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cork flooring?

Discussion in 'Home Improvement' started by smslavin, Mar 22, 2019.

  1. Mar 22, 2019 at 8:53 AM
    #1
    smslavin

    smslavin [OP] Behind a lens...

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    anyone ever put down cork flooring? we need to start chipping away at a few fixes on the house and one of those is redoing the floor in my office. i had considered trying to do hardwood and matching it to the rest of the house but the cost for that is not in my budget. tile is an option but i don't want my soft tender feet to get cold.

    so... alternatives?

    i kinda like the idea of cork. have any of you ever done that? how does it hold up? will two 100+ lb dogs shred it? how was the install?
     
  2. Mar 22, 2019 at 9:17 AM
    #2
    831Tun

    831Tun heartless Bastrd

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    I like the idea of cork too. Something like 98% of the worlds cork comes from Portugal and the trees are peeled, not cut down. I haven't used it because the houses I've built have radiant floors. I'm pretty sure it's one of the easiest materials to install and should hold up well as long as the dogs aren't tearing through the house.
     
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  3. Mar 22, 2019 at 9:31 AM
    #3
    smslavin

    smslavin [OP] Behind a lens...

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    even for the village idiot? :rofl:

    what about sanding/finishing/staining the concrete under the existing carpet?
     
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  4. Mar 22, 2019 at 11:30 AM
    #4
    831Tun

    831Tun heartless Bastrd

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    I don't think you'd find it very challenging. My floors are concrete and I really like it but they're heated. There in Co. I think they might get REALLY cold. It's very expensive, here at least, to polish concrete floors, at the upper end of expensive. (Mine haven't been polished yet and may never be :() Staining is easy and relatively inexpensive, blues and greens seem to cost more.:notsure:
     
  5. Mar 22, 2019 at 11:49 AM
    #5
    smslavin

    smslavin [OP] Behind a lens...

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    yea, that's what i'm afraid of. my office was an add-on before we bought the house. the floor had once been the back porch. it's the coldest room in the house during the winter unless i run the base board heater but then i can hear the meter spinning it's going so fast.

    matching the hardwood from the rest of the house was a ridiculous quote. the material cost for cork is pretty reasonable and i'm fairly confident it's something i could tackle.
     
  6. Mar 22, 2019 at 12:20 PM
    #6
    Geezer

    Geezer New Member

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    How durable is cork flooring? Will it scar and chip when you move furniture? I thought about using cork under laminate flooring to act as a cushion, but not as a finished floor. Is it less expensive than laminate?
     
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  7. Mar 22, 2019 at 12:42 PM
    #7
    Mountain_Dude

    Mountain_Dude New Member

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    I put some called Cortec in my house about three years ago. I've got a 120lb akita and a 75 lb Vizsla made of pure energy. Zero signs of dog wear on the floor and I don't even trim my dogs nails.

    Install was extremely easy, you can score the stuff and snap it if you need to it. The salesman showed me pictures of a guy who had it in his basement which ended up flooding. They pumped the water out, took the flooring outside to dry and then reinstalled it, couldn't even tell.

    A buddy of mine liked it so much he put it in his bathroom and kitchen about a year back and his isn't showing any signs of wear either.

    It was a little more expensive than the other laminate but it doesn't curl on the edges if you get it wet like laminate tends to do.
     
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  8. Mar 22, 2019 at 1:47 PM
    #8
    831Tun

    831Tun heartless Bastrd

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    Laminate prices run the gambit and you usually get what you pay for. It can be had for +/- $1 sq' and then it's CHEAPER than cork. Or you can $10 sq'. I wouldn't slide sharp corners over the cork, but i wouldn't do that to laminate either. Cork is not as durable (in the general sense) as most laminates but is not as fragile as we'd tend to think.
    That little tidbit of info is pretty relevant. Does the office floor plane in (same level) with the adjoining floor?
     
    joonbug and smslavin[QUOTED][OP] like this.
  9. Mar 22, 2019 at 5:34 PM
    #9
    smslavin

    smslavin [OP] Behind a lens...

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    no, it's 2 steps down which currently have carpet on them. it used to be the outside of the house. the doorway from the office to the rest of the house used to be the back door.
     
    831Tun[QUOTED] likes this.
  10. Mar 22, 2019 at 5:48 PM
    #10
    Racingjohndeere55

    Racingjohndeere55 New Member

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  11. Mar 22, 2019 at 6:13 PM
    #11
    Vizsla

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    I have used cork flooring on a few projects, good stuff, no durability concerns whatsoever. I would be hesitant trying to do anything with the concrete, even tile. It’s Colorado, aka concretes worst enemy.
     
  12. Mar 22, 2019 at 6:27 PM
    #12
    831Tun

    831Tun heartless Bastrd

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    I had the exact same situation on my house. What I did was raise the floor. This allowed me to insulate, provide ventilation (concrete can wick moisture), and add the radiant heat.
    Because concrete does wick, I'd be leery of putting anything in contact with it.
     
  13. Mar 22, 2019 at 6:32 PM
    #13
    smslavin

    smslavin [OP] Behind a lens...

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    i can't raise it. back door of the house is at the same level of the office floor. the hardwood guy was going to put in a subfloor but he didn't want to be the one to take off the base board radiator and move it. bec just wants to rip the carpet up now. i keep trying to talk her out of it. at least for the time being.
     
  14. Mar 22, 2019 at 7:59 PM
    #14
    Slayer

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    Consider LVP .. Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
    Its a click lock type of floor that is buget friendly.

    It’s Waterproof, dog friendly & Very durable.. almost bulletproof.

    It’s perfect over a concrete slab.. it provides a vapor barrier so no moisture can come up though it.

    Extensive color selection.
    It’s easy to install with basic tools.
    Check into it.

    I tore out all my carpet / hardwood & installed it 5 years
    It still looks amazing

    You couldn’t pay me to go back to the old floors.
     
  15. Mar 22, 2019 at 9:26 PM
    #15
    Sunnier

    Sunnier Pity the warrior that slays all his foes

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    Got a pic of it 5 years on, you'd be willing to share?
     
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  16. Mar 23, 2019 at 2:38 AM
    #16
    Bo-Hunter

    Bo-Hunter I like fast

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    + 1 on the LVP I just re-did my basement in LVP, super easy install, looks great, my teenage daughter and pup are happy.

    F393FF1D-1C3E-4936-8E61-BDC9A59C4A8F.jpg
     
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  17. Mar 23, 2019 at 4:39 AM
    #17
    conlons26

    conlons26 High speed dirt mobile

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    ^^^ This.

    Cork is great, I put it down over a concrete porch I closed in at my old house, was super early and felt great over an elevated slab when cold. However you can hurt it, my 2 pits would always run and turn on it headed for the front door after a couple years where they turn it started to chip up.

    Now the LVP ot LVT is awesome, I'm in the building industry and it has taken off at least in the southeast market recently. Super durable, moisture doesnt hurt it, feels great to walk on, has a ton of colors and textures, and goes down super easy (almost made a prom night reference there). Definately worth checking out as an alternative to cork...I think cheaper too in some cases.
     
    Slayer[QUOTED] likes this.
  18. Mar 23, 2019 at 4:49 AM
    #18
    DaBoro54

    DaBoro54 Beach Fisher

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    I agree with the above statements on vinyl plank. I got the coretec brand that I installed in my living room. Super easy, holds up to dogs well and its waterproof. I bought a cheaper brand for my kitchen and dining room. That will be changed out soon. I have put in around 900 square foot and it was all done with a circular saw and a speed square.
     
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  19. Mar 31, 2019 at 5:04 AM
    #19
    Twinky

    Twinky Keep the shinny side up!

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    I liked the floating cork floor i did a while back. Installation was the same as any other click lock floor.

    Though, i would be cautious on an uninsulated sub floor. A lot of products really do shrink and expand quite a bit from temperture changes.

    Edit: You're talking about going over a concrete slab. I was thinking it was a deck.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2019
  20. Mar 31, 2019 at 5:10 AM
    #20
    AxelsHumanDad

    AxelsHumanDad I am Groot

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    Stepdad has cork tile in his office. Its holding up well after 8 years albeit without any pets. I really wish I had installed it in this office before I planted my desk and electronics. :cool:
     
  21. Mar 31, 2019 at 10:05 AM
    #21
    Ilgie

    Ilgie New Member

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    I'm a flooring installer by trade, I would 100% recommend the Vinyl Clic over the Cork any day of the week. Especially with dogs... as @Slayer said it's waterproof, durable as hell, you can install it over any surface, and its easy to install with minimal tools. Get the right stuff and all you may need is a knife and a tape measure. I've installed thousands and thousands of square feet of it. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions
     
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