How Practical is Cork Flooring Material in the Bathroom?

by mikek

When it comes to replacing your bathroom floor, you may want to consider putting in a cork floor. Cork flooring is about as green as you can go. It is made of tree-like tropical grasses which replenish themselves within just a few years’ time. It is also a great flooring material as it is soft and warm to walk on with bare feet and as it is highly immune to the dampness that’s an inherent part of any bathroom environment. This kind of flooring repels moisture and keeps mold, mildew, and bacteria at bay, and cleaning cork floors is convenient. All-in-all, cork is an excellent choice for your bathroom floor.

Keep in mind that with cork, just like with any other type of wood flooring material, your floor will be subject to contraction and expansion based on climate factors. It wi expand during the warmer summer months and contract during heating season. It does have a tendency to be a more stable product than other hardwoods, though. While most wood only contracts and expands across the grain, cork expands in all directions. If your floor is laid properly, is going to be ready to go with the flow of climate changes without an obvious difference in the way it looks.

Floating cork floors aren’t recommended for bathroom use. Floating implies instead of being nailed to the sub-floor, the boards are glued to each other, and while this method of cork flooring installation can give your floors a great look in other places in the house, the moisture and possible spillage in the bathroom makes it a poor choice. Cork floors are straightforward for you to lay without professional help. After you’ve installed the flooring, make sure you caulk around all of the outside edges. You do not want to leave any openings where water can creep under your floor and cause damage to sub-floors or walls. Though the cork itself is resistant to moisture, these other materials aren’t.

Some professionals will recommend that you not use any kind of wood floors product in a bathroom due to possible water damage. Other people report they’ve had cork floors in their necessary rooms for a number of years with great success. Exotic flooring materials,such as cork and bamboo, became very hot with owners thanks to the fact that they’re environmentally-friendly, look great, and can be less expensive than other sorts of flooring. The choice is up to you.
.

Reduce Your Energy Bills With The Purchase Of A Brand New Home