apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Nice floors ladies!

How is the cork treated? Does it have some sort of a seal on it so that stains do not get absorbed?

Can't wait to see the rest of the kitchen project! Looks like Ikea cabs?

I have the exact same cork floor in my combo kitchen/dining area. I love it! Please comment on if and how you seal yours though, as mine is beginning to look a little dull. Don't let that make you nervous though - my kitchen acts as a pass through so it gets a ton of foot traffic. I'm also a little paranoid, so it may just be my imagination...

I love the idea of cork but I've read that it doesn't hold up well since it's so soft. I'd be curious to see how yours does in a few months.

Guess I'm just really wary since I installed my bamboo- a wood alternative which has a similar green rep and warranty. Weeks after I first acclimated it and then had it installed, it warped and buckled and was horribly scratched ( though oddly, is just fine in my kitchen) I wonder if cork and bamboo are sort of newish products and thus the crap companies haven't been drummed out of business yet.

veruca-- cork flooring has been used since the early 1900's and was incredibly popular in mid-century homes. it's definitely not a newish product :)

cork floors should last for a very very long time if they're installed properly and sealed correctly. floors from the 50's were finished and sealed with wax, which provided them with a long life, but they're really hard to remove after that...but hey, if i installed a cork floor, i would never remove it...

srw, I have the same floor in my kitchen from LumberLiquidators. I sealed with water-based polyurethane. It did get dull, but I like the more matte finish it has now. If you like it shiny, just put another coat of polyurethane: it said so in the instructions.

I would highly recommend sealing it. We installed the same cork about two and a half years ago in our kitchen. It still looks great, but some of the edges are buckled slightly in places where it has gotten wet (i.e. the stretch between the sink and the dishwasher)

We love it, though. The only other thing is that stilettos can leave an impression in the cork. I like that think of it as character.

Aha! wax. I Bet the wax gives it a bit of an organic look.

Okay - question, how cheap is it to get the snap together cork floor? My landlord nixed me purchasing anything hardwood (2nd floor apt), but cork does have sound proofing. I have asthma...so wondering how much $$ cork would cost on the cheap. Feedback?

Veruca, I have gray cork from Globus in my kitchen, and they look great after a year. That's not that long, but it's a high-traffic area.

Could this be installed over existing uneven (i.e. chipped & cracked) vinyl tile? I bought a rental apartment that I then turned into a condo. I'd love to have cork floors like this but I am concerned about lifting the existing floor on my own.

Also, besides polyurethane & wax are there options for sealing these?

I just installed basically the same thing. You're right it doesn't just "snap" in place. I used a block of wood and a hammer to get it right. Overall it was easier than the hardwood I've done.

The cost was about $4-5/Sq foot. I got mine at Ifloor.com which actually has a store at Webster and Elston.

I can't wait to try cork floors. I've gone to considerable efforts through the years to live on pier and beam foundations, but I wonder if cork flooring would let me live on a solid concrete slab foundation if necessary.

I have terrible feet, and living/working on a concrete foundation is extremely damaging to them. I can't understand why anyone would willingly install ceramic tiles in a kitchen.

I'd imagine cork would be quite forgiving on the feet compared to ceramic Fontessa.

Do you used area rugs and mats for work surfaces?

we installed the same brand of cork click-panels this summer. ours were a bleached cork so it's nearly-white looking. maybe more in between a light tan and off white. we sealed ours with 7 layers of water-based polyurethane, and unfortunately, our dog has ripped the bejeezus out of the floor. we probably had to start talking about how we'd replace or cover or fix the floor after two months. :( i am unsure if it is the color we chose, as any deep scratching shows brown on the underneath since the cork is only surface-bleached. has anyone else had a disappointing experience with their cork floors? putting it in was fairly easy, but with the wear ours is taking, i wouldn't do it again.

does the give in the cork result in permanent dimples where heavy things once stood, like table legs on cheap carpet does?