We are about to build a SIPs home and like the pros of cork plank flooring.  But I am concerned with how well it will withstand wear in high traffic areas and in front of the kitchen sink.  Also how it holds up with daily spills or splashing water in the kitchen.  Thanks for any input.

Sue;

I have installed cork tiles, I am not sure of the relation to cork plank, but...the installation went well, the floor required sealing immediately. To date we have had no problems in the kitchen area in regards to lifting, we do have an issue if water stays on the floor in the entry ways on rainy days, some tiles actually lifted because the water remained on the floor and I am assuming got in on the perimeter seams, two tiles in particular buckles from expansion, I assume the water caused the tiles to grow ever so slightly. Cork is soft, so in the kitchen when the fridge was pulled out for cleaning you can see a pattern compressing on the floor from the wheels on the fridge. Other than that the floor looks gorgous.

Even though this is an old post, others might find this of interest. Cork flooring is a great alternative to carpet as it has many of the same qualities of a hardwood floor since typically a polyurethane finish is installed as a wear surface as with hardwoods. This means you get the same easy to clean surface with it being softer, quieter, and warmer to feet than a hardwood floor. Cork comes in glue down tiles and floating planks making it a good choice for most any typical application. We have had cork installed in many high traffic commercial applications with great success.

One of the keys to a successful installation of cork is to have a qualified installer as it requires more of a craftsman than most flooring to yield a quality installation. Even with prefinished cork, it requires an additional site finish to provide a needed wear layer, seal the seams, and to smooth out any height differences between tiles or planks. After installation, like with a hardwood, it is important to keep it clean and to recoat the polyurethane when needed to keep your floors looking good.

If you are installing any natural flooring product on a concrete slab, be aware of issues with concrete moisture and alkalinity. Read more about this issue at www.bellflooringsciences.com/moisture-alkali/

My sister-in-law in New Orleans has had cork flooring in her kitchen (tiles) for the past 8 years and it still looks great. Sealing after installation is key. 

It withstood 6 inches of water after Katrina, for 2 days, with only a few tiles having to be replaced. So yea, water is not an issue if it's sealed properly...