cork for decks

[Stumble]

I am a little confused about a couple of things perhaps one of you pros could explain.

1) Benefits of cork are:

Lighter
Wear
Insulation
Traction
Stain resistant
Other I missed ?

2) What I have not seen is any limitations or negatives of the material. Now it could be that there are in fact none, but I find this hard to accept. There are negatives to every material and the trick is to understand these limitations and design accordingly. So could one of you give us an idea of the downsides to cork as opposed to teak?

3) What is the rough price breakdown of Cork. First the material cost, then secondly the installed cost including labor. I have no problem with $150 installed cost, but if that is the price for the materials then it is a bit pricy. Also a rough estimate of the installed price of teak decking in your area would be great since it would allow a comparison with labor costs here.

[Willallison]

I can't comment on the longevity of cork, other than to say that it no doubt varies from one manufacturer to another, just like any other product, and that it has stood up well in commercial applications.
The only obvious down side is that when laid it doesn't look the same as a real teak deck. Not necessarily inferior...just different.

In terms of cost, the wholesale cost for Marinedeck 2000 Exterior runs to about AUD $350 per square metre (9mm thick). Interior is about AUD $110 / m^2. The cost of laying it depends a great deal on the complexity of the job and speed and skill of the installer.