| Author |
Message |
    
Wendyn
Citizen
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 142
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 9:11 am: |     |
We are thinking about installing a cork floor in our kitchen renovation. I would love any info on this...durability, maintenence, etc. We won't be installing it ourselves so that is not an issue.
Other options are linoleum (true natural material NOT the vinyl tile) or wood. Won't go ceramic tile/stone (too cold) or pergo (just don't like it). We are worried that the wood won't look great as we have wood now in our kitchen and it looks terrible. Like linoleum but think cork might be more interesting. Thoughts?
Thanks! |
shoshannah
Citizen
Username: Shoshannah
Post Number: 401
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 10:39 am: | |
A neighbor of mine has cork in her renovated kitchen and LOVES it. PL me if you are interested in contacting her. |
Michael K. Mc Kell
Citizen
Username: Greenerose
Post Number: 218
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 8:46 am: | |
Nice to lok at but be sure to take your shoes off. Toooooooo Soft.
Michael K. Mc Kell
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Wendyn
Citizen
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 147
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 12:10 pm: | |
Michael, thanks for the feedback. What would you reccomend instead? We are having a hard time finding something that is not too cold or hard (tile/stone) and yet is durable in a kitchen with small kids and dogs. Don't like vinyl tile or pergo but would consider true linoleum. |
Richard O'Connor
Citizen
Username: Roconn
Post Number: 195
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 12:22 pm: | |
Wendyn, you might also look at (you can see it in my kitchen)(private me) the 'better/best' qualities of Armstrong Solarian/Vinyl floors.
True linoleum doesn't always age well, but good solarian lasts literally 20+ years (my parenents replaced lino with lino in the 60's (built the house in 56) and then lino with Solarian in the early 70's and are only just considering that it needs to be done again ... 7 people lived in that house, worked in that kitchen for the better part of 10 years and it is still the highest traffic room in the house...
It comes in a multitude of styles and now even textures and for the two years (so far) has been a breeze to keep clean .... (and I chose something in the off-white to grey neighborhood).
Lino (ugh I remember doing it) requires a lot (imho) more attention in terms of cleaning and waxing ... in their house the only lino that held up was in a lesser used bathroom on the second floor....and that was replaced with 'cheap' sheet vinyl which is still looking pretty good 10+ years later. (I did that myself ... mid 80's I think).
Richard (ROC)
--Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.--
--AIM: ROConn |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 171
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 12:28 pm: | |
Michael - could you possibly expand a little? Do shoes/heels leave marks after a while? And is this for *all* cork floors, or just certain types?
We've been contemplating going this route in our kitchen at some point, and i'd be interested in about any negatives that people have experienced. |
Wendyn
Citizen
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 148
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 1:05 pm: | |
Thanks Richard. I appreciate the information. Unfortunately for me  I'm not crazy about the look of the solarian or any other high end vinyl. I think I will have to put up with the maintenence of the natural materials (cork, lino, wood) for the aesthetics. |
sportsnut
Citizen
Username: Sportsnut
Post Number: 980
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 1:11 pm: | |
wendyn - we saw one of those home improvement shows that featured a cork floor in a basement rec room. We were amazed at how it looked - it looks and feels nothing like a corkboard and when it is sealed it can be quite sturdy even for a kitchen.
see here:
http://www.naturalcork.com/cork_flooring/cork_flooring.htm
|
Jennifer
Citizen
Username: Jms
Post Number: 3
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 2:45 pm: | |
We installed a cork floor late last year. We love the way it looks and it feels great on your feet on cold mornings. Durability- so far so good, though we are careful. We went with the glueless floating floor planks and installed them ourselves. We ordered it online through Floorshop.com. |
kevin
Citizen
Username: Kevin
Post Number: 221
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 4:44 pm: | |
I've heard that cork is very durable with dogs running around. It is also supposedly warm, sound absorbing, and easy on your back and feet if you stand a lot (like in the kitchen).
That was a direct quote from the last thread about flooring back in January:
/discus/messages/3131/25860.html
I put my new floor material quest on hold for a while so I don't have any real information about brands, durability, etc.
{I personally would take Michael K. McKell's comments with a grain of salt - there is usually not much substance to his posts and way too many generalizations.}
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Michael K. Mc Kell
Citizen
Username: Greenerose
Post Number: 220
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 9, 2004 - 9:51 pm: | |
In a room like a kitchen where traffic is high and hectic on a normal day I don't recommend cork. It's not the material to use with children, dogs etc.
Pergo is also garbage. End of disscussion.
Cork is nice and ok on the durability scale, but leave it in the library. Go with real 3/4" T&G wood. It's hard as nails and can be refinished time and time again. We put a 1x6 Hickory floor in that was something else. More costly then oak but WOW! Nice stuff and is responsible for dulling my blades.
Good luck.
Michael K. Mc Kell
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kmk
Citizen
Username: Kmk
Post Number: 265
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 9:42 am: | |
Hello! I have had my cork floor in my kitchen for six long years - I have three kids and a dog. I absolutely love it.
It is the same natural color as the wood floors throughout the first floor. I have it waxed along with the wood floors every couple of year or two. It is exactly what is suited to our house and we all love it.
The kids actually lie down on it - often -because it is so inviting. There is one maybe two "dings" in it where something dropped and dented it a bit. Barely noticeable given the natural color variation on the surface.
Ours is a dark brown, 12 x 12 tile glued down over a subfloor. The subfloor was carefully prepped with countersunk screwheads to prevent any migration through (bumps) the cork.
I do not believe in plastic floors. I would never purchase plastic coated or impregnated cork or wood flooring. I have too often seen things like polyurethane coatings on floors dicolored from direct sunlight, and plastic coatings that prevent natural materials from breathing and performing as they were designed.
Keep it Simple.
PS: After we installed the cork floor we discovered an entire section of the basement that had it's original cork flooring from the 1920's. It was just meant to be I suppose. |
Wendyn
Citizen
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 150
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 10:56 am: | |
Thanks to all. We will probably buy a square or two of cork and test it out as it sounds like a great product!
Wendy |
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