Our Cork Floors – Update Report
A year has flown by since I laid our Globus Cork glue down tiles in our kitchen. I wanted to check back in and let you know how they are holding up. I must say this is one of my favorite (if not THE favorite) fixture in our kitchen. I had some minor doubts because some people feared that dogs and cork floors don’t go well together. Or that rambunctious boys would ruin them. Well, I’m here to report that after a year they still look the same as when they were installed!
I can tell you that there has been lots of chair scraping. Lots of matchbox car races. Lots of wrestling and plenty of Buddy sliding on them as he runs to retrieve balls.
I have yet to see a scratch anywhere! The only mark that I did manage to make was a small dent when I dropped one of the heavy corbels and it hit the floor right at the pointy edge. But, I can’t even find that dent to be able to check on it.
There is also one dip where I must not have filled a knot hole in the underlayment. But, it is barely noticeable unless the light hits it just right:
These are the things that I love most about our kitchen floors:
- They are super soft underfoot
- They are warm
- They are forgiving, you can drop glass or plates on it and they rarely shatter
- They are tough, no scratches from the dogs nails or chairs moving on them
My biggest compliment is that they don’t show dirt or dog hair! (And that’s good because I only clean them once a month with warm water and some Bona floor cleaner.) The picture below is our current floors, three weeks post cleaning. There are plenty of crumbs, dog hair and smeared food on that floor, but I challenge you to find them:
I can without a doubt recommend these to anyone who is interested. You can purchase cork flooring like ours at Globus Cork. They have an excellent product and great customer service.
Update 11/6/2017:
It has been four and a half years since I installed our Globus Cork Floors. People ask me all the time how I like our cork floors. My answer is always, “I love them!” The floors still look great. We have a new wildly energetic puppy and he loves to retrieve balls thrown across the floor. They hold up to his scratching slides and racing around corners. I have not resealed the floors once since I installed them, however Globus recommends applying a new top coat once a year. Recently I have noticed some very shallow scratches in the top coat, so I purchased a bottle of polish from Globus to fill in the scratches and reapply the topcoat to continue to protect our cork floor. I’m just waiting for a day that is kid-free and warm so I can send our dog outside while I clean and apply the topcoat. 😉
Disclosure: After lots of research, I selected Globus Cork because I liked their product selection, the product reviews and their customer service. I approached them about working with me on my kitchen renovation. They agreed to partner with me. I received complimentary products, but I was not told what to write or share. Please know that I am very selective about which companies and products I chose to work with. And I will always disclose partnerships and sponsored posts to you the reader.
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This post is amazing and the updates on how it’s holding up is great!!! What kind of glue did you use? Is the glue non toxic as well? Zero VOC or formehldehyde? Also how does the price compare to like…hardwood flooring? Thanks so much for this post again it’s reallyyyy helpful!!!
It’s the glue sold and recommended by Globus Cork. You’d have to contact them to ask those questions.
Hey Brittany,
Your flooring looks wonderful! Nice job!! I’m thinking of adding cork flooring to my kitchen too since I want a floor that’s not only aesthetically pleasing but also comfortable and pretty eco-friendly. I currently have black and white tile in my kitchen and I really dislike it. It looks outdated and it’s hard to take care of. When I was looking for suggestions for a new floor I came across this article about the positives and negatives of cork flooring…https://housetipster.com/housetips/1376/cork-flooring-pros-and-cons
It’s great at explaining the benefits of cork flooring. I thought it might be helpful for anyone who wants to get new flooring.
Hi Brittany, My question about the cork floor is about dents. Does the floor underneath a heavy table or piece of furniture hold up without leaving dents. I like to more my furniture around from time to time.
Thanks,
Allie
Yes it does. Some I haven’t noticed any impressions under the table. If there are any, it usually pops back up after some time.
Hi Brittany – We installed cork flooring throughout our main floor level (kitchen, dining, living room, etc.) in 2013 and have loved it. No complaints. However, after all these years, we are now noticing that we have significant fading. I’ve read various comments about sanding and that doesn’t seem practical for our large spaces. I noticed on Globus FAQ for “How to Refinish Cork Floors” they say “use our cork polish product which you wipe on and let dry. You can spot apply it or do the full floor. The polish will dry quickly in about a half hour.” Have you had any experience with this product? Will it actually “refinish” faded floors or is it just a maintenance product? Thanks.
I love your floors. They are beautiful and I’m so pleased to hear how well they’ve stood the test of a family. Could you please tell me how long each strip you’ve used is? And did you get bevelled egdes? Thanks!
They are the 18″ x 6″ Globus cork glue down tiles. No bevel that I can see. Here’s the link to all the sizes and shapes they carry: http://www.corkfloor.com/ordering.html
Hi, Brittany, we have cork flooring in the kitchen also! I love them, and like you say, it’s hard to see the crumbs and spots on it, even if they are there! We haven’t had any issues with it at all, in these 5 years since. I didn’t put anything on it to protect the surface, and I’m still happy with it!
Has your canine family member ever urinated on them? This is a must know answer for us to consider with our once in while Shitzu piddler…
Jane, yes, we had one accident on the cork with our new puppy. It pools up on the floor for easy clean up. We’ve had plenty of liquid spills and it’s no problem.
Hi Brittany – we are considering cork for our kitchen reno. After a couple years, are you still happy with the way yours look & have held up? Thanks!
Kelly, YES YES YES! We still love our floor and it looks the same as when we installed it three years ago. IT has survived two rowdy boys and three dogs. Super happy with our Globus Cork floors. And I haven’t re-sealed them.
Can you tell me how much tile you used?
You’d have to figure out your own square footage and allow 15-20% overage.
Is this product made in a western country or the USA. Also, what if a dog has an accident and pee pees on the floor; will it retain the odor once cleaned up?
We are thinking about this for our family room. Your design work looks beautiful and the coloring is awesome.
Thank you.
You might need to ask Globus these questions. I’m not sure.