this is the norm. Overall, I give it a B- rating.

OMG. I totally relate to the comment above. I have scoured the internet to find a contact name and number and get nothing. I installed a wicanders product in my kitchen in 2003 and LOVE IT. The vinyl top to me makes it a win/win. Super durable, waterproof and for the kitchen a must. But I think the product I installed is different than what you all are talking about and I'm desperately trying to find it again. It was only 1/8" thick so I had some cushioning, but I was able to butt up to my hardwood floors so the transition was flush and I didn't have to put a threshold due to differences in height. I am trying to find a retailer in Los Angeles so I can see the product and can't find one anywhere. Any help would be appreciated. Due to water damage, I have to remove my floor and want to replace it with the same thing.

Our installer came back after a year and removed and reinstalled 4 rooms of hydrocork by gluing it all down to a new subfloor, Definitely not perfect but better than the floor lifting.

I've had it 11 years and it is NOT forgiving when it comes to moisture. Any water that stays too long causes the floor to buckle. We had a pipe burst and, because it's a floating floor, I can hear the "squish" of water underneath. It's going to have to be replaced. As an aside, I got the original Wicanders cork (not hydrocork). They changed the size of the plank so there is zero ability to patch. Buy lots of extra boxes because I don't doubt they'll do it again. All the major flooring dealers in Dallas stopped carrying the line. That says volumes. Hate to sound negative, but I loved many things about it - it's just not for me. (And my dogs HATED walking on it!)