An article on cork floors. Their types, structure, production. How to choose the right cork floor? How to take care of him? Read the pros and cons of this coverage in this article. Until recently, the choice of flooring was between parquet and linoleum. Now it has expanded and, in addition to laminate, leather and self-leveling floors can please with cork.
Advantages and advantages of cork flooring, pros and cons
What are cork floors for? Their main advantage is that they keep warm remarkably and do not allow extraneous sounds to pass through. The excellent sound insulation properties of cork cover ideally solve the problem with the noise level in the room. The small permanent deformation of the cork floor allows this coating to completely recover from mechanical stress. That is, you can freely put furniture on such a floor and are not afraid that its legs or rollers can ruin the surface. The cork floor is pleasant and resilient, making it easy to walk on. This property has a beneficial effect on the human body and relieves the musculoskeletal system.
By its properties, the cork floor is not electrified, has bactericidal properties, is not susceptible to electrification and does not require complex maintenance. If we add to this strength, water resistance and reliability, it becomes quite clear why this exotic coating has become so popular with us. Most of all, this material is suitable for organizing the interior of a children's room. Here, cork is used not only on the floor, but also on the walls. However, many people cork bathroom floors to help keep them warm.
Cork board manufacturing
All the production of these floors starts from the extraction of cork bark. It is crushed using different processing methods, then heated in a special oven and pressed. During this process, the granules of the cork bark stick together, and this open cellular structure becomes closed. The result is a base consisting of millions of cells, inside of which air is contained. These granules are at the same time a miniature thermal insulator, an acoustic absorber and a shock-absorbing spring.
The basis of this entire multi-layer structure is cork agglomerate, which is a crushed and pressed cork with a thickness of 1 millimeter. Next comes a layer of wood-based panels of special strength and different thicknesses. Then again the agglomerate, followed by the face layer. This layer is produced in different ways. Sometimes it is a decorative veneer made of cork or precious wood. To increase its protective properties, the front layer is coated with varnish or vinyl. Vinyl flooring has the best indicators of wear resistance, therefore such floors are placed in rooms with heavy loads.
Types of cork floors
By design, cork floors are divided into two types: adhesive and floating. Adhesive are made in the form of tiles with dimensions of 300x300, 450x450, 600x300, 450x150 mm and with a thickness of 6, 4, 3, 2 mm. They are glued with their entire area to the base. The most wear-resistant and hardest of them is considered to be a three-millimeter tile. It is suitable for industrial and office environments where there is a lot of traffic. Nevertheless, such a floor has its drawbacks, as it is quite hard, so for a house it is best to take a tile thickness of 6 mm. Then it will be comfortable and soft to walk on it. And if the apartment is located on the ground floor, then even more so, since a thick layer protects against cold penetration into the room.
Adhesive cork floors are considered a more expensive coating, their installation takes more time, however, their durability is much longer and reaches ten years. Then they can be painted and used again.
Floating cork
represents panels 900x185 mm with a thickness of 9-12 mm. They are laid on the floor, and are joined together by grooves, as is the case with ordinary lining.
Floating cork floors have a 5-year warranty. However, the period depends on the quality of the varnish and if the floor is additionally varnished, it will stand more. The main thing is that it should not be installed in flooded areas, as water can spoil it.
How to choose a cork floor?
First you need to pay attention to the manufacturer. Here, the production leader is Portugal, which occupies half of the market for cork slabs. In addition to Portugal, cork floors are dealt with: Spain, China, Poland. Naturally, plates from different countries differ in price and quality.
A high-quality board should have perfect packaging, and there should be no burrs on the cuts. It is also worth checking the geometry of the slabs. To do this, you need to take two panels from different packs and lay them on top of each other. They should fit snugly together and not show any gaps. The back of the cork panel must also be uniform. If various inclusions are observed, then this indicates that the manufacturer has saved and added waste there.
There are about 50 types of natural cork flooring collections, with a huge selection of textures, finishes and colors. This makes it possible to choose a floor for any interior, but the most common cork floors on the Russian and Ukrainian markets are IPOCORK and WICANDERS.
Cork floor care
Cork flooring is easy to maintain. It is allowed to wipe it with a damp cloth and vacuum it. You can even use a detergent, however, without abrasives. Do not use metal brushes for cleaning. If the cork floor is vinyl-covered, it should be covered with mastic every two years. In the children's room, care must be taken not to walk on the floor in shoes with rubber soles, otherwise stains will remain. Also, do not use rubberized mats on the cork floor. And to protect the floor from scratches, pieces of felt or felt are glued to the legs of the chairs. By adhering to these simple rules, you can maintain the appearance of this wonderful coating for many years.
