Existing types of cork coverings, their advantages and disadvantages in operation, preparatory work, tips before starting installation, laying adhesive and floating floors, further care and home services.
The content of the article:
Laying cork on the floor is a method of installing flooring, which is becoming increasingly popular and widespread in our homes every year. This procedure is not particularly technologically complex, but requires preparatory work and careful measurements. There are a number of nuances that require close attention. But, if you use the suggested tips, the process will go much faster and more efficiently.
The first ones are assembled like a laminate, according to the “tenon and groove” connection principle, so they are not tightly attached to the base. The joints are glued with adhesive of a special composition, but the floors themselves, if necessary, can be disassembled at any time. To construct such coverings, cork panels are used, which include several layers. The top is veneer made from expensive types of wood, decorated with a pattern. He serves the present decorative decoration premises.
Another type of cork floor is much easier to assemble. Such floors are glued to the base. Technologically, they consist of individual tiles, usually square in shape.
For those who are wondering how to choose a cork for the floor, you need to understand in which rooms this surface will serve. The choice depends not only on the appearance, but also on the purpose of the room, as well as on its operation. If we're talking about about offices, shopping centers and similar places, then it is more advisable to install durable adhesive tiles.
For homes and apartments, customers are often recommended a softer floating plug made from natural material. There is an option to purchase cork with various additives. This makes the coating cheaper, but it will be less pleasant to the touch and retain less heat.
It is necessary to ensure that all existing cracks and cracks are carefully sealed. Before laying cork flooring on the existing flooring, it is advisable to first strengthen sheets of thick plywood or chipboard, which have water-repellent properties. A leveling agent can be applied on top and sanded thoroughly.
The concrete or cement base must comply with building regulations for moisture content. It should be no more than 25%. If this criterion suddenly turns out to be higher, an additional layer of plastic film will be needed. On top of it you can lay a roll or sheet cork 2 mm thick. Thanks to this, the finished floor will become more insulating and will better repel moisture.
It is also necessary to provide comfortable temperature for laying and drying cork surfaces. The room should be between 18 and 20°C - this will be optimal. It is better if there is good ventilation during the drying stage of the adhesive solution. While the slabs have already been delivered and stored indoors, the air humidity in the room should not exceed a threshold of 65%.
It is produced in rolls, and as a flooring for cork, a thickness of 2 mm will be sufficient. To protect the future surface from moisture, lay a polyethylene coating, which should extend onto the walls by at least a few millimeters. The film for the backing is laid overlapping, and the margin can be up to 20 mm. The individual parts are fixed together using tape.
The technology for laying the substrate will look like this:
In fact, there is nothing technologically complex here, unlike a number of other coatings. After the cork has been laid on the floor, the surface is vacuumed and treated with special cork care products: KorkCare, V-Care, Wikanders Power and others.
In order to minimize the entry of dust and dirt into the room from the street, outside The door could use an additional rubberized mat. In order not to further damage the finished coating, circles made of cork, rubber or felt are glued to the legs of furniture pieces. In this case, the surface will not be scratched and will retain its attractive appearance longer. appearance.
Cork floors can be wiped with any damp cloth, but they are also well tolerated and wet cleaning. They can be processed and detergents, but the main thing is that they do not contain aggressive particles and similar components. If the floor is additionally covered with vinyl, then it is advisable to rub it with a special mastic every 3 years.
How to lay a cork on the floor - watch the video:
It doesn't matter what style your interior is. Cork is one of the most successful materials for decoration. So that the products please you for a long time with beauty, aesthetics and magnificent performance characteristics, very important correct installation cork floor covering.
Cork oak bark is a valuable natural raw material used to produce various necessary things, from shoes to finishing coatings. In particular, the following products are produced for floor decoration:
Let's look at each variety in more detail.
To obtain this type of product, the bark is crushed into crumbs of the required size, mixed with thermosetting synthetic resins and pressed into blocks with a density of 450 to 800 kg/m³. The resulting semi-finished product is cut into sheets with a thickness of 3 to 6 mm, from which tiles or planks of standard dimensions up to 30 cm wide and up to 120 cm long are formed on the machine. The edges of the finished products are even, so they need to be glued end-to-end. The cost of production is from 700 rubles/m² and above.
Cork agglomerate board.
The adhesive plug goes well with a water-based “warm floor,” but you need to choose an elastic adhesive marked “for heated bases.” We remind you that manufacturers (Corkstyle, Wicanders, etc.) strongly do not recommend gluing the product to the screed under which the classical system electric (cable) heating.
Finished with varnish or finishing wax, this finishing material Perfect for rooms such as the kitchen, hallway, balcony, living room and other objects with a high degree of foot traffic and abrasive loads. At the same time, it goes equally well with ceramic tiles, classic parquet and any other floor covering.
The finishing material consists of thin tiles of standard or veneered agglomerate, on the reverse side of which an industrial adhesive layer is applied under protective paper. The latter prevents the adhesive coating from drying out and greatly facilitates the installation process on any base, including walls and even ceilings. The price of the product starts from 800 rubles/m².
Cork flooring in this series is produced in the form of tiles with a side of no more than 30 cm, thickness from 3.6 mm to 5 mm. It is very rare to find adhesive-based planks of shortened dimensions - width up to 18 cm, length up to 90 cm. Front surface, as a rule, clean, requiring protection from water, coloring liquids, household chemicals and abrasives. Additionally, adhesive compounds are almost never used, but it is important to carefully prepare the base, under which only water heating is allowed.
Cork in an interior decorated in eco style.
According to the manufacturers, floor cork can be glued to the floor and walls in any room with a normal level of humidity: bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, children's rooms. The combinatorial nature of the products allows us to create interiors in the retro and eco-style that are so popular today.
Quite interesting and practical solution– a decorative layer of solid veneer or a thin sheet of agglomerated cork is glued onto a board made of HDF or composite rigid PVC. The perimeter strips are equipped with a Click locking connection for glue-free assembly of products into a single sheet.
Cork laminate with integrated backing.
Some manufacturers add, in addition to standard layers, a backing layer. As a rule, a high-density cork layer with a cross-section of up to 2 mm is used. The total thickness of the product does not exceed 12 mm. Product cost – from 1100 rubles/m².
The main advantages of this type of product:
Products based on HDF are used in rooms with normal or partially high levels of humidity, including living rooms, loggias, kitchens, as well as shops, beauty salons, cafes, etc. For bathrooms, laundries and other similar objects, it is better to lay the product on PVC- stove.
To install cork flooring, you must first prepare the following tools and aids:
It is recommended to glue cork products without a surface protective layer with water-dispersion adhesive compounds. And tiles with a vinyl or varnish tread layer can be laid using solvent-based compounds.
Manufacturers print basic installation recommendations on each package of goods. In particular, it is indicated that the packages must be brought into the room 24–48 hours before installation. And all work should be carried out with:
Laying cork flooring is not such a difficult undertaking and can be easily done on your own. It is carried out in 4 stages:
The beauty and durability of the decorative finishing coating depends on the quality of the preparatory work. Cork tiles are thin and have little rigidity, so any defects in the base will immediately appear on the surface.
The subfloor should be:
The best base for cork is considered to be a mineral screed. Leveling the floor is also allowed. But you need to choose moisture-resistant products, preferably with grooved edges. This will prevent the base from swelling under the influence of glue and the formation of seams between the elements of the subfloor. The joints between sheets are usually filled with acrylic (not silicone) sealants. But the most The best way, time-tested - a mixture of sawdust and PVA glue.
To improve the characteristics of the base base, appropriate soil is used. In particular, a strengthening or deep penetration composition can be used for strengthening. And to level out the absorbency of the floor and enhance adhesion to the coating - adhesive.
After checking the subfloor for evenness and the absence of the slightest defects, you can begin marking. Using a laser plotter or tape measure, mark the center of the room. Parallel and/or perpendicular to the length of the wall, a starting line is drawn on the base, relative to which the tiles will be laid out. If the customer requires the slats to be glued diagonally, then the axes are marked at an angle of 45° to the walls of the room.
Cork products are first laid out in a checkerboard pattern or offset onto a dry surface end-to-end along the reference axis as shown in the figure below. The edge tiles are cut taking into account temperature gap around the perimeter of 8–10 mm. If necessary, technological holes for communications are cut out in the elements. If you need to form a chamfer, then simply sand the edges with fine-grained sandpaper and remove dust with a damp cloth.
The installation process begins from the center of the room to the walls. The adhesive should be thoroughly mixed and applied to the subfloor and the underside of the tiles with a notched trowel or velor roller. In accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, you need to wait 5–20 minutes for the composition to partially polymerize. Then apply the floor element to the base with slight tension, that is, forming a barely noticeable “wave”, smooth it and roll it with rollers. Excess adhesive mixture that appears must be immediately removed with a damp cloth.
When choosing a glue, pay attention to two important parameters. Firstly, solvent-based products are classified as professional and emit a strong chemical odor, so the technician needs a respirator and gloves. And secondly, during the cold season you need to buy only products labeled “frost-resistant”, which can easily withstand repeated freezing and thawing and do not delaminate.
Some adhesive compositions are distinguished by ultra-strong instant fixation, that is, they allow two dissimilar materials to be glued together almost immediately. But this is not very convenient to use, since it will not be possible to make minor adjustments to the floor elements during the installation process. Therefore, we recommend that inexperienced craftsmen use universal non-shrink adhesives.
The technology for working with self-adhesive cork products is much simpler. Remove the protective paper, place the tile on the base and tap it with a mallet. Try to work as accurately and carefully as possible, as fitting can lead to the formation of cracks and even tears.
It is recommended to cover the laid cork floor with glossy or matte finishing compounds 12–24 hours after gluing is completed. To do this, clean the surface with a vacuum cleaner or damp soft cloth. Mix the varnish, wax or oil thoroughly and apply with a roller, flexible pad or brush in 2-3 layers with intermediate drying for 2-3 hours. You can walk on the floor within a day, and you can use it after 3–5 days.
If the varnish or wax is chosen correctly, then your floor will not be afraid of women's heels, animal claws, or falling objects. Therefore, the higher the load, the more resistant the coating should be to abrasion. For example, standard products are not suitable for salons, gyms or hotels. home use. It is necessary to purchase special series especially resistant compounds containing polyurethane resins.
The easiest stage is fixing various moldings, such as plinths, fillets, corner elements, etc. Their purpose is to ensure a smooth and uniform framing of cork coverings and give a finished look to the room.
Plinth made of cork agglomerate.
The following are used as molded products:
PVC plinth with imitation cork surface.
The first two types of moldings are fixed using contact adhesives for cork. MDF products can be installed both on “liquid nails” and using traditional self-tapping screws. For PVC skirting boards, it is recommended to use original fasteners or dowel nails.
For clarity, we suggest you look professional video on the correct gluing of cork flooring.
Laminated parquet veneered with cork is laid on standard scheme for this type of coating – using the “floating” method. You will need the following set of tools and materials:
The work is carried out in 4 stages:
The base must be level, dry, durable and clean. To do this, you need to carefully inspect the subfloor, check for:
Often craftsmen assure customers that to eliminate all shortcomings it is enough to buy a roll substrate or in thicker mats. This erroneous statement. Not a single lock will withstand the play created by the soft underlying layer and will simply break under load. Therefore, if there is large quantity floor defects, it is better to form a new one, finishing layer using liquid mixtures or dry prefabricated screed.
So, the base is leveled, primed and cleaned with a vacuum cleaner from the slightest signs of dust and sand. Now it is recommended to cover it with a waterproofing film with the strips overlapping by 10–15 cm. When working on a prefabricated screed made of plywood or chipboard, a moisture barrier layer is not required.
Next you need to lay down the backing. Although manufacturers claim that it is best to choose a cork underlying layer for a laminate, in fact, absolutely any one will do - from foamed polyethylene, extruded polystyrene foam, pressed coniferous substrate, etc. It is enough to lay the strips or mats evenly end-to-end and secure them.
First, calculate the required number of planks and rows. This is necessary in order to correctly position the outer strips, because their width must be at least 5 cm. If necessary, you can trim the strips of the first row a little.
The first lamella should be placed with the ridge against the wall farthest from the door, and spacer wedges should be inserted into the gap. Attach the following strips to the end and secure. After filling one row, a new one is formed, not from a solid floorboard, but from trimming the previous strip at least 30 cm long. It is recommended to lay the slats at an angle of 20–30° and snap them together until a smooth sheet is formed.
The planks of the last row must be cut taking into account the temperature gap, inserted into the opening and tightened with a metal bracket until the locking connections snap into place.
At the end of the work, the floor must be vacuumed and skirting boards and thresholds installed. Products made from agglomerate, PVC, MDF or metal are equally suitable for cork laminate. The main thing is that the shades of the selected moldings do not discord with the main coating.
The agglomerated array and cork veneer have a dense structure, but the surface is not very resistant to mechanical loads. The first level of protection is various finishing coatings, including varnishes, waxes, oils, high-strength vinyl films. As practice shows, even with them, you can ruin the floor.
The good thing about cork floors is that they can actually be restored. Thus, small dents, holes and similar defects are eliminated by gluing pieces of matching color and texture or by filling them with cork sealant or repair wax.
For elimination heavy pollution, stains, minor scratches and minor scuffs, cork manufacturers offer a wide range of special household chemicals in the form of concentrates or ready-to-use formulations.
For glued cork materials with a hopelessly damaged varnish layer, it has been developed effective method renovations – re-varnishing. First of all grinder the remnants of the old protective coating are removed. Then the floor is cleaned of dust, primed and varnish is reapplied in 1–3 layers.
Cork floors coated with oil or wax can also be restored. But for this it is better to turn to professionals, since you will need special equipment and special industrial tools.
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Cork flooring is becoming increasingly popular, which is not surprising, because it provides benefits that are not available to other flooring materials. And if a cork floor made from natural material is not a luxury for everyone due to its high price, then manufacturers are ready to offer equally durable options, but from a cheaper material. Laying a cork floor with your own hands is not difficult, let's find out how to do it.
Despite the fact that this material gained popularity and demand not so long ago, manufacturers offer a wide variety of options. Everyone chooses the one that he likes best and meets his requirements. There are 4 types of this material:
HDF cork laminate 
It is necessary to dwell in a little more detail on HDF cork laminate, because it is what is most often purchased, focusing on the “price-quality” principle, where price is a priority, because the quality of the material is far from so rosy. Under the foreign abbreviation lies an ordinary fiberboard board, which is covered with a layer of cork. Moreover, most often there is no normal consistency between the plate and the cork, and the chemical impregnation of the material is not an example to follow. 
This laminate is cheap, but also creates the appearance of a high-quality cork floor. That is why it is bought more often than other varieties. Cork laminate has a multi-layer structure, and the design is similar to laminate - a strip with a fastening lock. The structure of HDF laminate is based on pressed cork chips, and it is covered with cork veneer, which forms the pattern of the slab, coated with varnish. The density forms the bottom layer of wood fibers, and the structure is pumped into the agglomerated cork.
Cork flooring has its disadvantages and advantages. Let's start with its positive aspects:
But it also has disadvantages:
No matter how expensive the type of cork floor you choose is, and no matter how well you take care of it, it is a short-lived material.
In practice, installation of such flooring can be carried out in 3 ways:
We will consider the last two in more detail, since most often installation work is carried out precisely on them.
The preparatory stage for both installation methods is almost similar and has strict requirements that must be met:
The permissible humidity indicator for the rooms in which this finishing material will be installed is no more than 60%.
To install cork flooring you will need the following tools:
Installation using the “floating floor” method 
One person cannot handle this installation, so you will need the help of a couple of your friends or relatives. And do it like this:
When gluing a cork board, be sure to leave a gap of 0.2 cm between it and the floor for free play of the floor covering.
Glue mounting 
The choice of glue in this process is one of the main points, because the strength of installation and the service life of the coating completely depend on it.
The use of PVA glue for laying cork flooring is strictly prohibited, as it leads to swelling of the floor.
And they do it like this:
Useful video “How to lay cork with glue”
You can make a cork floor with your own hands, but if you are not sure that you will do everything correctly, then it is better to turn to specialists. Of course, this is a financial cost to pay for their services, but they will carry out the installation in such a way that you will enjoy it for many years. And if you want to do everything yourself, start with a small room and give preference to the glue method, because it is the simplest.
Today it is difficult to surprise anyone when they see cork floors. Such floors exactly replicate laminate; only a professional can find the characteristic differences. Cork tiles are compressed cork, it is also called differently MDF boards. Basically, cork is a special material that is obtained after removing the outer rind of the cork oak tree. Such trees do not grow in Russia. They can be found in Portugal and other European countries. Cork trees also grow in northern Africa. You might even think that it is blasphemy to strip the bark from living trees. But cork is dead bark, so removing it is only better for the tree. After some time, in place of the removed bark, another, renewed one will grow.
Cork floors are characterized by complete sound insulation, waterproofness, shock absorption, ease of installation, resistance to chemical influences, good adhesion, beauty and comfort.
Cork flooring is installed using a specific technology. In the same way, before covering the floor with another material, it is necessary to carefully prepare the base for the future coating, level the floors, and remove dirt and dust. It is necessary to maintain the air temperature in the room at least 18°C at all times.
When installing cork flooring, the normal humidity level for cork flooring installation is 25%. If the moisture content of the concrete is much higher, the base must be covered with plastic film. You can make the coating with other waterproofing material.
An additional film with a thickness of more than two millimeters is placed on the polyethylene coating. This gasket will give the floor additional hydro- and sound-proofing qualities.
Similar to other coatings, the surface under the cork floor must be completely flat. It should not have slopes or changes in height. If there are any unevenness, then such a defect can be corrected with cement concrete screed. At the same time, you need to remember one obligatory fulfillment of one point.
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After the screed has completely dried, it is necessary to install plywood sheets. Note that the thickness of the laid layer should be more than two centimeters. After completing the installation of the plywood, you can begin to assemble and install the cork floor.
Installing cork flooring is similar to installing laminate flooring. Basically, the cork slab is equipped with similar spikes, secured using the “click” method. Cork flooring can be installed in several ways. Moreover, each of them is very similar to installing laminate, but has some differences.
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To install a cork floor, you need a special glue that is used to lubricate the ends of the cork tiles, without fixing the cork to the main surface. This method came to be called “floating”.
To make the seams formed between two adjacent rows invisible, the cork covering is laid so that it is directed in the direction where the light falls. Spacer wedges are used to separate the wall and the last cork slab.
The resulting gap was left on purpose. It will be a kind of compensator if the dimensions of the cork slabs change due to a change in temperature or increase in humidity.
The first row of installed cork tiles is considered the reference. This row is used to align other rows. For greater accuracy, it is advisable to use a construction level gauge. The uniformity of the cork floor must be checked after installing several rows of slabs.
Tapping the cork tiles for better contact is done with a hammer, after coating the ends of the cork tile adhesive. There are times when it is impossible to complete a row due to the dimensions of the last tile. You have to cut the tiles with a jigsaw. If you do this operation manually, an ordinary saw will do.
With this method, one very important condition must be observed. Each new row should be offset by 0.5 times the length of the already installed row. As a result, the installation of other rows can be carried out using several tactical options. When the previously laid row is assembled only from whole tiles, the next one should begin with cork slabs sawn in the middle. When the last row has half a tile cut off at the end, the remaining part will become the beginning of the installation of the next row.
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You have to cut the plug even when you encounter various obstacles, for example, heating pipes.
What is the technology for using the “tongue and groove” method, when gluing cork tiles directly to the base? This method very similar to the previous one. Its only difference was the gluing of the cork to the surface. The glue is spread onto the tile using a special spatula, and the area where it will be glued is also coated.
The brand of glue depends on how the coating will be installed. Gluing cork tiles can be done in several ways. The standard one involves one-sided gluing, the other one involves double-sided gluing.
For the standard method, classic acrylic glue is used.
Before starting installation using this method, it is advisable to first “rehearse” a little. Lay the first two rows of tiles, noting where each of them should be. When the fitting is completed, you can begin to perform direct gluing. For uniformity with this method, after laying the third row, it is necessary to take mandatory breaks to allow the glue to dry completely.
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