Let’s say you’re awake one night pondering what to do about your ancient and boring floors. You’ve looked at many options, but none of the traditional materials stand out to you. In your searches, you come across an advertisement for a strange product: cork flooring.
After some quick research, you discover that one of the most well-known producers of this new curiosity is Wicanders.
What is Wicanders cork flooring, and could it be the product you’ve dreamed of?
- What is it?
- How durable is it?
- What styles are available?
- How much does it cost?
- Is Wicanders reliable?
- The Verdict
What is it?
Cork flooring has been around since its hey-day in the 1960s and 1970s and is returning with renewed fervor. The material is naturally-occurring and an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional hardwood options.
Scientists discovered that Wicanders treated material provides natural thermal insulation, muffles sound more than most traditional flooring substances, and has increased elasticity that makes it more comfortable to walk across.
This increased comfort can go a long way to making your home cozy and serene, especially if you enjoy a peaceful environment.
Cork, while slightly more expensive than a product like synthetic laminate, is also cheaper than the materials it can mimic, like stone and natural hardwood. This means that your footsteps will be quieter and more comfortable for a fraction of the cost of other options.
Now that you know what cork is, it’s time to put Wicanders through the Gauntlet.
How durable is Wicanders’ Cork Flooring?
Wicanders claims its cork flooring is extremely durable due to its natural flexibility and chemical makeup. Cork is a resilient and pliable substance naturally, but the material used by Wicanders has been treated to withstand daily use.
Its ability to bounce back from damage means Wicanders is a good option for people who have children or experience heavy foot traffic in their home.
The company further protects its products with a layer of varnish with a class 23 resistance rating – meaning the floor can withstand heavy domestic use and possibly a stampede on the Serengeti.
Wicanders also says that its cork is resilient and difficult to dent or damage, even if you accidentally drop a sack of rocks or choose to go bowling in the kitchen. While regular cork is susceptible to damage, the added layer of vinyl on the top means Wicanders has an additional protective surface to prevent damage.
Water-resistance & Maintenance
Cork, and especially Wicanders cork, is the superhero of water-resistant floors. The flooring can be coated in water but will resist mold and mildew for long periods of time, making it desirable for bathrooms, kitchen klutzes, and all kinds of indoor emergencies.
Normally, cork would be a poor flooring option for people who have pets that might do their business in the house or who frequently have kitchen mishaps. Thankfully, Wicanders avoids this pitfall by coating their cork in a hardy varnish to resist even more moisture.
The only downside to it is that the material needs to be maintained more regularly than more common materials like vinyl and laminate. It’s recommended that owners sweep and mop their Wicanders floor once a week, and also wipe away any excess moisture after a solid cork floor cleaning.
This extra step might be a deal breaker for some people but does not outweigh the flooring’s durability and benefits.
What styles are available?
Everyone has a unique style and wishes manufacturers could read their minds and create the floor of their dreams. While we don’t have mind-reading technology yet, Wicanders cork comes close with over 20 different varieties and styles with something for every home and décor.
The patterns range from traditional, to more abstract, and then to avant garde. Some of the most popular designs mimic slate and hardwood, while others bring out the natural beauty of cork through unique patterns and an emphasis on its natural beauty.
Wicanders cork flooring is engineered with a Micro-Bevel edge profile to add extra depth between panels.
Standard tiles are 7/16 in. thick and installed using the Floating Corkloc method. This method means the tiles click into place without any unnecessary glue and adhesives, so you don’t have to deal with a sticky mess.
Most of the cork comes in tiles between 3 and 5 ft. in length and can be interlocked in any direction. Free flooring samples from retailers tend to be smaller but help you see the overall look of each style within your home.
Due to its versatility and ability to suit any décor, Wicanders cork wins major points for being aesthetically pleasing.
How much does it cost?
Unlike expensive stone and cheap vinyl, cork is a moderately-priced option for homeowners.
People can expect to pay between $3 and $6 per square foot, but this price can vary based on an individual’s location and retailer.
Wicanders cork flooring is more expensive than other common options, but it frequently comes with warranties between 10 and 15 years. This warranty comes with orders from retailers as well as from the original supplier, so you can buy products from local businesses.
Many homeowners seeking long-lasting flooring can justify the additional investment because Wicanders cork does not need to be replaced for a long time and can remain for over a decade when well-maintained.
Is Wicanders reliable?
Perhaps one of the biggest questions potential customers have is whether or not the products they purchase are reliable.
Wicanders is a flooring company which has been around for over a century and prides itself on being the largest supplier of high-quality cork flooring.
According to the company website, Wicanders was also the first major business to invest in the cork flooring industry and maintains sustainable practices to prevent resource shortages and environmental damage.
The company additionally meets the rigorous standards established for cork flooring and receives high reviews for its customer service. You can rely on them to address your flooring needs for minor accidents or emergencies, including the previously mentioned stampede.
The Verdict
You might be asking yourself, is Wicanders worth it? The answer is a resounding yes.
Wicanders is a well-known industry name which has made a mark for itself through its quality, a tradition that has carried to its development of cork floors. The company continues to innovate through its designs and application of scientific principles to develop high-quality flooring.
Homeowners can choose from a broad array of styles and textures, including ones which mimic pricier materials like stone and marble. Wicanders is also extremely resilient and comes with extra protections because of its strong and clear varnish. If you don’t believe the reviews and hype, you can find inexpensive samples to test in your own home.
Once you do, share your opinion to assist others in making their own flooring decisions through comments, pictures, and videos on this website or through social media. Your experiences can make the difference between someone finding the product of their dreams or having a waking – and walking – nightmare.
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We (our contractor, who has experience working with Wicander flooring) installed Linn Blush throughout our home. We chose it because it boasted a five-year commercial warranty and 20-year residential warranty.
Within a month or two of installation, the planks started separating and the edges of the protective layer are chipping and peeling, revealing bare cork. It gets worse with each passing week — thus far the floor has had very light use. .
The distributor came and took pictures and our contractor was on hand to describe installation. The photos and information were emailed to the Wicander rep, who agreed that the photos show we have an issue with our flooring, but that he/she would have to do a direct inspection of the floor, which would require us to pay a fee of $500 for that inspection. I wasn’t too keen on that, but figured it probably controls for frivolous complaints — although I thought the photos might speak for themselves.
In any event, we authorized the distributor to notify Wicander that we would foot the $500 cost for the inspection. That was mid-October. We’ve heard nothing since. The distributor has contacted them with no result. I pulled up the various Wicander email addresses from the cc: list in the distributor’s communication, and I contacted them directly last weekend, informing them that I expected to have an inspection scheduled in January. No acknowledgement / no response.
Needless to say, this is surprising and disappointing. I had complete faith in Wicander — I did a ton of research and spoke with various retailers. Would I recommend the product or the company based on my experience thus far? Absolutely not. We’ll get this figured out one way or the other, because I am nothing if not relentless, but to have to go through this BS in order to get satisfaction is inexcusable.
Any update since then? I’m hearing the lines are being discontinued but I’m in the market for core flooring. I’m in Canada. Any thoughts? Thanks.
We have not heard from them, even after the inspection was submitted in early February. Our original distributor and I have attempted to contact them via various avenues. It’s as if they’ve filed for bankruptcy and have no stake in their ongoing reputation.
We will be taking legal action. The floor gets worse by the day – it is by far the worst floor I’ve ever seen – at any price.
We are having the exact same issues that you described and I’m trying to contact the company. We’ve only had the floor for 15 months and they look terrible. Can you email me how you contacted them – if you did find any emails or numbers that gave you a response?
We had Wicanders Cork floors installed in our kitchen, laundry room and downstairs bathroom in January 2010 and almost 10 years later they are as beautiful as the day they were put in. My husband isn’t easy on flooring. He drops things, spills water and refuses to take off his shoes. We don’t always clean them as often we should and when I do use Bona hardwood floor cleaner the cleaning pad doesn’t pick up much dirt. For a couple of years we even had a dog that we were fostering and yet there have been NO problems with these floors. Now that my husband is in his mid 80’s with bad knees the flooring is very kind to his feet and hips. These floors are amazing! I would highly recommend Wicander cork flooring.
We had this product installed Jan, 2018. There was no odor, etc and looked great for a short time… It was professionally installed, but then the planks started bucking up… one by one. It looks really bad. We called the retailer, and the rep came by to look at it and notified the manufacturer who then had an independent contractor to look at it.
Final result is the the retailer is giving me a new floor, and they have stopped selling the cork. Retailer stated they have had approximately 4 or 5 customers with the same problem. I do not recommend this brand of cork flooring.
I installed the flooring myself 25 years ago. I am a woman and was 43 at the time. I had to rent the heavy roller and followed the instructions. I still love this floor. It has held up great. The only change in all these years is that it has faded a bit as the dining room has lots of windows. The floor in the kitchen looks like new! I have never regretted my choice.
Hi, I read your review concerning buckling. I am considering installing in Home in North Florida near the water. Is this an area where yours is installed?
In 2015 had plank installed on the basis it was pet friendly. No such luck. It has chipped and scuffed like crazy.
Called the flooring sales person, she came out and solution was to give me a minwax marker to touch up. So much for 25 year residential warranty. Never again
I’m chemically sensitive and I’m looking for a good flooring option that doesn’t require glues. Is this formaldehyde free? What type of top coat does the vinyl layer have? How about off-gassing? Does it have an odor for a few days?
Hi Lucy, I have the same questions, were you able to find your answers?
Installed Wicanders Cork comfort Tweedy Wood coffee floors in a my new Condo on the second floor. Hired a professional who followed directions exactly.
Pros: The floors are beautiful. They are soft under foot, feel like they have a little give when walking on them.
Cons: My neighbor below me can hear every footstep. It is horrible for her and I have to now tip toe around upstairs until I can find enough area rugs to cover the majority of the floor or have them removed.
Thanks for the review! We love our Wicanders CorkComfort floors!