i am thinking a cork floor the bathroom,what do you pros think?
,,the bath has a claw foot tub so i will need to put dishes under the feet….
im sure the floor will get wet when me and my sweety get in there …hows she fair? and how do you put the stuff down?
any advise is good advice
and what about cork on the stairs, to soft?
by the way the bath has heated floor hot water style
Replies
I've never installed a cork floor. My aunt sent me a sample that her friend in CA was installing in her house. It was very simple to install. The pieces were in strips, approx 3inch wide X 6ft long. They simply snapped together. This was a floating floor type of floor installation. The baseboards would come down overtop and keep the floor in place. No glueing or nailing involved.
Frankly, I was not impressed. Unless your subfloor is dead flat, the seams would telegraph "highs & lows". The finish on the cork was a clear finish, but did not seam that durable. I could scratch the finish.
I had thought about installing it in my own bathroom until I received the sample. I forget the name of the manufacturer...there may be better cork floor systems out there.
Davo
I've installed solid cork in two kitchens (same client, 2 different homes). They like it, I prefer tile.
Cork has also been used for insulation, so it may degrade the performance of your in floor heat.
YMMV
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
- Fyodor Dostoyevski
I'd be reluctant to install any floor with seams in a bathroom. Water gets under the flooring and can't dry out. Better to go with tile or a sheet product. Tumbled marble tiles would look really nice with that tub.
~ Ted W ~
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Edited 4/2/2009 7:04 am by Ted W.
Cork expands when it gets wet, cork expands when it gets warm, cork is soft and easly dented by drops & high heels .. just about the worst thing I can think about for your bathroom ..
I thought cork was not a good choice for baths and kitchens. It water stains.
I think that is what I recall from looking.
any staining is just on the surface. Cork does not absorb water, that's why it was used for fishing bobbers. What I've noticed is just water spots that can be wiped up, but no staining.
I've got cork in my bathroom. But I'm an old guy who doesn't splash much from the shower although I can't same the same thing when I whizz. So far no problems. I've got cork in another house but not in a kitchen or bath and I've had no problems with it.
I wouldn't use the style that is bonded to MDF [ the snap together type]. Check the tech specs at duro-design.com. If I recall, cork is stable with regard to expansion from heat or moisture, but the answer is at the site. I believe they also address radiant heat questions.
Cork is certainly softer than ceramic but you don't really feel it squish under your feet. It is a good insulator which means when you step on it, it doesn't take away your body heat and thence doesn't "feel" cold like ceramic tile at the same temperature.
It is installed by water based glue. The tiles come preglued, then you roll down the urethane and set the tiles on top [I recommend the 12x24 inche]. 100 pound roller then your done. It is easy to cut patterns and use accent strips. Cool beans.
MG you say what i want to here...thanks for the link to the website..
as for the rest of you naysayers , i love your imput ..but im still as confused as before.cork bobbers ive got alot off same with cork handled fishing rods , they get alot of water and they are slices glued togeather...tumbled tile would look good , and thats a thought ...faster and less expensive different than what everybody else has is what im after
can always replace later too..thanks
Edited 4/2/2009 11:08 am ET by ringshank
Ringshank,
I put cork in my master bathroom in 2005 and we love it. I used unfinished glue-down 12" square tiles and finished them in place. They were applied with contact cement (3M Fastbond) over a primed self-leveling underlayment. The tiles are 4mm thick (5/32")
I finished the floor with 5 coats of Waterlox. Doing it that way also seals the joints between the tiles. They are very comfortable underfoot, and they look great. They get a lot of water from our walking around wet after showers, and zero problems to date. The only downside I can see is that they are dangerously slick when wet, so we walk on a trio of rubber-backed mats after a shower.
Cork is beautiful, warm, quiet. It is even "green." If you do fall down, it cushions the impact when you land.
Bill