STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

It's really cool stuff!  Environmentally friendly since it's a renewable resource, and nice and soft on the feet.  I might think twice about putting it in high-traffic areas though - IIRC it can be gouged and scratched more easily than wood.  Putting it in a kitchen or a bathroom area could also be tricky, or a very damp basement because of the close proximity to water.  I think I would try to find out some more specifics on durability before I decided.

-- Edited by LMonet at 21:44, 2005-08-21

We put cork floors in our house 1 1/2 yrs ago -- everywhere except the bathrooms.  we got a pre-finished, glueless, click together cork that came in 1 foot by 3 foot pieces.  it's what they call a floating floor -- the brand we got was APC Cork. 

I absolutely love our floor.  It's unique and people always compliment us on it.  i also feel good about the fact that it's a renewable resouce.  it has been fine in the kitchen -- we waxed the kitchen and high traffic living room area b/c they told us that would help keep the finish up and it has seemed to work (although it's getting to be time to put another coat of wax on, which i have been avoiding b/c it was such a pain in the ass the first time).

i don't think i would recommend it if you have dogs, b/c their nails would totally trash it and unlike a wood floor, you can't sand out the scratches.  it is softer than wood, which is great on your feet.  it has a warm quality that wood doesnt' have, like in the winter it is comfy to be barefoot like it is on carpet, and is soft so it's almost cushy.  the downside of this is that it does dent more easily (i have noticed that after we have a party where people have been standing around in heels, there are little dents all over from the heels.  they are subtle -- you can only see them looking across the floor at a certain angle and they seem to go away after a a while (they say the cork has "memory" so dents spring back), but the divets drive my bf crazy).

if you research it on the internet, you should be able to find pictures of rooms done in cork.  this helped me visualize it when we were choosing flooring.  overall, the look of it is very clean and modern.  the seams are butted up to each other very tightly, which give a more flat, seamless look than you get with most hardwood floors. 

i think the cork is the kind of thing that you have to decide if you lifestyle dicates -- if you have kids, dogs, etc i might stay away from it and go with something more durable.  otherwise, it's beautiful and unique.

let me know if you have any more questions -- i'd love share anything i can.

-- Edited by e_doli at 23:49, 2005-08-24

Thanks for the info ladies...I think I'm going to go ahead with the loft although it wont be ready until spring which is kind of a bummer, but I guess it gives me plenty of time to shop for the perfect furnishings.  I'm still undecided on the flooring options...as exciting as it is to pick out all this stuff it's a little overwhelming because you are picking out cabinets, counter tops, floors etc, from these tiny little samples... it's so tough to visualize the finished space.