How Practical is Cork Flooring in the Bathroom?

When it comes to replacing your bathroom floor, you might want to consider putting in a cork floor. Cork flooring is about as “green” as you can go. It is made from tree-like tropical grasses which replenish themselves within a few years’ time. It is also a great flooring material because it is soft and warm to walk on with bare feet and because it is extremely resistant to the dampness that is an inherent part of any bathroom environment. This type of flooring repels moisture and keeps mold, mildew, and bacteria at bay. All-in-all, cork is can be 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 will expand during the warmer summer months and contract during heating season. It does tend to be a more stable product that other hardwoods, though. While most wood only contracts and expands across the grain, cork expands in all directions. If your floor is laid correctly, it will be able to go with the flow of climate changes without a noticeable difference in the way it looks.

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

Some experts will recommend that you not use any type of wood flooring product in a bathroom because of possible water damage. Other people report they’ve had cork floors in their necessary rooms for many years with great success. Exotic flooring materials, such as cork and bamboo, have become very popular with homeowners due to the fact that they’re environmentally-friendly, look great, and can be less expensive than other types of flooring. The choice is up to you.

For more info visit http://www.corkflooringinfo.com.