[Greenbuilding] experience with cork flooring?

[Jason Holstine]

There are still some ³Solid² corks that are glue-down, but they are
dwindling. Most corks are going the way of the entire flooring industry as
click-lock tongue-and-groove planks, which have veneer finishes on them.
This will come (or should) as no surprise: some lines are better and more
durable than others. Some still use formaldehyde while others are form-free.
Some use better finishes than others. But the bottom line considerations to
remember with cork:
* original cork comes from Portugal and has very high sustainability
ratings. Some cheap lines now come from China and are crap (technical term).
* simply keep in mind cork¹s advantages: soft, energy absorbing (helps the
joints), warm...like no other flooring surface. Very durable but does patina
and could show age quicker than other hard surface floors. If you like its
advantages, you¹ll love cork. If you want bomb-proof, especially with very
high traffic, big dogs, etc., and you¹re nervous it, give your nerves a
break and consider other than cork....go right to ceramic/porcelain tile. Of
course, it has the opposite attributes. If you like its advantages, you¹ll
love it. 
* cork naturally fades in sunlight.

Cork is most popular in kitchens, plus playrooms, and theatres (excellent
sound attenuation), b/c of the comfort.

In terms of getting wet: cork is tree bark, it can get wet. But water
getting in and underneath, and getting stuck, could be a problem. But that¹s
no unique to cork. So a bit of a moot point.

Here¹s another twist: It turns out it depends on who you are and what your
experiences and eyes tell you. (shocking, I know). Just yesterday had a
designer come in to our (all-highly-green) showroom and talk about how she¹s
had wonderful experiences with cork and can walk on it with stiletto heals
just fine, but she had a bad experience with Caribbean Walnut poked by
stiletto heals‹since it¹s a hard tropical wood that¹s surprising.

HTH, J


On 11/2/12 1:16 PM, "Benjamin Pratt" <benjamin.g.pratt at gmail.com> wrote:

> The cork flooring I've seen in home centers, is a veeneer of cork,
> with everything below it being the same as any other floor system
> (mostly particle board). I'm sure some manufacturers use more
> sustainable practices than others, but that fact that the floor is
> (partly) made of cork does not necessary make it more green.
> Just one opinion,
> Ben
> 
> On Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 11:43 AM, George Tremblay <gtremblay at antioch.edu>
> wrote:
>> > My wife and I are considering cork flooring for a kit/dining/living room.
>> > We're drawn to the claimed environmental sustainability of cork, along with
>> > its comfort and texture/appearance.
>> >
>> > I'm interested in informed comments about cork's "green" credentials, and
>> > especially about its durability in a high traffic area.
>> >
>> > Potential for spillage has me worried about using the floating planks,
>> which
>> > are ~.25" of cork glued to a fiberboard (water absorbent!) core - can the
>> > seams be sealed well enough to protect against damaging moisture intrusion?
>> > Alternative appears to be glue-down tiles (on a new Advantech subfloor).
>> > How refinishable/replaceable?
>> >
>> > Thanks,
>> > George Tremblay
>> > Troy, NH
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