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Review #1

Danielle's Flooring

> Hi.

> I’m gathering information about this manufacturer for my small blog. I will be very thankful if you answer a few questions.

Okay but point form is what you get. =)

> 1. How long do you have Quick Step flooring? What type/product do you have?

Four or five years. Quadra – Don’t remember what pattern.

> 2. How did you install it?

On top of dry-core in the basement. Has flooring friend install it.

> 3. Did you have any problems with this flooring?

Great floor, however a few quirks – finish on corners can chip if something is dropped and don’t leave liquid on the joints as they will swell. I have one corner that I know is chipped (you have to look to find it) and one tiny area where water was left to pool. It can be a pain to clean until you figure it out as it streaks. I think my cleaning lady sprays the cleaning product on the mop head first and then wipes.

> 4. What could you say about its durability?

Very tough. I have 3 dogs and not a single mark on it.

> 5. Other pros and cons?

Can be cool on the feet if it is in the basement. Ours isn’t too bad because it is raised off the floor by the dry-core. Noisy when one walks on it and you can hear the dogs’ nails if I don’t keep them short.

> 6. Would you recommend it?

Absolutely! It looks like it was installed yesterday so very durable.

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Review #2

Emma's Kitchen

Hi Alex, I would love to share a bit about our Quickstep – very happy with ours.

1. How long do you have Quick Step flooring? What type/product do you have? It was installed about 15 months ago and we went for Eligna boards in Natural Vanished Oak.

2. How did you install it? We bought and had it installed by a business.

3. Did you have any problems with this flooring? So far so good – no problems with the flooring. Our skirting/scotia has come off the wall in some places but this was fixed with some liquid nails.

4. What could you say about its durability? With just my partner and 2 cats living here it hasn’t been tested very thoroughly but even so, we have not seen any scratches or dents pop up whilst we’ve had it. Still looks as good as the day it was laid.

5. Other pros and cons? No cons, all pros from us! Can be a bit clacky and hollow sounding in rooms with no furnishing, but we don’t consider this a con, just part of having laminate. Rooms with furniture sound pretty solid.

6. Would you recommend it? Without hesitation. Great product.

Cheers, Emma.

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Review #3

Hi Alex,

Overall we are happy with it. Our only dissatisfaction is that it scratches a bit more easily than we thought it would.

Since this floor was going in our kitchen, we wanted a floor that we could “live” on. We have solid brazilian cherry in the rest of the house, and like other people, have been disappointed in the scratches that has sustained.

Since the kitchen is kind of the hub of our home, we knew that wouldn’t be a good floor there. So we tested many, many samples of laminate, which in general scratches less easily than solid softer woods. The QS is by no means terribly scratched. but I can see them, and it has surprised me because the sample didn’t really seem to scratch at all.

We have a very dark floor, I’m not sure if that makes a difference. I am not sure what has created the scratches. We don’t wear shoes in the shoes, and our very respectful of our furnishings. On the other hand, we do have two teens and their friends. The scratches are more small, hairline than large or thick

Other than that we’ve been very happy with it.

I left my camera at my friend the other day, but when I get it back I can send some pics of the scratches to you.

Lynn

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Review #4

Hi Alex;

1. How long do you have Quick Step flooring? What type/product do you have?

The flooring was installing in December 2011 and removed from the floor in July 2011. The product was a light oak Quick Step laminate that would have covered 1500 sq. ft. of downstairs living area. Therefore I am unable to answer questions 4, it did crack in spots releasing gases. (recommend you google formaldehyde on certain health factors such as asthma related symptoms  Smile)

2. How did you install it?

The laminate was purchased and installed by the same company.

3. Did you have any problems with this flooring? What could you say about its durability? Pros and Cons?

Cons only. Yes, I did have problems with this flooring. I am an American with Disabilities that disability is asthma. During the month of April 2011; I notice that I could not breathe in the home. Especially at night and had to wear a breathing mask used by drywall professionals. This I research the company to Mohawk Floors purchase Quickstep flooring a Cuba based Company. From this Company was told that I had been exposed to evaluated levels of formaldehyde (gases) from the flooring, especially cracked flooring in the master bedroom and Den.

4. Would you recommend it?

No.

You are Welcome; I hope that you have a better experience with the Quickstep flooring than we did. Well, I and my family are shopping for formaldehyde- free flooring due to me and my family’s history of allergic asthma (daughter & grandson have the condition).

Betty

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Review #5

Hi Alex,

Please see my answer below:

1. How long do you have Quick Step flooring? What type/product do you have? 10 months we have used it – we have: Dark grey oiled oak Classic QSM036

2. How did you install it? unsure – it was installed through our builder prior to us moving into the home

3. Did you have any problems with this flooring? No problems with the flooring to date

4. What could you say about its durability? We have an inside dog that runs around in side and I wear heels inside – we have had no issues with scratches or dents what so ever

5. Other pros and cons? I love the warmness of the timber look and feel over tiles – carefree maintenance – just a vacuum or broom with static cloth attachment and don’t really need to mop it much!

The only cons is the hollow noise – especially in an open plan house it echoes a bit!

6. Would you recommend it? I would definitely recommend – it is very hardy and and easy to keep clean!

Hope this helps and best of luck with your blog

Cheers
Candice

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Review #6

1. How long do you have Quick Step flooring? - Installed in January 2009

2. What type/product do you have? - Tramonto  – looks like tile

3. How did you install it? - Professionally installed

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring? - The Tramonto has been great.  We initially had California Gold installed – unfortunately it had a horrible optical illusion that made it look “wavy” to the point that you almost felt you were going to trip over the tiles if you didn’t lift up your feet.  After the sales rep came to see it, Quickstep replaced it with the Tramonto.  This has been wonderful.

5. What could you say about its durability? - So far it has been very durable.

6. Other pros and cons? - Like all laminates, you have to be careful of water.

7. Would you recommend it? - Yes

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Hi Alex,

I don’t have it installed. I was considering it & when I finally found a store to view it, the guy advised that unless I had it installed by a professional, I would void my warranty. He quoted examples of people who had laid it with disastrous consequences. I was a turned off as the price was more than double with a professional.

Regards.

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More Quick Step laminate flooring reviews soon…

Review #1.

I’ve ment Steve at the gardenweb forum. I think he is a smart man and I appreciate his answers.

Hi Alex,

Yes, we recently installed Bamboo flooring in our kitchen.

1. How long have you been using your bamboo flooring? What type/brand do you have?

We’ve had the flooring since May.  It’s Morning Star Stranded Natural from Lumber Liquidators.  It’s a good brand and so far is holding up well.  One thing I’ll mention here now is if you use LL, I’ve heard they are much harder to deal with then if you are a contractor.  We used a contractor for two reasons – 1. We had no idea of how to do it ourselves and 2. If there were to be a problem HE’D be the one to deal with them and not us.

2. How have you installed it?

The bamboo we bought and he installed is tongue in groove and is nailed together over an old linoleum.  There are a few spots where the nail holes show through and those are areas where it wasn’t possible to do it otherwise.  Thankfully, most of the holes were able to be filled in with wood scratch crayon.

3. What could you say about its durability? Did you have any problems with this flooring?

So far, no problems and don’t anticipate any.  Stranded Bamboo is the hardest rated wood with a Janka rating of 3000.  Pretty strong stuff but it can be scratched.  The jerks who installed our stove dragged something over it when they removed the mat to place the stove and I believe it had small stones in it.  Luckily, the scratches aren’t noticeable and I’m in the process of using some wood toner to cover them.  Unless you’re wearing golf shoes, spiked high heels or things like that, it’s pretty hard to scratch.  I recommend if you go with bamboo to use either rug runners or scatter rugs.

4. How do you maintain it?

Maintenance is a breeze.  Once a week I use a micro dust mop and then use a great product that was recommended to me.  Bona (a Swedish firm and product) makes a kit that you an buy at Home Depot or Lowes. It’s much better than the Swifter products and keeps the floor looking like new.

5. Other pros and cons?

As I said, minor surface scratches can be taken care of with a number of products on the market.  Deep ones like the ones we got from the installation of the stove are harder to repair but can be fixed with a little effort.

6. Would you recommend it?

I’d absolutely recommend it.  I love the way the kitchen looks now and it’s much easier to take care of.

Hope this helps and if you have any more questions feel free to contact me.

Steve

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Review #2.

Nathalie is an investment consultant in Florida. I’m glad she had some time to answer my questions. Here’s what she told me:

Hi Alex.

Yes, I’ve had strand woven bamboo flooring for a good 4 years now (I actually forget when we installed it).  I added my answers to your email.

Let me know if you want additional info.  We really like the floors, and will be installing more on the 2nd story later this year.

1. How long have you been using your bamboo flooring? What type/brand do you have?  At least 4 years.  Yanchi brand strand woven, purchased from builddirect.com

2. How have you installed it? Glued onto concrete slab foundation

3. Did you have any problems with this flooring? None at all – it’s been great.  Boards were straight.  Fyi, we found a few cut pieces in the lawn about six months after installing (after a rainy florida summer) – after a quick clean with fantastic and a paper towel the pieces looked new.  The stuff is really durable and stable in wet environments.

4. What could you say about its durability? Excellent.  We do have a few scratches (the finish can scratch in a few cases, and the scratches show as white).  A wood filler crayon masks this.  FYI, it was a sharp rock in a shoe that did the damage – it also damaged my stone flooring.

5. How do you maintain it? Mostly vacuum and microfiber mop (dry to pick up dust).  I’ve even used method general purpose cleaner (the kitchen type stuff) a few times on spots, and I’ve used my steam cleaner a few times – no issues with either.

6. Other pros and cons? Offgasses a bit after opening/installing (and the adhesive is strong-smelling), but wasn’t too bad.

7. Would you recommend it? Yes.

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Review #3.

Our next guest is Sabrina. She wasn’t very glad when I asked her permission to publish this photo. I hope she will change her mind when I show her this post.

 Hi Alex,

Yep, we have bamboo flooring in our kitchen.

1. How long have you been using your bamboo flooring? What type/product do you have? I have country woven bamboo from Style Limited (http://www.stylebambooflooring.com/). I believe the stain is called coffee and was approx $5/sq ft (not included installation) from a local flooring store. It was installed in Aug 2010.

2. How have you installed it? We installed it ourselves (my husband is a general contractor) using glue and a few small nails around the perimeter.  I dont think floating was an option for us.

3. Did you have any problems with this flooring? No problems what so ever.

4. What could you say about its durability? Extremely durable. We have two young boys and a CRAZY 70lb dog. They fly through the kitchen and slide across the floor – no scratches. No water marks either.

5. How do you maintain it? I use a steam cleaner. I should use Bona but haven’t gotten around to it. We are pretty rough on this floor.

Couple of quick points…

We have a satin finish. I believe this helps hide the scratches…. and dirt.

In our previous home we had traditional bamboo flooring (vs woven) with a gloss finish and it was extremely soft and always looked dirty. I would not recommend traditional bamboo if you are worried about up keep.  Woven bamboo is great and I would highly recommend it. It certainly can be scratched, but holds up very well to daily wear and tear, IMO.

Hope that helps.

Sabrina

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Review #4.

I don’t remember where did I get Jeremy’s email. Probably at some forum. Here is his briefly story:

I bought whatever they had at Costco, the manufacturer was Wellmade and the name was Ardwara or something like that.  I’ve had it two years, it has cracked in numerous areas and the gaps between the flooring are so wide they fill with dirt and now it looks like I have black stripes in my flooring that are impossible to clean.  I don’t recommend it, it is very poorly engineered.

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More bamboo flooring reviews soon…

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Review #1.

Our first guest is John. Here’s what he writes:

John's Basement 1

John's Basement 2

Yes, hopefully I can help.

I installed over 1000 sq ft of Home Legend Piano finished Pecan Natural in my basement in Oct 2009. I am happy with it overall. I think it is very durable as far as scratches from traffic, etc. I have a dog and a 3 yr old, whom both put the floor to the test.

The only issues I see are some edges of flooring where the basement floor wasn’t quite level. This causes flexing of the floor which I don’t think any laminate would withstand.

Installation was pretty simple…I just had to sort out the different patterns of the planks so that “like patterns” did not sit too close to each other on the floor. It seemed that some boxes had a lot of the same pattern within, so I had to open several boxes at once to get a good variety..if that makes sense.

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Review #2.

Andrew is a graphic designer from Texas. His main hobby is photography and he was very kind to answer my questions and make a photo.

Andrew's Living Room

Hi Alex,

Yes, we did get the Home Legend flooring in our house.

1. How long have you been using your Home Legend flooring? What type/product do you have? – We have had the flooring for a little over a year. We got the Maple Sedona engineered flooring.

2. How have you installed it? – We had it installed by Home Depot (where we bought it). It was a floating floor, so not the glue down installation.

3. What could you say about its durability? – So far so good – no complaints. Seems pretty solid.

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring? – No problems..

5. How do you maintain it? – Honestly, we have just used a Swifer sweeper so far. No need to use any other cleaning products yet.

6. Other pros and cons? – The only drawback ( and this is just my personal preference on wood floors in general) is that I wish they could have done a glue-down installation. I prefer the very solid feel of a glue down floor. Floating floors feel a little different.

7. Would you recommend it? – Yes, I would recommend these floors.

I think Home Legend makes a glue down version of this floor now, not sure though.

Hope that helps with your decision.

-Andrew

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Review #3.

Our next guest is Dan from Austin, Texas. Dan has a blog about his kitchen remodel experience – daninaustin.blogspot.com. He has sent me a few photos from the archives of his remodel and I’m happy to publish them here.

Hi Alex,

We do have the Home Legend bamboo flooring installed. I’m not really thrilled with it, as it seems to scratch and dent more easily than I expected, but even with the marks it looks pretty good. Of course, I have very little to compare it to, so my expectations may have been off a bit. The rest of the wood in our house is about 60 years old and has a complete patina of scratches and dents on it, none of which I noticed until I became concerned about the dents in the new stuff. So maybe wood just gets nicked up real easily and you get used it it.

As for your questions:

1. How long have you been using your Home Legend flooring? What type/product do you have? - It was installed about 18 months ago. It is the tongue and groove bamboo product in the “toast” color. Let me know if you need more info and I can try and find it off the box.

2. How have you installed it? - It was installed by a Contractor. They used some type of glue under the boards. They had some trouble laying it flat in some areas – it would occasionally bow up along a line where 2 boards met. Not sure if this was a product issue, or more likely an issue with the skill of the installer.

3. What could you say about its durability? -Seems to dent and scratch much more easily that I expected. If you were to drop a spoon or a cell phone from waist level, it would leave a mark.

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring? - Installation issues noted above at the seams of 2 boards, and the ease of getting marked up.

5. How do you maintain it? - Sweep when needed. Someone cleans it every other week with some type of cleaner, but not sure what they use, though I’m sure it’s really mild.

6. Other pros and cons? – Looks great. There is some variation in the color, but you can match up the boards to keep it from being too dramatic.

7. Would you recommend it? - I would recommend it with the caveat that you have to know going into it that it’s going to get dented and scratched. It doesn’t look all that bad with the marks on it, so if you’re OK with the fact that there will be dents in your new wood floor, you should be happy with it. Of course, I don’t have anything to compare it to.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,
Dan

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Review #4.

Our next guest is Peachie (I don’t know the real name). It’s very sad that he/she was unable to submit a photo. We had a very small argument about whether a photo could help this post and what is the best way to write such article (testing a sample and interviewing consumers). However, I’m very much obliged to Peachie for this review.

Hi Alex,

This is the first message I received from you and will be glad to try to answer your questions. See my answers in RED.

1. How long have you been using your Home Legend flooring? What type/product do you have? I had the product installed in 2008. Home legend engineered hardwood flooring.

2. How did you install it? I had it installed by someone that does it. He charged me $2.50 a square foot. I covered 3 bedrooms, a hall and a foyer. The material was on sale at Home Depot. He used an underlayment over plywood? (I think). The total job was about $2800. I thought everything came out great 

3. What could you say about its durability? Three year durability-so far, so good.

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring? Not yet!

5. How do you maintain it? Hardwood floor cleaner or little vinegar and water.

6. Other pros and cons? Looks good. Easy to care for. Cheaper than hardwood. Nice compliments.

7. Would you recommend it? I like it for me.

You’re welcome.

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More Home Legend flooring reviews soon…

This is a first draft of the post dedicated to Tarkett flooring reviews. When I gather enough reviews, I will probably divide them into 3 groups: laminate, hardwood and fiber floor. But now I think I can leave it as it is for the present.

Review #1.

Our first guest is Shelley. She has been using Tarkett flooring for eight years and here’s her opinion about it:

Alex

My answers are below your questions. I hope this helps.

1. How long have you been using your Tarkett flooring? What type/product do you have?

We put Harris Tarkett flooring in approximately 8years ago as a floating floor through out my down stairs living area (over 2800sqft).

2. How have you installed it?

My husband did the installation with a friend with experience

3. What could you say about its durability?

The floor has been very easy to care for and we have had very few issues. I have 3 kids and an active dog. Other than a few surface scratches it has held up well.

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring?

My one complaint is regarding the transition moldings (from wood to tile). These did not last (could be due to husband’s installation). We have replaced a “T” transition molding twice now. They have had an issue with cracking and I have a feeling that the latest replacement will not last much longer.

5. How do you maintain it?

We are a busy home so care is every to every other day sweeping and once a week damp mopping with wood floor cleaner (I even use my steam mop). I find it much easier to care for than carpet. We do not baby it.

6. Other pros and cons?

In hindsight, I wish we would have not installed it as floating floor. Our HT is a real wood product ( I think some are laminate now) and although I loved the light color at the time; I wish I could refinish it to a darker shade (many people are doing this in my area). At the time of purchase we were told that the floor could be refinished up to 3x; however we have since learned from trying to obtain quotes that this is only true for glue/nail down floors.

7. Would you recommend it?

If the product is still the same quality as it was 9 years ago; then yes I would recommend it.  Like I said, we have a very active home and the floor has held up very well.

Please let me know if you should have any questions.

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Review #2.

Our next guest is Lynn from lifewithlynnb.blogspot.com. I recommend you to check her post about kitchen remodelling (lots of pics!) or a forum thread if you want to learn more about the project.

Lynn's Kitchen 1

Lynn's Kitchen 2

Hi Alex, yes, I have the tarkett floor and yes I love it. We have been using it for 2.5 years now and it still looks like new. It was glued down over the sub floor by the installer.

Our kitchen gets a lot of use and we have pets and the floor is definitely holding up well. Honestly, looks as good as the day it was laid. You can check my information in the kitchen blog for the exact specifics. (Tarkett Fiber Floor (one piece vinyl) – color/style: Arizona Saltio, Taupe #38062)

I clean out with hot water and a little ammonia in the bucket. I would honestly say that there have been no cons and I would recommend it without reservation. I hope this helps!

Lynn

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Review #3.

I’ve met Nancy at the gardenweb forum. She has several quotes as a signature in her emails. One of them is “Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle- Anonymous”. Hope our conversation wasn’t kind of battle to her =).

Nancy's Floor 1

Nancy's Tarkett Floor 2

HI,
I have had it for a little over two years. It’s called Escapade- Sycamore and I love it!

It was installed professionally so it’s perfect. It loooksl like the day it was installed. It’s in my hallway so gets stepped on every day- light traffic. I keep it looking good with Bono(Bona?) for laminates and it does a nice job. NO problems and I would recommend it to anyone.

I know this sounds like a commercial-  but I’m a 75 year old grandma who is really glad the store salesman  told me to get this brand and type. Go for it!

Cheers,
Nancy

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Review #4.

The next review seems a little strange to me. It’s a result of my conversation with a member of renotalk forum. I have no doubt about it’s truthfulness, but when somebody says that a product was more durable at demonstration than in real life, it sounds like an idiotic conspiracy to me.

1. How long have you been using your Tarkett flooring? What type/product do you have? About 2+ years. I installed it at my 2nd level and staircase. Can’t remember the type by it is the most expensive one then with grain and texture of wood and the thicker underlay.

2. How have you installed it? Installed by agent.

3. What could you say about its durability? Durability is lousy.

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring? Yes, poor workmanship, especially the area around the stairs.

5. How do you maintain it? Do not allow moisture to stay on the surface for too long.

6. Other pros and cons? Experience was bad with the after sales until i cannot think of any pros. cons are sated about.

7. Would you recommend it? I will definitely not recommend it. But the way, the profiles at the edge of the stairs is not by tarkett and I had to teach them to install it properly.

8. Why do you think the damage was caused by low quality instead of poor installation? I think it is both quality and poor installation. The floor is easily scratched by plastic when the demonstration showed it is scratch resistant to keys. Some part of of my room and staircase is bouncy.

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More Tarkett flooring reviews soon…

I’ve had an issue when I decided to divide the post into two parts: the first part is dedicated to laminate flooring reviews, while the second one – to hardwoods. The problem is that I have only one review under the second part. Of course, I will try to add more lately, but if you have any information about people having shaw hardwood floor – let me know please =) .

1. Shaw Laminate Flooring Reviews

Review #1.1

Our first guest is Lori. She was quite surprised when I asked her about the flooring. However, she’ve sent me a few photos and shared her opinion about it. Thank you, Lori.

Lori's Living Room 1

Lori's Living Room 2

I have had it about 5 yrs, my husband and I installed it. We have wood/laminate.

Durabilty seems fine, although I am very cautious. I had an iron fall on it, pointed tip first and it didn’t do a thing.

I wash it with water only (steam cleaner) or just a micro fiber dust mop.

Yes, I would recommend it.

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Review #1.2

Our next guest is an active member of the city-data.com forum. She’s known here as DenverLawGal. She has been travelled a lot but now she’s found her happyness in Denwer. She is very kind and communicative person.

Hello, my answers are in red below.

- If I got it right, you have Shaw laminate flooring set in your house. Yes.

- How long have you been using shaw laminate flooring? What product do you have? Shaw laminate. It’s been installed for over a year now.

- How have you installed it? We hired workers.

- Did you have any problems with this flooring? Minor curling in one or two places.

- What could you say about its durability? Extremely durable, I’ve dropped heavy cans of food, glasses, not one scratch or dent.

- How do you maintain it? Cloth mop, 1/2 laminate cleaner, 1/2 water.

- Other pros and cons? No cons whatsoever.

- Would you recommend it? YES. Much better to have laminate than carpet. Less alergies, less dirt.

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Review #1.3

While I was searching at Google for some interesting information about Shaw laminates, I found a post where a lady was asking for a help. Brandy was looking for a store offering Shaw laminate that will match her laid flooring. I don’t know if she received any help, but I’m very thankful for such a detailed reply.

Hi, Alex.

I’m happy to answer your questions.  Yes, we do have Shaw laminate flooring downstairs in our home.  Since it was recently installed, (less than a month ago) I can’t speak to its durability.  However, I read up a good deal on flooring options prior to buying and talked to a lot of people with wood/laminate experience.

Shaw is a good brand, and I understand that Swiftlock was one of the best and easiest to install, so that’s what we went with.  We did not install it ourselves, however, so I can’t speak to the ease of installation from personal experience.

The best advice I can offer anyone looking for flooring is to shop around.  We spent several months in our spare time looking at flooring options, and were in and out of more stores than I care to count or recall.

What I learned is this: There are flooring businesses located in high-rent areas, where the decor is beautiful, where everything is perfectly displayed, where a couple sales people eye you with a hungry look when you walk in.  And where you can find laminate flooring for $14 a SF, as well as above and below that cost.

Then there are those businesses where you aren’t sure they know you’re there, and if you see something you want, they assume you’ll let them know.  But the quality of their product is just as good, or maybe better, than the “hungry sales person” business across town or up the street.  Sometimes it’s an identical product except for the difference in cost.

We put wood upstairs.  So we were shopping for flooring totaling 2200 square feet   Cost was definitely a consideration!  We didn’t want to buy flooring where a good deal of the cost went toward flawless decor, high-rent, salaries, and commission.  I personally prefer not to have salespeople on my heels when I’m shopping, so our only focus was a good product.

I love the flooring, the ease of upkeep, the “cleaner” feel of it compared to the carpet they ripped out, and the overall look.  But I have a German Shepherd who sheds unbelievably and hauls in a generous amount of dust when she goes in and out, which she also happily sheds throughout the house.

Still, I can clean the floor in much less time than vacuuming took.  I use one of those Swiffer floor duster things that swivel in all directions.  But instead of buying the refills for it, I use a micro fiber cloth which works much better because the dust and hair clings to it.   I can whiz across each floor in about ten minutes.

As for mopping, so far I’ve used a Bruce hardwood cleaner upstairs, and haven’t mopped the laminate downstairs yet because it gets so little traffic.  I think it can just be damp mopped, but I’ll probably Google that.  One thing I did hear while shopping was that flooring with a high gloss shows every speck.  Ours does not have the high gloss.

The Bruce hardwood cleaner is pricey if you have a lot of wood and a dog, but you can also use vinegar and water occasionally.  Being acidic, vinegar will affect the finish on hardwood over time (I know you aren’t asking about hardwood if you use it frequently.

I prefer hardwood over laminate, but thought it would be much more expensive to do both upstairs and downstairs in wood.  After we’d purchased the laminate for downstairs, we found a hell of a deal on hardwood, too, from a business located in a rural area a couple towns away.

It really pays to peek under every rock when you’re making a significant purchase.  The hardwood flooring we found was no more expensive than the laminate was.

As for installation, my husband is not handy at all.  Installation, depending on where you purchase, varies considerably.  We ended up going with someone on CL and checking references.

The flooring upstairs and down is beautiful.  I have always disliked carpeting. So far, we’re happy with the Shaw product, as well as the wood we purchased.  I hope this is helpful in some way.  brandy

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Review #1.4

Sassia is a president of www.universeofenergies.com. She’s had not so positive experience with Shaw as other customers presented in this article. That’s why I think this review is so important. Any product has positive and negative feedback and I won’t hide any of them.

See below the  answers. Thank you

1. How long have you been using your Shaw flooring? What type/product do you have? We had it installed and during installation we found the faulty product. I do not remember which one. (it was laminate)

2. How have you installed it? Professionally with flooring company

3. What could you say about its durability?  LOUSY

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring?  Yes even before we finished installation we had to take it all out and replace it with something else…. The  corners all were coming up and the sides were breaking off…. Yes there was  enough space between the wall and the floor… we had a perfect prep work done ….

5. Pros and cons?…  only  cons ….   If I have to take out a floor BEFORE full installation is finished there is a bit issue

6. Would you recommend it?  NEVER !

Warmest Regards,

Sassia

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Review #1.5

I’ve met our next guest at doityourself forum. He has a forum name yelloguy and here is what he writes:

I don’t have it in the whole house but three bedrooms. I bought Pergo at more than twice the price for the rest of the house except the family room. I did the family room two years ago with Armstrong laminate. Answers:

1. How long have you been using your Shaw flooring? What type/product do you have?

About 5 years now. I am not sure about the product any more but I bought it at a local flooring store for $1.49/sqft.

2. How have you installed it?

Used the plastic vapor barrier and did the install myself using a jigsaw for cutting. I would not recommend the jigsaw method to anyone now but at the time it worked fine for me. It is easy to install if you are reasonably handy. But there are always tricky areas.

3. What could you say about its durability?

Very good things. I have no complaints whatsoever. I did not have good luck with Pergo which makes clicking noises. I had to contact Pergo for warranty claim (denied) and show them the Shaw’s laminate as a comparable product with zero problems whatsoever. It is still like the day I put it in. Rock solid.

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring?

No problems whatsoever.

5. How do you maintain it?

I don’t. Except picking up water droplets/spills with a paper towel ASAP. I do that on the Pergo and other flooring too.

6. Other pros and cons?

Clicking noise is a con. Depending on your preferences, you may not notice it or you may hate it. I have gotten used to it.

It gets a little slippery when your feet are wet. But so does all other laminate. One gets used to it.

But pros are many. It is cheap, solid and easy to install. I wanted the same one for family room (overlooking Pergo) but the dealer was OOS so I settled for Armington. But that is just as solid.

7. Would you recommend it?

Absolutely. I recommended it to my bro-in-law for his kitchen project. He did not find it at the same dealer (either) but got the Armington instead and is happy with it.

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Review #1.6

Here is another negative story. The score is changing to 4:2. I’ve received this review at the same forum as the previous one,

I installed Shaw laminate over a concrete slab about 2 years ago. It was the basic snap together glue less installation.

It stands up to our 2- 70 pound dogs but if you drop a can of green beans on it it will dent it easy.

And if you live in a sandy area like us near the beach, and you slide something across the floor it will scratch your floor real well!

We had just vacuumed and slid a dining room table that had felt floor protectors on it and it left nice big long scratches.

I would not recommend it.

I installed it myself and some of the end joints are separating with the change in weather-so much for that snap fit installation.

I’m not thrilled after doing 90% of our house with it only to scratch and dent.

If I do it again it will be real wood or tile.

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Review #1.7

I wish I could learn about Karen a little more, but she haven’t replied to any of my emails except the first one. Hope she is ok now. Here’s what she writes:

Hi Alex,

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. How long have you been using shaw laminate flooring? What product do you have? - We’ve had our flooring for 4 years. It is a VersaLock style 0021U color 00804 (according to the box).

2. How did you install it? – My husband and father-in-law installed the floor, both are pretty handy and are in the construction business. I don’t believe it was difficult at all though.

3. What could you say about its durability? - Seems to be holding up nicely. We have a dent where we dropped a cast iron pan.

4. Did you have any problems with this flooring? - No problems.

5. How do you maintain it? - I sweep and my housekeeper washes it, couldn’t honestly tell you what she uses, lol.

6. Other pros and cons? - Pros: Looks like wood, love the color and pattern that we chose. Cons: You have to be careful about spills, if water gets near a seam, it can soak in a swell a bit. That being said, I’ve also seen those swells dry up, there’s only one tiny bump in front of the fridge where an ice cube melted unnoticed.

7. Would you recommend it? - Definitely I would recommend it. My first choice would be hardwood, but this is a great economical alternative.

I hope that helps some!

2. Shaw Hardwood Flooring Reviews

Review #2.1

The last but not the least review I’ve received from Sarah. This is the only review about Shaw engineered flooring for today that I have, but I hope, there will be more of them soon. Here it is:

We had Shaw Rosedown Hickory engineered flooring installed back in May 2010.  So far it is holding up well and we have had no problems with the finish.  I have been using Bona wood floor cleaner to tend to any spots.

The finish on the flooring seems to be strong.  It held up while we installed ceramic tile in  the kitchen next to it.   In spite of the tile dust and other abrasive material, it did not mar the wood finish.

However there are a few small marks from having the refrigerator moved on and off from the wood floor during the kitchen work.

I am happy with the wood, and I would recommend it.

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More Shaw laminate and engineered hardwood flooring reviews soon…

If you want to share your own experience about any flooring product, you are welcome! Feel free to comment/contact me. Let’s make the internet a little better.

Best Regards.

Alex

Outdoor Flooring and Safety.

Outdoor flooring becomes wet rather often. This means that it must remain safe and non-slippery during all weather conditions. Outdoor flooring is often very hard and you don’t want anybody to fall and break a leg because of it. That’s why you must avoid slippery materials like porous and glazed stones and tiles without slip resistant coatings.

The most popular choices for outdoor flooring are: wood, ceramic, rubber, concrete and brick.

Outdoor Wood Flooring: Pros and Cons.

Pros:

• Beautiful and natural appearance. Wood floors come in a wide variety of color options. Warmth and natural beauty of wood flooring will perfectly match any outdoor furniture and landscape.
• Will withstand all  conditions. However, it must be prepared for those conditions by staining, sealing etc. Wood outdoor flooring commonly lasts for about 20 years.
• Slip resistant. Wood flooring is naturally slip resistant and may be a good choice for pool area.
• Environmental friendly. Comparing to composite materials wood is a renewable resource. It can be easily utilized without causing damage to our environment.
• Easy repair. May be easily repaired and maintained by staining, sanding and refinishing procedures.

Cons:

• Specific threats like mold, rot and insects. However, these damages may be easily prevented with different coatings and cleaning.
• Should be covered. Wood requires sealing and protective coatings to get protection against all weather conditions and threats.
• High maintenance. You have to periodically take care of your wood flooring by cleaning, washing and reapplying coatings. It isn’t very difficult, but are you sure you want to do it at all?
• Gloss Reduction. Wood is natural material and will fade over time.
• Smells / Shrinks. According to the level of humidity, wood may either smell when it’s wet, or contracts when it’s very dry.

Outdoor Rubber Flooring: Pros and Cons.

Pros:

• Easy installation. Rubber flooring is a good do-it-yourself choice, because it may be installed without professional services. Many of the tiles don’t even need an adhesive for installation.
• Durable. Rubber tile is commonly long lasting and easy to repair. The broken tiles may be replaced without touching the rest part of the flooring.
• Soft and slip resistant. Rubber is very soft that makes it great for families with small children. It is also perfect for poolside, because of good traction.
• Environmental friendly. Many types of rubber tile are produced of recycled materials.
• Inexpensive.

Cons:

• Smells. Many homeowners don’t like rubber odor. It isn’t unhealthy, but it might be unpleasant.
• Sometimes unsafe. Some rubber floors are flammable and may cause a fire risk. Besides, you’d better to ensure that your flooring won’t cause allergic reactions for any member of your family.

Outdoor Concrete Flooring: Pros and Cons.

You may use stained concrete or concrete tiles for outdoor purposes.

Pros:

• Very durable. Concrete is very hard and will easily withstand all conditions. Concrete floors often last for lifetime.
• Wide variety of designs. Concrete flooring may be stained or stamped to create any design you wish. For example, concrete may be designed to look as a real stone.
• Inexpensive.

Cons:

• Old concrete is difficult to stain or repair. Staining won’t remove cracks, chips and other surface defects. You must also remove all layers of dirt, oil and seal from the surface before staining.
• Needs a professional. You can create simple concrete flooring on your own, but if you are looking for beautiful design or unusual staining you will need to hire a professional. Staining and artistic concrete design requires a lot of skills and time.
• Resealing. Stained concrete must be resealed every few years.
• Fading. Stained concrete flooring will fade over time.
• Slippery when wet. However there are several ways to make it slip-proof.

Outdoor Brick Tile Flooring: Pros and Cons.

Pros:

• Very durable when well made. It will withstand all humidity and temperature levels and last for decades. Brick is also fireproof.
• Doesn’t lose its hue. Brick doesn’t fade over time comparing with wood flooring.
• Slip resistant. Because of its structure, brick surface has natural slip resistance.
• Different patterns. You may install brick flooring using different designs and patterns. That will make your outdoors much more interesting and unique.
• Low maintenance. You don’t need to do anything other than basic cleaning.
• Relatively inexpensive.

Cons:

• Chipping and cracking. Poor quality brick tiles may be prone to cracking and splitting. Choose only high quality materials.

Outdoor Ceramic Tile: Pros and Cons.

Pros:

• Durable when well made. Ceramic tile will withstand all weather conditions and often has very long lifetime.
• Low maintenance. You don’t need to do anything other than basic cleaning.
• Affordable.

Cons:

• Slippery when wet. Ceramic tile isn’t the best choice because it becomes slippery when it rains. You may take a look at tiles with slip resistant surface.
• Chipping and cracking. Ceramic is rather hard and if you drop some heavy object, you may crack it. The only way to repair such damage is to replace a tile.

Cheap Outdoor Flooring Options.

If your budget is seriously limited and you want your flooring to look beautiful, I recommend you to choose a concrete. For low budget concrete floor you need to buy only a few necessary materials and tools and create a design on your own. For example, in further video two guys advertise a stone mold. I think it looks interesting and may help you to generate a few creative ideas.

The next video is also great. It’s about how a group of men have created a beautiful driveway.

As you can see, it isn’t necessary to pay thousands of dollars to create a nice looking walkway.

Those were the most popular, effective and durable outdoor flooring options. I hope you’ve found the one you need and I wish you good luck with your project.

You may use stained concrete or concrete tiles for outdoor purposes.

Many professionals think that most of these problems were caused by improper installation. Lots of homeowners didn’t follow the Konecto instructions exactly.

The time has passed. People have learned how to properly use this product and I think it’s time to update opinions about the Konecto.

I have contacted several people having Konecto installed in their houses and they were kind enough to answer my questions. Hope you will find these Konecto flooring reviews useful and interesting.

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Review #1.

Jamie's Living Room

The first man I have contacted was Jamie Dolan from jamiedolan.com. Jamie has several hobbies like planting, pet care, home improvements, and here’s what he told me about the Konecto:

Hi Alex;

I’ve been very pleased with the Konecto flooring.  It is the Konecto Prestige that we used, the highest end product.  It’s been about 3 and a half years now that we have had it installed.  We installed it per the manufactures direction, including rolling it with a 100 pound roller, I would not advise installing it any way other than how the manufacture recommends.  No significant problems.  I had a small edge that we could not roll very well due to the location and it came a bit loose, we used some glue just in that spot and never had a problem again.

In terms of durability, I’m pretty impressed with it, I feel be are pretty hard on our floors.  There has been some type of construction project going on most of the time during the last 3 years and the Konecto is all over the 1st floor so it has had a lot of tools on it and supplies, etc.  We have 4 to 5 dogs here, I wet mop it with a large mop bucket on a regular basis.

The only damage I know of was when we uninstalled a railing and slipped and dropped it down the whole flight of stairs and it hit the Konecto, that is put a gouge into the floor.

The only other thing I noticed is at our dining room table from the chairs going in and out, there were some scuffs (on the surface as far as I could tell, it was nothing deep, but they were difficult to remove ), which I think I was really able to mostly buff out, if I look at it closely I may still be able to see some from the chairs. You might want to use some of those plastic feet on your chairs that are designed to be easier on floors.

Pros:

• Very high quality floor for the price
• Virtually waterproof
• Very durable
• Easy to install, as long as you properly follow the directions
• Floor prep is a bit relaxed – since your not glueing to the floor, you don’t have to have quite as much floor prep as you would with glue down floors.  Konecto can even go over old flooring in some cases.

Cons:

• If a piece is damaged, it can be difficult to replace it. Products like Manningtons Adura are much better for easy single plank replacement, but they cost 30 to 50% more and generally require a professional installation because they are a glue down product. They also require far more floor prep.
• Is reported to be problematic in homes that are not climate controlled at least to some extent.  e.g. may not be the best choice for a cabin that is not heated in the winter.
• As with all flooring, if your going over concrete you need to make sure there is not excess moisture coming through the flooring.

Yes; I would recommend the Konecto Prestige product.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions.

Jamie

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Review #2.

Joan's Flooring

Our next guest is Joann that I’ve met on gardenweb forum. She was very kind to answer my questions and have made this photo specially for the article.

Dear Alex,

I’m writing in response to your questions about Konecto flooring.

1. How long have you been using the Konecto? What type do you have?

I have the vinyl flooring that looks like slate tiles, and comes in three-tile strips. I installed it in my kitchen, laundry room and downstairs bath in the spring of 2010. 

2. How did you install it?

I had my carpenter install a 1/4″ Luan subfloor right over my old floor and installed over that. If I had it to do again, though, I think I would have gone right over the previous vinyl floor. I think that would have been fine.

I then installed the floor myself. (I’m a middle-aged woman.)

3. Did you have any problems with this flooring?

Installation is more difficult than peel-and-stick tiles for two reasons. First, Konecto is thicker and harder to cut. I used a utility knife (and lots of blades!) and a large speed square. You have to score the material from the vinyl side and then bend to break. This works fine on the larger pieces, but is hard when you’re trying to shave off just a bit. And scissors don’t work well.

If I were to do it again, I would experiment with using tin snips. I also thought that some sort of rotary cutting tool might work well, like the kind they make for Dremels.

The other reason that Konecto is harder to install than peel-and-stick is because the individual pieces are longer and not symmetrical. So with a 12×2 tile that you want to install in a corner, you can just flip the tile over to measure, but that doesn’t work with Konecto. I’m not sure if I’ve explained that well, so feel free to ask me to clarify.

It’s also really important that you roll every seam to make sure the adhesive sticks. I used a pastry roller because you can use it one-handed, but a rolling pin would work fine.

And be sure to lay out a good line right through the center of the room and install from there. Even though it’s harder than starting from a corner, it will look lots better.

4. What could you say about its durability?

No problems at all. We do use felt pads under the kitchen table and chairs. It’s easy to clean, too.

5. Other pros and cons?

It’s soft underfoot, though it has a sort of glazed coating on the surface that makes it look more like tile and makes it easy to clean.

I can easily tell that it’s not real tile, but a number of people have mentioned the nice slate floor, so I think some people can’t tell. I don’t care. It’s very practical (because the tiles attach to one another, nothing can get through the floor except around the edges, under the mouldings).

6. Would you recommend it?

Yes, and I DO recommend it whenever I see someone considering it at Home Depot! I think it looks just as good (well, maybe almost as good)  as the luxury vinyl they sell for 3-4 time more.

Best of luck with your project. I really don’t think you can go wrong with this product.

Joann

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Review #3.

Alice is also a member of the gardenweb forum. I glad she had time to share her opinion with us.

Alice's Bedroom 1

Alice's Bedroom 2

Hi, Alex –

We’ve had our Konecto now for a couple of years and like it very much.  I believe we have the Sierra in a “Chester” color, but don’t hold me to that.  It’s long enough ago that I don’t quite recall.

We had it installed by a contractor because we needed it to be installed over a new floating sub-floor on top of a concrete slab.  We have had no issues with any peel-ups or anything, no scratches, no problems at all.  I can’t say we’re a great case study because we are more or less “gentle” on the floor — take shoes off in the house and don’t have a hyper dog with scratchy toenails or anything.

Still, we’re happy with this choice because we could not use real wood over our slab due to humidity issues on this level of the house, and did not want laminate (too “loud”).
 
Hope this helps.

Alice

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Review #4.

I’ve receive the next email from Jennifer. Here’is what she writes:

Jennifer’s Kitchen

Sorry…your email went to my spam folder.

We have had it for less than a year. We have the Safari Collection, color is Sahara. It is installed in our kitchen.

We had it installed by a professional commercial flooring company (a friend of ours owns it).

The only problem we had was that some of the seams didn’t lay down and we’d have to step on them. I suspect they didn’t use the 100lb roller immediately after installation per the installation instructions. It was installed in November when it was cold, but now that we’ve been through summer I don’t notice it anymore.

I would say it is pretty durable. Our contractor said it had been used in high traffic areas such are churches and hotels. We are not that rough on it since it is just my husband and I and our small dog.

I can’t really think of any cons. Everybody that sees it, loves it. It’s much warmer than what ceramic would be and not as hard on your feet.

We installed it as a temporary solution. We did a mini remodel of our kitchen in hopes of doing a complete remodel within 10 years or so. So we didn’t want to install ceramic or anything since we wouldn’t want to have to remove it later. We figured this was an easy solution for now. Overall, I am happy with the way it turned out. I notice areas here and there where the seams could be tighter.

I’ve seen the wood planks installed at a university and it looks really good. You hardly can tell it’s not real wood.

Hopefully I was some help. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Take care,
Jennifer

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Review #5.

I also recommend you to read this Konecto flooring review. Jim is a flooring professional and he has been working in this industry for more than 35 years .

Jim's Flooring 1

Jim's Flooring 2

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It seems that contractors also don’t have any serious problems with Konecto.

No, I don’t have Konecto in my house.
I have installed it in a few of my clients homes, though.
The only complaints I got was from the smell – off gassing  and shrinking during the winter, near exterior doors and walls.

It’s interesting. It’s the first time I’ve heard about the smell.

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Review #7.

If you prefer videoreviews, you may check this youtube video. It isn’t the best, but it’s the only uncommercial Konecto videoreview on the Internet.

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Those were all Konecto flooring reviews for today.

Konecto is generally a good choice for residential areas, when you follow manufacturer’s recommendations exactly. Keep in mind that this flooring IS temperature sensitive during install and after. Do not use in a place that will get cold such as a porch exposed to temperature extremes.

Have you ever used Konecto flooring? If so, would you mind sharing your experience in a comment below?

Don’t do it!

I’m serious. I like cork very much and I’ll be happy to have it all over the house, but I don’t recommend you to install cork flooring in bathroom. Why? There is a couple of reasons for it.

Reason #1 – You will probably lose warranty for it.

For example, let’s look at Torlys plank cork installation instructions.

First, look at “You have chosen a high quality TORLYS Cork Floor, well suited for all residential rooms including bathrooms. In bathroom installations, the expansion gap must be filled with silicone sealant”. Sounds great, right? However, it might happen that these words are just a commercial move. If you read further, you will also notice requirements like “Maintain a healthy humidity at 40-60%” and “Never wet mop your TORLYS Cork floor”.

How a floor in a bathroom may be maintained with humidity below 60% and without any water? For me these recommendations contradict one another.

Every cork floor warranty document (for example, Lisbon Cork Limited 25 year warranty) contains paragraph like

“Cork floors are susceptible to damage as the result of exposure to moisture.  This warranty EXCLUDES moisture damage including cupping, warping, buckling, twisting, or any other moisture-related issues.  Such moisture damage may result from, among other things, broken or leaking pipes, wet mopping, spills, pets, use of cleansers that are not safe and compatible with urethane finishes, weather conditions or natural disasters, and/or moisture in the subfloor.”

What resume should we do of all these facts? Manufacturers say it’s OK to install cork floor in bathroom and they will be happy to sell it to you, but you will unlikely get your money back if some accident happens.

Reason #2 – There isn’t a contractor on the Earth that will install cork floor in his own bathroom.

Flooring industry may be divided in 3 groups:

• Customers. It’s about us. We choose cork because of its great appearance, uniqueness, warmth and softness. We pay money for it and we want our floor to last for many years.
• Manufacturers. These people produce floors. Manufacturers want to sell as much of the material as they could. They hardly advertise it. They also want to be relatively safe and avoid unnecessary payouts. It’s always easier to say the floor is damaged becuase of improper conditions or lack of maintenance than to pay money back.
• Contractors. These guys are professionals. A contractor will install any floor including cork if you ask him. However, he is also very interested in longetivity of the floor he has done. If the floor need a repair within a few years, he knows you will call him and he will have to response for it. That’s why contractors have the same interest in quality of the floor as you have.

A good contractor will never recommend you to install some low quality stuff. He will explain you all the pros and cons of cork bathroom flooring. He will also suggest the best choice for your situation. He wants the work to be done excellent and last for decades.

Today, if you ask a professional about installing cork flooring in a bathroom, he will immediately suggest you a few better choices. He knows that cork isn’t the best floor for that room.

If so, why do so many people have cork installed? It’s because of our ego and preferences. If a client says – I don’t want any other flooring except cork! There isn’t anything a contractor can do with it. If he refuses to do the project, some other specialist will take his place. That’s why he has to work on the project that he knows isn’t the best.

And no professionals will choose cork for his own bathroom. He will install something really reliable and durable.

Reason #3 – It will be difficult to repair and maintain cork flooring in the bathroom.

You will need to regularly clean it. Every time after you take a bathroom, you should remove water from the floor. It’s also rather difficult to repair cork in this room. Just imagine how you ask a flooring specialist to sand and reseal cork in your bathroom.

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For Those Who Still Want Cork Exactly.

If despite of all these facts you still want cork floor to be installed in your bathroom, I can tell that it isn’t actually so bad. Cork is naturally resistant to moisture and mold. You just need to understand that it’s a medium choice and take all the response for your decision.

The quality and durability of the floor will highly depend on material quality and installer skills. If the project is done perfectly, the flooring may be quite good. For example, you may see such reviews on the internet:

I installed cork flooring in my bathroom about 5 years ago and it holds up great. I shower and dry off and it is a watery mess. I used to go crazy cleaning it up, now I just leave it and guess what? It still looks great. We could not be happier with it. And then we built an addition – big family room and mudroom with laundry. And guess what? The mudroom is cork. I have no worries about water, detergent or anything. It is the best. profwilliams
Source

There are four easy to-do things that will increase your floor lifetime.

1. Avoid crap materials. Don’t try to save a few bucks choosing some thin laminate-like cork.
2. Hire professional installer. You must be sure that the specialist will do excellent job.
3. Sealing. The better the finish is, the more water-resistant your floor will be. It’s also a good idea to silicone the perimeter expansion joint.
4. Maintenance. Use mats, clean the floor and remove water regularly.

However, I still don’t recommend cork for main bathroom. Maybe it will  be OK for your guest one that is rarely used, but not for a situation when you have only one bathroom in the house and several small kids.

Today cork flooring is one of the best choices for commercial and residential use. However, this material is rather expensive and it is natural that many people want to know beforehand how long their new flooring will last. I’m also on that team and as soon as there isn’t any good source about cork floor durability on the Internet, I made my own research the results of which are presented further.

1. How Durable is Cork Flooring?

Manufacturers say cork floor will last for ‘decades’ with proper maintenance. Some of them define it more exactly – up to 80 years (!!!) with proper care. I am not really inclined to believe them so I have looked through several sites for warranty info.

There are many sellers offering from 25 years to lifetime structural warranty. However, I don’t consider it really useful. The warranty includes only manufacturing defects that cover over 10% of the floor. There is a long list of exclusions like denting, scratches, accidents, gloss reduction, damage due moisture, heat or dryness etc. that won’t be covered. This means that it won’t help you with any common floor wear and tear.

I’ve found several flooring forums and most of the owners like their choice, There are many comments like

Floor seems very durable; haven’t noticed any durability issues. I do try to keep water off the floor if possible and surprised there are no issues with the floor in front of the ice/water dispenser where my daughters typically spill water while filling up their water jugs. The only problem I have had was fading by our west facing sliding glass door and windows. I had window film installed. I don’t notice the color variation and no one notices until I point it out to them. Janet
Source 

Cork flooring used to be almost indestructible. In my 30 years as a flooring installer, I have covered some beautiful cork floors that were 50+ years old. Now with more people interested again in cork floors, manufacturers have cheapened it up. The old floors were 1/4″ rolls or tiles; today’s cork floors are 1/8″ or 1/16″ (0.080). oneidacarpetguy
Source

2. It’s all About the Coating.

Cork is covered by minimum 4 layers of finish. This means that all these scratches that any homeowner hates often damage only the upper layers of the flooring while cork remains safe and sound. Therefore, the type, quality and thickness of coating are the most important features in case of flooring durability and longevity.

There are three types of coatings that are used with cork floors:

• Water based polyurethane. This type is probably the most popular. The coating is rather durable and doesn’t need any serious maintenance but you must regularly clean it to avoid scratches from dust and dirt. When you notice that the floor have lost its smooth and shining look, you may just refinish it.

• Wax. The durability of this coating depends on the wax quality, but it’s commonly great even for areas with big traffic. However, such cork flooring requires re-waxing every 6-12 month.

• Acrylic coatings. This type has the lowest durability comparing with others.

So, polyurethane is the most easy-to-use type. However, you may also consider wax type and I recommend consulting with professional in that case.

3. Will Furniture Dent Cork Flooring?

Yes, heavy furniture will dent cork flooring one way or another. The power of deformations depends on cork density, weight and legs’ sizes.

Cork flooring density affects on how much and how fast the material will return its shape. Density defines such parameter as indentation recovery percentage. You may find its value in manufacturer’s specification on cork flooring. You will see something like

Compression & Recovery:
ISO 9727
With loading 38.5 lbs/ In 2
Initial: 10% Residual: 1.5% after 1 hour
Breaking tension on traction: no less than 11 lbs/in 2

This means that cork tile keeps 1,5% denting after an hour under the written pressure. I hope that helps to define approximately how much it will affect your flooring. Here are several opinions that I’ve found about cork and furniture on the Internet.

Hi- I recently put cork floors in my piano studio (I chose cork for acoustic reasons – hardwood or tile would have been too reverberant.) Much to my surprise, rolling around the 600 pound Steinway grand piano does not dent or even scratch the floor, although it feels resilient under foot. I’m very happy with my floor. The only thing I would do differently is to have put several additional coats of sealer on after installation for a more uniform sheen. Rebecca
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I haven’t noticed any furniture indentions. Sometimes when the light catches the floor a certain angle I can catch a glimpse of an indention, but it is where no furniture is located; not sure what it is? Janet
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Furniture does leave indentations but we rarely move furniture so it’s not that noticeable. The pattern of our cork makes the indentations not very noticeable where they are visible. Sue
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4. Cork Flooring and Gloss Reduction.

Because cork flooring is natural product, it will fade over time. Some of the manufacturers use coatings with ultraviolet protection, but this method doesn’t prevent fading, it will just make it slower. Gloss reduction over time is more noticeable near windows and if you move mats and furniture that were blocking the sunlight. This process is more noticeable for dark colors so you can minimize it by choosing bright palette.

5. How Can You Create ‘Indestructible’ Cork Flooring?

According to all aspects mentioned above about cork flooring durability, we may create a list of recommendations to increase the floor lifetime.

• Choose authoritative manufacturer and retailer. Attentively learn the warranty. Many flooring manufacturers void their warranty if the product was bought on the Internet so you must contact them and check this question.
• Choose high quality cork material with the density higher than 500 kg/m3 or 30lbs/ft3 and bright color.
• Choose polyurethane or wax finish. Maybe you should look at coatings with ultraviolet protection. There must be as many layers as possible. If there is a moisture danger, you must apply a few layers of finish even on prefinished floor to seal gaps between cork tiles.
• Hire some authoritative company for installation. The big part of defects is caused be improper installation, poor skills and nonprofessional tools.
• Use ventilated mats in areas with high traffic. Place paddings under heavy objects to allocate their weight. Use curtains or filters to protect the floor from the sunlight.
• Regularly clean your floor with a sweep, a vacuum machine or dry mop. Remove liquid spills immediately. You may use damp mop about once a month. Don’t use a lot of water and choose the cleaner recommended by the flooring manufacturer only.
• Make refinish when it’s needed.

Hope my research about cork flooring durability will be useful for you. I wish you good luck with new flooring.