Existing types of cork coverings, their advantages and disadvantages in operation, preparatory work, advice before starting installation, laying adhesive and floating floors, further care and maintenance in everyday life. All work on the preparation of the base for the future cork flooring must be carried out thoroughly. The main principle is to ensure that it is perfectly dry, as well as even and free of any kind of dirt. The connecting qualities of the coating are increased by cleaning the surface from residues of grease, wax, paint, glue and other materials.
It is necessary to ensure that all existing cracks and cracks are carefully repaired. Before laying the cork flooring on the existing coating, it is advisable to first strengthen the sheets of dense plywood or chipboard, which have water-repellent properties. On top, you can apply a leveling agent, which should be carefully sanded.
A base made of concrete or cement must comply with building regulations in terms of moisture content. It should be no more than 25%. If this criterion suddenly turns out to be higher, an additional layer of plastic wrap 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 heat-insulating and will better repel moisture.
It is also necessary to provide a comfortable temperature for laying and drying the cork surface. The room should be between 18 and 20 ° C - this will be optimal. It is better if there is good ventilation during the drying phase of the adhesive solution. At a time when the plates are already delivered and stored indoors, the humidity in the room should not exceed the threshold of 65%.
Installation of underlay for cork flooring
The main functions of the substrate are reduced to protecting the plug from overloads and subsequent deformation. It also protects against the appearance of condensation and increased noise from steps on the surface. This is a necessary layer that will be responsible for the sound, noise and thermal insulation of the future floor. It is produced in rolls, and a 2 mm thickness will be sufficient as a flooring for the cork. To protect the future surface from moisture ingress, a polyethylene coating is laid, which should go onto the walls by at least a few millimeters. The backing foil is overlapped and the stock can be up to 20 mm. Separate parts are fixed to each other with adhesive tape.
The technology for laying the substrate will look like this:
- First, you need to establish the current state of the concrete base of the floor. If it has tangible irregularities, each of them must be leveled. With minor differences, it is enough to use a self-leveling mixture that copes perfectly with such flaws. After the mixture has dried, the floor surface is thoroughly swept.
- At the very base of the wall, a so-called "damper" tape is attached, the task of which is to compensate for future expansion of the material.
- The underlay can be rolled out of a roll over the entire floor surface. Its edges are joined end-to-end and secured with ordinary construction tape. When laying, you need to take into account that the embossed side should be located at the bottom, and the smooth side will look up.
The quality of the future cork coating and its main characteristics will largely depend on the correct laying of the substrate.
How to lay cork adhesive boards on the floor
These works are started after the preparatory stage is completely completed. So, the installation of the floor plug will consist of the following steps:
- For fixing the cork tiles, an appropriate adhesive is used, which is applied with a roller or notched trowel. The glue should be allowed to dry for half an hour before laying tiles on it. It can be laid either parallel to the walls in a row or diagonally.
- After installing each section of the flooring, it is necessary to tap it with a rubberized hammer or roll the surface with a heavy roller.
- A small gap should be left along the perimeter of the room, since the cork tends to expand slightly over time. The width must be made at least 3-5 mm. The left gap after completing all the work can be successfully closed with a plinth, but this will avoid any deformation of the coating in further operation.
- It is possible to lay a cork surface not only on a concrete base, but also on any existing surface - for example, carpet, linoleum, etc. In this case, installation of a waterproofing layer is not required, but all possible defects and irregularities must be leveled.
- After the end of the masonry, the surface is cleaned of spilled glue: for this, any rag moistened with a small amount of white spirit is used. The floors dry out within 24 hours, then are cleaned again with special cleaning agents.
- The last step is to apply a protective layer. The floors are varnished, but for this they need to dry for a day or a half.
How to install floating cork floors
After the base has been completely cleaned and the polyethylene insulation (underlay) has been installed, the cork floor covering can be installed:
- Initially, it is better to start attaching the panels from the right front corner. In this case, it is necessary that they are located perpendicular to the window so that the joints in the mount are not visible.
- Starting from the first row, the end parts of the cork panels are connected. At this point, the end face of each new panel should be fixed at a 30 ° angle to the previous panel.
- During installation, the panel is carefully lowered to the floor, after which the joint is secured with a tongue-and-groove lock. After that, a hammer with a rubberized head is gently tapped on it from the side of the lock, placing a piece of another panel.
- For expansion, a gap of 5-10 mm is subsequently left. The next row should be started from the side of the trim panel, which was laid last in the previous row.
- Experts advise assembling in this case according to the type of checkerboard location. Thus, the beginning of each new row will be a panel cut instead of a whole piece.
- Especially carefully work should be carried out in places where various communications appear on the way, for example, heating pipes. In this case, a gap is cut in the coating for the future expansion of the plug.
- In order to fix the panels near the doorways, a sill profile is used. It is fixed at the joint between the panels directly to the floor.
- It is good to use the spacer wedges when installing the cork surface. But they should be removed immediately after the end of the installation process.
- Lastly, a plinth is attached to the wall, under which a gap is left. It is needed so that the coating can move during operation.
Features of cork care
After all the installation work has been carried out, it will not be superfluous to find out how to properly care for this coating so that it serves for a long time and pleases the eye of visitors to the room.
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 care products for cork products: KorkCare, V-Care, Wikanders Power and others.
In order to minimize the ingress of dust and dirt from the street into the room, an additional rubberized mat will not interfere with the outside of the door. In order not to harm the finished coating once again, circles of cork, rubber or felt are glued to the legs of furniture items. In this case, the surface will not be scratched and will retain its attractive appearance longer.
Cork floors can be wiped with any damp cloth, but they also tolerate wet cleaning well. They can also be treated with 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 once every 3 years it is advisable to rub it with a special mastic.
How to lay the cork on the floor - watch the video:
Thus, when installing cork coverings of any type, you can do it yourself as a floor. It is necessary to carefully calculate the amount of material, as its surplus will lead to an increase in costs. It is also advisable to carry out the cork installation work with an assistant.
