Floor insulation method?

[rgG]

If you want cork in panels look at https://www.widgetco.com/
I bought their panels 2’x3’, I think, to use as a floor in my laundry room
I just used wood glue to stick them down then sealed the top with a light gray stain
It worked great, and it’s very quiet
The panels were a lot cheaper than regular cork floor tiles and were quicker to install, since they were larger.
They are listed as underpayment, but I used them as the finished floor. Cork is cork. Seal it and you are good to go
In the panels the cost is as low as 48¢sf for the 1/8”, but you might want to go with 1/4” for more insulation value but still only about $1sf
They also have 1/2” and you could use more than one layer if you wanted thicker.

[mikebw]

rgG wrote:
If you want cork in panels look at https://www.widgetco.com/
I bought their panels 2’x3’, I think, to use as a floor in my laundry room
I just used wood glue to stick them down then sealed the top with a light gray stain
It worked great, and it’s very quiet
The panels were a lot cheaper than regular cork floor tiles and were quicker to install, since they were larger.
They are listed as underpayment, but I used them as the finished floor. Cork is cork. Seal it and you are good to go
In the panels the cost is as low as 48¢sf for the 1/8”, but you might want to go with 1/4” for more insulation value but still only about $1sf
They also have 1/2” and you could use more than one layer if you wanted thicker.

Thanks for that.

I was just getting a quote from another cork supplier who said their 12mm panels are good for insulation but quote "NOT dense enough to be used as a flooring". They suggested I could add additional height by putting on a ~5mm glue down tile on top making it close to my 1" max (24mm) and that would be a better wearing surface.

To cover this 192 sq. ft. room it would be close to $2K for everything they recommended, with glue and the $150 polyurethane sealant.

It seems I could 4 boxes of your 1/2" for $380, and add a layer of 1/4" (2 boxes) for $190 more; so 3/4" of cork, R-2.45, $570 with free shipping- way under the other estimate!

What would you recommend I use to seal it? This area will be seeing light daily foot traffic and 2 cats in/out all day.

[rgG]

mikebw wrote:
What would you recommend I use to seal it? This area will be seeing light daily foot traffic and 2 cats in/out all day.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Minwax-Satin-Wa...al-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W9funZfneiKhXSoMq0iaRTDT&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_8_VrJv-9wIVgYvICh3AnQuKEAQYAiABEgIXmvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Any brand of floor quality water based poly should do the job
The water based dries more quickly, doesn’t yellow, and has less odor than an oil based sealant.
Three coats is ideal for a flooring application.

[mikebw]

I think we are going to go with just the 1/2 cork as an underlayment and then do a wall to wall carpet on top. Still need to seal?

[rgG]

mikebw wrote:
I think we are going to go with just the 1/2 cork as an underlayment and then do a wall to wall carpet on top. Still need to seal?

Not really. You really only need to seal if you are using as a finished surface.