Disadvantages of cork flooring

If   you are planning to change the flooring of your home and are considering cork   flooring, remember that cork flooring carries a number of disadvantages.   While there are certain advantages as well, but when compared to other   flooring options, cork flooring generally falls short. To make sure that you   make an informed decision, we have created a list of some of the most common   disadvantages of cork flooring.

Sealing

It is very important to seal cork flooring to ensure that it stays   protected from damage. As soon as the flooring is installed, you will be   required to seal the floor to ensure that it is well-protected from damage   caused due to water, stains and other types of problems. Moreover, it is also   very important to ensure that a good quality sealant is used and a   professional has done the sealing job for you as low quality sealant or   improper application of sealant leaves the floor highly vulnerable to damage.

Cleaning

Cork floors require high maintenance and cleaning. Moreover,   cleaning cork floor is not as simple as you might imagine. As mentioned   above, cork flooring is highly vulnerable to water damage. If the flooring   gets wet, it will start expanding and result in an uneven texture. Over time,   cracks will start developing on the floor. While comparing to other flooring   options, you cannot just mop cork flooring with water.

Damage

As mentioned above, cork flooring is vulnerable to water damage.   Apart from the damage caused by water, cork flooring is also vulnerable to   physical damage. For instance, if you accidentally drop anything heavy on the   cork floor a dent will instantly appear on the floor. Apart from this, heavy   furniture units can also result in deep dents on cork floors over   time.

Cost

While cork flooring is considered inexpensive as compared to other   flooring options like hardwood, it is still expensive than laminates and   carpets. Moreover, the cost of applying sealant and repairing damages generally   results in high maintenance costs as compared to other types of flooring   options.

Fading

Another drawback of cork flooring is the fact that it gets lighter   when overexposed to sunlight and will start fading. As a result, cork   flooring cannot be installed near doors or windows.

As you can see, there are a number of downsides of installing cork   flooring. If you want to change your flooring there are number of affordable   options that do not carry so many disadvantages.