Cork Bathroom Flooring Options

Cork Bathroom Flooring Options

Cork Floors for Bathrooms

Walking through a flooring store looking for the perfect material for your bathroom can be overwhelming. If you are looking for an eco-friendly option that is also attractive and provides warmth, take a look at cork.

Eco-friendly design is getting more popular, which means the selection of "green" flooring materials continues to increase and become more stylish. When it comes to choosing a bathroom floor, many homeowners are investing in cork, a unique and eco-conscious material that lends a warm and unique look equally suited to modern or traditional spaces.

Made from the naturally shed bark of cork oak, leaving the trees in tact, cork is a highly renewable resource. Not only is it good for the ecosystem at large, cork is great for a home's environment as well. It is resistant to mold and mildew, making it one of the most hypoallergenic flooring options available and a smart choice for damp bathrooms. Cork is filled with air cells that make it naturally spongy and soft underfoot. Whether used as a subfloor under hardwood or carpet, or as a standalone floor, cork provides a comfortable surface that provides warmth and sound insulation.

Cork Floors in the Bathroom

Cork floors cost more than linoleum and carpeting but are on par with many hardwood floors. Now available in a full range of colors and patterns, cork comes in both tiles and planks. Glue-down tiles, which come finished or unfinished, are best for above-grade applications, while the click-in-place planks create a floating floor that is suitable for any part of the home. To be certain the floor won't irritate allergies or be prone to water seeping between gaps, it's best to choose unfinished cork and have your installer use low-VOC adhesives and finishes. Installation of cork can be tricky, especially in a bathroom that will require tricky edge work around the tub and toilet, so it is best left to a professional or very experienced DIYers.

Although cork flooring is as durable as hardwood floors, it can still be damaged. Heavy objects placed or dropped on the floor can leave an indentation, and sliding an appliance across the floor can tear the surface. Coasters should be used under appliances to displace the weight if they will sit on top of the cork floor. Like hardwood floors, cork can discolor over time if receives direct sun exposure.

While cork floors are not waterproof, they are water resistant -- perfect for a bathroom. A polyurethane topcoat will protect the floors from minor spills. It's best to use a mat or area rug near the sink and bathtub, however, to protect the floors from potentially damaging amounts of water. Regular sweeping and dry mopping can help protect the finish, which typically needs to be reapplied every 5 to 10 years.

Other Flooring Perfect for a Bathroom

More For You

Cork Bathroom Flooring Options

Source: https://www.bhg.com/bathroom/flooring/cork-bathroom-floors/

SHARE
    Blogger Comment
    Facebook Comment

0 komentar:

Posting Komentar

banner