Hello,
I’d like to use cork flooring on an above garage playroom floor (approx. 550 sq ft; over top of 3/4″ T&G Advantek subfloor). I like the cork because it seems more suitable for use in a play room that will be used as a Karate studio, weight room (perhaps even as a meeting room for large gatherings). I’m trying to balance comfort [i.e. is would hurt to get knocked on your can on a hardwood floor] and duability [e.g. foot traffic, weight machines].
I don’t know anyone who has cork floors, but mabey some of you know about this product, and can keep me from walking off a cliff here.
- Is cork suitable for such a use.
- sources for cork other than lumberliquidators.com
Thanks,
Roger;
Replies
I put cork laminate flooring (not to be confused with cork linoleum) in our library (den). Very nice effect with wood paneling.
I also used a thick cork underlayment for regular wood laminate in the kid's bedrooms.
You haven't described what kind of cork floor you had in mind. What I found in looking at the varieties is that although sealed, some have more prominent knot hole depressions at the surface. I was concerned that those would collect dirt or like any knothole, be weak. The more (I'll call it fine-celled, or fine grained, not sure what the correct term is) looks to be more promising for playroom use. The finer, more knot-free cork is more expensive, though, just like any wood product.
Your cork floor idea merits strong consideration. Perhaps there are commercial office varieties are suitable too. With any natural flooring product, the one thing I would be really, really careful about is selecting a product on-line without evaluating samples. By "samples" I mean several square feet, not just the typical 3" by 3" the retailer sends in the mail. For an internet sale, you might have to convince them to sell only several square feet to you, or else go to a local retailer.
I purchased from I-Floor dot com, but had the advantage that they have a small retail (no-frills) store locally where I could get the larger samples. If I had gone with my initial on-line selections, I would have made a big mistake.
Not as attractive as cork floor, but much better for the weight room application, are the flecked-rubber roll products used in health clubs. It does have a "tire rubber" smell when new which reduces as it ages. Don't use the black rubber mats over any permanent flooring (ex: a weight area in a corner of the room) as it will produce a dark stain. It could be used as an "inset" flooring for one of the room's corners.
This is likely what you have in mind, but since I have no shortage of opinions: If it were me, I'd pick the flooring material I can live with long term, and use "karate studio" worthy mats, which I know are expensive. They can be easily re-sold (you might look for used ones), have no installation cost, and are better than any flooring material for the intended purpose. The cork is an excellent choice in that regard for the permanent floor, especially over a cold garage. In my exercise room, I installed a nice quiet Panasonic exhaust fan to draw plenty of fresh air in. I discovered that I needed a damper on the heat duct to keep the room cooler than the rest of the house in the winter. After that, it was really nice!
Roger
I like cork flooring but I'd be hesitant to use it around weights - they might tear it up some. Thats just my opinion though, maybe you dont drop or drag the weights around much.
As far as karate room - I've been involed with martial arts for almost 30 years and I've never had anything except hardwood gym floors! If you get knocked down on them a few times you'll learn to not let it happen again!
Doug
If you do go with cork, I'd recommend the glue-down tiles rather than the floating plank system. I have the cork planks in several areas of my house and find that seasonal shrinkage and expansion opens up gaps between the planks - sometimes big ones! I'm thinking that skidding bodies and feet might also tend to shift the planks a bit.
One other consideration - cork needs to be kept "dressed" so it doesn't dry out or get dirt ground in. This keeps it looking great, but also can make it a little slippery. I agree that a rubber product would be better for your application.
Where I grew up my best friend family had cork tiles in their den and basement. Last +/- 34 years with daily use.
Best to you and yours, Chris.
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Thanks all,
What I will probably do is use prefinished hardwood from lumber liquidators (4" select beech at $1.99 /sq ft), then (with the savings [the 12mm cork planks that I liked were about $3/ sq ft]) buy some mats for sparring and throws.
Thanks again,
Roger <><
http://www.duro-design.com
everything you will need. 6 different patterns and 56 colors or they will make custom colors. They have glue down which I used or floating floor. They have PDF instructions and supply the water based glue and catalyzed poly finish. Look them up before buying elsewhere.