I've got cork underlayment in our guest room—thought it'd hold up fine—but after a year, the bed legs have definitely left little dents. Not terrible, but noticeable if you look close. Wonder if rubber would really be that much better long-term...?
"Wonder if rubber would really be that much better long-term...?"
Honestly, rubber might hold up better against furniture dents than cork, but it's not a miracle solution either. Had a similar issue in my home office—switched from cork to recycled rubber underlayment thinking it'd solve everything. It definitely reduced the depth of the dents, but after about two years, heavy furniture still left subtle marks. Rubber's denser and more resilient, sure, but it's not immune to compression over time.
If you're really bothered by those little dents, maybe consider furniture pads or cups under the bed legs? They're cheap and pretty effective at distributing weight evenly. Plus, they're easy to swap out if they wear down. Just my two cents...
"Rubber's denser and more resilient, sure, but it's not immune to compression over time."
True, but honestly, no underlayment is gonna stay pristine forever. I skipped rubber altogether and went with felt pads under furniture legs—cheap fix, zero noticeable dents after three years. Sometimes simpler just works better.
Felt pads are a solid quick fix, but if you're dealing with heavier furniture or high-traffic areas, they can shift around or flatten out eventually. I've found cork underlayment surprisingly durable—easy to install, handles compression well, and bonus: it's eco-friendly. Worth considering if you ever redo the floors...
Cork sounds interesting, hadn't thought of that. I've been using those felt pads under my dining chairs, and yeah...they're pretty squished now. Tried rubber pads too, but they left weird marks on the floor after a while. Might give cork a shot next time I rearrange things—anything to avoid another weekend spent scraping adhesive residue off hardwood floors.
