This is made by Amorim. They are the WORLD leaders in cork products - including cork flooring.

The design of this product is a layer of finish/coating, a 'veneer', then a small layer of 'soft' cork then a layer of RIGID CORK CORE (hmmmmmm.....NO ONE ELSE HAS THIS? Wonder why?) then another layer of soft cork (underlayment product).

That is a lot of cork doing all the work. Sounds great....but my spidy senses tell me the 'grab' of the rigid cork click system is going to be less than HDF core.

And to be clear...the HRT surface is a plastic based product (non PVC is nice...but what IS it?). It will not feel like cork...but it will look like it if you pick from the cork look.

And just so you know - I'm a former cork flooring professional. Amorim tried to hire me (poaching?) but I didn't like the way they were going with their products.

Beautiful products though. Never think they are low quality. They are HIGH quality. I just did not believe their direction would 'work'.

Thank you for your comments. We do love the look and think it would be wonderful to have something natural. We have heard that some people have problems with cork getting moldy if it gets wet and we want a pool. I think we are going with vinyl planks. Nuvelle from Suncrest is the company, Coastline is the product, Cotton is the color. But I find little about their reputation nor do I find pics of the products anywhere. If anyone has had experiences please let me know!

Are you in Florida?

Yes, coming down that way!

Suncrest is in Riviera Beach, about 2 miles from where I am now. I buy stuff from them regularly, including from their Nuvelle line, though I do very little vinyl. I haven't had any problems with quality.

Good to know, thank you.

If people have issues with cork 'getting moldy' they would have issues with vinyl getting moldy. Or hardwood getting moldy. Or laminate getting moldy. Cork isn't the issue with 'moldy' it is the HOUSE that is allowing MOISTURE in (or the wrong cork product installed in the wrong way or in the wrong room with the wrong installation method....which means wrong wrong wrong wrong). Cork is not a 'mold' producer. Infact it has microbial resistance - like most wood. "Wet" things get moldy. Cork is a VERY DRY product. Which means the HOUSE had to have a 'wet' issue regardless of what was used in the house.

Just an aside...cork isn't moldy. The house/room is moldy. I wouldn't count cork out of the equation. It is the USE of the room+the product chosen by the HOMEOWNER that makes for a moldy situation.

I love cork flooring. I know which products go best in certain areas. I'm less than 1% of the professionals who know this. The other 99.9999% of the professionals out there will make the mistake of using the wrong product in the wrong room with the wrong install.

Just sayin'.

We have an English style basement - half underground, with a walkout. The basement seems dry, and we've just completely updated our plumbing and sewer lines. We previously had asbestos tile glued down directly to the cement foundation. Those tiles have been abated. I am considering the Amorim Wise waterproof cork as our flooring. I want something non-toxic, that is relatively forgiving because I have two very young children who love to roll around and bang heads on the ground. We were going to go with porcelin tile, but I'm too worried about cracked skulls. Would the WISE flooring be an acceptable choice if a vapor barrier is used between the floating planks and basement floor? Anyone have any idea how durable the finish is? I read it's made from recycled PET (the plastic milk containers are made from).

SJ McCarthy - when you say install it correctly? What do you mean please? I have done vinyl and laminate floating floors before. I plan to get waterproof cork flooring from Green Building Supply and install it myself. From reading, it seems to be the same steps as laminate? thanks!

@ Frank - I know green building supply. Can you tell me WHICH water-proof cork you are talking about? Send a link and I'll have a look ;-)

frank-did you end up installing the Amoim

Wise? If so, what do you think so far?

I’m planning on installing a cork floor upstairs and will probably go with Amorim. I have samples of the Identity HRT series and they absolutely feel like cork, as opposed to some other companies which look fantastic but have a layer on top that feels slick and artificial.

Cindy, did you go with the Amorim cork flooring? I am looking at the Wood Wise, which looks like wood, but I’m having trouble finding reviews. Also, there are no dealers on my area. I would love to see an installation of this flooring before purchasing! I have samples, but not the same as seeing an installation and walking on it! Anyone else feel free to comment.

I just installed Amorim Field Oak floor. It looks beautiful and it was easy to install. I laid it over existing tile in a ground floor kitchen and bathroom with 1/4 inch cork underlayment for a thermal/sound barrier. It is a lighter color than I expected from the sample. The pattern is natural looking and not too wild. I would definitely recommend the product based on my experience so far.

@katylubbe I just read the installation info. I did not see any suggestion of underlayment. This might be due to the way these planks are made.

I worry the 6mm (1/4" ) cork underlay may NOT be allowed. Do you have it in writing from Amorim that the Wise line allows it?

Hi SJ,
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with us on this thread. I wanted to reach out and get your opinion on how we should move forward after installing the Amorim Wise waterproof cork flooring. We completed a 7 month whole-house remodel which included the cork flooring throughout except for 2 bathrooms. Shortly after moving back in, we noticed the flooring is buckling at the click joints and warping in some places more than 1/2”. We had numerous meetings with our contractor and installer and both are adamant that they followed the manufacturer’s installation guide. The flooring is so bad that we made the heart breaking decision to tear out the entire floor and replace it with porcelain tile. Can you share any ideas you have on the best path to recovering our cost of the cork flooring and installation?

No, I don't have any suggestions for how get your money back, other than getting in touch with the manufacturer. Shortly after the review I wrote above I had a weird accident in which I left the kitchen sink running with the drain plugged for 6 hours while I went away fr the day. I came back to my entire kitchen flooded with water at midnight. Water was in my cabinets, in the drawers, al2 or 3 inches deep on the entire floor, etc. I spent about 4 hours vacuuming up all the water with a shop vac and set out 2 large air moving fans and a small dehumidifier. The next day things were drying out but I could tell water had gotten under the floor, probably from around the baseboards and cabinets. By the next day the floor had started to bow and lift significantly. I ended up taking the floor out, removing the cork underlayment and letting the planks dry for about three days uninstalled. Then I reinstalled the entire floor over new cork underlayment. That was about 6 months ago and I haven't had any problems with warping, gaps, or bowing since. I have used the product in a small 3/4 bathroom that get frequent use. During install I made sure to calk around the shower base and caulked any non click seems or edges close to the shower. I haven't had any problems so far. It compares closely with vinyl plank products like Lifeproof but has a softer feel underfoot. I use cork a lot because of the thermal insulation qualities.

@Lorraine Pope I'm afraid to say you have found the EXACT issue with the Cork WISE product. Your SELLER has to START the process of making a claim FOR YOU. This had to be done PRIOR to removal. The seller had to submit the claim with photos to Amorim. And the seller has to have AGREE the installer did the PERFECT job of installing this stuff.

And they HAVE to prove the house's interior LIVING conditions (ahem...how the homeowner keeps the temp/humidity EVEN and AROUND 35%...DAY IN AND DAY OUT). And the Seller has to confidently state the floor was NEVER exposed to excessive daytime sunlight pooling on the floors. And the Seller must communicate the homeowner's form of CLEANING (no steam; no excess water on the mop head, etc).

This all had to be done in accordance with Amorim's claim requirements. And Amorim must have the ability to investigate the problem IN SITU. And have the ability to take/receive defective planks at headquarters (USA or Portugal).

I know many installers who have tried to install this. It is VERY different than laminate and more difficult than vinyl click. It is a very tricky install. Even the right 'steps' followed can produce a warped floor (looks like bananas linked together). The STEPS are not enough (as everyone who's ever worked with this stuff can attest). The TOUCH (deftness of handling, storing, acclimating, stacking, etc) of the installer = death to a tricky floor. A 'hard handed' approach NEVER works. These tiles need finesse. They need an ARTISANS touch. Someone who sculps clay for a living would be able to get this to work.

A 'guy' who swings a hammer who is in a hurry (time is money) is going to ruin this floor - even though the STEPS were followed, the ARTISTIC FINESSE was not.

Sigh...and this is precisely why I do NOT like this product. NO ONE in the cork industry has followed up with a generic knock off. No one.

And you have to ask the question: Why not?

Occam's Razor Suggests the SIMPLEST answer is probably the right one: It doesn't work.

OK...brass tacks. Go ahead and get the seller to START a claim FOR YOU. If install was PERFECT then the product MUST BE defective (again...if INSTALLER isn't at fault then the MANUFACTURER must be). Get the seller to send you an email ONCE they have filed the claim. That way you KNOW the process has been started.

We've had people wait 5-6 months for an answer only to discover the CLAIM was never filed by the seller.....oh....dear.

Hi-I am bumping this old post. I want to do glue down cork, but my slab subfloor is not appropriate for that. Anyone with floating cork…what brand did you use? Are you still happy with it?