You can install cork flooring yourself. For these purposes, you do not need to call craftsmen and pay them for the work.
Having the necessary set of tools, strictly following installation recommendations, doing everything carefully and carefully, you can do it yourself, efficiently and in short time, lay the floor from cork.
Before laying cork flooring, it is necessary to prepare the base.
Preparing the base is very important point and consists of several stages:
The base on which you plan to lay the cork covering must first be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and dust. You can use a regular vacuum cleaner or brush for this.
After cleaning, the surface leveling step follows. The leveling method will depend on the material your base is made of.
If the floor is concrete, uneven, there is small cracks, chips and holes, in this case it will help cement mortar, which can cover up all these irregularities. If the concrete floor is significantly curved, there are many holes and cracks on it, then in this case you need to pour a new concrete screed.
For the screed you need to prepare concrete mortar and pour an even layer over the entire surface, then level it and let it dry. It is advisable to place a polyethylene backing on the concrete before laying the plug.
The company is one of the leaders in quality cork flooring.
Competition comes from corkart coating. Read more.
Such a substrate will protect the coating from the effects of condensation. You can also put a polypropylene backing.
If the floor is wooden, then unsuitable boards must be replaced. It is also possible to replace the joists if they are rotten and can lead to the collapse of the wooden floor. To level the base of the floors, you can use the technology of installing solid sheets of chipboard or hardboard.
These sheets are perfectly flat; they will be an excellent base for laying cork flooring and will additionally retain heat in the room.
The type of cork floor depends on the technology of its manufacture. Each type has its own properties and characteristics, and its own installation technology is used.
There are two types of cork flooring:
Adhesive cork flooring is made in the form of tiles. The tiles of such a covering have dimensions 300 x 600, thickness adhesive tiles from 4 to 6 mm.
Tile adhesive coating has two layers. The first layer is cork agglomerate, the second layer is decorative cork veneer. The structure of this floor is similar to oak bark.
Accordingly, all the properties of bark are transferred to this coating, its good ability to absorb sounds and retain heat. Thanks to the structure of this floor, it is very pleasant to walk on and does not slip. Lay the adhesive flooring possible in different areas of any room.
Floating cork flooring is a covering of cork that is glued to a base. The base is made of MDF. Floating cork floors are produced by manufacturers in the form of cork panels. The panels have dimensions of 900 x 185 mm.
Floating floors cannot repel moisture, so they should not be installed in areas where high humidity: room, . If a floating floor with an MDF base is filled with water, the MDF will swell, and this will lead to damage to the cork floor.
Such damaged flooring cannot be restored. The best places in the apartment for laying floating floors are: , living room,
Each type of cork floor has its own installation technology. Installation is carried out using the necessary tools.
To lay a cork adhesive floor you will need: a container, a pencil, a roller, a notched trowel, and a tape measure. To lay a cork floating floor you will need: a pencil, a hacksaw, and a tape measure.
Installation of cork flooring glue method carried out in several stages. Laying is done using a special adhesive composition.
It is necessary to use special glue, which is intended for these purposes, so that the quality of gluing is as good as possible. high level, and the glue did not react with the material.
The sequence of actions when laying an adhesive cork floor:
Marking should be done in this way: determine the starting point and draw two lines perpendicular to each other on it. The lines should be parallel to the walls. The resulting picket will be used as a template for the first tile.
In order for a cork floor to be pleasing to the eye, you need to know how to properly care for it.
Read about how to get rid of scratches on cork floors.
Apply the glue to the surface using a notched trowel. The adhesive is applied to the floor surface and to the base of the tiles. After the glue has dried a little, you need to attach the tile to the base of the floor and press it.
There should be a small gap between the wall and the last tile in the row, which will be covered with a plinth. Joints in doorways are hidden by special devices - thresholds. Installing cork flooring using this method is quick and easy.
Installation of a floating cork flooring begins with the preliminary laying of a moisture-resistant base.
The installation of a floating floor is carried out in several stages:
First you need to spread plastic wrap. The film is laid out over the entire base of the floor. A small approach to the walls is needed.
After laying the floating floor and installing the skirting boards, all excess film is cut off. If the film is not a continuous tape, but consists of separate pieces, then the pieces are overlapped with each other. Additionally, the joints must be taped.
After laying the film, the substrate is laid on it. The underlay increases sound insulation and also perfectly levels the surface. The underlayment can be made of chipboard, plywood and other materials.
Laying the cork covering is done by locking the cork plates using a groove and a tenon. The first row is laid first. The rows need to be laid in a checkerboard pattern so that the coating looks beautiful, and also so that uniform rigidity of the edges of adjacent panels is achieved.
Those who like to experiment can easily use cork flooring.
Supporters of naturalness can simply varnish such a floor. Read about how this is done.
Last panel The first row needs to be cut off and used to start the second row. It is imperative to leave gaps near the walls. The gaps should be approximately 7 mm.
To create gaps between the row and the wall, wedges are inserted. The wedges must be the same thickness.
After connecting all the rows of the floating cork floor, they need to be tapped with a rubber hammer. The last stages of installation will be the installation of thresholds and baseboards.
Skirting boards and thresholds should be fastened in such a way that they do not pinch the surface of the cork panel, but adhere to it.
If you proceed step by step when laying a cork floor, doing everything carefully and responsibly, then you will be satisfied with the result of your work. At the same time, your cork floor will delight you with its performance characteristics.
Cork flooring immediately earned fame and wide recognition among consumers. Relatively inexpensive and affordable prices, and the ability to lay the coating on your own without the involvement of specialists, make cork flooring an even more popular and in-demand product.
Manufacturers offer the buyer a wide choice and the opportunity to purchase, high-quality and affordable price category analogues and substitutes for real cork veneer.
You need to know and understand that there are small nuances and recommendations regarding laying cork floors. This also applies to the choice of all types of premises without exception. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare thoroughly before going to the store or to construction market for choosing and then purchasing cork flooring.
You should try to study how all cork floors are. Otherwise, you risk not only wasted material purchased, that is, your money wasted, but also work done in vain due to your carelessness.
A floor made from any cork does not slip at all and does not spring at all. Copes with a significant and significant load directed at it. Cork floors have excellent noise and thermal insulation. Its most important advantage is that it is completely harmless to health and one hundred percent environmentally friendly. Throughout the history of the use of cork flooring, no detrimental effects on human health have ever been identified.
With all the advantages and positive qualities Traffic jams, unfortunately, also have disadvantages. First of all, it's too much high price, but one cannot fail to note the complex and responsible process of its installation. A rather fragile cork does not tolerate inept and frivolous handling. It is better not to approach installing cork floors on your own without the proper experience.
Cork has a high sensitivity threshold to temperature changes. Its internal component and appearance. It can swell from water containing organic substances dissolved in it. In addition, cork perfectly absorbs all odors and retains them for a long time. If you have a wine bottle cork at home, try to restore it to its original appearance, or try to get rid of the smell of the part of the cork that was in the bottle. Nothing will work out.
Accordingly, based on the above, we can conclude that cork flooring will not last long in rooms where there are temperature fluctuations. Due to any thermal changes, after a short period of time, the cork will begin to crumble and become unusable. Therefore, it is not advisable to make cork floors in the hallway, kitchen and balcony. You can try laying cork laminate with protective coating, although this is also not advisable.
The worst places for cork flooring are the toilet and bathroom. Absolutely not! Too much humidity and temperature changes have a negative effect on the cork; over time, microcracks will appear in it, and moisture will flow through them into the very core of the cork, and soon swelling will occur, which will lead to detachment. This happens unnoticed, in places inaccessible to our view, under baseboards, or under the bathtub.
The cork does not have antiseptic properties, and if you take and open the place of swelling, the so-called bubble, then an unpleasant and not entirely attractive picture will appear before our eyes. The inner core of the cork will turn to mush.
Places for cork floors
There are 3 ways to lay cork flooring.
For floating cork floors and adhesive ones, the installation technologies are significantly different. Preparing the room for renovation remains the same, but the tools are different for each floor.
An important and probably the most determining factor is that the cork floor must be laid in warm time of the year. It is necessary to prevent a temperature difference of more than 5 degrees during delivery from the supplier to the house where the floor will be laid. Be sure to check the air humidity in the room and make sure it is not lower than 60%. When the air humidity is 75%, laying cork flooring is strictly prohibited.
A rubber hammer, called a mallet, for laying and adjusting the floor. You can use a jigsaw with a very fine file or a grinder for cutting planks. Hand saw cannot be used (the cork crumbles very much). If the floor is adhesive, then you will need a metal and heavy roller (skating rink) for good rolling. You will definitely need a level.
It will be necessary to make spacer wedges for the floating floor. They are made from scraps of cork laminate. Under no circumstances should they be wooden, because wooden ones will crumble the cork. In order to adjust and straighten the boards, we use the same rule. A clamp - a hook for tightening planks - also cannot be used.
You need to buy a plinth, it is special for cork floors. Including, you will need thresholds, glue and a spatula, preferably a wide one, in order to spread the glue on the boards.
Cork extraction
The floor surface should be as dry and level as possible. Simple concrete screed, cannot serve good coverage because its surface is too rough. Over time, the cork floor will play on it. Concrete here acts as an abrasive, so the cork will be rubbed off.
The wet surface is main enemy cork floor. It is necessary to dry the surface thoroughly before work, otherwise the cork will swell and deteriorate. What was written about above in the section on the bathroom and toilet.
In order to check the humidity of a concrete floor, you need to cover the floor with greenhouse film for 24 hours. Check after the allotted time, if there is moisture on the film, leave for another 24 hours. And so on until reaching desired result, dryness. A wet surface will inevitably damage the floor. Inspect and seal the cracks near the radiators especially carefully, since moisture can also penetrate from neighbors below.
Only with a liquid leveler, you need to level the floor under the cork. Cork is harder than any composite found in all dry levelers. In addition, cork is fragile in its composition. A floor made on a dry basis can crack at any time from pressure from a chair leg or from a woman's heel.
The strength, reliability and service life of a cork floor depend on the base. Experts advise laying marmoleum on the surface in front of the cork. Possibly the cheapest one. Possibly substandard.
If the floor is already covered with plywood, linoleum or laminate, you can simply lay a cork floor on top.
A floating cork floor can be laid with cork laminate or veneer. Of course, this is a job for specialists; as a rule, all attempts to assemble the floor yourself lead to all sorts of damage to expensive materials. Accordingly, the price of veneer pieces increases significantly.
Let's take a closer look at how to lay a floating floor made of cork laminate:
The quality of a glued cork floor directly depends on the choice of the glue itself. From the huge selection, I would like to highlight Cascoflex and similar adhesives. An adhesive based on no volatile aggressive solvent. It is non-toxic and dries in about 10 minutes, a time suitable for adjusting boards and tiles. The price of this glue and others like it is quite high. Based on this, the question arose about the possibility of using PVA glue.
Under no circumstances should a cork floor be laid using PVA. PVA glue is made with water based, which harms the traffic jam. When the PVA glue dries, the water evaporates from it, that is, if we apply a board and wait about 25 minutes, it will stick tightly and it will no longer be possible to correct it. In addition, when working with liquid PVA glue indoors, air humidity increases greatly. Conclusion, PVA glue cannot be used.
Of all the types of cork flooring, HDF (High Density Fiberboard) is the most inexpensive. This is a material covered on top with pressed cork chips. Simply put, this is ordinary fiberboard (Wood particle board), in its properties and naturally in quality, it is far from real cork. If you want to create the cheap illusion of a cork floor, then HDF is for you.
Reliable and durable, harmful or bad? Cork flooring can be anything. Much depends on the choice of the room where it will be placed. And the price and installation technology only affect its decorative features.
Cork covering is excellent option for residential premises in an apartment or private house. It has excellent decorative, heat and sound insulating properties, and is characterized by a long service life with strict adherence to installation technology. Cork can also be placed on other surfaces - floors or walls. So in an original way It's easy to create a stylish room with minimal investment.
| # | Name of works | Unit change | Uena |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laying cork on the wall | m 2 | from 350 rub. |
| 2 | Laying cork on the ceiling | m 2 | from 450 rub. |
| 3 | Laying decorative cork on the wall diagonally | m 2 | from 450 rub. |
| 4 | Laying adhesive cork floor covering (3 layers of varnish) on a prepared base is simple | m 2 | from 480 rub. |
| 5 | Laying adhesive cork floor covering (3 layers of varnish) on the prepared base diagonally | m 2 | from 580 rub. |
| 6 | Cutting the hole for the pipeline | PC. | from 350 rub. |
| 7 | Laying cork on the walls - designing the corner joint of the walls | m.p. | from 300 rub. |
| 8 | Varnishing cork floors/walls 1 coat of varnish | m.p./m2 | from 30 rub. |
| 9 | Installation of floor skirting boards | m.p. | from 120 rub. |
| 10 | Laying technical cork with glue on the floor, walls | m 2 | from 280 rub. |
| 11 | Laying technical cork on the ceiling | m 2 | from 380 rub. |
| 12 | One-sided cork cutting (approach close to fixed parts) | m.p. | from 300 rub. |
| 13 | Double-sided cork cut (joint of two cork materials) | m.p. | from 600 rub. |
| 15 | Primer of floors, walls | m 2 | from 30 rub. |
| 16 | Installation of interlocking floating cork floor. Easy installation | m 2 | from 250 rub. |
| 17 | Installation of interlocking floating cork floor. Diagonal laying | m 2 | from 380 rub. |
| 18 | Self-leveling floor to a height of up to 10mm | m 2 | from 250 rub. |
| 19 | Self-leveling floor to a height of up to 20 mm | m 2 | from 300 rub. |
| 20 | Self-leveling floor to a height of up to 30 mm | m 2 | from 350 rub. |
| 21 | Dry Knauf screed up to 6 cm | m 2 | from 450 rub. |
Several types of material are used for flooring - solid veneer, agglomerate chips, mixed. The first type of cork is the highest quality, but it is also the most expensive. Also this material Available in various forms, which determines the way it is laid. Highlight:
Laying a cork floor using the adhesive method works like this:
The technology of work involves the following stages:
Our company installs cork flooring in Moscow. We take on orders of any complexity and install indoor coverings different sizes And functional purpose. Our company employs only professionals in their field, which guarantees high quality. During the order fulfillment process, step-by-step control is carried out, which eliminates any defects. Also, the commissioning of the facility will occur within the previously agreed upon time frame, which will satisfy even the most demanding client.
Cork flooring is an excellent material, undeservedly little widespread in Russia. Cork is better than the rest natural coatings absorbs sound and retains heat. Moreover, cork flooring is an orthopedic covering, because... reduces stress on the spine and joints.
There are two main options for cork flooring - glue and lock. The lock allows for quick installation, but only perfectly level base. The adhesive plug can be glued even to an uneven surface, but it must be coated with varnish on top. Finish coating varnish, however, makes the surface monolithic and protects the floor from spilled liquid. It is in the adhesive version that the qualities of cork are better demonstrated, because the cork layer is thicker.
Adhesive cork can be joined end-to-end with other coverings - for example, with porcelain tiles or parquet, and you can also lay cork flooring throughout the apartment without a single threshold. Glueless cork floors are connected only through thresholds, even if the same cork is laid in different rooms due to the nature of floating technology.
To ensure that a cork floor remains stable for many years and does not swell or become loose, it should be laid on a perfectly smooth surface. For demons glue plug This required condition. Backlash in the connections of glueless cork boards causes squeaking and breakage of locks. There are several types of cork bases.
After the base has been prepared, you need to warm up the room until optimal temperature at 18-22 °C. Cork floor tiles should be left in the room for about a day to acclimatize.
The glue for installing the adhesive plug must also be warm. It is not recommended to use PVA glue or water-soluble adhesives for cork flooring - they lead to swelling and damage to the coating. The best option- a special adhesive for cork, which contains polychloroprene and synthetic rubber. This glue sets well, does not harm the coating and dries quickly - you can walk on the floor immediately after installation. A special feature of cork adhesives is their instant adhesion, so if you lean the cork sheet against the base, it cannot be moved; be very careful.
There are also ready-made solution, which does not require installation with glue, are cork boards with a plywood or wooden core, which are laid in a floating manner using a glueless joint. Such a floor, as a rule, comes immediately with a backing and a protective layer - just carefully secure it by snapping the lock, like a laminate.
Laying should be done from the edge of one wall to the other, row by row. The slabs need to be joined staggered or brickwork, preventing the joint of 4 plates at the same time.
The glueless cork can also be varnished for moisture protection. Or you can use specialized gel sealants for joints.
Cork floors can be washed with a regular damp sponge; it is not susceptible to the effects of ethyl alcohol and solvents based on benzene or trichloroethane. At the same time, you should avoid contact with aggressive alkalis on the surface of the cork. If the surface is very dirty, you can carefully clean it using special means, an emulsion that adds shine to the surface. If necessary, the contaminated surface can be sanded and recoated. protective agent- polyurethane varnish or cork wax.
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:
Let's consider the last two in more detail, since most often installation work are carried out precisely according to 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 will be installed finishing material- 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.
