Cork Flooring: Anyone?

Fibonacci · 10-20-2008, 8:04 PM

We are going to tackle our basement this winter. The look we are going for is "Urban Loft" feel.

Stats: Poured 10" thick concrete, 8'"6 high. Approx 1500sq feet, the utility rooms are already boxed off with studs and drywall as well as a pre-plumbed bathroom.

Originally, had planned on a stained concrete floor, since we don't really like carpet throughout -- but with the little guy, it doesn't seem like a very safe option. I saw cork featured on an HGTV program and it looked pretty cool. Also, we like it because it is more unique and an environmentally friendly option to boot.

Anyone have any experience with cork flooring?

http://www.naturalcork.com/pdfs/22fcnsup.pdf

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The Dougler · 10-20-2008, 8:46 PM

Sounds like a good material for the purpose, the only caveat I see is laying on top of concrete as that article states cork is near impermiable to water, my concern would be it trapping moisture under the cork and creating problems over the years. I would want a floating sub floor underneath it to allow the concrete to breath. This is all my speculation though a installer may suggest otherwise as I have no experience with it.

phil2 · 10-20-2008, 8:56 PM

INteresting stuff

stogie1020 · 10-20-2008, 11:27 PM

How's the cost? I need to replace the laminate in my kitchen (effing water cooler leaked.....twice).

Fibonacci · 10-21-2008, 7:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stogie1020

How's the cost? I need to replace the laminate in my kitchen (effing water cooler leaked.....twice).

From what I've seen so far, avg price per sq ft is around 3-5 bucks depending on the style.

SpideRider · 10-29-2008, 8:08 PM

Cork flooring is REALLY easy to dent. Just go push your nail into a piece in the store. It stays that way forever. Bad product if you have little kids, dogs, or wear shoes in the house, if ever. And holy cow, don't drop anything on it.

Fibonacci · 10-29-2008, 8:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpideRider

Cork flooring is REALLY easy to dent. Just go push your nail into a piece in the store. It stays that way forever. Bad product if you have little kids, dogs, or wear shoes in the house, if ever. And holy cow, don't drop anything on it.

From what I've read, cork is good at rebounding. I don't plan to push nails into the floor routinely.

Having said that, no flooring product is impervious to abuse. We don't have dogs and don't wear shoes in the house - so yeah, I think we're gonna give it a try.

Thanks for the feedback though.

phil2 · 10-29-2008, 9:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fibonacci

From what I've read, cork is good at rebounding. I don't plan to push nails into the floor routinely.

Having said that, no flooring product is impervious to abuse. We don't have dogs and don't wear shoes in the house - so yeah, I think we're gonna give it a try.

Thanks for the feedback though.

What...you don't test your nail gun on all your flooring?

The Dougler · 10-29-2008, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpideRider

Cork flooring is REALLY easy to dent. Just go push your nail into a piece in the store. It stays that way forever. Bad product if you have little kids, dogs, or wear shoes in the house, if ever. And holy cow, don't drop anything on it.

so does wood.

Sarlacc · 10-30-2008, 1:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dougler

so does wood.

Don't I know this one now...My year old wood floors dont look so brand new anymore in some places.

stogie1020 · 10-30-2008, 1:11 AM

I believe the term for this is "patina."

Doesn't most cork flooring have enough of a visual texture that, unlike wood or laminate with a smooth finish, small dents may not show?

The Dougler · 10-30-2008, 1:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

Don't I know this one now...My year old wood floors dont look so brand new anymore in some places.

nice thing about real wood though is it can always be refinished, that's probably not an option with cork/tile/laminate.

stogie1020 · 10-30-2008, 1:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dougler

nice thing about real wood though is it can always be refinished, that's probably not an option with cork/tile/laminate.

True, but you can just replace a "square" if needed,except laminate, which just sucks. Yay me... My whole house is laminate.

**fsttyms1** · 10-30-2008, 4:37 PM

I like the look of bamboo

Fibonacci · 08-24-2009, 8:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fsttyms1

I like the look of bamboo

Me too, but we're gonna use it in accent areas. Our project got delayed after a bad contractor experience, but is back on track. Still torn on the ceiling choice...

Before pics:

Fibonacci · 10-05-2009, 8:57 PM

stogie1020 · 10-05-2009, 11:16 PM

Wow! Coming together nicely!

Are you going to leave the duct work and ceiling beams exposed? I like that look.

Still going with cork floors?

**Street Spirit** · 10-06-2009, 6:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fibonacci

Does the ceiling come down lower/cover half of the window?

chill_dog · 10-06-2009, 10:13 AM

Nice progress!

svtmike · 10-06-2009, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stogie1020

Wow! Coming together nicely!

Are you going to leave the duct work and ceiling beams exposed? I like that look.

One of my neighbors did his basement in the style of an Irish pub. He left the ceilings and ductwork exposed, but had them all spray painted a dark matte chocolate brown color. It is a very cool look and he still has easy access to the mechanicals of his house if he needs it.

Fibonacci · 10-06-2009, 5:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Street Spirit

Does the ceiling come down lower/cover half of the window?

Yes, the floor joists cover a portion of the window. To give you some perspective, its about 8 feet from the floor to the bottom of the glass block.

Fibonacci · 10-06-2009, 5:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stogie1020

Wow! Coming together nicely!

Thanks, feel free to critique when its all put together.

Quote:

Are you going to leave the duct work and ceiling beams exposed? I like that look.

Yes, that's the look we're shooting for, a "loft" feel.

Quote:

Still going with cork floors?

Yep, on order from:

http://www.ifloor.com/

stogie1020 · 10-06-2009, 5:46 PM

Can't wait to see this finished...

thunder04 · 10-07-2009, 2:42 PM

I wish I had a basement to do cool things with...

Fibonacci · 10-29-2009, 7:57 PM

Samples of bamboo and cork for the main flooring area.

Granite color

Bamboo going here on the stage.

Cabinets from IKEA. Had to add a slightly recessed door to accommodate the swing of the fridge door.

Splurged on natural slate and 1x1 accent tile wall. Originally was going to go for some glass tile since its pretty hot right now, but decided it was too trendy (stone never goes out of style) if you look closely though, there is a bit of glass mixed throughout...

If all goes well, should hopefully be wrapped up by the end of next week.

**fsttyms1** · 10-29-2009, 8:06 PM

Looking good!!!

Fibonacci · 11-01-2009, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fsttyms1

Looking good!!!

Thanks dude. Props to wifey for allowing me to take the reigns on the man cave. I had a lot of fun designing and choosing materials, it only took me 18 months.

5o9 · 11-02-2009, 4:18 PM

Floor covering on concrete slab in bsmt looks like a recipe for mold.

Look into it, maybe vapor barrier, pt furring, another vapor barrier, wood subfloor covered by gypcrete, and some type of under-floor ventilation system? Some guys already got it figured out, not me

Fibonacci · 11-02-2009, 8:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5o9

Floor covering on concrete slab in bsmt looks like a recipe for mold.

I think a vapor barrier pretty much goes without saying. We've been in the home for two years and its tighter than a drum. Besides being 10" thick poured concrete, we also have a skin tight sealer on the exterior of the foundation.

In addition to vapor barrier, we upgraded from 3mm to a 6mm cork underlay too. Here's a cross section:

Cork is anti-microbial and is resistant to mold and mildew.

http://www.powellflooring.com/corkflooring.html

After experiencing it, am surprised cork is not more popular - its very comfortable to walk on.

moeronn · 11-02-2009, 8:10 PM

Looking good. Nice material choices and congrats on getting the man-cave.

What does the upstairs look like in comparison?

5o9 · 11-03-2009, 11:50 AM

Awesome, you get a mold free resiliant floor w/o the nightmare of work that I described. If it does not work, you just tear it out the cork at $4/square foot, by that time would need replacement anyway

Below grade basements can be a horror, running dehumidifiers, electricity costs like a couple fridges...

**Street Spirit** · 11-03-2009, 12:58 PM

I've always heard cork is awesome, and have felt it (although not walked on it)...I'd love to use it for our flooring, but we have a 110 lb dog, and that soft material is just not an option. You can scratch it with your fingernails.

Fibonacci · 11-04-2009, 8:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moeronn

Looking good. Nice material choices and congrats on getting the man-cave.

Thanks moe, I had to make a few concessions to the wifey. In order to maximize the play area for the kid(s), I had to give up a dedicated exercise room -- my work out equipment has been shoved into one of the utility rooms. Also, she wants me to hold off on the billiards table for a few more years.

As for the upstairs, its pretty boring. Standard suburban colonial with traditional fixtures -- most of our furniture is transitional though.

Fibonacci · 11-04-2009, 8:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Street Spirit

I've always heard cork is awesome, and have felt it (although not walked on it)...I'd love to use it for our flooring, but we have a 110 lb dog, and that soft material is just not an option. You can scratch it with your fingernails.

Yep its so comfortable and warm. Our basement is actually toastier than the main and second floor since there is only one egress window and we added insulation.

As for a dog, it probably wouldn't be a good choice for a large dog -- maybe a lap dog. I grew up with larger dogs and would love to have one, but the boss says no.

Just waiting for the fridge and a few minor details to wrap up this week. Should have the final pics up shortly.

moeronn · 11-04-2009, 8:25 PM

And I bet you did this whole reno for $10k, right?

Happy 10k post.

Fibonacci · 11-07-2009, 7:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moeronn

And I bet you did this whole reno for $10k, right?

Happy 10k post.

Wasn't even paying attention, I was supposed to say something creative with that milepost.

Am thrilled that the project came in under my budget projections - was able to save some $ by sourcing a lot of materials directly without retail mark-up.

Fibonacci · 11-09-2009, 7:38 PM

Four bar stools going here.

Still looking for a decent set of faceplates.

Future billiards table going here.

100" Projection screen just arrived. Still waiting for the bullnose.

moeronn · 11-09-2009, 8:08 PM

Looks farkin awesome. I dig the modern loft look you were going for.

What are you going to do in that "window" archway?

Fibonacci · 11-09-2009, 8:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moeronn

What are you going to do in that "window" archway?

Thanks again for the complements. I had the bricklayer put that in to break up the monotony of the back wall. Envision putting a blown up image of a nighttime city skyline of some sort. I'll post a few more pics when we finish cleaning up a few leftover items. I hope we don't regret not adding a dishwasher.

Eoanou · 11-09-2009, 8:51 PM

Well unfortunately I stumbled across this thread a little to late, I work for a small business which sells cork flooring. They sell "green" home building supplies and a few home cleaning products which are green.

More to the point cork flooring is actually quite neat, it serves as a great option for basement flooring as it absorbs moisture quite well and holds heat quite well. How much did you pay for the flooring install per square ft?

Also what material was used on the counter tops? Granite?

Great job renovating your basement it looks wonderful.

~Cheers!

10-20-2008, 8:46 PM	#2
The Dougler Sale in the BM Trader Rating: (1) Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Toronto Age: 24 Posts: 11,041	Sounds like a good material for the purpose, the only caveat I see is laying on top of concrete as that article states cork is near impermiable to water, my concern would be it trapping moisture under the cork and creating problems over the years. I would want a floating sub floor underneath it to allow the concrete to breath. This is all my speculation though a installer may suggest otherwise as I have no experience with it. __________________ Formula One Fantasy League Participants Don't forget to submit your picks for this weeks GP. Buy my stuff in the Black Market! Brakes GMSFM Airfilters

10-20-2008, 8:56 PM	#3
phil2 has Gloryhole Girls in Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Ballston Lake, NY Age: 33 Posts: 11,565	INteresting stuff __________________ SOLD! 2004 LS1 GTO Black/Red ~596whp 370ciProcharged 2005 Lotus Elise Red/Tan ~ Track Star 2004 WRX STi Silver/Blue ~ Daily 2010 Mercedes Benz ML 350 Sport Porsche 944 Track Rat (Soon to have LS1 Swap)

10-05-2009, 8:57 PM	#16
Fibonacci Atlas Shrugged Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: May 2004 Location: Motown Posts: 10,044	Halfway home...

10-06-2009, 10:13 AM	#19
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10-07-2009, 2:42 PM	#24
thunder04 2004 Acura TSX My Garage Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Tracy, CA Age: 23 Posts: 1,623	I wish I had a basement to do cool things with... __________________ '04 TSX AT /w Navi, mostly stock. (Now part of the 100k+ miles club!) Need webspace? Ask me!

10-29-2008, 8:08 PM	#6
SpideRider Konichiwa Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: British Columbia Posts: 41	Cork flooring is REALLY easy to dent. Just go push your nail into a piece in the store. It stays that way forever. Bad product if you have little kids, dogs, or wear shoes in the house, if ever. And holy cow, don't drop anything on it.

10-30-2008, 4:37 PM	#14
fsttyms1 Mega Moderator 2000 Acura TL Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Appleton WI Age: 34 Posts: 50,495	I like the look of bamboo

10-29-2009, 7:57 PM	#25
Fibonacci Atlas Shrugged Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: May 2004 Location: Motown Posts: 10,044	Samples of bamboo and cork for the main flooring area. Granite color Bamboo going here on the stage. Cabinets from IKEA. Had to add a slightly recessed door to accommodate the swing of the fridge door. Splurged on natural slate and 1x1 accent tile wall. Originally was going to go for some glass tile since its pretty hot right now, but decided it was too trendy (stone never goes out of style) if you look closely though, there is a bit of glass mixed throughout... If all goes well, should hopefully be wrapped up by the end of next week.

10-29-2009, 8:06 PM	#26
fsttyms1 Mega Moderator 2000 Acura TL Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Appleton WI Age: 34 Posts: 50,495	Looking good!!!

11-02-2009, 4:18 PM	#28
5o9 '05 TSX 6MT Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 497	Floor covering on concrete slab in bsmt looks like a recipe for mold. Look into it, maybe vapor barrier, pt furring, another vapor barrier, wood subfloor covered by gypcrete, and some type of under-floor ventilation system? Some guys already got it figured out, not me __________________ '05 TSX 6MT

11-02-2009, 8:10 PM	#30
moeronn is learning to moonwalk i 2004 Acura TL Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,729	Looking good. Nice material choices and congrats on getting the man-cave. What does the upstairs look like in comparison?

11-03-2009, 11:50 AM	#31
5o9 '05 TSX 6MT Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 497	Awesome, you get a mold free resiliant floor w/o the nightmare of work that I described. If it does not work, you just tear it out the cork at $4/square foot, by that time would need replacement anyway Below grade basements can be a horror, running dehumidifiers, electricity costs like a couple fridges... __________________ '05 TSX 6MT

11-03-2009, 12:58 PM	#32
Street Spirit Moderator Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 7,922	I've always heard cork is awesome, and have felt it (although not walked on it)...I'd love to use it for our flooring, but we have a 110 lb dog, and that soft material is just not an option. You can scratch it with your fingernails.

11-04-2009, 8:25 PM	#35
moeronn is learning to moonwalk i 2004 Acura TL Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,729	And I bet you did this whole reno for $10k, right? Happy 10k post.

11-09-2009, 7:38 PM	#37
Fibonacci Atlas Shrugged Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: May 2004 Location: Motown Posts: 10,044	Four bar stools going here. Still looking for a decent set of faceplates. Future billiards table going here. 100" Projection screen just arrived. Still waiting for the bullnose.

11-09-2009, 8:08 PM	#38
moeronn is learning to moonwalk i 2004 Acura TL Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: SoCal Posts: 14,729	Looks farkin awesome. I dig the modern loft look you were going for. What are you going to do in that "window" archway?

11-09-2009, 8:51 PM	#40
Eoanou '08 Jetta 2.0T DSG Trader Rating: (0) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: CT Age: 23 Posts: 4,167	Well unfortunately I stumbled across this thread a little to late, I work for a small business which sells cork flooring. They sell "green" home building supplies and a few home cleaning products which are green. More to the point cork flooring is actually quite neat, it serves as a great option for basement flooring as it absorbs moisture quite well and holds heat quite well. How much did you pay for the flooring install per square ft? Also what material was used on the counter tops? Granite? Great job renovating your basement it looks wonderful. ~Cheers! __________________ Current: 2008 VW Jetta 2.0T DSG Mods: Blacked out front grill Previous: 2009 Civic Si Coupe Mods: None Previous: 2009 Accord 4dr. I-4 (190HP) Mods: DRL delete mod, debadged Previous: 2006 TL Mods: Progress Sport Springs, Yokohoma Avid WS4 235/45/17 tires.