Cork flooring in kitchens and bathrooms

[Ron Jones near Indy]

LOML has found cork flooring at Lowe's that she thinks would do well in a hall, kitchen and bathroom. Naturally Lowe's endorses the flooring for these uses but I though I should check here. It is in pieces that go together much like a laminate--each piece is about 11.8 inches wide and .4 inch thick. It comes with a 25 year abrasion resistance finish guarantee.

I like the green theme, but have questions about its ability to hold up to things like kitchen chairs (used 3 times daily) and its resistance to the wear of 3 dogs that often play in the house. I also like the water resistance--stands and not penetrates.

Any comments or experiences with this type flooring appreciated.

[Neal Clayton]

is it solid cork or veneer?

there are lots of examples of solid cork flooring lasting 100 years or more. it's been used for parquet type floors for a long time.

but as with anything else, veneer will be much lesser quality than solid.

[Jerome Stanek]

My parents had cork flooring in the foyer when I was a kid it was there for over 50 years I don't know if they people that bought the house changed it but when we sold it the flooring still looked new.

[Michael Weber]

I have read that cork in the kitchen needs to be sealed or it will absorb water. Even if it comes prefinished, it needs to be finished after installation to seal the joints between tiles. Just something I read when I was looking into cork for my kitchen. May or may not be accurate and I have not yet replaced the present hardwood.

[Jon Knauft]

Ron,

Here's a link to a previous thread where I discussed the pros and cons of cork floors. We installed it 8 years ago and it still looks great.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=125743

-Jon