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lisa51417

Cork flooring and dogs

lisa51417
15 years ago

I'm thinking of installing cork flooring in a nightly rental house which will be "dog-friendly." Does anyone have experience with cork flooring and dogs (of all kinds and all obedience levels!)? I've had friends say hardwood will scratch, and tile would be a bit pricey and cold (for the Northwest). I know laminate is one choice, but I love the look of cork!

BTW, the cork would be going in the living room area and the bedrooms upstairs.

Comments (5)

  • sncrlyme
    15 years ago

    WE INSTALLED CORK FLOORING IN OUR KITCHEN ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. WE LOVE IT. HOWEVER, WE HAVE 3 LABS. THE CORK HASN'T HELD UP WELL AT ALL WITH THE ROUGH HOUSING OUR DOGS DO. I'M ALREADY EAGER TO REPLACE IT.

  • oruboris
    15 years ago

    If sncrlyme can disengage his/her cap lock, I'd like to hear what brand of floor and what areas of the home where it's located.

    I like the idea of cork, but I'm bothered by the incredibly thin the wear layer on most products.

    I'm trying to decide on a floor for my upper storey, which is basicly my office and bedroom. My bull terrier sleeps in my room, so there will be dogs on the floor, but they spend most of their time on the main level, which will be tile.

    Radiant floor heat, so I'm inclined to use a floating product, though some experts say Duro glue down will work, too. I guess if I use the floating, it will be easy to replace if things don't work out...

  • southerndrawl
    15 years ago

    I read in consumer reports that you have to refinish cork flooring often. Is that really the case? (We're thinking of looking at it for our kitchen.)

  • clg7067
    15 years ago

    I quick search came up with this.

    "Although cork may heal itself when a slit is made, that's not the same as having chunks taken out. If you have dogs or cats or a penchant for cooking in stilettos, cork is probably not for you. But the main problem is refinishing. A cork floor with the standard polyurethane coat is said to stand up to "normal wear and tear" for only 5 -10 years. After which it will need a new coat of poly. Installers recommend adding additional poly. to the original install, which will keep your floors looking great longer but also add cost to the job. Refinishing cork is not like refinishing hardwood, where you can refinish almost endlessly to ensure your floors look great from the first year to decades past the fiftieth. Because the pieces are so thin, usually three-sixteenths of an inch, and crumbly, they require unusually gentle sanding between coats."

    Here is a link that might be useful: cork flooring