The Floor Gallery is an alternative to Quadrant for UK architects specifying cork. Both supply Portuguese cork to commercial and architect-residential briefs. TFG leads with 100% waterproof Classic Cork construction, Quadrant Corkform is positioned for carbon-negative commercial but does not promote a waterproof claim. Our Classic Cork carries a verified -101 kg CO2eq/m2 EPD, FSC / PEFC chain of custody as standard, and a direct specifier route without the reseller layer.
Specifier comparison, TFG vs Quadrant
The Floor Gallery vs Quadrant.
Both supply the manufacturer-sourced cork to UK architects. Both ship a carbon-negative spec at -101 kg CO2e/m2. Only one leads with the product’s most important recent advancement, the cork is now fully waterproof, and only one supplies the residential, heritage and listed-building briefs Quadrant doesn’t cover.
The headline difference.
Quadrant’s Corkform is Classic Cork construction under their own brand. Classic Cork construction is 100% waterproof. Quadrant’s product page mentions the word “waterproof” zero times. Their messaging is anchored on circular economy, acoustic comfort and commercial durability, not on the spec that opens up bathrooms, kitchens, wet rooms, healthcare and hospitality interiors.
The cork specification, side by side.
The Floor Gallery
- Waterproof cork ranges. Classic Cork construction-based, suitable for wet-area specification including kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and high-humidity commercial interiors.
- Two cork ranges. Classic Cork (7mm) and Cork Styles (11mm), both our chain of custody.
- Carbon position. -101 kg CO2e/m2 net, EPD verified.
- Plus engineered wood. Winderen and Vermont oak ranges for projects that need both materials from one supplier.
- Residential specialism. Architect-residential, listed buildings, heritage conversions, high-end homes in London, Surrey, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Cotswolds.
- BREEAM Mat 03. Documentation routed via every specifier quote.
- CPD. Six sessions, free, in-studio or online, with attendance certificates.
- Sample policy. 100mm samples UK-wide in 48 hours.
Quadrant
- Waterproof claim absent. Same underlying Classic Cork construction product, but “waterproof” does not appear on the Corkform product page.
- Two cork ranges. Corkform (commercial cork) and Corkwood (cork printed to look like wood). Carpets supplied alongside.
- Carbon position. -101 kg CO2e/m2 net (same the manufacturer source).
- No engineered wood. Cork-only range, plus carpets.
- Commercial-only. Project portfolio is corporate, retail, education, leisure. No residential offering, no heritage or listed-building positioning.
- BREEAM Mat 03. Available by request.
- CPD. Established programme.
- Sample policy. Sample request via web form.
Why the waterproof claim matters.
Until the manufacturer shipped Classic Cork, the standard specifier objection to cork was moisture. Cork felt right for living rooms, studies, education corridors and workplace circulation, anywhere that stayed dry. It was ruled out the moment a brief crossed into bathrooms, kitchens, utility, hospitality wet areas, healthcare hand-wash zones, or any application where mop-water or spill was likely. That objection is now closed.
The cork itself, the planks, the construction, has not changed in any way that compromises the things specifiers already love about it. The acoustic, thermal and underfoot-comfort properties are unchanged. The carbon-negative number is unchanged. What has changed is the moisture envelope. Cork is now a credible specifier choice for the rooms it used to lose to vinyl, LVT and engineered wood.
This is the single biggest product advancement in cork flooring in twenty years. Quadrant is sitting on it without saying so. The Floor Gallery is leading with it.
Project fit, where each supplier sits.
Where Quadrant fits
Heavy commercial fit-out projects where the brief is cork-and-carpet, scheduled around a known commercial installer network, with sustainability and acoustic performance as the lead criteria. WD-40 Milton Keynes, Greenpeace HQ, Aldgate Tower, County Hall, UCS Sixth Form Centre. Quadrant’s commercial credentials are real.
Where The Floor Gallery fits
Briefs that need cork AND engineered wood from one supplier. Architect-residential. Heritage and listed-building conversions. High-end homes outside London (Cotswolds, Surrey, regional cities). Any project that wants cork specified in a wet area, bathrooms, kitchens, wellness, hospitality. Recent specifier work with HTA Design, Hawkins Brown, Sybarite and Studio KKD spans both materials and both commercial and residential.
Specifier FAQ.
Is cork really waterproof now?
Yes. Classic Cork construction is a 100% waterproof cork plank construction, supplied by both The Floor Gallery and (under Quadrant’s Corkform brand) by Quadrant. The structural plank, the wear layer and the fixing system are all engineered for moisture tolerance. The cork is sealed, the joints are tight, and the substrate is dimensionally stable in humidity swings. TFG quotes waterproof cork into bathroom, kitchen and wet-area briefs as standard.
If both suppliers source , why does it matter which one I specify?
Three reasons. First, range, TFG also supplies engineered wood (Winderen, Vermont), so a single supplier can deliver a multi-material brief without coordinating two contracts. Second, positioning, TFG actively specifies for residential, heritage and listed projects that Quadrant doesn’t pitch for. Third, documentation, TFG routes BREEAM Mat 03 evidence through every quote rather than as an after-quote request.
Does The Floor Gallery have commercial credentials too?
Yes. Recent specifier projects include 35 Grosvenor (Studio KKD), Pantechnicon Sachi (Vermont Olive Oak by Sagrada), Oxford House, Taylor Maxwell, and The Waterman Farringdon (Classic Cork workplace). The portfolio covers workplace, hospitality, retail and architect-residential. Quadrant’s commercial portfolio is longer-established; TFG’s is growing and bridges into residential, which Quadrant cannot.
Which supplier wins for BREEAM-rated schemes?
The Floor Gallery routes BREEAM Mat 03 documentation through every specifier quote, including EPD-verified embodied carbon and FSC/PEFC chain of custody. Quadrant publishes Mat 03 evidence on request. For schemes targeting Excellent or Outstanding, the audit trail with TFG is shorter at quote stage.
Which supplier wins for a residential brief?
The Floor Gallery. Quadrant’s portfolio, marketing and CPD content is entirely commercial, corporate, retail, education, leisure. They do not pitch for residential. The Floor Gallery supplies architect-residential, high-end homes, listed buildings and heritage conversions across the UK, with the waterproof cork advance making cork credible in residential bathrooms and kitchens for the first time.
Where can I see samples of both?
The Floor Gallery ships 100mm samples UK-wide in 48 hours. Quadrant samples are available via their sample request form. For a like-for-like comparison, request both, the cork is the same the manufacturer source; the differences are range breadth, positioning and documentation.
Featured projects
TFG cork projects across commercial, hospitality and residential contexts, the kind of brief Quadrant’s Corkform would also be considered for, plus residential and heritage projects Quadrant doesn’t cover.
