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My kitchen flooring is cream-colored ceramic tile. It gets so dirty, so fast - shows every drop of dirt and is so hard to clean. And ugly!

I have been thinking about installing cork flooring for a while now. How easy is it to clean? Does it show a lot of dirt? Can you vacuum it easily?

My cork floors are the biggest mistake i ever have done! Cork dents under chars and table feet and if you move your furniture it has compression imprints. It also is damaged by my dog's claws and some of my stilettos. God forbid you'll drop the knife, fork or a beer cap! As for cleaning, it's better to swipe it. Cork absorbs moister and get moldy under it. But it looks really cool and organic , especially brand new.

I don't understand leather tile floors either.

There is one one shop and lounge in Chicago, Juicy Wine Co., which has incorporated cork into it's decor and it looks really cool.

i thought cork took a long time to grow and threfore isnt the greenest of options?

I have no problems with my cork floors, even in very high traffic areas. Compression marks release in a few days, and have never had any damage from dropped items. We even had cork floors in a retail store I worked at. They do need to be sealed, though... Cleaning is easy with warm water!

Cork trees take a long time to grow but the cork itself, which is just the bark, can be harvested. Kind of like tapping maple trees for syrup - as long as it's done right, the tree doesn't feel a thing and there's more again next year.

Oh, and the cork in floors and tiles is made of the leftovers once they've taken out "cork"-shaped bits for bottles. No waste. As far as I'm aware, the only environmental downside is transportation, as most cork trees are in Portugal.

I am considering installing cork tiles on my staircase... does anyone have any thoughts or tips? I want something cost-effective and interesting that won't be slippery.

(Right now it's this horrid beige carpet that has two brown marks down the center where people put their feet... gross!)

I installed cork laminate floors in two different kitchens. (One, lillibw, replaced 12" white ceramic kitchen floors that weer a nightmare to keep clean and either broke--or wer broken by--dropped objects.) They survived appliance moving, two dogs and less than meticulous housekeeping. Laminate may be a better choice than cork tile or rolled goods in a high traffic area because it is a little sturdier. I find it very easy to maintain, although I do not let liquids sit. It is comfortable underfoot, forgiving on the back, and it can hide a little dirt--while still cleaning up easily.

I searched for a long time for cork flooring that had a modern look and was durable. Wicanders Identity series has some really nice modern finishes which look more like stone than cork.

We're going to use the Silver color in a somewhat dark hallway.

When we rented an apartment in the house next to ours many years ago, the bedroom and halls had cork floors. We thought they were wonderful. They are warm underfoot, springy, quiet, and easy to clean. Not to mention good looking. I guess you do have to be careful not to gouge them with anything, though.

I was under the impression that cork was water resistant, if not waterproof, more so than oak, at any rate. I am surprised to hear that the first poster had so much trouble with it. Was it installed over concrete?

The rowhouses in our neighborhood have cheap pine subfloors and have to be covered with something. So far in our house, many coats of polyurethane seem to be doing the trick, but who knows for how long, but cork is something I would seriously consider.

At work we have cork walls, I am interested in doing this at home. I need to find a good source for cork that is not treated. I can't get it from the designer who did them at work.

I have a cork floor in my new kitchen. I like it a lot, but we did gouge a couple tiles when we moved the refrigerator to paint... Does anyone know if there's a way to repair them?

My Grandmother built a house in the 1950's with cork 12x12 tiles in the upstairs. It was cheap, Grandma said. Fast forward to 1995. Floor is still in good shape and has never been replaced. I know it was sealed with something, though I know not what. My vote is going to be cork in our next abode.