Hello everyone,
We will soon be installing flooring ourselves in our upper floor and are currently still in the "exploration phase."
We are considering choosing cork flooring.
At a local specialist retailer, we saw a cork floor from Wicanders with a vinyl backing and were very impressed.
For us, the natural cork combined with the durable vinyl surface perfectly completes the ideal floor characteristics.
Now the question:
The Wicanders floor at the specialist retailer would cost around €45 per square meter (about $45 per square meter).
At the home improvement store, I can get the same floor, of course from a different manufacturer—CORKLIFE—for around €35 per square meter (about $35 per square meter).
The construction looks identical to me, and the producer behind the scenes seems to be the same.
Has anyone had experience with either of these floors or possibly knows what the differences might be?
I’m obviously hesitant to pay €10 per square meter ($10 per square meter) more if the added value is limited.
For your information: parquet is not an option for us—we are not "wood enthusiasts," and parquet would have more disadvantages for our personal preferences than, for example, cork/vinyl.
As for vinyl flooring, I am somehow not willing to spend more than €30 per square meter ($30 per square meter)—which you probably should if you don’t want “junk” 😀. So I think cork is a very good alternative.
We will soon be installing flooring ourselves in our upper floor and are currently still in the "exploration phase."
We are considering choosing cork flooring.
At a local specialist retailer, we saw a cork floor from Wicanders with a vinyl backing and were very impressed.
For us, the natural cork combined with the durable vinyl surface perfectly completes the ideal floor characteristics.
Now the question:
The Wicanders floor at the specialist retailer would cost around €45 per square meter (about $45 per square meter).
At the home improvement store, I can get the same floor, of course from a different manufacturer—CORKLIFE—for around €35 per square meter (about $35 per square meter).
The construction looks identical to me, and the producer behind the scenes seems to be the same.
Has anyone had experience with either of these floors or possibly knows what the differences might be?
I’m obviously hesitant to pay €10 per square meter ($10 per square meter) more if the added value is limited.
For your information: parquet is not an option for us—we are not "wood enthusiasts," and parquet would have more disadvantages for our personal preferences than, for example, cork/vinyl.
As for vinyl flooring, I am somehow not willing to spend more than €30 per square meter ($30 per square meter)—which you probably should if you don’t want “junk” 😀. So I think cork is a very good alternative.
Rumbi441 schrieb:
And what was your original question again?As I said, the differences are hard to spot—even for the salespeople on the phone. In the end, they don’t really know much about all the products. Some of them work for several manufacturers, which is pretty crazy.
I just wanted to know if anyone has experience with either of the two manufacturers or if someone has faced a similar decision. Or maybe if someone generally advises against buying something like this?
R
RotorMotor14 Dec 2021 10:50For me, the advantage of this "combined floor" is hard to see.
Rather, it seems like a combination of disadvantages from all sides:
- contains PVC
- expensive
- can absorb water
- hinders underfloor heating
- you walk on plastic (probably PU, but I only see "protective layer" mentioned?)
- appearance is just printed
The "pure" products often have only about half of these disadvantages?!
Rather, it seems like a combination of disadvantages from all sides:
- contains PVC
- expensive
- can absorb water
- hinders underfloor heating
- you walk on plastic (probably PU, but I only see "protective layer" mentioned?)
- appearance is just printed
The "pure" products often have only about half of these disadvantages?!
RotorMotor schrieb:
For me, the advantage of this "combined floor" is hard to see.
It seems more like a mix of disadvantages from all sides:
- contains PVC
- expensive
- can absorb water
- conducts underfloor heating poorly
- you walk on plastic (probably PU, but I only see "protective layer" mentioned)
- appearance is just printed
The "pure" products often only have about half of these drawbacks?! Well, basically it combines the benefits of vinyl with those of a natural product.
If you want a durable, scratch-resistant floor that contains very little "unnatural" material but is PVC-free, and still offers a comfortable feel underfoot, good impact sound insulation, and a natural look, I think this floor offers good value for money.
A decent vinyl floor costs at least as much. I can’t get parquet under €45. Everything else is out of the question anyway.
With parquet, the only advantage is that it is made entirely from natural material and feels a bit warmer and more pleasant underfoot. So, unless you are really a fan of wood or parquet, I don’t think there is a huge noticeable benefit, in my opinion.
R
RotorMotor14 Dec 2021 11:18Prager91 schrieb:
Well, basically it combines the advantages of vinyl with those of a natural product. Could you maybe clarify that using my list or one of your own?
Prager91 schrieb:
If you want a durable, scratch-resistant floor That usually means a PU wear layer. I don’t see why you would combine that with both vinyl and cork?! Either one is enough for a soft feel underfoot. Although Corklife apparently doesn’t contain any vinyl at all?
RotorMotor schrieb:
Can you somehow make this clearer using my list or your own?
That usually means a PU wear layer. I don’t see why it should be combined with both vinyl AND cork?!
For a soft feel underfoot, either one is enough.
Although Corklife doesn’t seem to contain any vinyl at all? Yes, it is a PU wear layer. Basically, it should not be equated with vinyl, that’s correct. It is a component of a vinyl floor. However, this layer is much more durable and scratch-resistant than pure cork or solid wood flooring. That’s why I would like to combine it with a cork floor.
In principle, I would also choose PURE cork – but a pure cork floor simply looks ****** (bad), which is why we opted against that option.
Visually, the floor is a dream for us – it is not inferior in appearance to wood flooring as far as we are concerned.
R
RotorMotor14 Dec 2021 11:44Then you have found the right floor for you. 😉
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