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Started installing floating cork floor backward

7 years ago

So, we just started diy ing the install of about 500sf of click lock cork flooring in the bonus room over our garage.Followed the instructions which said put the tongue side toward the wall. Turns out what we thought was the tongue side was actually the groove.

First row went fine (of course, that part is easy), started having a bit more trouble when we got to the second row and had to fit two sides at once. I couldn't figure out why all the videos made it look so easy, but I finally came up with a method that works good enough.

Got about 125sf done today (a few other issues made it pretty slow going) and when I broke for the night, decided to do some more research. Lo and behold, I found out that we started out backward - groove toward the wall...

Does anyone with experience with these kind of floors think I will run into real trouble when I get to the opposite wall? Aside from thinking that we are not that smart... (I know I deserve it...) Can you think of any other problems that could result?

My husband is not really crazy about the floor (thinks it looks cheap and doesn't "fit" with the rest of the house which is all hardwood and tile) but I like it a lot. If I told him we had to pull it up and start over, he would tell me to pull it up and throw it in the garbage.

Any help or encouragement would be appreciated.
Thank you.

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Comment (1)

PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
7 years ago
The "reverse" install will cost you 3-4 TIMES the amount of time to install. Your experience with 125sf of install after several hours is NORMAL. I've seen professionals do this. They managed 300sf in 12 hours. You can keep going (your husband is upset because of the frustration) knowing full well that a 500sf install by DIYers = 3-4 days worth of work (with HIGH frustration and damaged planks).

If you have enough waste (500sf of flooring should have 10% waste = 50sf of "extra"...so PLEASE check your order) you can stop your install and start again. You will lose the first run and any weird cuts you will have made. The other full planks should be salvageable.

And BTW: not everyone likes the look of cork (it is an aesthetic thing and there isn't much you can do about someone thinking it looks "cheap"). That's why only 1% of the world's flooring is cork...it is expensive and not to everyone's liking.

Please ensure you put down the vapour barrier properly and that the concrete was flattened properly (garages are notorious for have a "slope" towards the door). The slope must be removed before you lay your flooring.
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Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply to me. That night after I posted I started putting the planks in against the very narrow floor between the wooden floor of the dining room and the peninsula. My DH and I attached 1/8 strips along the noncabinet walls and behold it clicked. Literally! After dancing up and down with delight after the first two rows were put in DH went to bed. I stayed up and was able to finish 2/3 of it by knelling on the finished end after I angled it in place and then tapping it in. We ended up having to order more boards and will finish after they acclimate to the room. I left a few of our "old boards" to mix in with the new. We ran short because we'd cut boards for the first round and they don't fit into the new layout. The floor that is in is sooooo soft on the feet. I love the feel of it. We are dog-sitting this weekend and will find out how the floor holds up to LouLou a very active young dog.Thanks again!!
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