As I have
the opportunity to work with a variety of floor
coverings, I wanted to offer my review of APC Cork
Flooring that I installed last week. The following
section will be some information about the product
followed by my thoughts
about the product. Included are
some before and after pictures.
The product I worked with was their cork floating floor.
The construction consisted of: a top layer of cork
veneer, a HDF (high density fiberboard) middle layer and
a bottom layer of cork veneer. The top layer was factory
finished- sanded, stained and urethaned.
The top layer is very distinctive of cork flooring with
a wide variety of naturally occurring marks, texture and
colors. Although the floor was smooth to the touch, it
has the appearance of a uneven texture which is
accentuated by the color streaks. Overall, it is
extremely attractive and very unique for design
purposes.
The product was 7/16" thick. Overall, the middle layer
of HDF was the thickest portion of the floor at slightly
less than 1/4", leaving the top and bottom veneers at
slightly less than 1/8". The panels were about 1 foot
wide and about 3 foot in length. I found this product to
be an easy installation and consider it to be very
doable for any do it yourselfer. The panels are
definitely milled extremely tight in my opinion, such to
the degree that the panels stay together nicely.
To add to this, since cork is so distinctive in
appearance and natural in form, there is a wide variety
of panels that are shipped after inspection. While all
panels are common to the natural appearance of cork (ie.
large color variations, pock-marked appearance, shading
variations) some might not be what the homeowner expects
their floor to look like.
It is an absolute must to lay out several panels of
flooring from different packages prior to installation
for the homeowner to fully appreciate the contrast the
flooring will have in appearance and to make sure both
the installer and homeowner share the same vision of the
finished floor within the guidelines of the product's
appearance. I also found that pulling panels from 5
different packages while selecting boards to be
installed helped to randomize the final appearance of
the floor.
Overall,
I enjoyed working with this product. I thought the
factory finish was quite good and is easily re-applied
as needed with minimal time, effort and expense. There
is cleaning and some maintenance required for this type
of cork floor (ie. sweeping, swiffering or vacuuming;
cleaning with a mild cleaner and a mop; re-application
of the urethane finish when necessary depending on
wear.) While it may seem like a lot of upkeep, it is
basically the same as a hardwood floor but these floors
are more easily re-coated by a homeowner than a hardwood
floor is.
I loved the finished look of the floor and the multitude
of design choices that work with cork flooring. Simple,
country design blends just as easily as sleek, modern
design does. The wide array of colors and shades of
light and dark really open up all avenues for
decorating.
The real benefits of comfortable flooring in areas
dominated by hard surfaces (like kitchens) is a great
plus. Aside from a comfortable floor to stand on for
long periods of time, cork flooring also insulates your
floors better and is hard to beat when it comes to
acting as a sound barrier. Add to that the natural
water-resistance of cork and it's easy reparability and
you have a great floor choice.
The homeowners noticed the difference in the acoustics
of the kitchen and the feel of the floor immediately.
I absolutely recommend cork flooring in any kitchen as
well as any other room where a new floor with the above
mentioned benefits would be appreciated. When it comes
time to select a floor for your next room make-over,
definitely give cork a 2nd & 3rd look.
veneer, a HDF (high density fiberboard) middle layer and
a bottom layer of cork veneer. The top layer was factory
finished- sanded, stained and urethaned. 
Overall,
I enjoyed working with this product. I thought the
factory finish was quite good and is easily re-applied
as needed with minimal time, effort and expense. There
is cleaning and some maintenance required for this type
of cork floor (ie. sweeping, swiffering or vacuuming;
cleaning with a mild cleaner and a mop; re-application
of the urethane finish when necessary depending on
wear.) While it may seem like a lot of upkeep, it is
basically the same as a hardwood floor but these floors
are more easily re-coated by a homeowner than a hardwood
floor is.