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Is cork flooring less expensive than hardwood?
When considering cork flooring pros and cons, you may have toyed with the idea of getting other types of flooring, including hardwood. But how does it compare in price? Your new cork flooring can cost less than hardwood, depending on the wood type you choose. Cork costs about $5 to $19 per square foot, while hardwood costs $6 to $25 per square foot.
How long do cork floors last?
A well-maintained cork floor can last 40 years or longer. However, if you skip the required maintenance or proper cleaning methods, your floor may only last 15 to 20 years.
For the longest lifespan, wipe up any water spills immediately, only clean with the proper solution like vinegar and water, and avoid doing anything to damage the floor. Always pick up your furniture when moving it instead of sliding it across the floor, and use mats in places that are susceptible to water.
What happens to cork flooring when it gets wet?
One of the upsides of cork flooring is that it's mold-resistant, so you don't have to worry about mildew or mold growth on wet cork. However, you should always clean up any moisture as soon as possible and use as little water as you need when cleaning. This will help you avoid issues like buckling or swelling in your cork flooring, which often requires replacement, and prevent moisture from seeping into your subfloor, which can cause the dreaded mold or mildew problems.
I found this product at Costco in canada:
https://www.costco.ca/versaclic-devonshire-oak-18-cm-71-in-vinyl-plank-flooring.product.4000038067.html
Versaclic with underpad and 2mm cork attached. I have seen some mixed reviews on it so I'm not sure whether it is, in fact, a quality product. Does anyone have any experience with this?
The fact that the attached pad is cork isn’t really relevant.
No way of telling from the spec sheet if it’s actually good…but 3.68 CAD is a little low for a quality floating vinyl.
The devil is in the milling, which doesn’t make it to the website. Are the planks uniform and square? Is the locking system any good?
Best way to find out is to buy a box and put some planks together. In terms of wear layer etc…that’s almost always fine. ‘How will this wear?’ Is blown out of proportion and most vinyl manufacturers, knowing consumers erroneously look at the wear layer to judge qualify,invest most of their resources in thicker wear layers. The end result is some manufacturers chintz on the milling so they can put a big number on their website for the wear layer. Wear layer doesn’t matter unless you’re putting it in a commercial setting, in which case your big mistake would be considering a floating floor for a commercial space.
We’re putting this on our basement floor right now and it is going well. Our friends’ used it in their home and recommended it. It feels good underfoot and looks nice.
Back in March 2020, I spent close to $1,400 on Mohawk Vinyl Floor Planks from Costco to refloor my Living & Bedrooms. It was a DIY job, flattened the floors to tolerance, laid down cork underlayment and left ample space for expansion/contraction. To this day, there had been no bubbling, airgaps, squeaking or nightmare shifting that I see warned when installations are bad.
But this last year, I did notice every plank is warping individually, creating an upward crown in the center of the plank, and valleys at every joint. It's very noticeable when I vacuum; like going through a whoops or moguls. I doubt there is any recourse with the company, and for overall $2500 and my own labor, I can probably live with it for another 10-15 years, as long as this is the only problem I'm experiencing.
I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this warp/bowing of the planks. I haven't found anything related this in my google searches. Attached are pictures of scrap pieces I've kept which show the exact same plank warping and some of the finished product (not recent). Thanks for reading/replying!