Categories

Floating cork vs click lock engineered wood flooring

Comparison chart floating cork vs click lock engineered hardwood flooring

Which flooring is better?

floating-cork-flooring-installed
VS
engineered-click-lock-wood-flooring-in-bedroom

Floating cork flooring

Rating1

Click lock engineered wood flooring

Look and appearance

Prefinished cork flooring is available in different shades and patterns with dark or medium gloss finish.

4
5

One of the most beautiful flooring materials. Available in variety of colors and shades. Most popular species: oak, maple, cherry, hickory.

Suitability

Appropriate for most rooms. Best suits for bedrooms, playrooms, kids rooms, living rooms or other places where you walk barefoot. Not the best option for bathrooms.

3
4

Best option for living room or bedroom. Can be installed on kitchen and in hallways but not recommended for installation in rooms with potentially high moisture level such as bathrooms, powder rooms or laundry rooms.

Child friendliness

Feels soft under the feet, but surface can be easily damaged.

3
4

Harder surface, but still can be scratched or damaged by liquid spills.

Pet friendliness

Cork floors are susceptible to pet urine and could be easily scratched by pet’s claws.

3
3

Can be damaged by pet urine or scratched by claws.

Stain resistance

Fairly stain resistant.

3
3

Wood can be stained and discolored spots might appear on floor surface if water, juice or pet urine won’t be cleaned from the hardwood promptly.

Water resistance

Cork flooring is water resistant material and do not rot, but core layer which often made from MDF can be easily damaged by water.

4
2

High moisture level in the room or spilled water can easily damage wood floors.

Fade resistance

Cork floors might change in color under light exposure.

3
2

Direct sunlight can cause discoloring of wood floors. Some wood species might even change in color overtime under normal light intensity.

Durability and hardness

Cork has unique elastic ability to regain original form after impact. Cork flooring is durable enough even for high traffic areas.

3
4

Depends on species and finish quality, but most of wood flooring products are rated higher on Janka hardness scale compare to cork flooring.

Thermal and sound insulation properties

Cork has an excellent ability to absorb sound and it is one of the best thermal insulation materials.

5
3

Do not lower transmission of sound in the room significantly, and it is not high efficient insulator.

Longevity

25 + years.

3
4

Over 25 years.

Maintenance

Fairly easy to clean.

3
4

Elimination of any liquids from wood surface quickly will ensure long lasting flooring performance.

Manufacturer warranty

Greatly vary, but normally 30 years limited wear warranty.

-
-

Warranty on hardwood flooring depends on a manufacturer and product quality. Most wood floors producers offer 25 – 55 years limited wear warranty on their products.

Normally sold in

Cases 36” – 48” long.

-
-

Cases 36” – 84” long.

Typical weight per square foot

1.8 – 2.4 lb/ ft2

-
-

1.4 – 2.6 lb/ft2

Products view

cork-flooring
click-lock-engineered-hardwood-flooring

Typical thickness

0.375 in. – 0.5 in.

-
-

0.375 in. – 0.75 in.

Eco friendliness

100% renewable resource.

5
2

Wood floors made from trees which have to be cut and factory processed.

Price

Vary. Some products more expensive than engineered click lock wood flooring.

3
4

Greatly vary and some wood floors might be quite expensive.

Installation cost (labor)

Cost to install floating cork flooring similar to laying click locks engineered hardwood floors.

4
4

Nearly the same as cork.

Installation complexity

Easy to install.

2
2

Many homeowners are able to perform click lock floors installation as a do it yourself project.

Installation time

Installation of 12” x 36” cork flooring tiles in 11’x 14’ bedroom is normally a few hours task excluding removal of an old flooring material and preparation work.

2
2

Experienced installer typically is able to complete installation of 5 in. wide engineered hardwood flooring planks in 15’ x 20’ living room in one day, not accounting any preparation or extra work.

Common problems

Can be scratched by heavy furniture or sharp objects, core layer can be damaged by water.

3
3

Hardwood floors are susceptible to water damages and react on sunlight by changing the color.

important-notes 1 Rating was estimated on the scale from 1 to 5, accounting 1 as lowest and 5 as the highest quality of a product. Always consider the fact: not all products made equally the same and performance of particular flooring material significantly depends on individual product quality, adequate installation, and proper maintenance.

Which flooring is better?

Floating cork and click lock engineered hardwood flooring have their own advantages and disadvantages, and which one to buy depends on many factors. Wood tends to be more desirable flooring material, but green flooring such as cork increasing in popularity and already an option not an alternative to traditional floor covering materials.