I am also interested in feedback regarding this same issue. I am ready to order Wicanders floating floor with a 20-year warranty. I am concerned about our piano, elipitical and bowflex items denting the cork. I am aware that the cell structure of the cork is anticipated to bounce back, however, would like to take creative precautions such as gluing together a floating island mat (similar to a throw rug). Perhaps cut-outs of cork floor to use as protectors under heavy funiture legs to assist in displacing compression depth. This idea, however, is going to give me larger fading patterns from sun damage. Comments and insights would be helpful since i have not been able to speak with any homeowners that have cork in their homes.

We've had cork tiles in our entry way, kitchen, dining room for 18 years. I really like it! We have a light beige/grey color that doesn't show any dirt. While it scratches, the scratches are very hard to see in this color. The heaviest objects we have are table, chairs, and a small island on wheels. Denting hasn't been a problem.

We bought this cork tile from a high end floor place. We didn't get any care directions. So, I treated it like vinyl and used water and spic/span for cleaning. As a result, the tiles are curling up slightly at the edges. This is barely noticeable. One of my friends just installed cork tiles in a high end condo and there is this curling up on the edges already. She says that if she did it again, she'd get the planks so there would be fewer edges between pieces.

We're about to remodel this area and our floor needs to be changed (although I'd like to keep it) because we'll have another kitchen layout. So, I'm back in the floor material debate. I'm working with an interior decorator who is advocating for hard wood. But, this floor gets heavy duty use and is the first material inside front door and garage (no mud rooms)where dirty feet (think snow,salt,sand) hit. There are also four sources of water in this area.

So, I'm again leaning toward cork. I think it looks good and performs well. This time, I'll look at what kind of top finishes will help fight all the dirt/wet. I'll also be a lot more careful in the best way to clean it. I'm also leaning toward panels over tiles to minimize the seams.

Today, it's below zero in Wisconsin and even though we have a warm basement, the cork is somewhat cool. I can imagine that cermaic tile would feel freezing.

When shopping for cork- here are three point to consider:
1- I always use a site-finished floor and stay away from re-finished cork, this way I can seal all the seams and edges with four good coats of a commercial-grade waterbase polyurethane.
2- If you are planning to put something really heavy on the floor, like a piano, I might shy away from using a floating floor and opt for a glue-down tile installation instead. this is because the piano might prevent the floor from 'floating' freely.
3- Cork has incredible rebounding properties- 95% recovery after 50% compression. That means crush it to half its thickness and it will rebound to 95% of its original thickness. That said, even very shallow dimples will show up in a smooth flat resilient flooring such as cork- so protection (pads or cups) under the legs of heavy objects to spread the load on the floor is always a good idea.

Atelier,
did you mean to type "pre-finished cork in your message above? I wonder since I have been weighing the benefits of pre-finished cork tiles - "Vida Cork" vs site finished cork.

I also am considering cork although I am looking mostly at the glue down tiles for a kitchen. I have become interested in a brand called globus cork, http://www.corkfloor.com/ . They sell both types. The samples are really lovely, but I have never actually seen a floor, and wondered if anyone had other information on this brand or had actually enstalled it. Thanks

Any other recommendations for cork?

We have a glued-down floor, love it, but our kitchen stools, even with 1/4" thick felt pads, cause it to compress, and even if the specs above about 95% rebound are correct, well, the 5% is noticeable if I look at it. Maybe a passer-by wouldn't see it, but I can.

So, what's better to use? In the end all, we need to spread and soften the load, I guess, since the stool bottoms and felt pads are only maybe 3/4-1" in diameter.

Thanks!

Exactly - it's physics. Lbs/sq inch is what matters. Felt will reduce abrasive damage (to wood for example) but will not affect compressive damage. Have to have less weight, or larger area to transmit the weight to the floor.

I installed Wicanders cork flooring throughout my house. It is beautiful and we love it, BUT:

1. Couch legs and chairs(anything with people sitting) cause dimples in the floor and it is VERY noticeable.
2. We have very large floor to ceiling windows and the cork became sun bleached in about a year. Also, VERY noticeable

@ chilly - Both of these 'buts' are normal for cork. Cork dimples (as I call them...they are not permanent) are completely normal. Cork cells are filled with air and wax (suberin). Both the air and the wax COMPRESS. This compression is normal and part of what gives cork ALL of it's characteristics.

The air in the cells compress but the cell walls do NOT break. Not until you exceed 50% compression (it takes SUPREME EFFORT to crush 1/2" cork down to 1/4"....the 'jaws of life' come to mind). The air also gives you ALL the cushion underfoot (like carpet). it gives you ALL of the thermal insulation (like carpet, styrofoam, air between glass panes, etc). The wax gives you the antimicrobial properties (as well as the latin name of cork = Quercus suber). And the wax (like all wax) makes cork impervious to water (it is part of the reason why the Champagne bottles found on the Titanic were still 'sweet'...the cork stoppers prevented the ocean water from entering the bottles!).

How to fix dimples: use a hot wet cloth (as hot as your hands can handle) that is placed over the dimple. Leave the cloth in place until the cloth cools. Reassess the dimple. Keep doing this until the dimple disappears OR until you get tired of fixing these.

You have purchased the SOFTEST hardwood in the world. It dimples (can be fixed). It scratches (can be fixed depending on which finish is currently on the Wicanders...they have several finish levels...the very LOWEST finish = can be fixed).

Cork fades. It is one of it's most noticeable characteristics. Again, the cells are filled with air. There isn't much wood structure (about 30% the density of it's cousin the European Oak) to offer 'colour'. It has the same colour range as French/European Oak but it has MUCH LESS of the colour (tannins) in it because it simply has less structure. Like European Oak, the Cork Oak fades in the presence of 'light' from a strong yellow down to a silvery cream/wheat colour. This is absolutely normal (for both Cork and European Oak trees).

Cork is very dynamic with colour changes. The way to fix it (before it happens) = upgrade the UV block on your windows. Once fading has occurred there is nothing you can do. Simply let it be. It is what cork does. Like gravity, it is something we have to live with.

Thanks for the tips!
Like I said, we LOVE our cork....