I grew up in a house built in the 1920’s. We had a large hall/entry with honey and brown tiles. My parents had no idea what it was and eventually hired a flooring person to consult on the care of it and some other unique floors. It turns out the hall floor was cork. We moved out of that house around 1985. The next owners lived there into the mid 1990’s. The cork floor was still intact and beautiful, having lasted 70+ years, until the house was torn down because someone had more money than taste. Cork can last a long time if taken care of.
If the house is historic or in really good condition, that would make sense, but if you’re replacing a single house with a duplex or apartment, it’s more import for people to have shelter than keep around something with less development density.
Cork, just cork tiles and not the lego type examples you're showing, are an incredible flooring. Warm on your feet, look better as they age, last indefinitely and you can drop mugs on them and they don't break. Cork is the ultimate renewable material and removing the outer, cork bark is an important part of keeping the cork oaks alive for centuries. They also go straight onto a concrete floor with rubber glue.
An editing tip for you (one I've passed on to many TH-cam channels that make the effort to submit subtitles: the bottom eighth or so of the screen is the default place for where TH-cam places its subtitles, and given its tendency to randomly forget such settings, most people who use subtitles probably just leave them there, However, when the video also puts text in this area, it renders both sets of text all but illegible as TH-cam's subtitles are semi-transparent which winds up with grey text from the video (filtered from white by the semi-transparent dark background for the subtitles) with an overlay of grey text from the subtitles. For those who rely on subtitles (and even just folks like me who like to read along because that maximizes ability to learn), it can be quite helpful if the text included in the video is just bumped up slightly so it shows up directly above where the subtitles section is. And I know someone's going to make this accusation, so I'll point out now: This is not about her accent, I have subtitles on for every video.
It's not just you or the deaf/hard-of-hearing/attention-deficient, EVERYONE needs subtitles these days. Vox did a video recently explaining why: th-cam.com/video/VYJtb2YXae8/w-d-xo.html&feature=shares
Our townhouse's developer used "engineered" bamboo flooring instead of the real/good thing. The floor scratched & dented and water damage super easily. Floors were done and looked bad in less than 6years. Pay for the quality Bamboo floors.
So "engineered" bamboo flooring is the click lock kind right? Does click lock mean it'll always be bad or that the developer chose the cheaper kind of click lock?
@@OsamaRaoPK "engineered" usually means there is a structural subsurface below which is surfaced with the material that forms the finish. Good quality engineered floors will use a high quality base that is less resistant to contraction and expansion at different temperatures or humidities, or because of spills. But as explained in the video there are lots of crap engineered floors where a very thin layer of the finish material is veneered on top of a cheap base, like cheap mdf.
I started installing solid bamboo flooring in my house awhile back. I'm very happy with both its ease of installation and its durability, thus far. I'm only doing a room at a time as other renovations are completed and I can afford the next room.
The first room was installed nearly 2 years ago and shows no sign of degradation. Its in my mother's bedroom and she is very happy with both its appearance and feel underfoot.
Having lived with both cork and (admittedly cheap) hardwood parquetry, the busy texture and general softness of cork does a really, really good job of hiding minor damage. Anything short of a multi-millimeter gauge you'll basically never find again. To the hardwood, even the tiniest thing becomes a permanent addition up close. I suppose the cynical way to look at it is that cork already looks worn in when it comes off the production line.
That's a good point. I was having the same intuition but having trouble putting it to words. I imagine it also feels nice under foot since it's quite soft. In general, I think most modern cultures place too much value on perfection. It makes us feel bad about things that are actually fine and buy more than we need.
I noticed you failed to mention several aspects of cork flooring that I think are beneficial. They provide good insulation value, are anti-microbial, hypoallergenic and deters insects, all due to a waxy substance found in cork, called suberin. Also, it’s soft under foot and sound absorbing. Appreciate your videos!
Yeah and it resists fire !!! Now for the transportation pollution, the solution would be to harvest cork all over the world, especially in area that are threatened by deforestation.
The S. Price Gilbert library at Georgia Tech had cork treads on the staircases from 1953 to ~2019 when the building was renovated and it held up pretty well despite being used in high traffic, high impact areas. It can hold up well.
I opted to buy floorboards made of cork with a vinyl layer on top. The main reason for choosing cork was it's insulating and noise dampening properties. After a year of usage is can say I am very satisfied with the product. It's was one of the most expensive options available in stores compared to other materials but as a long term option I would definitely recommend cork based flooring
Very informative once again. As always, first impressions may not tell the whole story. One potential advantage of cork that wasn't mentioned is that cork may be a softer material which you may want e.g. if you're prone to falling or all too often dropping glassware on the floor.
I feel like they use cork flooring in the netherlands where i live for children play gorunds, since they fall a lot there, and maybe its cheaper? nontheless I connot imagin it installed indoors.
@@mikabitar2945 I don't think the look/durability works for most people out there. You'd have to be looking for something specifically like this. It's an alternative to the standard materials of choice.
@@mikabitar2945 No one can imagine something they haven't already seen in building products. People are astoundingly conservative & hidebound when it comes to homes & living spaces. Cork is wonderful stuff.
Great for kitchens, with one proviso. My sister's house has ceramic tile in the kitchen & halls. It's loud & noisy, hard on the feet, cold underfoot and ANYTHING you drop in the kitchen shatters - or breaks the tiles. If you spill water it makes the floors incredibly slippery: they've experienced injury due to falls, in one case her husband fell & put his elbow right through the wall in the process. Solid-soled slippers are a must as the floors are just too hard underfoot. Proviso for cork: if you drop a knife point-down you may damage the floor. It's fixable but a pain. You'd likely damage hardwood too, but with cork a sharp knife can take out a divot that's difficult to fix. You find the piece that came out, use white wood glue & replace, but it's fiddly & difficult to make it perfect: replaced piece tends to stand proud. I've seen small divots repaired with sanded cork dust mixed with glue, built up in layers. Ehhh. Replacing a tile/plank works best but that can be non-trivial too. Don't drop your knives.
Belinda, my grandparent built a home around 1950 in Dallas that had a cork floor in the den that saw lots of traffic. Remember, that living rooms were formal rooms that were rarely used, while the den was always in use. It survived as a rental from the mid 60’s to 70’s. That floor was still going great when I lived with grandma in the 80’s and into the 90’s. It was a sheet product, and I had to look very hard for the seams. I plan to put cork in my sewing for its comfort, ease of cleanup, and warmth. I hope to find it in sheet.
The S. Price Gilbert library at Georgia Tech had cork treads on the staircases from 1953 to ~2019 when the building was renovated and it held up pretty well despite being used in high traffic, high impact areas.
I have had cork down on my bathroom floor for more than 20 years (stained a teak colour, & varnished) It has worked brilliantly. Only sanded & re-varnished it a few months back. Having learnt how great this stuff is I am now going to lay it in my hallway. Soft to walk on, cool underfoot in summer & warm in winter, compression resistant, acoustic & impact noise absorbing, thermally insulating and can be stained (I did this) & painted, also it's easily cut to any shape ........ & houses have been built out out it (in Windsor in the UK) !!! What more could you ask of this brilliant material. When finished decorating & selling my flat, cork is going to go down on all the floors in my new home.
I live in a place with cork floor and it feels good. We're also planning to use cork in our new home. It is relatively inexpensive here in Germany, at least compared to other options. Of course, when putting heavy furniture on it, you might want to put small wood boards underneath to distribute the weight and easy the pressure. I think there are a number of flavors of cork floor, including sealed ones, which I find interesting since the coating must be flexible in order not to break when the cork is pressed together by walking on it.
I love my cork floors! Durability: it all comes down to the quality & thickness of the polyurethane coating, the same stuff you'd use on a hardwood floor. Good coatings will last for 50-70 years, & certainly for the 30+ that most people want. No high-heel shoes or dragging furniture? Sure, but that'd be true for hardwood floors too. Drag furniture across my oak floors & I'll have a fit: you'd scratch the hell out of the finish. Again, it comes down to the top coating. Floating floor products (engineered tongue-&-groove plank) products are intended for residential installation only, but companies like Wicanders (& there are many more) manufacture cork flooring "suitable for commercial areas with heavy traffic like corridor, department stores, lobbies, schools and open plan offices." And whole-cork tiles come in different thicknesses & densities that are appropriate for commercial or residential installation &, again, depend on the strength of the wear-coat (urethane finish), which is identical to what would be installed on either a hardwood floor or for that matter a concrete floor (those need finishing too, again in urethane). Biggest differences between cork & hardwood or other floorings: cork is way more attractive, softer & more comfortable underfoot, much quieter and more resistant to insect or mold damage than wood products. Lifestyle issues: quiet, comfortable, warm (insulative) and lovely to look at. What's not to love? If you're considering a residential installation seriously consider tiles, both engineered & whole cork: they're far & away the easiest flooring to install for a homeowner. Much less skill-education dependent than installing hardwood plank, and you don't need specialized equipment. Plus much, much faster to install. Two problems / things to work out before you build: first, sourcing issues. There aren't a lot of flooring companies that sell cork; it's a specialty product, not a mass-market product. Nice if you're looking for something that makes a statement; not so easy to source, however. And because you're dealing with a coloured product in all cases, make sure you purchase enough to do the job (& I always bank a few extra tiles/squares/planks of any flooring product for use later if something is damaged & needs repair). The issue is with batch lots, and with future (uncertain) availability of product should you need to purchase a few square feet in 3 years to fix damage (they aren't especially damage-prone, but anything CAN be damaged). My think commercial-grade ceramic tile floor has sustained some cracked tiles. I've had hardwood scraped & burned; seen other people's hardwood water-damaged. Cork can be damaged too. Bank a few extra pieces against the possibility. Second issue: trim. Hardwood trim for flooring is all sized for hardwood floors. Sometimes this makes a difference: the thickness of hardwood floors varies but comes in standard thicknesses. In N America these are all Imperial measures (fractions of an inch). Cork is an EU product: it all comes from Portugal & Spain, & comes in metric thicknesses. Finding trim for step-downs, exposed floor edges (stairs, different room floor heights in old homes etc.) is a major pain. No one thinks about this until they've laid the floor, then ask the carpenter to install trim & he discovers that Lowes & Home Hardware & any flooring specialty shops all lack appropriate trim. Yes, he could mill custom trim but that bumps the price considerably. Work this out in advance. Push your cork supplier to cough up appropriate trim wherever possible (most haven't thought it out, leave it to you). Serious issue; don't neglect.
In 2014 I installed cork flooring from the Home Depot in my daylight basement that fit together as a "floating" system. Was told cork and bamboo flooring were good options that could handle moisture for my finished basement. Did not work out well. Still have it but it has buckled and has suffered major moisture damage in several places. Too bad really, it is very comfortable and apart from the problem areas looks very nice.
Thank you very much! This was quite thought-provoking for me, as I have strongly considered using cork flooring in my home. The softer "feel" of it underfoot appeals to me for use in the kitchen. (I have neurological deficits that cause me to drop more than my fair share of glasses ;( .)
We've got cork on the floor and stairs, it's really comfortable and both cool on your feet in summer and warm in winter. It's also really nice for our baby kid; which does not easily bruise itself when falling as opposed to a hard floor. The acoustic is also really nice, it dampens a lot of noise. Most of all, its really beautiful, especially the cork flooring with big grains. Only downside can be that heavy objects leave an imprint on the floor; but thanks to the grain you do not really notice it. We don't care though, gives character and it is an effect of the biggest advantage that it is so comfortable.
I have had two kinds of cork flooring with very different durability. One had a thick vinyl coating and would stand up to any abuse, including two dogs. The somewhat springy cork seemed to protect the vinyl coating from scratching. The other had a thin lacquered coating and was not particularly durable at all. Both were very comfortable to walk on, non-slip and reduced noise.
This was perfect timing for me. I was just starting to shop for flooring for a bathroom & was looking hard for cork flooring. I saw a tv 'building' show a few years back that said 'cork flooring is waterProof'. This video came just in time, and Thank you again for your knowledge!! I'm so glad I subscribed, I feel I'm finally getting good, honest information, something that seems rare these days. It's so greatly appreciated.
This has been the most comprehensive and educational video I have seen on these two types of flooring. And also convinced me that I don't want either for my kitchen. I was thinking of going with something as sustainable as possible while also being not as awful as linoleum on concrete and more comfortable. But it seems that there aren't a ton of options for comfortability and sturdiness all in one, while still trying to be environmentally friendly, and also still pleasant to look at. Being on a concrete slab in the southeastern mid atlantic coast with a relatively high water table and high humidity in the summer, I am having trouble figuring out a flooring that would best suit what I am looking for.
Great video! I have another sustainable flooring video sugestion... marmoleum. It would be great to learn more than the general advertising points that are put out to consumers. Thank you for all of the honest information!
Odd that you suggested not using cork in humid areas like a bathroom. Cork tiles in the bathroom were standard for many years here. I think they mostly got removed due to going out of fashion, rather than swelling or wearing out. We've got some in our loo that have been there for at least 25 years. I guess the tiles are a lot more elastic than a cork top on an engineered base, like your example, so maybe that's what you mean about potential swelling.
I love both of these materials, though I haven't yet used either as installed flooring yet. I've used cork as an underlayment for engineered hardwood, and it is much better than the manmade materials I've used. I have a bamboo chair mat for my office chair to roll on - much nicer than the plasticky one I had. And I recently got two solid bamboo desktops (one with face grain facing up, and one with edge grain facing up). Really nice surface. I've looked into both bamboo and cork for flooring, but never pulled the trigger - so I appreciate this video. Cork seems comfortable but I have longevity/wear concerns as well. So I'm leaning towards solid bamboo.
There are very good sealing products for cork. Seal every year for three years and then every five years. The wear surface eliminate the wear on the cork giving it an indefinite life span. Ours is a 10+ years old and developing a warm patina that really enhances the look. We love the under foot feel of the cork.
There is an inherent weakness in the bamboo, from personal experience. Using it in an old house where the floors were not perfectly level can have problems, it has exemplary strength longitudinally, however because the grain is straight it is weak across the grain. So the board can easily snap along the grain. When this happens in the middle of a section it is hopeless to replace. So small dips and rises have to be levelled carefully. Natural woods have grains that are far stronger across the grain.
The out gasing and green washing concerns have always worried me about bamboo flooring, though it is very beautiful. Witnessing a cork floor heal disaster in my youth, and living through the cork wall paneling era, has made me think it's great for coasters and stoppers.
Good info. I am planning to replace my awful living room carpet with something. What do you think would be the most eco-friendly and health-conscious option?
This was so timely. Was considering the possibility of cork for our basement because of R-value and low profile (80" bare floor to joist). I may rethink that and go with a self-levelling concrete floor with under rug heat pads. Slightly less expensive. Definitely more homework required! Thank you for the videos, I really appreciate the data driven content and explicit detail you provide. 🙏
We have both. In our flat the cork is OK (nice to walk on) but damages very easily. In our other house the new (2 week old) bamboo floor is OK but you van feel & hear the underlay when you walk (click system). In our best house installed solid (UK grown & processed) oak parquet which was the best floor we have ever had.
I appreciate the effort to play devil's advocate with materials that are currently very popular. The other day I tried researching the sustainability of bamboo, and I couldn't really find anything impartial. Everything I did find sounded like an infomercial describing why bamboo is so perfect and why I definitely need to buy it right now regardless of the situation. And I'm not even in the market to build anything. I simply enjoy learning for the sake of learning. And this is what I ran into. A little silly.
I tested various flooring samples with a "I dropped my keys" test that I came up with. Bamboo always performed poorly getting gouged and dented easily. Oak and maple performed the best. Hickory, although better than bamboo, performed worse than oak and maple, which surprised me considering how hard hickory is. I went with oak hardwood flooring.
We don't wear shoes in the house. I wonder how long cork would last in that case, plus it's warmer on the feet. My parents built a house in San Francisco in 1955 with cork flooring.
Love the video. I've been trying to decide on what kind of eco friendly floor to install but it's really tough. How does linoleum compare to cork and bamboo in terms of eco friendliness? Also a floor that is waterproof and supports in floor heat is at the top of my list.
Just installed cork flooring into a basement and a bathroom… I just knew it wasn’t right. But that’s what the client wanted. Now, after watching this video, I’m sure it’s as bad as I thought it was. Thanks for this highly educational video I appreciate it!
2:00 isn't any formaldehyde glue toxic, in that it off gasses formaldehyde? The production procedure you described in the intro seems counter to your warning about composite wood products and the glues used within them.
Can you do a video on flat roofs, I would love to be able to have a house where I could get up onto the roof, to be able to have a roof top garden or just to sit and sunbake, it would give you a whole other living space, but this roof type is not popular in Australia, are there reasons for that?
Belinda, for me, your perspective, insight, statistical validation, logic and finally womanly (I know, politically, incorrect) common sense perspective makes you a go to value. Thank you!
I really think the appearance of bamboo flooring is subpar at best. I have cork floors in a few rooms and love it. It's soft underfoot and very sound absorbing.
Hello Bl,,, I put bamboo engenineered flooring in my master bedroom, look great, but sensitive to scratches in a low activities area, may be the quality of the product.
We are planning to install flooring as we are redoing floors . Initially I was told to install thick commercial vinyl . After my own readings, I would to do cork floors. But because we have heated floors I m wondering if cork is suitable for it. If we use glued down cork would that work with heated floors . If not what other material would work? Please let me know?
I'm curious about Bamboo flooring that is compatible with radiant floor heating. (hydronic). Sounds like the cork flooring won't work for us because of its insulating properties. Thanks for pointing that out Belinda!
I would love graphs to summarize comparisons of products. Are you familiar with the youtube channel Project Farm or CNC Kitchen? I think that type of style would be great for your product comparisons.
The theatre where l went to college had cork floors, throughout the classroom portion of the building. I think the construction was fero-concrete. They were comfortable to walk/stand on, and we didn’t have fatigue mats! Consequently, I’ve been thinking about cork for my kitchen.
@@Lili-xq9sn, she only mentions basements and bathrooms, specifically…I think the part that would buckle is between the moisture barrier, underneath, and the moisture resistant cork layer!
I just discovered your channel and I'm currently bingeing it. I appreciate all of the research and the quality of presentation. Thank you for the thoughtful and concise information! The video clips used here-and-there are hilariously unexpected, too.
@@BelindaCarr hope you recovered from the burnout. your videos are such gems and really helpful. one can see, that you are very passionate about it. cheers from Berlin!
The best flooring I have ever installed. Came from Floor and Decor. Culled one piece in 800 square feet. Every piece fit perfectly and it was a very fast install. Hard on the blade.
What do you think of bamboo for kitchen worktops. We are planning kitchen reno and the 'eco' advertising of bamboo worktops appeals although we are still drawn towards the beauty of walnut or stainless steel.
Belinda, great video as usual! Now that you have so many subscribers, I've noticed a lot of haters in the comments. Some even repeat what you have already established in this and other videos. Even though I can't entirely agree 100% of the time with your videos, I must agree that you're very knowledgeable and professional. I hope you get even more views with time.
I've read top 50 comments here, none seems to express hate, but irritated disagreement at worst and that would be one comment out of those 50. Make of that what you want
They both have some definite advantages. But cork seems a no-go for people with pets or kids because of the wear factor. If I build my own house though, I'll stick with an earthen product (like porcelain, ceramic, or quarry tile).
When cork became popular 20 years ago a client asked me about it. I had a sample and put a groove in it with my fingernail. 6 months later it was still there. The house i have now came with a cork floor in the kitchen. It's nice to walk on but impossible to see anything on it and the few places whre it has chipped out is not repairable. Wood or bamboo is always repairable. Wood /Bamboo for the win.
My experience with solid strand woven bamboo with 10 years in flooring business is bad. They are not stable and will expand causing cupping. Too many claims. My advice to avoid it or go with an engineered bamboo with plywood core under.
I had bamboo flooring and you can refinish it. You can't sand it down to any degree, but you can certainly redo the polyurethane, and that will take out all but the most egregious of marks & damage. That said, I wouldn't have it again, and this is purely down to cost. There are much cheaper options, if one is willing to put in the work required.
One of my requirements for flooring ist that my Cat needs to be able to run at full speed with the use of her claws if so desired or needed. Hardwood type of floor are for this a no-go as the cat claws are useless on them and she slips. The current solution is to use a wood carpet on top of the flooring. I ma very tempted to test unfinished soft cork flooring in the cats main "hunting ground" as I appreciate the significant dust reduction potential that hard floors offer.
It is. Cork has more "bounce" in it, and is less tiring on a person who is standing and not moving around much. Ideal for a kitchen, but make sure it is well sealed and maintained as clean.
Being a DIY kinda guy I decided to make my cork flooring for the living room. I drank a lot of wine to get that project done . Thxs for the vids!
I’ve been clearly doing it wrong! I’ve been drinking the boxed stuff!
🤣🤣🤣🤭
🤣🍾🍷
I grew up in a house built in the 1920’s. We had a large hall/entry with honey and brown tiles. My parents had no idea what it was and eventually hired a flooring person to consult on the care of it and some other unique floors. It turns out the hall floor was cork. We moved out of that house around 1985. The next owners lived there into the mid 1990’s. The cork floor was still intact and beautiful, having lasted 70+ years, until the house was torn down because someone had more money than taste. Cork can last a long time if taken care of.
It should be illegal to tear down a perfectly good house. Wanna build something new? Get an empty lot, or a condemned building.
If the house is historic or in really good condition, that would make sense, but if you’re replacing a single house with a duplex or apartment, it’s more import for people to have shelter than keep around something with less development density.
I'm definitely getting Cork flooring, having read your story.
Cork, just cork tiles and not the lego type examples you're showing, are an incredible flooring. Warm on your feet, look better as they age, last indefinitely and you can drop mugs on them and they don't break. Cork is the ultimate renewable material and removing the outer, cork bark is an important part of keeping the cork oaks alive for centuries. They also go straight onto a concrete floor with rubber glue.
An editing tip for you (one I've passed on to many TH-cam channels that make the effort to submit subtitles: the bottom eighth or so of the screen is the default place for where TH-cam places its subtitles, and given its tendency to randomly forget such settings, most people who use subtitles probably just leave them there, However, when the video also puts text in this area, it renders both sets of text all but illegible as TH-cam's subtitles are semi-transparent which winds up with grey text from the video (filtered from white by the semi-transparent dark background for the subtitles) with an overlay of grey text from the subtitles. For those who rely on subtitles (and even just folks like me who like to read along because that maximizes ability to learn), it can be quite helpful if the text included in the video is just bumped up slightly so it shows up directly above where the subtitles section is.
And I know someone's going to make this accusation, so I'll point out now: This is not about her accent, I have subtitles on for every video.
Me too, I also prefer subtitles on videos, because it just helps me to better follow what is said.
Same here. I just want subs in the bottom of the vid
It's not just you or the deaf/hard-of-hearing/attention-deficient, EVERYONE needs subtitles these days. Vox did a video recently explaining why:
th-cam.com/video/VYJtb2YXae8/w-d-xo.html&feature=shares
Naturally cork only grows in few places, but the plantations are more common.
Mazda started as a cork company, there are plantations in Japan as well.
Our townhouse's developer used "engineered" bamboo flooring instead of the real/good thing. The floor scratched & dented and water damage super easily. Floors were done and looked bad in less than 6years. Pay for the quality Bamboo floors.
So "engineered" bamboo flooring is the click lock kind right?
Does click lock mean it'll always be bad or that the developer chose the cheaper kind of click lock?
@@OsamaRaoPK "engineered" usually means there is a structural subsurface below which is surfaced with the material that forms the finish. Good quality engineered floors will use a high quality base that is less resistant to contraction and expansion at different temperatures or humidities, or because of spills. But as explained in the video there are lots of crap engineered floors where a very thin layer of the finish material is veneered on top of a cheap base, like cheap mdf.
I started installing solid bamboo flooring in my house awhile back. I'm very happy with both its ease of installation and its durability, thus far. I'm only doing a room at a time as other renovations are completed and I can afford the next room.
The first room was installed nearly 2 years ago and shows no sign of degradation. Its in my mother's bedroom and she is very happy with both its appearance and feel underfoot.
Having lived with both cork and (admittedly cheap) hardwood parquetry, the busy texture and general softness of cork does a really, really good job of hiding minor damage. Anything short of a multi-millimeter gauge you'll basically never find again. To the hardwood, even the tiniest thing becomes a permanent addition up close.
I suppose the cynical way to look at it is that cork already looks worn in when it comes off the production line.
That's a good point. I was having the same intuition but having trouble putting it to words. I imagine it also feels nice under foot since it's quite soft. In general, I think most modern cultures place too much value on perfection. It makes us feel bad about things that are actually fine and buy more than we need.
I noticed you failed to mention several aspects of cork flooring that I think are beneficial. They provide good insulation value, are anti-microbial, hypoallergenic and deters insects, all due to a waxy substance found in cork, called suberin. Also, it’s soft under foot and sound absorbing. Appreciate your videos!
Yeah and it resists fire !!! Now for the transportation pollution, the solution would be to harvest cork all over the world, especially in area that are threatened by deforestation.
The S. Price Gilbert library at Georgia Tech had cork treads on the staircases from 1953 to ~2019 when the building was renovated and it held up pretty well despite being used in high traffic, high impact areas. It can hold up well.
I opted to buy floorboards made of cork with a vinyl layer on top. The main reason for choosing cork was it's insulating and noise dampening properties. After a year of usage is can say I am very satisfied with the product. It's was one of the most expensive options available in stores compared to other materials but as a long term option I would definitely recommend cork based flooring
Very informative once again. As always, first impressions may not tell the whole story.
One potential advantage of cork that wasn't mentioned is that cork may be a softer material which you may want e.g. if you're prone to falling or all too often dropping glassware on the floor.
I feel like they use cork flooring in the netherlands where i live for children play gorunds, since they fall a lot there, and maybe its cheaper? nontheless I connot imagin it installed indoors.
@@mikabitar2945 I don't think the look/durability works for most people out there. You'd have to be looking for something specifically like this. It's an alternative to the standard materials of choice.
@@mikabitar2945 No one can imagine something they haven't already seen in building products. People are astoundingly conservative & hidebound when it comes to homes & living spaces.
Cork is wonderful stuff.
Great for kitchens, with one proviso. My sister's house has ceramic tile in the kitchen & halls. It's loud & noisy, hard on the feet, cold underfoot and ANYTHING you drop in the kitchen shatters - or breaks the tiles. If you spill water it makes the floors incredibly slippery: they've experienced injury due to falls, in one case her husband fell & put his elbow right through the wall in the process. Solid-soled slippers are a must as the floors are just too hard underfoot.
Proviso for cork: if you drop a knife point-down you may damage the floor. It's fixable but a pain. You'd likely damage hardwood too, but with cork a sharp knife can take out a divot that's difficult to fix. You find the piece that came out, use white wood glue & replace, but it's fiddly & difficult to make it perfect: replaced piece tends to stand proud. I've seen small divots repaired with sanded cork dust mixed with glue, built up in layers. Ehhh. Replacing a tile/plank works best but that can be non-trivial too. Don't drop your knives.
Belinda, my grandparent built a home around 1950 in Dallas that had a cork floor in the den that saw lots of traffic. Remember, that living rooms were formal rooms that were rarely used, while the den was always in use. It survived as a rental from the mid 60’s to 70’s. That floor was still going great when I lived with grandma in the 80’s and into the 90’s.
It was a sheet product, and I had to look very hard for the seams.
I plan to put cork in my sewing for its comfort, ease of cleanup, and warmth. I hope to find it in sheet.
The S. Price Gilbert library at Georgia Tech had cork treads on the staircases from 1953 to ~2019 when the building was renovated and it held up pretty well despite being used in high traffic, high impact areas.
I have had cork down on my bathroom floor for more than 20 years (stained a teak colour, & varnished) It has worked brilliantly. Only sanded & re-varnished it a few months back. Having learnt how great this stuff is I am now going to lay it in my hallway. Soft to walk on, cool underfoot in summer & warm in winter, compression resistant, acoustic & impact noise absorbing, thermally insulating and can be stained (I did this) & painted, also it's easily cut to any shape ........ & houses have been built out out it (in Windsor in the UK) !!! What more could you ask of this brilliant material. When finished decorating & selling my flat, cork is going to go down on all the floors in my new home.
I live in a place with cork floor and it feels good. We're also planning to use cork in our new home. It is relatively inexpensive here in Germany, at least compared to other options. Of course, when putting heavy furniture on it, you might want to put small wood boards underneath to distribute the weight and easy the pressure. I think there are a number of flavors of cork floor, including sealed ones, which I find interesting since the coating must be flexible in order not to break when the cork is pressed together by walking on it.
When I want to know about random building materials, this lady will always be my first click!! 👏👏👏
I love my cork floors! Durability: it all comes down to the quality & thickness of the polyurethane coating, the same stuff you'd use on a hardwood floor. Good coatings will last for 50-70 years, & certainly for the 30+ that most people want.
No high-heel shoes or dragging furniture? Sure, but that'd be true for hardwood floors too. Drag furniture across my oak floors & I'll have a fit: you'd scratch the hell out of the finish. Again, it comes down to the top coating. Floating floor products (engineered tongue-&-groove plank) products are intended for residential installation only, but companies like Wicanders (& there are many more) manufacture cork flooring "suitable for commercial areas with heavy traffic like corridor, department stores, lobbies, schools and open plan offices." And whole-cork tiles come in different thicknesses & densities that are appropriate for commercial or residential installation &, again, depend on the strength of the wear-coat (urethane finish), which is identical to what would be installed on either a hardwood floor or for that matter a concrete floor (those need finishing too, again in urethane). Biggest differences between cork & hardwood or other floorings: cork is way more attractive, softer & more comfortable underfoot, much quieter and more resistant to insect or mold damage than wood products.
Lifestyle issues: quiet, comfortable, warm (insulative) and lovely to look at. What's not to love?
If you're considering a residential installation seriously consider tiles, both engineered & whole cork: they're far & away the easiest flooring to install for a homeowner. Much less skill-education dependent than installing hardwood plank, and you don't need specialized equipment. Plus much, much faster to install.
Two problems / things to work out before you build: first, sourcing issues. There aren't a lot of flooring companies that sell cork; it's a specialty product, not a mass-market product. Nice if you're looking for something that makes a statement; not so easy to source, however. And because you're dealing with a coloured product in all cases, make sure you purchase enough to do the job (& I always bank a few extra tiles/squares/planks of any flooring product for use later if something is damaged & needs repair). The issue is with batch lots, and with future (uncertain) availability of product should you need to purchase a few square feet in 3 years to fix damage (they aren't especially damage-prone, but anything CAN be damaged). My think commercial-grade ceramic tile floor has sustained some cracked tiles. I've had hardwood scraped & burned; seen other people's hardwood water-damaged. Cork can be damaged too. Bank a few extra pieces against the possibility.
Second issue: trim. Hardwood trim for flooring is all sized for hardwood floors. Sometimes this makes a difference: the thickness of hardwood floors varies but comes in standard thicknesses. In N America these are all Imperial measures (fractions of an inch). Cork is an EU product: it all comes from Portugal & Spain, & comes in metric thicknesses. Finding trim for step-downs, exposed floor edges (stairs, different room floor heights in old homes etc.) is a major pain. No one thinks about this until they've laid the floor, then ask the carpenter to install trim & he discovers that Lowes & Home Hardware & any flooring specialty shops all lack appropriate trim. Yes, he could mill custom trim but that bumps the price considerably. Work this out in advance. Push your cork supplier to cough up appropriate trim wherever possible (most haven't thought it out, leave it to you). Serious issue; don't neglect.
In 2014 I installed cork flooring from the Home Depot in my daylight basement that fit together as a "floating" system. Was told cork and bamboo flooring were good options that could handle moisture for my finished basement. Did not work out well. Still have it but it has buckled and has suffered major moisture damage in several places. Too bad really, it is very comfortable and apart from the problem areas looks very nice.
Thank you very much! This was quite thought-provoking for me, as I have strongly considered using cork flooring in my home. The softer "feel" of it underfoot appeals to me for use in the kitchen. (I have neurological deficits that cause me to drop more than my fair share of glasses ;( .)
We've got cork on the floor and stairs, it's really comfortable and both cool on your feet in summer and warm in winter. It's also really nice for our baby kid; which does not easily bruise itself when falling as opposed to a hard floor. The acoustic is also really nice, it dampens a lot of noise. Most of all, its really beautiful, especially the cork flooring with big grains.
Only downside can be that heavy objects leave an imprint on the floor; but thanks to the grain you do not really notice it. We don't care though, gives character and it is an effect of the biggest advantage that it is so comfortable.
I have had two kinds of cork flooring with very different durability. One had a thick vinyl coating and would stand up to any abuse, including two dogs. The somewhat springy cork seemed to protect the vinyl coating from scratching. The other had a thin lacquered coating and was not particularly durable at all. Both were very comfortable to walk on, non-slip and reduced noise.
Would you mind sharing where you bought yours & the brand name?
@@tlsings55 the brand was Wicander’s. May it is available under other names too.
@@dagbruck-thank you!
This was perfect timing for me. I was just starting to shop for flooring for a bathroom & was looking hard for cork flooring. I saw a tv 'building' show a few years back that said 'cork flooring is waterProof'. This video came just in time, and Thank you again for your knowledge!! I'm so glad I subscribed, I feel I'm finally getting good, honest information, something that seems rare these days. It's so greatly appreciated.
This has been the most comprehensive and educational video I have seen on these two types of flooring. And also convinced me that I don't want either for my kitchen. I was thinking of going with something as sustainable as possible while also being not as awful as linoleum on concrete and more comfortable. But it seems that there aren't a ton of options for comfortability and sturdiness all in one, while still trying to be environmentally friendly, and also still pleasant to look at.
Being on a concrete slab in the southeastern mid atlantic coast with a relatively high water table and high humidity in the summer, I am having trouble figuring out a flooring that would best suit what I am looking for.
I use cork rolls as a soundproofing (and insulating) material in combination with other kinds of flooring
Great video! I have another sustainable flooring video sugestion... marmoleum. It would be great to learn more than the general advertising points that are put out to consumers. Thank you for all of the honest information!
Odd that you suggested not using cork in humid areas like a bathroom. Cork tiles in the bathroom were standard for many years here. I think they mostly got removed due to going out of fashion, rather than swelling or wearing out. We've got some in our loo that have been there for at least 25 years. I guess the tiles are a lot more elastic than a cork top on an engineered base, like your example, so maybe that's what you mean about potential swelling.
I love both of these materials, though I haven't yet used either as installed flooring yet. I've used cork as an underlayment for engineered hardwood, and it is much better than the manmade materials I've used. I have a bamboo chair mat for my office chair to roll on - much nicer than the plasticky one I had. And I recently got two solid bamboo desktops (one with face grain facing up, and one with edge grain facing up). Really nice surface. I've looked into both bamboo and cork for flooring, but never pulled the trigger - so I appreciate this video. Cork seems comfortable but I have longevity/wear concerns as well. So I'm leaning towards solid bamboo.
There are very good sealing products for cork. Seal every year for three years and then every five years. The wear surface eliminate the wear on the cork giving it an indefinite life span. Ours is a 10+ years old and developing a warm patina that really enhances the look. We love the under foot feel of the cork.
There is an inherent weakness in the bamboo, from personal experience. Using it in an old house where the floors were not perfectly level can have problems, it has exemplary strength longitudinally, however because the grain is straight it is weak across the grain. So the board can easily snap along the grain. When this happens in the middle of a section it is hopeless to replace. So small dips and rises have to be levelled carefully. Natural woods have grains that are far stronger across the grain.
Hi. I discovered your chanel today and I love it. Question. Can you make video about linoleum flooring?
Fantastic review! Belinda Carr presents the most important information pertinent to so many issues related to home remodeling. The BEST!
The out gasing and green washing concerns have always worried me about bamboo flooring, though it is very beautiful. Witnessing a cork floor heal disaster in my youth, and living through the cork wall paneling era, has made me think it's great for coasters and stoppers.
I’ve seen that paneling 😂
Good info. I am planning to replace my awful living room carpet with something. What do you think would be the most eco-friendly and health-conscious option?
This was so timely. Was considering the possibility of cork for our basement because of R-value and low profile (80" bare floor to joist). I may rethink that and go with a self-levelling concrete floor with under rug heat pads. Slightly less expensive. Definitely more homework required!
Thank you for the videos, I really appreciate the data driven content and explicit detail you provide. 🙏
Belinda asking the real questions.
We have both. In our flat the cork is OK (nice to walk on) but damages very easily. In our other house the new (2 week old) bamboo floor is OK but you van feel & hear the underlay when you walk (click system). In our best house installed solid (UK grown & processed) oak parquet which was the best floor we have ever had.
I appreciate the effort to play devil's advocate with materials that are currently very popular. The other day I tried researching the sustainability of bamboo, and I couldn't really find anything impartial. Everything I did find sounded like an infomercial describing why bamboo is so perfect and why I definitely need to buy it right now regardless of the situation. And I'm not even in the market to build anything. I simply enjoy learning for the sake of learning. And this is what I ran into. A little silly.
I tested various flooring samples with a "I dropped my keys" test that I came up with. Bamboo always performed poorly getting gouged and dented easily. Oak and maple performed the best. Hickory, although better than bamboo, performed worse than oak and maple, which surprised me considering how hard hickory is. I went with oak hardwood flooring.
We don't wear shoes in the house. I wonder how long cork would last in that case, plus it's warmer on the feet.
My parents built a house in San Francisco in 1955 with cork flooring.
Love the video. I've been trying to decide on what kind of eco friendly floor to install but it's really tough. How does linoleum compare to cork and bamboo in terms of eco friendliness? Also a floor that is waterproof and supports in floor heat is at the top of my list.
Waterproof and supports floor heat? Ceramic is the first material that comes to mind.
Thanks for this video! It answered a lot of my questions about cork flooring.
Love it as underlayment and for basement renovation which is childrens play area/dance studio. Green Building Supply is who i trust to purchase from.
Just installed cork flooring into a basement and a bathroom… I just knew it wasn’t right. But that’s what the client wanted. Now, after watching this video, I’m sure it’s as bad as I thought it was. Thanks for this highly educational video I appreciate it!
Loved watching this video! Thanks for sharing this insightful look into cork production
2:00 isn't any formaldehyde glue toxic, in that it off gasses formaldehyde? The production procedure you described in the intro seems counter to your warning about composite wood products and the glues used within them.
Can you do a video on flat roofs, I would love to be able to have a house where I could get up onto the roof, to be able to have a roof top garden or just to sit and sunbake, it would give you a whole other living space, but this roof type is not popular in Australia, are there reasons for that?
There are two types of roofs. Sloped and those that leak.
Belinda, for me, your perspective, insight, statistical validation, logic and finally womanly (I know, politically, incorrect) common sense perspective makes you a go to value. Thank you!
It's interesting I've seen people using bamboo in bathrooms
I really think the appearance of bamboo flooring is subpar at best. I have cork floors in a few rooms and love it. It's soft underfoot and very sound absorbing.
Hello Bl,,, I put bamboo engenineered flooring in my master bedroom, look great, but sensitive to scratches in a low activities area, may be the quality of the product.
Great video. For me cork is just too soft to make floors with. Bamboo is another matter.
I put engineered cork in my basement to replace gross carpet. It was comfortable and warm and absorbs sound well. I'd use it again.
Very good information, thankyou, one question please, how do you know which baboo floor is engineering. Or not ?
You should seriously do a video on methods of window insulations!
We are planning to install flooring as we are redoing floors . Initially I was told to install thick commercial vinyl . After my own readings, I would to do cork floors. But because we have heated floors I m wondering if cork is suitable for it. If we use glued down cork would that work with heated floors . If not what other material would work? Please let me know?
This video was so informative. Thank you!
I'm curious about Bamboo flooring that is compatible with radiant floor heating. (hydronic). Sounds like the cork flooring won't work for us because of its insulating properties. Thanks for pointing that out Belinda!
Cork floor owners - how do you clean the floors? Can you use steam mops?
We used cork in our Passivhaus bathroom as it feels warm underfoot with bare feet :)
I would love graphs to summarize comparisons of products. Are you familiar with the youtube channel Project Farm or CNC Kitchen? I think that type of style would be great for your product comparisons.
I liked this video quite a lot. Tip: don't put text on the lower part of the screen, it overlays with the youtube subtitles (CC).
The theatre where l went to college had cork floors, throughout the classroom portion of the building. I think the construction was fero-concrete. They were comfortable to walk/stand on, and we didn’t have fatigue mats!
Consequently, I’ve been thinking about cork for my kitchen.
That's where I'd like it too, but she said it'll buckle with moisture. Lots of spills and drops in the kitchen.
@@Lili-xq9sn, she only mentions basements and bathrooms, specifically…I think the part that would buckle is between the moisture barrier, underneath, and the moisture resistant cork layer!
Great video. Thank you!
I just discovered your channel and I'm currently bingeing it. I appreciate all of the research and the quality of presentation. Thank you for the thoughtful and concise information! The video clips used here-and-there are hilariously unexpected, too.
this is such a great channel!
Thank you! :)
@@BelindaCarr hope you recovered from the burnout. your videos are such gems and really helpful. one can see, that you are very passionate about it. cheers from Berlin!
Belinda, you're the best👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I truly enjoy your channel and ALL your videos!! ♥️ Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge with us!!
Very useful thank you.
You missed the best type of bamboo flooring - stranded. It is the toughest (resistant to scratching and denting), and has a wood like appearance.
Great Channel
Awesome Content
Thankyou very much
The best flooring I have ever installed. Came from Floor and Decor. Culled one piece in 800 square feet. Every piece fit perfectly and it was a very fast install. Hard on the blade.
I installed a cork floor in my office about 6 years ago….I’ve been very pleased with it
Of course large companies couldn’t resist clear cutting forests to make way for monoculture plantations.
great video
Great vid this week! Thanks Belinda
So get hardwood?
What do you think of bamboo for kitchen worktops. We are planning kitchen reno and the 'eco' advertising of bamboo worktops appeals although we are still drawn towards the beauty of walnut or stainless steel.
Thanks!
Is this available in india?
Always learn something from you!
BELINDA …WE HOPE MOST PEOPLE AREN’T BAMBOOZLED (pun intended ) 😁 and spend the extra money 💵 for the best products 🤗 😍😍😍
Which one is a better insulating values?
cork
Belinda, great video as usual! Now that you have so many subscribers, I've noticed a lot of haters in the comments. Some even repeat what you have already established in this and other videos. Even though I can't entirely agree 100% of the time with your videos, I must agree that you're very knowledgeable and professional. I hope you get even more views with time.
Thanks for your support, Ricardo. I appreciate how we can still converse despite not agreeing on everything!
I've read top 50 comments here, none seems to express hate, but irritated disagreement at worst and that would be one comment out of those 50. Make of that what you want
my mum is renovating our house and she decided to put cork EVERYWHERE. I don't know how it'll end up going
Thanks again for this information! 🥰💯
They both have some definite advantages. But cork seems a no-go for people with pets or kids because of the wear factor. If I build my own house though, I'll stick with an earthen product (like porcelain, ceramic, or quarry tile).
My parents got bamboo flooring. It’s was not durable at all. Any bit of water would make it swell .
What is the life span of cork floors used as underlayment (please excuse my bad spelling).
When cork became popular 20 years ago a client asked me about it. I had a sample and put a groove in it with my fingernail. 6 months later it was still there. The house i have now came with a cork floor in the kitchen. It's nice to walk on but impossible to see anything on it and the few places whre it has chipped out is not repairable. Wood or bamboo is always repairable. Wood /Bamboo for the win.
Noticing that one of the brands in the video was Cali Bamboo... DO NOT use this company! They are an absolute nightmare.
Yep
Years ago, some friends had cork board on their walls. The cork was infested with cockroaches. No cork for me.
Wouldn't that be 'corkroaches'? Lol Sorry, I couldn't help myself.
Why is bamboo so expensive when it’s so readily available ?
My experience with solid strand woven bamboo with 10 years in flooring business is bad. They are not stable and will expand causing cupping. Too many claims. My advice to avoid it or go with an engineered bamboo with plywood core under.
I do not really like my bamboo floor bc it cannot be refinished and it scrathes too easy for something I cant redo
I had bamboo flooring and you can refinish it. You can't sand it down to any degree, but you can certainly redo the polyurethane, and that will take out all but the most egregious of marks & damage.
That said, I wouldn't have it again, and this is purely down to cost. There are much cheaper options, if one is willing to put in the work required.
In my humble opinion Bamboo is one of the most underrated, hardy and strong building products on earth.
One of my requirements for flooring ist that my Cat needs to be able to run at full speed with the use of her claws if so desired or needed.
Hardwood type of floor are for this a no-go as the cat claws are useless on them and she slips.
The current solution is to use a wood carpet on top of the flooring.
I ma very tempted to test unfinished soft cork flooring in the cats main "hunting ground" as I appreciate the significant dust reduction potential that hard floors offer.
My 100 year old oak floors are no were near end of life :)
I prefers using the “Jenja” hardness scale!
You are so beautiful! have you ever considered acting?
I wonder if cork would be easier on the feet than hardwood.
It is. Cork has more "bounce" in it, and is less tiring on a person who is standing and not moving around much. Ideal for a kitchen, but make sure it is well sealed and maintained as clean.
I know several that have installed bamboo flooring and highly discourage any one from getting it. Evidently it was cheap