Cork Flooring In Cold Temperatures
Professional installation is fairly economical adding 1 to 2 per square foot.
Cork flooring in cold temperatures. Cork is warmer than vinyl hardwood and laminate. Many of us have chilly basements or rooms that experience a lot of heat loss through the floor. Cork flooring costs. Because of its multilayered construction the planks will not expand and contract as much as a solid hardwood floor.
Cork flooring is known as the cold weather floor as cork provides a natural insulation. As solid hardwood changes it can become warped or develop cupping. These types include high pressure laminate hpl and laminate that has an abrasion class ac rating of ac3 ac4 or ac5. While solid hardwood is as warm as engineered hardwood it s prone to shrinking in the cold and expanding during warm weather.
This is especially the. The cold weather floor. To learn more about ac ratings and high pressure laminate check out our laminate flooring section. Laminate flooring comes in many varieties.
If you usually wear socks or slippers around the house to avoid cold floors under your feet you ll appreciate cork s ability to stay at room temperature and therefore feel warm to the touch. Amid changes in temperature and humidity all flooring materials are susceptible to expansion and contraction to some extent but engineered hardwood flooring is going to be the most dimensionally stable material you will find. Now that we re entering winter many of us are thinking of new ways to keep warm. Cork floors will be harmed however by excessive moisture.
Though brands vary in general it s durable easy to maintain simple to install and won t be affected by frosty temperatures in the same way as for example vinyl or linoleum which may crack when cold especially if the floor is not allowed to warm up before being subjected to heavy foot traffic. Some laminate floor types can withstand hot and cold climates as well as changes in humidity. It is a type of flooring that keeps your floors warm in colder climates and will not expand or contract from high moisture levels dry air or high temperature hence a great option for cold climates. Costs for cork flooring planks or tiles can run from 2 to 12 per square foot depending on the thickness of the material the quality of the cork and the quality of the finish.
It works extremely well with radiant heat systems in homes. And believe it or not the type of flooring you choose can greatly affect the insulation of your home. Cork is an increasingly popular flooring material that offers a number of advantages. It is hypoallergenic antimicrobial and temperature stable making it pleasantly warm in winter and cool in summer.
If your home is drafty the cool air will make your hardwood floor cold as well.