Cork flooring has appeared on the building materials market relatively recently. His appearance did not cause much excitement: many reacted to the novelty with distrust because of the rumors about the fragility and fragility of the cork. But common sense and the natural desire of modern man for everything eco-friendly and natural are doing their job - cork is gaining more and more fans. Let's find out what it is and whether it makes sense to abandon the usual laminate or linoleum in favor of this exotic material.
Cork flooring
For the manufacture of cork floors, the bark of the oldest tree, the cork oak, which grows in Africa and Southern Europe, is used. The choice of this particular material is due to the fact that the upper layer of the bark is able to withstand destruction for a whole hundred years and has a unique structure: microscopic holes in the bark are clogged with natural gases, and this gives the material special quality characteristics.
In the production of flooring, pressed wood chips and solid wood veneer are used.
The high cost of the cork is explained not by “exotic cheating”, but by the fact that it is possible to remove the bark from a cork tree only when it reaches the age of 25, and an interval of 9 years follows until the next removal.
Advantages and disadvantages of cork coating
The main advantages of cork flooring include the following features:
- Environmental friendliness.
- Hypoallergenic.
- Durability with proper care.
- Excellent heat-insulating and sound-absorbing properties.
- Depreciation qualities - walking on such a floor has a beneficial effect on the health of the human musculoskeletal system.
- Antibacterial properties, non-susceptibility to attacks of any pests.
- Antistatic.
- Resistance to deformation.
- Cork floor does not slip.
Cork is said to have an "internal warmth" - it is warm to the touch, it is pleasant to walk on it with bare feet.
And now about the cons of using cork as a floor covering:
- Laying a cork floor is considered a rather laborious process and it is not recommended to install it yourself (to a greater extent this applies to glue cork).
- The coating has a low tensile strength - it can leave marks from the legs of furniture, heels and claws of pets.
- Possibility of peeling off a layer of protective varnish from the surface of the cork board.
- High price.
When purchasing cork boards, pay attention to the protective lacquer coating on the front side. In its absence, it is necessary to apply a protective varnish on your own, otherwise the surface may eventually take on an unpresentable appearance. In addition, due to the rough surface of untreated cork, socks and slippers will wear out quickly.
Types of cork floor
On the modern building materials market, there are three types of cork flooring, which differ in manufacturing technology, characteristics and, accordingly, price.
- Solid wood veneer, or cork board, is the most expensive. The high price is justified by the fact that the slabs are selected strictly by color (which is quite difficult to do), and the manufacturer's costs for such a floor are very high. It is produced in the form of plates or panels coated with wear-resistant varnish, the average thickness is from 4 to 6 mm. Often, manufacturers protect the wrong side with a vinyl film for ease of installation on concrete floors.
A solid cork can be recognized by the drawing - these are figures of complex shapes of yellow-brown colors.
- Cork chipping, or agglomerate, is considered the cheapest of the three types of flooring, as it is waste from production, recycled and pressed into slabs for further installation. It differs in appearance - its fine-grained texture resembles a wine cork. It is an excellent budget option, in no way inferior in terms of performance to a solid veneer coating.
- MDF panels with cork are an intermediate option both in price and quality. The so-called cork laminate is based on several layers: MDF base, pressed cork chips and cork veneer with a protective coating (lacquer or vinyl film).
Be careful! Vendors in hardware stores often offer wood chip boards, passing them off as solid veneer and significantly inflating the price.
According to manufacturers, all three types of cork cover do not differ from each other in terms of reliability.
Types of cork coating by type of installation
Cork flooring differs not only in appearance and price, but also in its installation system. There are three types of cork flooring with different installation methods:
- Adhesive cork floor.
- Lockable cork floor (floating floor system).
- Technical cork (not the main coating, used as a substrate for laminate, linoleum).
Adhesive coating
Adhesive cork flooring is the most popular. The cork slabs are manually glued one by one to the subfloor using contact adhesive. Standard sizes of tiles found in hardware stores:
- 30 x 30 cm;
- 45 x 15 cm;
- 60 x 30 cm;
- 45 x 45 cm.
Thickness - up to 6 mm. Designers successfully use adhesive tiles, combining several colors in the interior to obtain an original floor pattern.
Laying a cork floor on a glue floor involves the use of a special contact adhesive recommended by manufacturers.
Advantages of adhesive cork tiles:
- No micro gaps.
- Possibility of laying in rooms with high humidity.
- Good wear resistance.
- lower price.
floating cork floor
A cork floor with a locking system involves the same installation method as when laying a laminate, where one panel is inserted into another and held by special locking joints.
technical traffic jam
Cork underlay is a material about 3 mm thick, sold in wide rolls, which is placed under laminate to provide heat and sound insulation.
Where cork floors will be appropriate
Cork flooring is recommended for the following areas:
- Children's room. This is an excellent choice for ensuring the comfort and safety of the child - if there is a fall on the floor, there will be no serious bruising. Walking barefoot on a pleasant and soft cork floor is good for children of all ages, as it has a beneficial effect on the psyche.
- Bedroom. All the same reasons as for the nursery.
- Study. The cork has soundproofing and sound-absorbing properties, so it will gently dampen sounds that interfere during operation.
- Living room. For cork flooring in the living room, it is recommended to use a cork laminate, since it has greater wear resistance than pure cork, and will delight the owners for more than one year.
Features of installing a cork floor
A distinctive point in the installation of cork flooring is the particularly thorough preparation of the subfloor before installing the cork slabs. The surface should be perfectly flat and without the slightest bumps. It will require pouring a cement-sand screed or using a self-leveling mixture.
An important point is waterproofing.The cork floor must be protected from the possible ingress of moisture from the floor slabs.
Adhesive cork flooring can only be installed on subfloors that are not afraid of moisture.
Further laying of the coating depends on the chosen type of cork slabs - this can be done with glue when using adhesive tiles or with a special tool (rubber hammer, hand saw and exact level) when laying cork with a locking system.
Cork flooring should be laid from the center of the room with a gradual advance towards the walls.
Lock or glue plug: what to choose?
The main arguments in favor of the locking system are simple installation, which even a beginner can do, and the possibility of restoration in case of damage to a separate section of the floor. However, when choosing a cork laminate, you need to keep in mind a few important points:
- cork floating floor can only be installed in dry rooms;
- a damaged lamella can really be replaced, but for this you will have to disassemble the floor from the wall to the damaged element;
- such a coating is more demanding in care.
The adhesive plug can be used in any room, even in the bathroom. However, it is not recommended to lay it yourself due to the complexity of the process and the risk of damage to the material. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the cost of installing an adhesive floor is 3 times more expensive than laying a laminate.
