Not so long ago, cork flooring was truly exotic, however, today it is becoming increasingly popular due to the fact that it has many various advantages, for example, an excellent ability to retain heat, “dampen” noise, softness and safety for dishes that accidentally fall off the table, expensive gadgets, small children, etc. However, cork laminate also has a drawback - its price per square meter is so high that not everyone can afford to choose such a floor covering. In this material we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of cork laminate, its cost, installation and other nuances.
The type of laminate we are interested in is made from cork oak, a tree with an unusual wood structure. However, previously it was supplied (and still is supplied, although it is difficult to find this type of flooring) solid wood flooring from cork oak. Its price is so high that only the wealthiest citizens could afford to purchase such flooring.
After some time, a cheaper version of the coating appeared on the market - cork laminate, which retained all the original valuable qualities.
This is how cork laminate began to be supplied to the market - flooring assembled from a thin layer of cork wood and particle boards:
At the same time, it was possible to achieve a more simplified process for installing floors in residential buildings and other premises.
Cork laminate made according to the standard scheme for this floor covering:
It is also worth paying attention to the structure of each laminate plate. So, it consists of 5 layers.
1. The first layer of laminate, the bottom one, the one that is the base of each tile, is made of natural cork, which is made by pressing crumbs of this material.
2. The second layer is represented by one of the following materials:
3. The third layer of the laminate plate is also made of natural balsa wood.
4. The fourth layer of coating is also balsa wood, or wood of other species, made in the form of veneer.
5. The fifth layer of material is represented by various protective coatings, serving to protect the laminate from damage and extend the life of this material, for example:
As you can see, one laminate plate contains so much various materials. By using such inexpensive elements as chipboard and MDF, it was possible to reduce the cost of the flooring several times, while the quality of the laminate and its original properties remained almost at the same level as that of the more expensive version of the cork floor.
Cork laminate Egger
Despite the fact that cork floors appeared relatively recently, they have gained great popularity all over the world. For what merits she came to them, let's look at the table below.
Table 1. Advantages of cork laminate
| Coverage advantage | Description of the benefit |
|---|---|
| Safety and environmental friendliness | You may have heard, but a new word in the field of children's room design is cork floors. Loving parents who care about the safety of their children prefer installing cork laminate flooring in their children’s rooms, since this material: In other words, there is no need to be afraid that natural coating will release any toxins or harm the child in other ways. In addition, this material has the following properties: |
| Soft structure | The softness of this flooring is due to unusual properties tree species that we are talking about today. The structure of the laminate maintains this softness, making walking on the floor barefoot and wearing shoes so pleasant that additional softening and cozy carpets are not needed. |
| High-quality heat retention | A cork floor can easily replace warm floors, which are quite difficult and expensive to install, while laying an additional layer of insulation under a cork floor is inexpensive and effective. This property of the coating, such as heat retention, will determine not only a constant tactile state of comfort, but also a reduction in the incidence of colds affecting your family members. |
| Noise insulation | Cork inserts in the laminate we are talking about today, due to their special structure, provide not only effective heat retention, but also high-quality insulation from outside noise by absorbing it. This plus will be especially appreciated by people living side by side (or rather, ceiling on floor) with noisy neighbors. |
| Low soiling | Cork laminate belongs to the category of non-staining coatings that can be easily washed off from stains. Modern processing panels allows you to endow the cork veneer with water-repellent properties, and in this case you will forever forget about the difficulties of cleaning. This flooring is suitable not only for finishing residential premises, but also for: |
| Therapeutic effect | Cork laminate is capable of creating a special microclimate in the room on which the floor is laid. This microclimate is characterized by regulated humidity and temperature, most favorable for humans. In such conditions, the human body constantly has a beneficial effect, which is reflected in the overall strengthening of the immune system. In addition, a therapeutic effect is also achieved targeting the musculoskeletal system. Due to the fact that the cork laminate is soft and springy, the load is removed from the joints and spine of those who regularly walk on it. |
| High maintainability | The maintainability of this floor covering is beyond doubt, since disassembling the plates of such a covering can be carried out up to 3 times without loss of quality, as well as the external component, which is actually quite significant. |
| Ease of installation | Another advantage of cork laminate is its ease of installation. Even without the relevant experience in construction, and the extra funds to hire a team of specialists, you can independently install this covering at home, using only your own power resources and a simple set of tools. |
| Low cost compared to solid cork | As we already mentioned at the very beginning of the article, there is another option for cork flooring - solid wood panels, the cost of which is incredibly high. Of course, the price of cork laminate per square meter is also very high if we evaluate it in relation to the financial capabilities of the average Russian. However, if desired, they can cover an apartment or a child’s room without any problems, while a solid cork covering will cost you a pretty penny. For comparison: |
One of the main advantages of cork is its non-toxicity and natural purity, thanks to which cork laminate is widely used for installation in children's rooms
However, despite the fact that this coating does have a large number of positive aspects and various advantages, it also has disadvantages.
Today, cork laminate is turning from an unprecedented luxury into commonplace, and is found in houses and apartments more families. Interestingly, there are several varieties of this flooring, which differ from each other:
So, the most common today classic version coverings – hand-made veneer from balsa wood, appearance which looks like a cork. The thickness of this veneer is approximately 6 millimeters. What is noteworthy is that it contains no artificial additives, so it can be called environmentally friendly.
A newfangled trend has come from Switzerland to Russia, which consists in finishing the flooring of apartments with a cork laminate, with photo printing applied to it. As you can understand, this innovation has made the use of such laminate truly relevant, because now it can be decorated as you please.
It is better to choose a textured photograph to create a solid appearance of the finishing detail. After applying the image, a primer is applied, and voila: you do not live in a simple apartment, but in a house where the floor is a work of art.
Provided that the cork laminate was produced using hydroplates, then it is not afraid of any moisture. This type of laminate is usually used:
The use of cork flooring is also great for small apartments, since due to the unusual structure of the floor, even a small home can acquire real comfort.
Today, techno-solid is also popular among cork floors, which is something averaged between:
This techno-array is based on the use of high-strength and density fiber boards, while the sides of these boards are covered with cork veneer, on top of which some kind of photo composition. Techno-solid is a new type of cork flooring, and its service life is 20 instead of 10 years.
A separate type of cork floors are laminates that have been decorated with leather, for example, snakes or crocodile. This flooring contains natural fibers. Not only does it look stylish, but its thermal insulation properties are also improved.
Cork laminate is presented in several wear resistance classes, there are three in total. Let's look at each of them in the table below.
Table 2. Classes of cork laminate
| Class No. 31 | Class No. 32 | Class No. 33 |
|---|---|---|
| This class is considered the lowest among all listed. Floors marked with it are used only in those rooms where traffic is also considered low, that is: Manufacturers of cork laminate flooring for such floors usually indicate a warranty period of a maximum of 15 years, but more often than not 10, depending on the degree of final load. | Floors of the required class are, as a rule, installed in rooms with a similar degree of load - medium. So, we're talking about O: Provided that class 32 coating is laid in a residential area, its service life will be up to 15 years (3-5 years longer when installed in rooms with low traffic). If cork laminate of class 32 is placed in a public space, then it will last no longer than 5 years. | This wear resistance class is the highest and is considered most suitable for use in walkable residential areas, as well as in public spaces characterized by an average level of load. Provided that you lay cork laminate of class 33 on the floor of your home, its service life is guaranteed to be at least 25 years; as for public places, in conditions of much more active use, the service life of the coating will be 15 years. |
A coating such as cork laminate requires a much greater number of maintenance procedures than the traditional type of this flooring, which are needed to extend its life.
Regular care of cork laminate flooring involves cleaning it from dirt, which should be done daily. So, for example, it would be advisable:
This regular maintenance is necessary to prevent dirt from accumulating and to prevent you from having to clean the coating harder and accidentally damaging it. It is better to vacuum the floor several times a week than to scrub it for hours once a month; it will be healthier.
Note: If you don't have a vacuum cleaner, use a broom with soft wires or artificial bristles for sweeping, as the floor can be easily scratched.
However, even if you start using a vacuum cleaner, once a week you should still clean the floor using the wet method, but only after sweeping. A microfiber cloth or sponge mop works great as a cleaning cloth.
For achievement best result, you need to add to the water:
As an affordable alternative, you can use food vinegar white in the following ratio: 60 milliliters of caustic liquid per 4 liters of water.
1. Do not wet the cloth too much to prevent the cork floor from absorbing moisture and swelling. If you get the floor too wet, soak up the liquid with an absorbent cloth.
2. Do not add too much detergent as it may leave streaks.
3. The following products are prohibited for cleaning cork floors:
4. Brushes with coarse bristles, vacuum cleaner attachments equipped with wheels, steam generators and other units that can damage the floor are not suitable for cleaning the flooring.
In addition to regular cleaning of the laminate, once a month you need to do a general cleaning using the same detergents that we indicated above, diluted with water in a higher concentration. And once every 6 months or a little less often, it is necessary to polish the floor or apply a protective layer to it. Polishing for cork laminate is available in all construction stores. It allows:
It is important to apply cork laminate polish following simple rules:
Every five years, subject to intensive use, and after 7 with an average coating load, you need to update the laminate using special means, such as:
You need to apply the product according to the instructions, and then let it dry for 2-3 days.
The method of laying cork laminate differs slightly from the method for conventional laminate, and these differences are rather pleasant and make life easier.
The laminates made using cork are joined using the same floating method without the use of glue. The segments of the future floor are transformed into a single whole due to the following located at their ends:
It is due to the presence of these two elements that the laminate laying method is called “locking”, since, without having fastening at the base, each of the laminate plates is fixed relative to each other very reliably.
This installation method has many advantages:
The instructions describe several main stages of laying the flooring we are interested in. The installation described in it is not complicated. Let's start looking at the steps.
Laying cork laminate is carried out not only in living rooms, but also in offices and other premises common use, where the load on the flooring is slightly higher.
However, in addition to such a factor as the intensity of wear, it is necessary to take into account that within these premises the following parameters will vary:
Before you start laying the laminate, it is necessary for it to “get used” to the microclimate of the room being renovated.
To ensure that during the installation process the flooring plates do not expand and contract, deforming each other, but lie on the subfloor once and for all, it is necessary to adapt the cork laminate to the above-mentioned room climate parameters by doing the following:
During the specified amount of time, all natural metamorphoses will occur, such as the expansion of wood under the influence of moisture and heat, or its drying out and reduction in dry air conditions, thus the laminate will take its final dimensions.
Despite the fact that laminate laid in a floating manner does not require a perfectly flat subfloor, and moreover, it can hide many small irregularities, nevertheless, for its smooth installation it requires at least the absence of serious errors.
Thus, according to the requirements of building codes and regulations, the preparation of the subfloor for laying any laminate should ensure a height difference not exceeding 2 millimeters by 2 meters. However, the presented indicator was calculated for outdated generations of the flooring in question; today, some manufacturing companies require a much less rigid ratio, equal to 3 millimeters per 1 meter.
As for local unevenness, the size of each of them on the rough field should not exceed three millimeters, then you can safely lay the laminate.
Thus, after dismantling the old flooring, which you now plan to replace with cork laminate, you need to level the subfloor using:
After leveling, the floor covering of the rough layer should harden and become smooth. Afterwards, you should wipe it down, clearing it of excess debris, smoothing out any unevenness and any cracks. Once the subfloor is in nearly perfect condition, you can begin installing the cork laminate underlayment.
Cement screed is the most popular and economical option for leveling a subfloor.
We wrote in the article how to carry out all the work. detailed instructions, materials calculation calculators.
The backing itself for cork laminate is not a mandatory element, however, it is advisable to install it in those spaces in which water will potentially settle on the floor, for example:
Let's immediately clarify an important point: moisture is the killer of the laminate we are interested in, since it leads to very rapid and obvious deformation of the coating, which can hardly be quickly stopped. This deformation usually manifests itself in the appearance of gap spaces between the laminate plates.
The substrate is needed in order to create a vapor barrier layer for the laminate, thereby protecting it from destruction and extending its service life. Foamed polyethylene is widely used as such a substrate.
Its flooring is done as follows:
The vapor barrier layer is applied overlapping, all resulting joints are secured with tape.
At this stage, in general, you can finish, unless you want to achieve additional effects from the substrate, such as:
Provided that you still have noisy neighbors, or in winter time The floors in your apartment are unusually cold, then you can add to the vapor barrier layer:
However, the materials listed above can not only create an atmosphere of silence and warmth in your home, but also level out the remaining unevenness on the subfloor, which will greatly facilitate your further work on laying laminate flooring.
Now you can begin laying the cork laminate on the coating we prepared in advance. Installation in in this case will be carried out in the same way as laminate flooring from other types of wood is laid.
You need to start by laying the laminate plates in a row. You need to start from the far corner of the room and move towards the nearest one.
As for the seams running between the rows, to obtain a checkerboard pattern, which looks most organic in the case of laminate, it is necessary to move each subsequent row by half or at least a third.
The panels are fastened as follows:
Interlocking laminate installation is done using the tongue-and-groove method.
If you did everything correctly, the boards will snap into place. Now a wooden laying block is placed on the end part of the panel laid on the subfloor, which must be hit several times with a hammer. So you:
However, instead of a block, you can use a mallet - a hammer with a wooden or rubber base, which, even with direct interaction with the laminate, will not leave any dents, cracks or chips on it.
Remembering to compact the joints with hammer or mallet blows, continue laying out the laminate in rows, gradually covering the entire room.
It is very important to remember that when laying cork laminate, between the coating, as well as walls, pipes, thresholds and other obstacles various types There should be gaps of several centimeters, since laminate is a coating that gradually expands over time in any case.
Provided that the size of the gaps left is too small, or there are none at all, the laminate will rest against walls or other obstacles and begin to put pressure on them, as a result of which the floor covering will deform, and everything will have to start from the very beginning.
Such a familiar material as plinth will come to our aid - a shaped “edge” for flooring, made from a variety of materials. Since we are considering laying cork laminate, it is better to select skirting boards that are made from this unusual wood species in order to complement the overall ambiance of the room with such an elegant touch.
However, if you do not have the opportunity to purchase an expensive cork plinth, you can replace it with:
To attach the cork plinth to the walls, you must use a special assembly adhesive, other products may require the use of fastening devices, such as:
Whatever plinth you choose, you need to attach it to the walls in such a way that there is approximately 2 millimeters between the flooring and this interior detail.
Cork laminate is a solution for those people who value comfort and coziness, but cannot afford to purchase pure cork. However, you need to understand that the cost of laminate is also not small, but quite tolerable if you really want to become the owner of a warm, soft floor that has a therapeutic effect. Before you buy a specific coating, get advice from the seller, and he will help you choose the most suitable type of cork laminate for you.
Tarquette laminate
Cork laminate is a new material on domestic market floor coverings. It appeared as an alternative to expensive cork floors and began to rapidly gain popularity. This one is unique finishing material combined in itself best qualities natural and artificial surfaces– environmental friendliness, high strength, excellent insulating properties and presentable appearance.
Cork laminate consists of five layers. The bottom one consists of pressed cork chips and performs a stabilizing function. It serves as a shock-absorbing layer between the subfloor and the main slab, and also protects the floorboard from moisture. Followed by moisture resistant sheet chipboard or MDF. This layer is equipped with a Uniclick lock and serves as the frame of the structure. It has impact-resistant qualities and is responsible for the strength of the panel.
Above the main layer there is a cork layer, which performs sound and heat insulation functions. It is also responsible for the softness of the coating. Next comes cork veneer, which is a thin sheet of wood that forms the coating pattern. The top layer acts as protective film, which is formed from vinyl or water-based varnish. It protects the veneer surface from mechanical damage, moisture and ultraviolet radiation. The durability and level of wear resistance of the coating depends on the top layer.
All manufactured products comply with strict European standards and have certificates of conformity. The level of flammability of the coating corresponds to index B2 and class DIN4102. This means that upon contact with an open fire, the material does not release toxic substances.
Thanks to these indicators, laminate can be used in residential, children's and medical institutions.
Cork laminate is becoming increasingly recognizable and in demand not only in Europe, but also in Russian market finishing materials. Popularity growth trends are due to the following undeniable advantages products:
If it appears, you must immediately collect the water and wipe the surface dry with an absorbent cloth;
Along with a huge amount positive feedback and obvious advantages in operation, cork has some disadvantages:
Before you start choosing a cork laminate model, you need to determine the foot traffic, humidity and purpose of the room. For bathrooms, kitchens and corridors you need to choose moisture-resistant options coated with a special varnish. IN public places with high traffic traffic, you need to buy products of wear resistance class 33. When choosing a model for living rooms and bedrooms, you can be guided solely by decorative properties coatings
Next, you need to decide on the style in which the room is decorated. For rustic and ecological interiors a good option there will be a coating of light colors with a distinct structure of natural pattern. IN classic interior and retro style, dark laminate will suit well rich colors with varnished surface. For techno, minimalism and hi-tech, you can choose light matte surfaces with chaotic inclusions and the absence of a clear pattern structure.
An important point in purchasing cork laminate is the choice of manufacturer. The leader in production is Portugal. Its products are presented famous brands Wicanders, Corkart and Eliter. Russian Maestro It is also produced in Portuguese factories. German concerns Witex, Proteco, Kronotex, Egger, Aberhof and Parador widely known on the European market. Their products are highly durable and durable. In Russia, the company Tarkett produces laminates from cork.
Along with European manufacturers, Chinese companies are engaged in the production of cork coverings. Their products are slightly cheaper than their famous analogues, but given that China does not have its own raw materials, but buys them in Europe, and the cost is lower, then count on high quality products are not worth it.
When purchasing a laminate, you need to make sure that the packaging is intact and there are no defects in the product, check the integrity of the locking structures and the edges of each panel.
If roughness and unevenness are detected, it is necessary to replace the products: such lamellas will not provide sufficient tightness and integrity of the coating.
Provided proper care and careful use are provided, The service life of cork laminate can be 20 years.
So that the coating lasts a long time and does not lose original form, wet cleaning must be done using a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner.
It is recommended to avoid excessive moisture even when processing moisture-resistant models. Using hard metal brushes and caustic chemical substances forbidden. If the room has large furniture, then you need to make felt pads and place them under the legs.
In conditions of elevated temperatures, it is necessary to regularly moisten the canvas to prevent it from drying out. In case of severe contamination, you need to carefully clean the surface with fine sandpaper, and then coat it with a special varnish designed for cork floors. If the laminate has a vinyl rather than varnish coating, it is recommended to rub it with mastic at least four times a year.
Today, the building materials market offers a huge variety of products, which puts buyers in a difficult position when choosing flooring. Of the two most worthy floor coverings: cork and laminated - which to choose? Which is better, cork or laminate? And is there a compromise in resolving this issue?
Cork oak, or rather its bark, has been used for interior decoration for a very long time. The usefulness of this material cannot be overestimated. Its general use was stopped only by the rather expensive price of this natural cork covering.
Laminate floors have already firmly won their rightful place in the ranking flooring materials. They are practical, durable, easy to install and look great at an affordable price.
When choosing a floor covering, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of each room: its purpose, the amount of load on the floors, the temperature and humidity inside the room. It is also necessary to have information about each of the two materials being selected.
Cork floor is natural eco-friendly a coating that is unusually pleasant to the tactile sensation: soft and warm when you walk on it barefoot. This is the quietest floor that can store heat perfectly. This floor does not slip. Due to its moisture resistance, it can even be used in the bathroom.
Cork material has a special porous structure, which provides it with extraordinary, useful properties:
These wonderful properties of cork flooring fully meet the requirements for floor coverings in residential apartments and houses.
Adhesive cork boards
usually have dimensions: 300*300, 300*600, 150*450 millimeters and a thickness of 4-6 millimeters. This type of floor is installed using the adhesive method on a previously prepared hard, dry base with good adhesion. 
The rough base for adhesive cork flooring can be a prepared wooden floor or cement strainer. It’s even better to first lay sheets of plywood or OSB on the leveled base; this will make installing the cork much faster and easier.
When all the cork slabs are glued to the base, they are varnished in several layers and left until completely dry. This coating will last 8-10 years, the service life is determined by the quality of the varnish composition and the degree of load on the floors. At the end of its service life, the surface of the cork flooring is renewed by removing the remaining varnish and recoating it in several layers. The floor will be ready for further use.
Cork panels with locking system(cork laminate)
for mounting a “floating” floor, they usually have dimensions of 900 * 185 millimeters and a thickness of 8, 9 and 12 millimeters. 
The emergence of cork laminate is due to the high cost of natural cork and the search for ways to reduce this cost. The structure of the laminated panel is taken as a basis. Having made certain adjustments: changing the lower stabilizing and decorative layers, we got a combination of cork with laminated material - cork laminate. Its structure:
For installing laminate flooring cork covering the base of the floor is pre-prepared and leveled, cleaned of dust and dirt, then the underlayment material is spread on it. This process is similar to installing laminate floors.
Direct installation of cork laminate is carried out completely similar to installation laminated coating.
Step-by-step instructions for laying cork laminate with your own hands:
Cork laminate has many great qualities that define it undeniable advantages before other finishing materials. 
Advantages:
Along with the many wonderful properties of cork flooring, there are also some flaws:
Having decorated the floors in the room with natural cork or cork-based laminate, you will see that this is a wonderful material that can bring comfort and warmth to your home. city apartment, and to a country house.
Corporations from Portugal are the leaders among manufacturers of cork coverings. And this is understandable, since the cork oak, from the bark of which cork is made, mostly grows in this country. Cork coverings are manufactured by companies in Belgium, Switzerland, Serbia, Germany, and Russia.
Brand Wicanders - belongs to the Portuguese company AMORIM GROUP, a leading manufacturer of cork flooring. The company's employees are constantly improving technology and developing new types of products.
Several collections of cork coverings from this company are known. There are cork coverings designed to look like stone, metal, ceramic tiles, leather, wood, but preserving all the qualities of cork.
The Wicanders Vinylcomfort collection contains materials for areas with intense traffic. The plates have a special protective layer.
The Wicanders Linocomfort collection contains materials with a variety of designs and unusual color schemes.
Company Corkart- from Portugal. Famous for modern innovative developments.
Advantages of cork laminate flooring Corkart (Portugal):
Aberhof- a company from Germany, engaged in the production of various types of flooring materials: laminated, cork coverings for walls and floors. Main principle company - quality.
Advantages of Aberhof cork flooring:
Cork style- Swiss company. Cork boards and Corkstyle laminate are characterized by excellent quality, the range is varied.
The company has many different collections of coatings, even with photo printing.
Features of Corkstyle cork flooring:
Maestro Club- the brand unites companies from different countries.
The collections have excellent performance characteristics and are environmentally friendly.
The Rondo collection features environmentally friendly cork floors that have antistatic properties and do not rot or burn.
In the Fado collection, all materials are highly wear-resistant. High-strength Hot Coating varnish is used with effective protection cork covering.
Egger - products are manufactured in Austria and Germany. The Egger cork laminate from this company has established itself as a high-quality coating with a surface of increased wear resistance. The operational durability of the products is guaranteed for up to 25 years. The products have received many significant European awards.
A wide variety of imitations of natural wood.
All leading manufacturers cork materials produce high-quality products with excellent technical indicators and performance characteristics. 
The structure of a laminated panel can be compared to a multilayer cake made from several layers:
Before laying the laminated flooring, preliminary preparation and leveling of the floor base, cleaning it from dust and dirt is required. Then the base material, previously selected and purchased, is laid on the base.
How to choose a substrate and install a laminate floor is described here:
Laminate flooring is a “floating” floor; the panels are connected to each other, but are not attached to the base of the floor in any way. To ensure that the laminate floor can “change” in size within small limits when temperature and humidity fluctuate, it is necessary to leave a technological gap near each wall.
The size of the gap is usually from 10 to 15 mm, it can be larger, but keep in mind that it must be completely covered by the plinth without leaving a gap. To maintain the same size of gaps on each wall, special spacer wedges or pieces of panels are used. Once installation is complete they are removed.
When laying, it is easier to first assemble the entire row of panels and then attach it to the previous row. Do not forget that floors are installed according to type brickwork: with displacement of the joints of panels of adjacent rows.
Nowadays, as a rule, laminated panels of commercial classes are used: 32-33. In residential apartments, such a floor will last a long time, at least 15 or 20 years.
Laminate floors come in a huge variety of colors and textures. There are a lot of decors with authentic imitations of natural materials: wood, natural stone, ceramic tiles, and even the skins of exotic animals. You can choose laminated panels for any interior and for every taste.
Advantages:
Flaws:
Someone else cannot decide for you what is better: laminate or cork; it is your choice, your preferences and your capabilities. Let's say one thing: no matter how you answer the question of which is better: cork flooring or laminate, you will not go wrong, because both materials are worthy of your choice, they are each wonderful in their own way.
Not so long ago, our people assumed a complete departure from the old environment and the use of the latest technologies. We tried to create a more modern, and even pompous interior. Now, after the completion of this renovation boom and the complete saturation of the market with fashionable materials, the time has come when we are ready to pay not so much for an aesthetically pleasing spring look, but for the quality and durability of the materials. Last but not least is health safety. Therefore, the wood look will be appreciated by those who want to get a wear-resistant floor and a presentable appearance of the room.
The choice will depend on the room and your preferences. The laminate board itself consists of several layers. The first layer of the “pie” is a cork base, followed by a plate with a lock, and pressed cork chips are placed on it. Either a layer of cork or wood veneer is laid on top. Cover it all with high-quality durable varnish or vinyl. And the price and characteristics of a cork-coated laminate will depend on the materials used.
For example, you are doing renovations in an office or in a room where there is very high traffic. This means that it is worth considering flooring options with a board thickness of at least 3.2 mm. This thickness of cork-based laminate has characteristics close to parquet and even ceramic tiles.
Next, take into account the characteristics of the indoor climate. For example, models for the bathroom must have an additional backing, and the locks must be treated with a special compound, since it is this part that will become the weak link in conditions of high humidity.
It is worth noting that one of the pleasant aspects of the issue of cork-coated laminate is the fairly wide selection and world-famous manufacturers. The material is not cheap, so time-tested companies undertake its production, and this is a guarantee of quality. Portugal is considered the leader; it also offers the widest selection of colors and quality classes. An excellent imitation of natural wood is offered by the German company Egger Laneo, also a world-famous manufacturer.
The undoubted advantage is the feeling you will notice when walking on a cork floor. The fact is that cork laminate is softer, and you will immediately notice the difference. There is no need to talk about its safety for the youngest members of the family; everyone knows about this quality.
Since cork laminate has advantages, it means there are also disadvantages. Among them we note the following:
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Cork-based laminate is a fairly new finishing material for Russia, gaining popularity every day. The coating looks very aesthetically pleasing and natural. It is distinguished by its natural texture and tactile warmth. Like any other coating, cork laminate has pros and cons in certain quantities, but it still has more advantages.
The manufacturing technology is unique in that three types of cork can be used to produce one panel: agglomerated (pressed), veneer, and a mixture of cork veneer and pressed chips.
Cork laminate has several layers in its structure:
