My customer wants to put cork flooring in her washroom. This a high end click laminate with an mdf core and cork on both sides. Her partner is a quadriplegic and some water will be splashed on the floor when she takes him out of the tub with the lift.
Is cork appropriate for this situation??…she really doesn’t want ceramic because it’s too hard and she thinks vinyl will be too slippery.
Sure would appreciate your opinions,
thanks!
silver
Replies
Is it the kind that clicks together and floats?
If so, you'll have some seams to consider. We have that type on a bedroom, hallway, and living room floor, so can't really speak to how will it repells alot of water.
Maybe ask the manufacturer?
FWIW, many of the older exam rooms in the world famous Mayo Clinic are cork.
What does the manufacture say?
I really don't know, but for an application like this I would be looking other forms of cork.
Maybe a gluedown with a sealer coat after installed.
The manufacturer's warranty is basically giving themselves an out no matter what happens: "inadequate product choice for the flooring use conditions, damage due to exposure to excessive heat, wetness or dryness, problems caused by moisture, mildew, alkaline substance......"!Do you have a source for the glue down cork?This woman is absolutely paranoid of someone slipping on tile or vinyl...since her partner had a severe head injury.
Suggestion for a flooring...she doesn't want wood either and has allergies to carpet....we thought maybe combining tile and the cork, putting the tile around the tub and toilet area....but that could look like hell.Thanks for your help
Silver
I don't have a sorce for the glue down cork. But a google on cork flooring with find some. And where you get a distributor then get the brand name and google on that.As to the slipperness of the vinyl I know that tile has a rate of coefficent of friction, COF. And there is a number which they recommend as a minimum (or it a maximum) for tile floors where they will get wet.See if have the same for vinyl.
Thanks Bill...tile may be a possibility.silver
BTW, when I said tile it was for ceramic.Don't know if they rate either vinyl tile or sheet for COF.Might want to check the commercial VCT. They are more likely to be rated.
How about a nice rubber floor.
http://www.cartwheelfactory.com/rubber_flooring.html?gclid=CNzDmN2pz4gCFSbUYAodSRm9Ow
skid resistent and shock abcorbent, heck, put some on the walls in case their head hits that on the way down.
good luck, post back on what you do/use. I was tempted to use cork in our next bathroom if it's feasible, but haven't done any checking yet.
Go to duro-design.com. They have excellent customer service and you can find the tech specs online. I recommend the glue down. However, it is slippery when wet.
cuidado resbala quando majado. My next tattoo.
Especially if you know it will be splashed with water, this might not be a good option for such a wet location.
I have yet to see a finished piece of any kind of wood hold up in wet locations, let alone engineered wood.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and advice...Fri. night and I've had a Molson XXX and working on a gin and tonic so I can kick back for a minute.mdf core!!WTF was I thinking-wake up cowboy and smell the coffee...not even common sense would say, "sure put mdf in a wet area". Reckon I was going a bit too fast this week-Well like my drywaller says -time is money and my personal favorite...the faster you go, the more money you make...Anyway, seems I have been going a bit too fast and I believed the salesman when he showed me a very beautful product and assured me it was the right product for that situation. Also known as, "I have what you need"... all he was thinking about was his commission.I gotta thank my plumber when we set the tub at 9:00 am tomorrow for his advice-"Phil, I've seen a couple of these fancy floors get torn out because the wax sealon the toilet leaked .I'm buying that man a bottle of Kahlua for his black Russians and now doing my research on the right floor for that area.Carol has agreed to vinyl but I have a small prejudice against it and
need to research the slipperness issue. Thanks for that info ,Bill.cheers, hi ho silver