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Has anyone used cork flooring in the kitchen

4 years ago

I have tile and it's okay, but to reseal and clean grout, it is about $450. I could install floating floor with a light cork for $800. I like more of a white, cool color and my floors are an off-white.

Has anyone had a bad experience with cork. It seems like a nice option, but a bit worried about the wear when used in a kitchen. Thanks for your input!

Comments (5)

Robby
4 years ago
We had Wicanders cork flooring (fashionable cement) installed in our kitchen 17 months ago and we love it. It is warm, quiet and feels great underfoot. I sweep it and use a Bona mop with Bona wood floor cleaner to keep it clean. My daughter dropped a knife and it made a mark on it, but other than that it has been very durable. I wanted something different than ceramic tile and I wanted something different than what everyone else has. So far, we love the look and are very happy with our decision. Also, we have contacted Wicanders with questions about maintenance and what type of rugs to use and they got back to us in a timely manner and were very helpful.
SJ McCarthy
4 years ago
Cork floating flooring in a kitchen can be sealed to prevent moisture damage to the HDF core. If the product you use does NOT allow a topical sealant (like a water based polyurethane...Wicander's is moving AWAY from that model) then you can use a seam sealer ($20/tube = 50-60sf of coverage) to give you the protection that you want. Feel free to link your product of choice...I'll let you know where it stands on the 'sealing' requirements.

@Robby...there is a way to fix the mark left by the knife. I'm a cork flooring expert. If you load a pic I'm happy to walk you through the process.
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Robby
4 years ago
Thank you SJ McCarthy! I don’t mean to use your post Ims 1209, but I don’t know how to do this another way. I have the extremely small “chunk “ of cork that the knife carved out.
SJ McCarthy
4 years ago
You saved it! Awesome! This is great. You will need:

1. Elmer's wood glue

2. Wax paper or something non-sticky like that

3. A heavy shoe or something else to add weight

I would figure out how the chunk lines up. Once you have that figured out, you can then add a small amount of wood glue (just enough to squish up to the surface of the cork...but nothing more) to the raw cork on the back of the chunk.

A. Carefully place the chunk back into place. Allow the glue to squish up.

B. Us a slightly damp cloth to wipe away the excess glue.

C. Place the non-sticky paper (wax or backing paper is PERFECT) over the chunk

D. Place the heavy shoe (or pot, or book, etc) over top the wax paper - make sure the weight is over the chunk

E. Leave in place until the next day.

I like the idea of a shoe because it gives the VISUAL that people should walk around the patched area but if they happen to kick it, it doesn't hurt.

Once the glue has dried, you should have a nicely patched floor. If you feel it needs some colour touch up, then go ahead and find a permanent marker (water based markers can work...but they wash off as you clean the floor) in the right colour and do your best to help it blend in. Crayola is AMAZING when it comes to colour choices. I always keep them around for things like this.

Done. This is why cork is SOOOO cool! It is DIY friendly and super easy to fix.
Robby
4 years ago
SJ McCarthy, I just followed your steps and fixed the damage. I’ll check it out tomorrow. Thanks for your expertise. I really appreciate it.

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