I don't have personal experience with one versus the other, but what I'd be looking at would be the thickness of the attached cork vs. underlays. Cork is cork, as far as I know, and will perform the same. But if you have thinner material it may make a difference. I would talk to the distributor about their recommendation. They will know if one versus the other is being returned more often.

Cork has a much different thermal expansion rate than vinyl. The two should never be bonded unless you expect to maintain museum quality temperature and humidity control. The best underlayment for vinyl is a properly prepared, fully FLAT, substrate and nothing else. No cork.

I have vinyl plank but no cork attached , we used Dri-core on the concrete and then the plank on top , we have had it for 10 yrs with no problems at all.

Thanks for the help. One I'm looking at is Coretec, which of course has the attached cork backing. The other does not have a backing and I would use an underlayment of up to 1.5mm. I wasn't sure what kind of underlayment would be used, I only assumed cork because the other one has cork.

Most vinyl plank does not use underlayment at all. Check with the manufacturer's installation requirements. The #1 requirement will be the floor prep to get the subfloor flat.

I've started seeing it offered. Here is the description. Saw it installed in highrises where noise transfer from floor to floor must be limited.

With a lifetime residential/ 15 year commercial warranty, this 6.5mm NuCore Cocoa Oak Hand Scraped Plank with Cork Back is an excellent flooring choice.

Found exclusively at Floor & Decor NuCore is a 100% waterproof floor that looks and feels like real hardwood and tile. NuCore can be installed in virtually any room in the home or business including kitchens, full bathrooms and basements. NuCore is quick and easy to install! It features a floating locking angle and tap installation method that can be installed immediately with no acclimation waiting time needed. The planks are extra rigid and can be installed directly over most existing floors and slightly irregular subfloors with no subfloor telegraphing concerns. No glue, nails or underlayment are needed for installation. To cut the product, simply score it with a knife and snap, or use a laminate flooring cutter. NuCore has an anti-microbial coating on top and a pre-attached hypoallergenic natural cork underlayment for a quieter warmer floor that is naturally resistant to staining and odor causing mold and mildew. NuCore is great for large spaces and can be installed in up to 6400 square feet without the need for a T-molding transition. To maintain, simply sweep or wet mop.

https://www.flooranddecor.com/nucore-flooring/nucore-cocoa-oak-hand-scraped-plank-with-cork-back-100109818.html#results-content=&q=cork+backing&start=1

LVT doesn't necessarily need an underlayment like a laminate floor does. With relation to the cork idea, the best style we have installed and seen perform well is the COREtec. The backing has attached cork which they say helps with sound quality and mends minor subfloor imperfections.

From our experience, cork will not make or break your LVT performance. I wouldn't choose based on that aspect. The main thing to look for is a product that will not expand and contract (COREtec is one of them! Also, Moduleo is a great one) Expansion & contraction is where most LVT issues start...

Good luck with your project-

~Koeber's Interiors

CoreTec is one of the handful of LVT planks (with out cork underlay) that allow the use of cork as an underlay. Depending on which LINE of CoreTec, the cork underlay can be as thick as 3mm. But that's IT! Nothing more.

The reason why CoreTec is allowed 3mm cork underlay? The THICKNESS. A thick LVT (such as the 10mm CoreTec) is far more rigid than the floppy planks that are 4mm thick.

The rigidity )and thickness) of the CoreTec means the CLICK EDGE can handle an under pad. Those skinny-minis (that are LESS than half the price of CoreTec) can't handle anything but concrete or plywood.

At this point, the choice between CoreTec WITH or withOUT cork will come down to which one you like best. Enjoy. Make sure you have paid a pretty sum for the subfloor prep. You can't skip subfloor prep - no matter what the salesperson tells you (so many are wrong...and I wish they would pay attention at the Product Knowledge meetings).

I'm looking for an answer to this too. I can't hardly walk barefoot on tile (it's just too hard) so I'm looking at vinyl and the cork backing would seem to make the flooring softer as cork is the softest flooring option on the market. So, anyone have experience with this? I want to use it through my entire downstairs which is about 1500 sq ft. So, I need a good floor that can handle all sorts of traffic with a family of 7 and pets.

I am looking at Marmoleum Planks for my kitchen, it has cork backing. Will the cork hold up or come apart. I live in a dry climate.

I live in a ground floor unit over an unheated concrete parkade. There is ZERO insulation or subfloor over the concrete of the parkade and my ceramic tile kitchen floor is laid directly on the concrete. During the winter walking on my kitchen floor is like walking barefoot on an ice rink!! What can I do short of heated flooring? Is there an insulation that can give me the comfort of a normal floor temperature?

@Delft Blue A cork floating floor will give you what you are looking for. If you more insulation simply go with a cork underlay under the cork floating floor.

As a cork flooring specialist (with no skin in the game...just some advice), I've done this dozens of times. In Canada, the issue of an 'over the garage' apartment is very real. Here's how I would work with a customer in your situation (again...I'm not going to 'sell' you anything, I'm going to help you get a warm floor that acts like it is a solid floor).

1. Remove tile: $2/sf

2. Little bit of subfloor prep: $2/sf (probably lightweight concrete = gypcrete = B!tch to work with but that's what most people have to deal with...sigh)

2a. Put down 3mm or 6mm cork underlay depending on your LOCATION?? = $0.49/sf or $0.95/sf

3. Install floating cork floor throughout the apartment (except the bathroom). I would use a finishing coat in the kitchen to 'seal' the edges from large spills (1 gallon of milk that spills and then sits for a day...).

3a. If you don't have a cork floor that can be finished (extra finish added to factory finish), you can use a laminate floor 'seam sealer'...it can do the same thing but without the added protection to the cork finish.

Let's look at total costs:

• $2 - $4/sf for tile removal and subfloor prep
• $0.45/sf - $0.95/sf (3mm or 6mm cork underlay respectivey)
• $3-$5/sf for cork floating flooring
• $3/sf for labour
• $1/sf for the extra 'sealant'...can be used 'just in the kitchen' to save money but most people love it SOOOO much that they decide to do the entire cork floor

Broken Down:

Material costs: $4.45/sf - $6.95/sf

Labour Costs: $5.00 - $7.00 per square foot.

Total: $9.45 - $13.95 per square foot

Notice the labour costs (tile removal and subfloor prep and installation labour) will be the same regardless of what floor you use. The only difference you can make is to go with a different cost of flooring material. Laminate can be used in lieu of cork floating floor...but you still pay for all the other costs.

You will notice the labour costs are MORE than the actual costs of the materials. That is normal and to be expected and budgeted for. Many people look at their budget and think that's the cost they can spend on materials....completely forgetting that they need to DOUBLE their budget just to get it installed.

Where can cork UNDERLAY be used? It can be used under:

1. Porcelain/Ceramic tile. This is one of the most expensive options on the planet. I would expect to pay $25/sf for this...that's total costs. A tile install = $18/sf (includes materials + labour). Adding in cork underlay under porcelain = $7/sf for extra materials + triple the labour costs.

2. Stone....see above. It will come in at around the same cost as tile = $25/sf

3. Hardwood. Cork couples nicely under hardwood. If you float hardwood you can float the cork underlay. This saves on labour costs. If you want a 'glue down' hardwood then you will have to pay for DOUBLE the glue (must glue down the cork underlay) and DOUBLE the labour costs. This gets pretty expensive pretty quickly.

4. Click Marmoleum (floating marmoleum flooring). This is an expensive version of the cork floating flooring. But it can be done in all the same ways as I discussed with cork. Very nice floor. It should cost you another $2-$5/sf but well worth it.

5. Cork floating floor. See above.

6. Laminate. Probably the most bang for your buck...except you CANNOT USE laminate in the kitchen...so you would need to leave the tile in the kitchen. It will be a small amount saved. Labour costs ($5-$7/sf) remain the same...but you can get away with $0.79/sf laminate (why would you???).

You will notice that SOMETHING is missing....vinyl. You cannot use cork underlay underneath vinyl floors. You just can't. In fact, you can't use any underlay under vinyl. It hates anything squishy or spongy or 'nice' feeling underneath it.

Most bang for your buck = Laminate ($0.79/sf - $4.00/sf). Most CORK for your money (which means more warmth and more acoustic insulation) is a cork floating floor.

Everything else is more money with less cork.

Hi SJ! I see here that you mention no cork underlay underneath vinyl flooring. Would it be OK to use vinyl flooring that has an attached foam or cork underlay on top of the underlayment? I would use whichever underlayment could give the warmest floors,

Hi Jenn A, I know this is late but it’s because I just finished installing COREtec Plus LVP. It’s 8mm with the cork back (think it’s only 1.5mm) and is over a porcelain ceramic tile installation that was bad (substrate not prepared, had slopes, different levels). We had to use leveler to fix floor levels. The LVP floor was then floated. I used to have a ceramic kitchen floor that gave me backaches after standing even 30 min. I live in warm climate so temperature is not an issue, but it is very nice to walk on. I chose Norwegian Maple. I think the cork backing helps give a nice feel which isn’t noticeable but makes floor not hard.

Jenn A, forgot to say hope you made a decision you’re happy with!

I read SJ McCarthy's comments where he doesn't recommend cork under LVT. I plan to use Lifeproof LVT on a concrete floor that needs to be raised about 3/4" to decrease the threshold height for ADA compliance. I was thinking of using something softer and less expensive than plywood. What about using OSB plywood with a thin moisture barrier on top to keep standing water from seeping underneath it? Note that I already have a moisture barrier in place under the concrete. Any advice is greatly appreciated.