Cork Flooring Concerns
While cork flooring does offer some nice features, there are a few general cork flooring concerns that should be addressed before you buy. Fortunately, there are plenty of quality flooring solutions to choose from, so even if cork can’t step up to your home improvement demands you’ll still have more than enough options.
Made using the bark of the cork oak tree, cork flooring has the pestilent potential to expand and contract in accordance with changing humidity. This fluctuation in volume can cause a few serious problems. For example, the heaves and bumps simply look shoddy and you’ll probably find yourself tripping over them quite often. This expansion may also cause clearance issues with your larger floor-based appliances. The expanding cork may rise high enough to block refrigerator doors, cabinets and drawers.
However, homeowners with central heating and air conditioning units will have greater control over the humidity in their homes. This will enable them to prevent some of the expanding and contracting. Maintaining room temperatures between 60F and 70F with mild to no humanity provides optimal conditions for a stable state.
Homeowners without central heating and air conditioning units absolutely must allow the cork flooring to acclimate for a few days before actually installing it. Lay your cork flooring materials on a flat surface in a room or area with the same climate conditions as the room you’ll be installing it in. After a few days the cork should expand or contract (depending on your climate) to a steady form which helps provide for the most accurate fitting. For those of you in arid climate zones, you’ll actually need to let the materials lie for at least a couple of weeks to make sure the panels don’t shrink after they’re installed.
Another one of the paramount cork flooring concerns is moisture. Cork flooring has an extremely low tolerance for moisture. Once it’s penetrated by water it soaks it up like a sponge, which eventually weakens the internal structure enough to cause it to crumble, dissolve and break apart. Not only that but its sponge-like properties can cause immense structural damage since it will simply sit there and soak any surrounding materials. As if that wasn’t bad enough, moisture penetration is a leading cause of mold growth. While mold in itself can lead to further material degradation, it can also lead to some serious health risks for you and your family.
If you still feel that you must use cork flooring in rooms that feature high moisture activity, then you will need to use caulking. Before you install the baseboards around the flooring, you must caulk the entire outside border of the room. This will help you prevent moisture penetration.
Plus, if you’re lucky enough to have the convenience of radiant heat in your home then you’ll need to take an extra step if you plan on installing cork flooring. While there doesn’t generally seem to be any huge problems with cork and radiant heating, you must lay down a vapor barrier in between the sub floor and the cork flooring.
While cork may be able to meet a few of your needs, you may be better off opting for genuine hardwood planks or vinyl hardwood flooring.