New post on my building blog

I love cork floors. Good choice. You should turn on the option in wordpress so people can sign up via email to get your blog updates.

I still prefer tile flooring. Living down here in the heat it's nice to have a cold floor, I know my dogs love it! Noise is no more a factor then any other flooring. Most of us live in bare feet or soft flip flops so no noise. There are tiles that are slippery and there are tiles that are not. Glad you did not pick mexican saltillo tile, it is definitely a high maintenance floor to keep it looking clean and if it's the real thing it cracks very easily. Some like the cracks others don't. I had it when when we lived in Palm Springs and had to constantly seal it to keep it looking clean, but still love how it looks. The way mold gets into everything here cork would just make me too nervous, but then again too much moisture or water and your tile can pop up. So it's just a matter of preference. 🙂

I really like the idea of cork also. And the various styles look great. The properties all sound great for the USVI application.

I'm reserving final judgment until I find out how well it holds up to scuffing. And if you can "refinish" it if it does get badly scuffed. I haven't seen any info on this issue.

Cons

I have used cork in bedrooms and sewing rooms and the like with no issues however kitchens, high traffic areas and heavy furniture can be a problem. I once tore up a cork floor in a below grade application where the water heater leaked and the cork expanded big time. Good luck with it. When building my little house I followed the time proven West Indian tradition in design and materials. Your ideas are interesting.

this is from the site listed below
The difficulty with cork is its natural tendency to swell. If the cork is threatened by dampness, it will swell, and also contract as it gets dryer. This causes problems with cork tiles, and if using these, they certainly need to be sealed. Another problem that users often encounter is that the tiles or roll of cork needs to be acclimatised to the temperature in the room where it is to be laid. Fresh from the packet, what may happen is that the warmth of the room will shrink the tiles. They need to be unpacked before use and left in that ambient temperature.

Stains are a huge problem for cork which is left unsealed. Often used in galley kitchens and not sealed correctly, the cork gathers dirt and grime and is difficult to clean. That is another reason to seal it correctly, though many of the sealants are pungent in nature, and need a good airflow while being sealed. Because of this, and because the looks are so great on the floor, people bypass this and think that the floor will be alright. Unfortunately, it won't. Once grease penetrates the surface or the joints between the tiles, it cannot be correctly cleaned.

Cork is also soft to the touch, meaning that it should not be used in areas where high heels are likely to be worn. Constant trampling with high heels penetrates the surface, even when sealed, and threatens the integrity of the tiles, thus making them wear out faster.

http://www.helium.com/items/2082754-pros-and-cons-of-cork-flooring