Cork floor installation

Cork material is gradually becoming popular among owners, and this is despite the fact that there are even more practical solutions on the market. The thing is that cork coverings have many advantages, which even parquet and laminate can not boast.

The good news is also that you can find on the market verymany different types of cork material, which are ideal for specific conditions and scales. In modern conditions, it is advisable to use cork coatings. And it's not just about the floor versions of the material. Now there are many different coatings on sale. Some can be used as wall finishes, and some - for covering the ceiling.

Of course, do not forget about the shortcomings of cork coatings. They are really important, especially considering the fact that floor coverings are constantly being used in a dwelling, so it is very important that they have excellent characteristics. On the negative sides of cork floors, we will dwell in detail on this material.

Also consider the process of laying the cork floor, detailing each stage of the work. Running a little ahead, it should be noted that the cork floor is a really good option for a large private house, and for a small apartment in a multi-storey building.

Main features of the cork material

Obviously, the cork floor is a completely natural product that has virtually no analogues in the market. Of course, this is often cork and bribes consumers. It is also interesting that there are many variants of this product on the market. Each owner has the opportunity to purchase the most practical option, which will best show itself in specific conditions.

Next, consider the main varieties of cork flooring:

1. Cork board. It must be borne in mind that this is the most expensive cork coating that can be found on the market. The material itself is a large plate, the size of which can reach six square meters. The thickness of the cork board is limited to 6 mm. Often this material is covered with a wear-resistant varnish, as the cork board is very sensitive to a wide variety of influences.
2. Cork laminate. This material is almost the same as the most common laminate, but its characteristics are similar to the parameters of the cork board. Unfortunately, this floor covering is used quite rarely.
3. Pressed plug. This is a kind of budgetary version of the cork slab. Despite this, the quality of the material is quite high, so the material has no special negative sides. Pressed cork has a fine-grained texture, which many may not have to taste. We can also note the positive side, which concerns the arbitrary dimensions of the material. Producers do not limit themselves in this respect, therefore, the cork made of pressed cork can be either miniature or giant.
4. MDF cork panels. This version of the cork material has a low price. Externally, the material resembles a cork board, but most of all it has in common with a laminate. The material is based on MDF, followed by a layer of cork. This composition is completed by another layer, which consists of a thin cork veneer. The advantage of this coating is that it does not need much attention to the quality of the underlying layer.

The main advantages and disadvantages of the cork floor

At the beginning of this material we said that the cork coatings have many advantages. Of course, they also have significant shortcomings, some of which can significantly affect the choice of consumers. Of course, there are more positive sides than negative ones, and this is worth remembering. Advantages of cork floor:

• Natural material. Many people are skeptical about modern materials, which are made on the basis of polymers and plastics. Obviously, in most cases for a person these building resources are not the best option, since they can have some drawbacks, primarily related to the negative impact on human health. Sometimes this influence is almost insignificant, but in such situations people are accustomed to give preference to natural products. Indeed, the plug is environmentally friendly for human health. In this regard, this material is much more attractive than other floor coverings.
• Original coating. The bottom line is that the cork is a fairly elastic material. Accordingly, this is an excellent option for flooring in the children's room. This is a safer option than any other kind of floor. Also, the cork flooring does not slip at all, unlike laminate and parquet. However, it must be remembered that there are a variety of coatings available on the market that are suitable for a particular room. For example, we can talk about protective layers that will protect the cork surface from the action of water or any other substances.
• Sound and thermal insulation. The natural material resembles mineral wool or polystyrene. Indeed, the cork floor can be used as a thermal insulation, and with the right approach the material also isolates external noise. However, it is not necessary to overestimate the material in this plan, since the properties of specialized products are still far away from the cork coating.
• Positive "perception" of the load. As we have already said, cork coverings are elastic, and that's why they take good even very high loads. Accordingly, if you place a heavy cabinet on the floor, the cork cover will take a little. However, immediately after the cabinet has been removed, the coating will return to its original position. This is an excellent property that does not allow the material to be damaged even in the harshest conditions.

Disadvantages of cork coverings:

• High price. Those who want to buy a cork cover have to pay a round sum. Of course, the whole point is that the material is natural, so in such conditions, coatings are always valued more. Of course, you can always buy cheaper versions of floors, which are also made based on cork, but such solutions are deprived of the most important advantages of the original cork coatings. Definitely, to cover the cork floors in the whole house will be expensive, so sometimes it is advisable to limit one or a couple of rooms.
• Friability. Despite the fact that the cork material withstands severe loads, it is very easy to damage. It is enough just to stumble and touch the surface. In this regard, the cork covers significantly lose to other solutions present in the market.

In addition, the cork has other negative sides. For example, the material has a high sensitivity to temperature changes. Also, natural products absorb moisture too well.

If you analyze all of the above points, the cork floor can hardly be called durable. Literally a year or two after the start of operation, it will be possible to notice significant problems on the surface, which can not be restored. Accordingly, after a while you will have to replace the floor.

You also need to focus on the fact that cork covers can only be used in separate rooms. It can be a nursery, a bedroom, a living room, as well as a study( hall).In some cases, cork floors can be used in other rooms, but only if the material has special protective coatings.

Cork flooring process

Required tools

When laying cork, it is necessary to have several tools:

• kiyanka;
• electric jigsaw;
• roller for rolling( in case the floor needs to be seated on the glue).

Also in the process will need skirting boards for the cork floor, as well as padding( since in the doorways you can not lay cork).

Preparatory work for

Before starting the cork floor installation, you need to lead a series of important preparatory activities.

First of all, we are talking about leveling the concrete floor. Often, a concrete screed is created for this, however the problem is that the concrete surface has a slight roughness, which in turn creates serious problems for the cork layer.

In such cases, it is advisable to use a liquid equalizer.

In addition, it is possible to lay the cork floor on top of a linoleum or laminate. In this case, it is also important to be sure that the substrate has a flat surface.

Laying the cork floor on the basis of the adhesive

You need to know that the quality of the adhesive cork floor directly depends on the quality of the glue. Unfortunately, there are a lot of low-quality products on sale, so it's very easy to face problems. It is best to use a non-toxic adhesive, which dries within 10 minutes. The best information related to the choice of glue, clarify with the coating manufacturer, since it is very easy to make a mistake in choosing a product. However, it is worth mentioning that often in such a process PVA glue is not used, since it has a water base.

• Cork laying starts from the center of the room. The process itself is spiraling. At the very beginning, the adhesive is applied with a spatula to the base. Thus it is necessary to watch that the layer of glue was identical.
• Each part of the coating should be rolled with a roller, which we mentioned earlier. Do not press too hard, but you need to be sure that the cork cover is firmly on the surface.
• With the most common building level, you need to check the surface horizontality. And this procedure is carried out after stacking almost every piece of material.
• If the material begins to "bully" a little, you need to arm yourself with a rubber mallet and return the plug to its original position.
• The process will uniquely be the situation in which the glue will come out( between the gaps).In this situation, you need to immediately remove excess glue, using rags( preferably wet it with a solvent).
• On the perimeter of the room it is necessary to leave a small gap, which will serve as a space for the plinth.

Creating a floating floor

When it comes to creating a floating floor, it can consist of whole pieces of veneer, or from a cork laminate. It should be noted that the first option is quite complex, so we will consider in detail the process of creating a floating floor based on the cork laminate.

• At the very beginning of the measurement of the room. It must be borne in mind that the material is quite expensive, so it is better to purchase only the necessary amount of material. If there is a need, you can then buy laminate. Immediately after purchase, the material can not be used. It is necessary to survive the cork product inside the room during the day( this is a kind of acclimatization process).
• The base surface is covered with a film( overlapped).It will also be necessary to ensure the approach to the walls. After repair, you can cut off excess material. In places where joints are created, you can use scotch tape.
• Now you need to take care of the dimensions of the laminate. The thing is that in the process there will definitely be a situation in which the dimensions of the plates do not coincide with the dimensions of the room. In this case, you need to cut the material, but only from the side of the ridge. In no case can not cut the laminate from the side of the groove.
• The material is laid from the far corner. The crest of the next unit of material is placed in the groove of the previous plate. Also, you need to do everything to ensure that around the wall there are small indentations( up to 30 mm).
• At this stage, the excess part of the film layer is cut with a construction knife.
• With a mounting glue around the perimeter of the room a plinth( preferably cork) is attached. The skirting itself should hang over the surface for a couple of millimeters.
• After the works the floor can be immediately used.