“Aloha” means both “goodbye” and “hello,” so goodbye, Hawaii—and hello, half-finished cork floors. We’re back in Richmond (try to contain your excitement) and ready to share more about our trip. Even more exciting for us: returning to DIY and working on the cork floor project we started right before we left. For anyone who missed our vacation announcement last week, we did publish two posts and a giveaway while we were away.
We’re still battling jet lag (and recovering from a red-eye with a toddler—more on that over on Young House Life at some point), but the vacation was worth it for the unplugged time in the sun. For now, here’s where the flooring stands: we began installation before we left and will keep working nights until it’s done so we can share a full reveal. We’ll post a full recap of our Hawaii trip once we sort through the photos—hopefully by the end of the week. Back to the floors: we originally planned to finish everything before we left. That was the plan…
We knew the photo crew would wrap on Friday the 17th after three weeks of shooting. Since we were leaving for Portland early Tuesday the 21st, we assumed Saturday and Sunday would give us time to install while Clara napped and slept, and Monday could be used to pack and proof posts. Then Friday night we realized we hadn’t taken the cork boards out of their boxes to acclimate for the recommended 48 hours. Cue deflation. The boards had been sitting boxed in the corner of our bedroom since October—months later we finally remembered that cork needs to adjust to room temperature and humidity before installation. Because we hadn’t done this, nothing got installed over the weekend. The boards just sat there, acclimating so they wouldn’t expand or contract after installation and cause buckling or warping.
The unexpected wait gave us time to read installation guides since this was our first time installing cork. We reviewed how-tos to get comfortable with the process, and used the downtime to prep the room—removing shoe molding and slicing painted edges with a razor to avoid peeling. With floating floors you must leave a gap around the edges—our cork recommended a 5/16″ expansion space—so the shoe molding will be reinstalled afterward to hide that gap.
Another prep task was trimming door molding so the cork could slide underneath for a seamless finish. Instead of painstakingly cutting each board around molding grooves, we removed a thin strip from the molding itself. I used a handsaw laid flat as a guide against a piece of floor and underlayment, then sawed away. It felt a bit daring at first…
…but it worked great.
With shoe molding removed, door trims adjusted, transitions pried up, and the room swept, the space was prepped and ready after the 48-hour acclimation. Next we installed the recommended underlayment.
We chose an underlayment recommended by the supplier. There was a slightly cheaper option, but it wasn’t made from recycled material and it was thicker. Because we planned to float the new cork over existing flooring—rather than removing old vinyl that had an asbestos liner—we wanted minimal added height. The cork is thin too, so the finished surface should end up only about a quarter-inch higher than surrounding hardwood. With careful low-profile transitions, it shouldn’t cause tripping issues. We’ll share how we handle those transitions as we finish.
Monday morning arrived and we were in a scramble—less than 24 hours before an 11-day trip—so our photo documentation is lighter than usual. Once the underlayment was mostly down on one side of the room, I snapped a quick photo. The underlayment lays in strips side by side, secured by a sticky strip along the edge; it doesn’t overlap. I used scissors and a box cutter to trim pieces around the stone fireplace surround.
For installation we picked up an inexpensive $16 kit from Home Depot. It included spacers to maintain the 5/16″ edge gap, a pull bar, and a tapping block. The tapping block protects the board edges when you hammer them together, and the pull bar helps fit the boards closest to the wall. I’ll photograph these tools in use next time so the process is clearer.
Installation started slowly because most of our initial pieces required cuts. Cutting took far longer than snapping in whole boards, but once we cleared the early cuts, rows of full boards went in quickly. Some guides suggested using a jigsaw, but I brought the table saw out to the carport for straighter, faster cuts—it worked really well.
We staggered the ends of each row to strengthen the floating floor and mimic traditional hardwood installation. With 36″ boards, we offset each row by 12″. After getting around the fireplace and beginning the staggered pattern, snapping whole pieces into place was a breeze. This first section took about five hours—less progress than we’d hoped, thanks to a morning snowstorm, a photographer meeting at lunchtime, and last-minute packing for Portland and Hawaii (packing for Clara took the most time).
As we mentioned before leaving, starting the floor will make finishing it easier. Our goal is to finish this week and have photos of a completed floor by Thursday morning. Now that roughly 30% of the floor is down (we’re doing the laundry room too), we’re cautiously optimistic we’ll complete it soon—famous last words, perhaps, but we’ll keep you updated.
What have you been up to lately? We missed you while we were away. Any flooring or other home projects happening? Do you prefer to leave a house perfectly clean before a big trip, or to leave something half-finished to greet you when you return?