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ASVInteriors If you type cork flooring into the search function here you will find tons of information on cork flooring. It really seems quite versatile and one of our Houzzers is a Cork specialist so it will be well worth your time and trouble.

Frances Temple-West Architect Cork is a great product. I've used for kitchen floors but it is not super long wearing - especially cork tile. This is partially due to moisture issues near sinks and dishwashers. I would be hesitant to use it in a bathroom due to the high moisture and humidity. It may wear better if you use cork sheet. You won't have all the seams to deal with. As the previous poster mentioned, definitely consult a cork specialist or manufacturer and see what the recommended applications are and which ones to avoid. Good luck!

Globus Cork Finished cork in glue-down tiles are great for kitchens and baths. Cork does not absorb water and mold does not grow on cork so water, moisture or high humidity is not a problem with glue-down cork tiles which are 100% cork. The engineered floating cork floors which have a center fiberboard are not recommended for water areas because they are mostly fiberboard and can swell when they get wet. Only the 100% cork tiles which are a glue-down product are recommended for any potentially wet areas.

With the cats and litter, you should put down an extra sealer coat of finish on the tiles after installation. You should sweep up the extra litter regularly but cat litter is not a problem. Clean with a mild liquid soap or even diluted bleach if you need to.

Cancork Floor Inc. A glue down cork floor is the way to go. The finish is the key. One of the longest wearing finishes is a water based polyurethane. Once a glue down tile is installed, it should be sealed. Globus requires only one coat for the first seal but then requires refreshing the finish every 6-12 months depending on traffic (this makes me believe it is a water based urethane...? Globus, am I right?) or possibly a natural wax (which comes with it's own concerns/benefits).

Globus is known for their "unique" product and their ability to special order anything in any size (with some logical exceptions) for a "unique" price. If you are looking for a one of a kind floor...go with Globus. I have recommended them in the past for people who are looking to "out do" the Jones'!

Forna's tiles are finished in Loba Supra (German, Commercial grade floor finish that is an excellent match for cork because of the stretch). Once your bathroom is sealed, it can go 5-7 years before you have to think about a "refresher coat". We carry 16 different colours. This is usually enough to keep most clients happy.

We recently had a client who's cats were a bit "naughty". She needed to find a floor that was acceptable to her and the occasional "leaky cat". The Loba was easy to clean and there was no noticeable smell (her words). We were all quite delighted!

The grit from the kitty litter shouldn't be a problem with a water based polyurethane. The Globus, depending on the finish might wear a little faster...again, you would need to speak with them directly. You might get some "micro" scratches from it, but beyond that, there would be no actual damage to your floor.

www.corkfloorsales.com
www.icorkfloor.com

Cancork Floor Inc. On another note, a "short lived" cork floor = one that has not had it's maintenance kept up. This is normally because the sales person did not know enough about cork to state: "Refreshing of the finish is required every ___years". They treated it like laminate and that was that!

I've seen it over and over again. A cork floor, uncared for and without it's maintenance, starts to look "bad" or even has patches of wear through. The owner says, "This is bad stuff!". They call us (or Globus, or whom so ever they find) only to find out that they, the owner, has not been doing "all that they should". Who's to blame? Probably the uninformed sales professional who didn't know what to do with a specialty floor.

Cork is wood. It requires a refresher coat every 2 years (urethane based products) or every 5-7 years (water based polyurethane finish). At year 10-12, these floors start to look nasty. Dull, lifeless and with patches that are now showing raw cork. Sorry to say, but YOU MISSED the refinishing window...TWICE!

I know cork floating floors that look great at 15 years because of their refresher coats. I know glue down tiled floors (installed by a general contractor in his own house...NO INFORMATION from his buddy who sold him the cork) that began to shrink and show large seams before it turned 8 years old...because the maintenance and proper care was non-existent.

Sorry. I get riled up about cork. I've help save 70+ year old cork floors because flooring experts said, "Nothing can be done!" Rip it up and put in hardwood. The answer = another coat of old fashioned flooring wax! Instant beauty! Ready for another 70+ years!

auroraborealus I have cork interlock in basement, it is warm and wonderful. Lay it tightly on cold day and floor. Seal it even though sales people say not to.

Cancork Floor Inc. Floating flooring in basement is excellent. In a bathroom it is not appropriate. Sales people (at places that seal more than just cork) don't always have the answers.

auroraborealus Actually had water on floor from upstairs tub leak. We fixed leak, and so the cork floating floor was lifted it, let it dry off, tested and no mold issues, treated anyway, and floor relaid. There are so many wonderful qualities of cork flooring. It is a great choice around water: cork is water repellant, it floats, and is naturally antimicrobial. SIL has rolled cork in kitchen and bathroom for over 30 years, we have cork floating floor (Cork two sides, blue board middle) on full lower level for 15, including bathroom. Grew up with ancient waxed cork floors. Still looks fabulous and is warm and soft to walk on. It is not for those who wear outside shoes inside, stilettos, or pets with untrimmed nails, but neither is hardwood or lino in these cases. Finishing is important like it is for all natural materials.

auroraborealus Have to add WITH CATS definite NO to cork: it is soft and they will claw it when the household servants are not up to their standards.

ASVInteriors Love it auroraborealus!!! - now you say it, it is sooo true!!! Curveball thinking that is what this site is about: things you never thought you would have to consider but you should!

Beth Stevens Kelley Need some solid advice for new construction wanting cork floors. Have kids and a big dog. Heard about different finishes including a ceramic or a high performance finish, please advise. Any and all help with knowledgeable people is great. I have read so many things and frankly feel lost. Many people in our area know very little about it. Some samples we have feel extremely soft and I don't know if it would hold up to dogs or kids who are inside and out, kids will be taking off shoes, however, dogs cannot. Please advise!

Yarbro Home Improvement LLC Beth, not for pets! Cats have retractable claws, but from personal experience they will claw at it. Defiantly not for dogs and if you do walk on it with high heels it will start to show soon after installation

cherimitchell I am a petsitter and one of my clients who has 10 inside cats has cork tile floors in one room. The cork either absorbed the cat urine under the litter boxes, or it entered through the seams between the cork tiles, or it may never have been sealed. Whatever, they are having to pull up the cork floors and the subfloor because of cat urine. They also have litter boxes in two rooms with good solid oak flooring - ruined by the smell of cat urine. Tile grout, sealed or not, will also absorb cat urine. The best flooring that I have found for cats or dogs is a good quality vinyl, but if it runs under the baseboards you can still have a problem.

Cancork Floor Inc. A cork floor for certain cats is fine - there are two types of "scratchers" (in my experience...30+ years of cat ownership) 1) the "tree scratcher" = vertical scratcing on posts or anything upright...not normally floor scratchers but can be TAUGHT how to do this by other floor scratchers; 2) Floor scratchers = carpet, cork, area rugs, etc. The floor scratcher is a NO-NO for cork!

Large dogs: will ruin the FINISH any wood floor Period. Rarely do they ruin the WOOD. Hardwoods like Oak will take longer. Pine floors will ruin a little faster; Cork floors will move in the same realm as Pine. Hardwood flooring tip: trim the dog's nails every 7-14 days.

High performance finishes "SOUND" great until you find out they will scratch just as easily as the "softer" feeling "polyurethane". Urethane finishes are NO-NO'S for cork....never, never never use a urethane finished cork. Sadly, this rules out MOST US made cork floors!

Ceramic finished cork WILL scratch and will need to be refreshed every so often (depends on maker and if it is bound with urethane or polyurethane). Aluminum Oxide finishes will scratch AND haze!!!!! And can NEVER be refinished!!!!!

A client of mine is ripping out her high-end wear surface (after 18 months) because she discovered that it is hazing BADLY with a medium sized dog and one child! She also discovered it can NEVER be resealed AND it is not allowed in a kitchen or entrance (which is EXACTLY where she put it!).

Madder'n a wet hen she is! Her 300sf ($2400 Wic.....'s Floor) is now gone. My "soft" polyurethane finished floor is going down in her space ($1000 for same floor). She is sealing the floaitng floor with the water based poluyurethane AND letting it cure x 7 DAYS!

BTW: Cork does not "damage" it "dimples". High-heeled shoes leave dimples. These dimples can be "steamed" out with a damp, hot clothe. If you want to more the process along, use a steam iron ON the wet clothe = 10 minutes until it is completely recovered!!! I know. No one told you. I know. I hear it all the time!

Hope this helps.

Yarbro Home Improvement LLC Cancork Floor Inc, & Globus Cork, you say..."Finished cork in glue-down tiles are great for kitchens and baths. Cork does not absorb water and mold does not grow on cork so water, moisture or high humidity is not a problem with glue-down cork tiles which are 100% cork"

you also say... "Cork does not "damage" it "dimples". High-heeled shoes leave dimples. These dimples can be "steamed" out with a damp, hot clothe. If you want to more the process along, use a steam iron ON the wet clothe = 10 minutes until it is completely recovered!!! I know. No one told you. I know. I hear it all the time! "

"Can be steamed out" yet "does not absorb moisture"

Uuuuuh, is there a contradiction somewhere???

Don't BS me

Anyway, thanks for at least admitting that it "dimples".

Cancork Floor Inc. Not an ounce of fiction. Please be aware: I'm not fond of being asked, "Don't BS me". It is a tad unprofessional. As professionals (business and not private posters), a professional demeanor is not just for phone or "in-person" consultations. Written communiques are also part of the "performance" of professionals.

Steam = high amounts of heat with tremendous humidity. Humidity affects all things. Water (standing,splashing, otherwise) is not ABSORBED into cork that is sealed. That does not mean a FINISH and the wood sealed by that finish will not react to heat or steam. Absorption is not necessary to have an effect in on a wood product.

Have you seen what happens to a "finished" wood product that is installed too quickly - without acclimating? It curls! Why? Because it expanded with a change of humidity and it had NO WHERE to go!

Yet heat (you can curl or straighten hair, curl wood, etc, bend metal, etc with enough heat) PLUS the humidity will increase the reaction time of the the cork. The heat (and the humidity) work VERY WELL together. I've never tried a "hot DRY clothe" - 'cause clothes ignite! - but the principle would be the same but not nearly as successful.

Any wood worker will tell you that the easiest way to "bend" wood is with heat and steam! (think old fashioned barrel making) Well, I'm asking you to "unbend" wood! In other words, I'm asking you to "undent" cork that has been COMPRESSED. By adding heat and humidity (humidity makes it puff up a bit faster) you cause the recovery process to SPEED UP! Beyond going into the physics of the thing, believe me. It works.

And I don't admit to it "dimpling" because it does. It is a statement of fact. Cork can be COMPRESSED upto 50% of it's original thickness AND RECOVER upto 95% of the original THICKNESS. All wood compresses and recovers....just not as much as cork.

I hope I have acted professionally; because that is what I was aiming for.

Yarbro Home Improvement LLC First of all, I think you meant "not an ounce of fact" but that's your opinion and I didnt "ask you to BS me" I accused you of it. Anyway, you attack my comment with sarcasm, ( regarding high heels ) "I know. No one told you. I know. I hear it all the time! " I didnt appreciate it ( so, who is being the unprofessional one ) and I'm defending my integrity. You assume I don't know because, "nobody told me". I'm not here spouting uneducated nonsense. Like I said above, I know from experience.

You need to get moisture impregnated into the fibers of the wood to get it to bend, and I can say with confidence that a dent or dimple in the cork is not going to disappear without that process and according to you, impossible to do with a sealed cork product

I can boil a 1x 4 in hot water and then try to bend it with absolutely zero success. I can steam a 1x4 and bend it with tremendous success. Water "vapor" is much different then just hot boiling water. Why?because it penetrates.

The prep work for my steam showers are a completely different process from my standard showers because of the penetrating nature of water vapor

Hands on experience is that cork is a inferior product for high traffic, high use, any area that will see moisture and pets.


Let me understand, if I want cork floor then...
*Not allowed to wear high heels in my own house
*Steam out each and every high heel dimple
*Clip my dogs nails every 7-14 days
*Refresh my finish every 6 to 12 months, 2 years
*Determine which type of "scratcher" my cat is

Basically, change my already busy lifestyle if I want a cork floor

That about right?

Cancork Floor Inc. I think all points have been validated - mine and yours. Thank you for your effort.