Installation of cork flooring. Cork floor: types, features, technology

Cork flooring chosen by connoisseurs of natural materials. There are two ways to install it: glue and tongue and groove.

The glue method is used when using natural cork, produced in the form of thick sheets. The tongue and groove is used when installing cork laminate, in which the top layer is cork, and the base is NDF boards, similar to laminate.

Preparation before installation work

Have you decided how to install your cork floor? In fact, at the preparation stage it doesn’t matter; the preparation of the base is carried out the same way. The base must be perfectly level and smooth. The better the floor is prepared, the longer the service life of the cork covering will be. Leveling the floor is carried out using beacons. The base is leveled using self-leveling mixtures. This process should be approached with full responsibility.

Note! A varnished cork floor will subsequently reveal the slightest irregularities.

The leveling mixture must dry completely. Otherwise, mold will appear under the floor covering. Based on this, it is worth starting preparatory work in advance, approximately 3 weeks before the start of laying the cork.

Adhesive installation method

To install cork with glue, you will need the following tools:

roulette;
square ruler;
pencil;
notched spatula;
rubber mallet;
roller and container for applying varnish.

Stages of work

Dust and prime the floor.
After waiting for the primer layer to dry, apply markings.
Draw one line in the middle parallel to the wall and mark the center on it.
Start laying from a wall along which there is no furniture. In this case, there should be a gap of 5-10 mm between the cork and the wall.
A couple of days before installation work It is necessary to remove the cork from the packaging and leave it in the room where installation is planned for acclimatization.

Laying the cork in a run-up

Move the slabs halfway, imitating brickwork.
Start laying the material from the wall and insert a piece of slab at the end, and start the next row with the remaining piece. In this case, the amount of waste is minimized.

Laying tiles using the adhesive method

Apply adhesive to the base in an even layer and place the first tile, pressing it firmly. The area of the applied adhesive should exceed the size of one tile, so that when laying the next one, you will not stain the already laid one. Then apply adhesive to the next section and secure the second tile.

If there is no chamfer on the edges, difficulties may arise at the joints. To fix this, take a rubber mallet and hammer in the protruding edge. The entire surface is covered in the same way.

Final row

Note! When laying the last row, you will most likely have to trim the material using sharp knife and rulers. Do not break the material, but run the knife several times.

Laying technology may vary depending on the adhesive chosen. For example, polymer-based adhesive is applied directly to the material rather than the floor. To avoid unforeseen situations, carefully read the instructions before use.

Final stage

As soon as the cork coating has dried, a layer of varnish is applied to it.

Note! Particularly good in combination with cork acrylic lacquer on water based, which is odorless and harmless.

Before work, the floor is dust-free and all window and door openings are covered. Each speck will be very noticeable under a layer of varnish. If you have an unvarnished cork from the manufacturer, you will need to apply at least three coats of varnish.

Video

Installation using the tongue-and-groove method

This method is much easier and for it you need the following tools:

Electric jigsaw.
Roulette.
Square ruler.
Pencil.
Backing cutter.

Cork laminated coating Installed in the same way as conventional laminate. The base is cleaned of dust, then a cork substrate is laid, the joints of which are treated with tape, and the installation process begins.

Laying rules

The first row is laid from whole planks. The missing part is cut off with a jigsaw. When laying, it is necessary to leave a distance of 1 cm between the material and the wall.

The second row begins with the trim that remains from the first. The row is assembled separately, and then moves to the previously laid one. The tenon is inserted into the groove at an angle, and then the row is lowered and compacted by tapping the hand. If the room is long, it is advisable to do this work with a partner.

Note! Installation of cork laminate is carried out in the direction of the sun's rays.

The final row is cut one at a time, you will need to measure them separately. The entire trimmed row is also completed and snapped into place. Cork laminate does not require a protective varnish layer, as this is provided by the manufacturer.

The work is completed and you can enjoy your new, environmentally friendly flooring.

Video

Cork flooring has become widespread relatively recently. However, the popularity of cork flooring is growing: manufacturers are developing and offering full-fledged, relatively inexpensive substitutes for solid natural cork veneer, and laying a cork floor with your own hands is accessible to a person who has basic home repair skills.

However, cork floors cannot be installed everywhere. Therefore, before purchasing material and getting to work, you should understand what a cork floor is, and, especially, what its advantages and disadvantages are. Otherwise, expensive material and painstaking work may go down the drain.

Types of cork floors

The most expensive - whole cork veneer, or Cork board(cut of cork oak bark), coated with wear-resistant varnish. Don't confuse it with school cork boards. An absolutely environmentally friendly material, it combines both the best advantages and the most serious disadvantages of cork. Can be produced in large (up to 6 sq. m) layers 4-6 mm thick and in rolls; also in the form of tiles. Often its back side, not the front side, is protected with vinyl film, which makes gluing and laying it on a concrete floor easier.
MDF panels with cork. Average by price category material. It is also often called a cork board, although in fact it is cork laminate: MDF base, then a layer also processed according to MDF technology(dry hot pressing) cork chips, and on top - a layer of cork veneer of 2-4 mm, protected with varnish and/or vinyl film. By useful qualities almost equivalent to solid veneer, but not so demanding on the quality of the underlying surface.
Cork laminate Available in standard laminate size and thickness.
Pressed cork chips. It is used to make inexpensive cork tiles. On sale, it is easily recognizable by its fine-grained texture, similar to the cork from an inexpensive wine. The colors of a solid cork are complex shapes irregular shape in yellow-brown tones. However, cork tiles provide a coating that is not much inferior in quality to that of solid veneer. For a budget-friendly cork floor, this is the best option.
The main sizes of cork tiles are 30x30, 60x60 and 60x90 cm. On sale, under the appearance and price of tiles, you can find scraps and waste of solid veneer. They are small, but if you have the desire, time and artistic taste, you can create such a coating from them that sophisticated connoisseurs will gasp.

What is good and what is bad about cork flooring?

The cork floor has excellent springiness and is not slippery even with protective coating. It handles the load well, including regular alternating loads. Provides excellent sound and heat insulation. Absolutely environmentally friendly and harmless: over the entire centuries-old history of using cork, no signs of its impact on health have been noted.

However, there are also significant disadvantages of cork floors. Besides high price– fragility and rather difficult to install with glue. Without skillful hands and with an accurate eye, it’s better not to touch an adhesive cork floor.

Further, the coefficient of thermal expansion is high, even for wood. In addition, the cork swells greatly if the water contains dissolved organic matter. As a result, the cork absorbs well and firmly holds the smell and color of impurities. Perhaps you have an old one lying around somewhere wine stopper– try to return it to its cylindrical shape, remove the color and smell from the part that was in the bottle.

As a consequence of the above, cork flooring is short-lived in any room with variable temperature conditions: the cork will soon begin to crumble due to thermal deformation. Therefore, the answer to the question whether it is possible to install cork flooring in the kitchen, balcony and hallway: only cork laminate with a protective coating, and even then it is not very desirable.

As for the toilet and bathroom, there is a definite no to cork flooring. Even if you and your guests use the services absolutely carefully during the most riotous fun, all the same, from fluctuations in temperature and humidity, microcracks will soon form in the cork covering, through which moisture will pass, and then peeling, most often in hidden places: under the baseboard or under the bathtub where water vapor stagnates.

Cork does not have antiseptic properties; it is a biologically neutral material. Therefore, if you find and open such a “bump”, under it you will find disgusting-looking mucus, the contents of which, under a microscope, immediately cause a microbiologist who is not indifferent to his work to faint.

Where are cork floors good?

However, there are types of rooms where cork flooring is highly recommended, and others where it is completely acceptable:

Children's room. Here you can lay any cork floor; if you have the means, it’s better to use solid veneer. Firstly, the child will always be warm. Secondly, a tomboy who flops around won't hurt himself. Thirdly, walking barefoot through traffic jams gives a somewhat irrational, but beneficial effect on the psyche and development of the mind, a feeling of a living connection with nature.
Bedroom - for the same reasons as in the nursery.
Study. In addition to all the same, the cork dampens sounds well, without creating deadening silence at the same time.
Living room. It is better to use cork laminate here, as in any other frequently visited rooms. Cork flooring, even with perfect care, is not durable.

How to lay cork floors

Laying cork on the floor can be done not in two ways, as is often written, but in three different ways:

Cork laminate, with some additional precautions regarding tools and installation technology, see below.
The same cork laminate and solid veneer can be laid freely, without fastening - this is a floating cork floor.
Cork flooring of any type can also be installed with glue.

The technologies for laying floating cork flooring and adhesive flooring are fundamentally different. But the requirements for preparing the premises are the same. The tool used is also special.

It is necessary to lay a cork floor in the warm season, so that the temperature difference during delivery from the seller’s warehouse to the room does not exceed 5-7 degrees. It is also desirable that the air humidity in the room under the floor should not exceed 60%; humidity of 75% is no longer acceptable during installation.

Tools, accessories and additional materials

To lay cork flooring, you will first need a rubber carpenter's hammer (mallet). Then - a hand-held circular saw or jigsaw with a circle or a “clean cut” file, very fine-toothed. From any hand saw the cork will crumble along the edge. For an adhesive floor you will need a rolling roller - similar to a paint roller, but metal, heavy, and small, 20-30 cm, but an accurate level.

Cork laminate planks for a floating floor will have to be corrected and leveled. Spacer wedges for this will need to be made from its own scraps - the wooden ones will crumble the cork. Also, the rule for fitting is a piece of cork board, which is pressed against the one being adjusted and adjusted by lightly tapping it with a rubber mallet. You cannot use a hook clamp to tighten cork laminate.

From additional materials You will need a special plinth for the cork floor, which is attached to the wall. Making cork floors doorways This is not possible, so special thresholds will be required. For an adhesive floor - special glue and also a special spatula for its application: wide, fine-toothed.

A small but important device for laying glued cork flooring is a can of canned vegetables or coffee with a quick but tightly closing lid. You will need to keep a rag moistened with solvent in it - a lot of small shreds. Use a rag to wipe off glue drips. Outside of a tightly closed container, it will dry quickly, but if it is abundantly moistened, it will ruin the coating.

Preparing the premises

Any cork floor must be laid on a flat, smooth and dry surface. Leveled concrete screed not enough - it's rough. The traffic jam “plays” when you walk on it or roll a chair. Concrete in this case acts as an abrasive; Cork, on the other hand, is a soft material and can be quickly wiped clean even on an adhesive layer.

Cork flooring especially does not like wet underlying surfaces. The point here is not only and not so much that adhesive connection It will turn out to be fragile, and there will be a plug in the swelling. Because of this, a “bump” is formed somewhere, described in the section on the bathroom, and with the same contents. Therefore, before laying the cork floor, the base must be leveled and dried.

Concrete floors need to be checked for moisture before installation. To do this, the room or part of it, but not less than 2 sq.m., is covered for a day plastic film, approximately a rectangular piece, not a strip. If after a day no moisture has settled on the underside of the film, you can begin final leveling. If not, you need to dry it some more. Numerous complaints that a solid floor at 60-80 euros per square week became stained and swelled after a week can be explained by the base being too wet.

Note: moisture can pass from neighbors below. Therefore, immediately inspect the “bare” floor carefully and seal all the cracks; especially near heating risers.

Leveling the floor

The base floor under the cork is leveled with a liquid leveler. Dry leveler (layered composite of soft material between two layers of plastic film) is not suitable: cork is harder and more fragile. A stiletto heel or chair leg can cause a cork floor on such a base to crack.

(More about wet screed for leveling the floor)

Even the cheapest cork floor is not a cheap pleasure, and its reliability and durability greatly depend on the base. Therefore, we can recommend before the traffic jam, the cheapest, even substandard:

The mechanical properties of marmoleum coincide with those of cork; failure of the top from concentrated load will not happen.
The marmoleum will “flow around” the unevenness of the base, and its upper surface will remain smooth.
Marmoleum has bactericidal properties: suddenly a harmful “bump” forms under the cork, marmoleum will not allow harmful microflora to develop in it.

If linoleum, laminate or are already laid on the floor, then it is better not to touch them, and lay the cork on top.

Floating floor

A floating cork floor can be inlaid with whole piece veneer or large parts thereof, and cork laminate. The first two options are the prerogative of a team of at least two well-working professionals. Independent attempts of this kind end in the breakdown of the expensive coating: the price of cork veneer increases rapidly as the size of the piece increases.

Laying a floating cork laminate floor is done as follows:

The room is measured, material is purchased. Upon delivery, it is unpacked and kept for a day for acclimatization - equalization of temperature and humidity.
Meanwhile, the base floor is covered with plastic film with an overlap of 20-30 cm and an overlap of 10-15 cm over the walls. The joints of the pieces of film are glued together with tape.
Planks of a row that is not full in width are cut to size from the side of the tongue crest; the groove cannot be touched. When laying with a seam shift halfway, half of the end boards are sawn in half lengthwise.
Laminate planks are laid from the far corner in transverse rows with the seams shifted by a third or half the length of the board, just like regular laminate: the ridge of the next board is inserted into the groove of the previous one, holding it at an angle, lightly pressing and lowering. Pull it into place using a rule and a rubber mallet. A distance of 20-30 mm must be maintained from the walls. They hold it up and tighten the board outermost in front of the wall with spacer wedges.
Excess film is cut off.
Attached to the wall mounting adhesive"cork" plinth. It should not lie on the floor, but hang over it by 1-2 mm. It is convenient to use matches or toothpicks for this. It is true that the manufacturers of cork floors do not tell you what to do with the debris that will inevitably get into the crack before the cork swells.
The floor is ready and you can walk on it right away.

Video instructions for laying cork flooring

Cork floor with glue

How good an adhesive cork floor will be depends largely on the adhesive. Coating manufacturers each recommend their own, but the best must be recognized as adhesives without volatile aggressive solvents - “Cascoflex” and the like. They are non-toxic and take the longest to dry (5-10 minutes); this is enough to fit the tile or board. But such adhesives are expensive, so the question is often asked: Is it possible to lay cork flooring on PVA?

You cannot lay a cork floor on liquid PVA: this glue is water-based, which is contraindicated for cork. You can let the PVA dry until it is tacky with pressure (15-25 minutes) so that all the water evaporates from it. But then each tile will have to be placed exactly in its place: it will not be possible to move it; it will immediately grab tightly. And liquid PVA can only be applied to one surface - the base floor, and this is a violation of gluing technology. And the air humidity will increase during operation. So, unfortunately, it is impossible to recommend laying a cork floor on cheap PVA.

Lay the adhesive cork floor like this:

We work from the center of the room in a spiral. Twisted to the right or left - whichever is more convenient for you. For right-handers, it is more convenient to “unwind” clockwise.
Apply glue to the base with a spatula in an even layer, lay the tiles, and tighten them with your hands or a rule.
Roll with a roller.
We level twice, along the diagonals, to check horizontality. If another tile is lifted somewhere, tap it with a rubber mallet.
Any glue that comes out at any stage of the work is immediately wiped off with a rag moistened with solvent. We throw away the used flap: if it is used again by mistake, it will only smear the glue drip, and it is impossible to remove dried glue from the cork.
We leave the same gap around the perimeter as for the floating floor.
At the end of the work, we wait a day, sew up the gap with a plinth - the floor is ready.

Video: the process of laying cork with glue

HDF cork laminate

The cheapest material for cork flooring is HDF (high density fiberboard), covered with pressed cork chips. But behind the “smart” foreign abbreviation lies the familiar fiberboard, which does not have the same properties as cork and “chemical” impregnation. Therefore, you can recommend HDF cork for flooring only in one case: if you want to cheaply tell your friends that you have a cork floor.

Summary

Cork flooring can be very good and useful, or very bad and harmful. It depends on whether it is laid in a suitable room for it. And only its decorative qualities depend on the price category of the material and the installation method.

Cork flooring, from the first days of use, became popular and earned wide recognition among consumers. The relatively affordable cost and the ability to lay such flooring yourself increase consumer demand for cork. Manufacturers offer a wide variety of product and quality at affordable prices for analogues and substitutes for natural veneer.

It must be borne in mind that there are some subtleties in laying such a coating at different stages of the implementation of this solution. You should study the issue in detail before going to a construction base or a special store to purchase material. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with the positive and negative sides of cork flooring, otherwise there is a risk of not only throwing money away, but also wasting time on wasted work.

Types of cork flooring

The most popular types of materials are:

cork veneer flooring;
cork MDF boards;
cork laminate;
slabs of pressed cork chips.

Coated with wear-resistant varnish, it is the most expensive. It is not easily confused with a school corkboard. Natural veneer is environmentally friendly pure material, which combines both the strongest pros and cons of cork. He is being released large sheets area up to 6 sq. m., 4–6 mm thick, and also in the form of tiles and rolls.

As a rule, its backside is protected with a vinyl film, which facilitates the process of gluing to a cement-concrete surface. The texture of natural cork is complex irregular shapes in yellow-brown tones.

. This material occupies an average price position in its line. This is a two-layer cork laminate, the bottom layer of which consists of a full-fledged MDF board, and the top layer is made of 2-4 mm veneer, coated with a protective varnish. By useful properties cork panels MDF is similar to solid veneer, and is not too demanding on the quality of the surface on which it must be laid.

Produced in traditional sizes and thicknesses for this coating.

. This cheap material for covering the floor. In stores it can be easily identified by its fine-grained texture, which looks like a cheap wine cork. However, the quality of cork board is almost as good as solid natural veneer. Tiles made from pressed cork chips - good quality budget option cork floor. Standard sizes of cork tiles:

300*300 mm;
600*600 mm;
600*900 mm.

Pros and cons of cork flooring

The floor, made of cork material, does not slip or spring. It perfectly withstands significant loads directed at it. This flooring has good heat and sound insulation. One of the main advantages of this floor is that it is absolutely safe for human health and environment. Throughout the history of cork flooring, there has not been a single case of harm to human health.

With all the advantages and positive properties of cork, unfortunately, it also has disadvantages. This is expensive material.

In addition, one cannot help but mention the relatively complex and painstaking procedure of its installation. Cork has a fragile structure and does not tolerate careless handling. Without sufficient knowledge and certain skills, it is not recommended to start covering the floor with cork flooring yourself.

This material is highly sensitive to temperature changes and mechanical damage from the claws of pets. It depends entirely on this internal composition And appearance. It swells with water and quickly absorbs any odors and then retains them for a long time.

Where is it not recommended to lay cork flooring, and in what rooms can it be installed?

In accordance with the above points, we can conclude that cork flooring is not suitable for rooms with temperature changes and high humidity. Any short-term temperature changes cause the cork to crumble and become unusable.

Therefore, cork flooring is not suitable for the kitchen, hallway or balcony. If desired, you can lay cork laminate there, but this may also be an impractical solution. Premises where laying cork flooring is strictly not recommended:

bathroom;
bathroom.

Very high humidity and sudden changes in temperature negatively affect cork, since moisture can penetrate into the material through microcracks, after which it swells and peels off. This process is invisible, in poorly visible places, for example, under baseboards.

Rooms ideal for cork flooring:

Kids room.
Bedroom.
Office room.
Living room.

Kids room. Any type of this covering is ideal in a children's room, as children will be warm to stand on and walk on the cork floor barefoot at any time of the year. In addition, if the child falls on the floor, he will not be injured. Walking barefoot on it has beneficial features on the baby’s psyche and, it feels, brings him closer to nature.

Bedroom. Laying cork flooring in the bedroom is good for the same reasons as in the case of a children's room.

Office room. To the above reasons we can add the excellent sound insulation properties of the material.

Living room. In the living room, cork laminate is best suited, since in this room natural veneer will quickly lose its proper appearance.

Cork floor underlay

When laying a castle floor, you need to use an underlay. As a rule, the backing material is made from compressed fine-grained chips from cork oak bark.

The substrate is an important coating layer. It is needed for sound, heat and waterproofing. Non-flammable, wear-resistant, natural and environmentally friendly cork substrate has several times better properties than other insulating materials.

Technical cork is produced in rolls. Production leaders cork coverings, as a rule, offer substrates with different thicknesses, but for a floating type of floor, 2 mm is sufficient.

The main function that the substrate should perform is to protect the cork covering from excessive loads that can cause deformation of the material. It also protects against condensation and dampens noise from footsteps on the floor.

Laying the underlay for the castle floor

To successfully install cork underlayment, you need to perform the following steps:

at least one day before the start of work, rolls of technical cork must be brought into the room where it will be laid;
to protect the surface from dampness, you first need to lay PVC film with an approach to the walls of no less than 5 cm;
if a single piece of film is not enough, the remaining pieces are overlapped with a margin of up to 200 mm;
parts of the film must be glued with tape;
on the film, rolls of technical cork must be unrolled over the entire area;
the gap from the wall to the substrate, as well as at its joints, should be 1.5 cm.

It should be remembered that the quality of the subsequently installed cork covering and its service life will directly depend on how correctly the substrate was laid.

Cork flooring technology

To lay a cork floor, the following tools and materials are required:

rubber mallet;
a jigsaw or circular saw with a fine-toothed cut, since any hand saw will crumble the cork material around the edges;
high precision level;
metal ruler;
ordinary measuring tape;
a special marker or pencil for painting;
if there is an adhesive floor, you will need a metal roller;
putty knife;
paint brush 100 mm with natural bristles;
varnish composition;
special glue;
several empty containers for varnish and glue;
rags.

One of essential elements interior decoration the premises is its floor covering. They are presented to him special requirements: beauty, ease of care, wear resistance. It is highly desirable that it is not slippery, so that it is comfortable to walk on even when wet. Modern cork material meets all of the above requirements.

Not so long ago, a floor made from it was an almost unattainable pleasure. Now, of course, it also does not belong to economy class materials, but many compatriots can afford it. Cork is the bark of a special cork oak tree, which is widespread in countries with humid and warm climates.

The largest plantations of this tree grow in Spain and Portugal, providing the countries with primacy in the processing of cork material and the production of various building materials from it. It is also cultivated in some Asian countries useful plant, but the quality of the resulting cork is lower there.

Cork floors - varieties

Conventionally, all types of coatings of this type can be divided into three types: technical, adhesive and interlocking. Floors that require an adhesive base are completely natural.

These are pressed solid slabs (or panels) - they can have different size: 45x15, 60x30, 30x30, 45x15. Their thickness can vary from four to six millimeters.

The material has a two-layer construction. Upper layer It is usually represented by high-quality high-quality veneer, the bottom one consists of cork chips pressed under pressure.

MDF is in the middle. The upper part of the structure consists of a special cork veneer. The stove has standard sizes 90 by 18.5 cm, with a thickness of 1.2 cm.

Just like the usual traditional laminate, cork has special grooves and locks. Thanks to this, the installation process is significantly simplified. It does not require sealants and an adhesive base, but a 2-3 mm substrate is required under it.

When the coating is laid and installed, several layers of varnish must be applied to it. Which grades to use for this are usually recommended by the manufacturers of cork laminates themselves.

The technical covering made from cork is a remnant of production, therefore this material in fact, they are never used for final finishing. It is usually produced in granules, plates or convenient rolls.

Its main purpose is to use it as a substrate for laminate flooring. In addition, it can be used to mask and remove significant defects in the base.

Obvious advantages of cork flooring

The cost of cork flooring is higher than linoleum and traditional laminate. And yet, it can be considered quite profitable.

Let's look at the advantages of cork coating:

Cons of cork flooring

Cork, like any building material, has not only advantages - it also has some disadvantages. What can be attributed to them?

Laying cork on the floor - preparation

To install cork floors, use various ways. The choice of a specific method in each case depends on the material chosen for the floor covering.

The floor can be adhesive (attached to the base) or floating (its individual elements are connected only to each other).

It is advisable to carry out work in warm weather. This is necessary to ensure that the temperature difference in the rooms where the material is stored and where it will be installed does not exceed seven degrees.

Humidity limits should be no more than 65 percent.

Before laying cork flooring, it is necessary to prepare the base well, which should be dry and level. All cracks and crevices must be carefully sealed.

It is recommended to use vapor-tight and waterproofing materials that can create reliable protective barriers. You can use gypsum fiber sheets, moisture-resistant plywood or self-leveling screeds.

Minimal differences in height are acceptable. All existing joints are sealed silicone sealant, after which the seams are leveled. The surface must be primed.

Cork flooring - laying with glue

It is not recommended to unpack the tiles immediately after purchasing them - they must remain in the conditions in which they will be installed for at least three days.

Humidity and temperature regime– the indicators should be 65% and 18 degrees, respectively. It is recommended to start installation in the center of the room, and not from the corner, as is desirable for many other materials.

First, markings are made using a beating cord, which facilitates the installation process.

The adhesive composition can be dispersive latex-acrylic or polychloroprene based - it can be applied both to the slabs and to the prepared base. For the floor, it is better to use a special notched trowel; for cork, a soft roller is more suitable.

The applied glue is cured specified time(defined by the manufacturer), only then proceed with installation. The individual elements are pressed against each other and against the base, tapped with a rubber mallet or ironed with a roller.

After this, the coating is left to dry for about a day, but the time period may vary for each specific brand of material.

Then the finished surface is freed from debris and dust - it is convenient to do this with a household vacuum cleaner. After a thoroughly cleaned floor, you can begin to varnish it with special two-component water-based polyurethane compounds.

The varnish is treated in several layers, at least three - this ensures better preservation and wear resistance of the cork coating.

Application can be carried out with or without sanding, glossy or matte varnishes are used. Within a few hours the treated surface will dry, but it is better to wait longer.

It is advisable not to touch the surface at all for about 24 hours.

As for a thorough load, you will have to wait longer. Only after 5-7 days will the floor become stable enough for the maximum possible load.

On the market building materials Cork flooring is becoming increasingly popular. This material is made from crushed cork oak bark by pressing. An ideal floor covering for those who prefer natural materials. Among the advantages of cork: resistance to combustion, antistatic, good sound and heat insulation.

When studying the issue in detail, laying a cork floor with your own hands is not so difficult process. Availability the necessary tool and a responsible approach will make it possible to independently complete the work with high quality and without the involvement of specialists.

Installing a cork floor with a locking joint is similar in technique to installing laminate flooring. It is not advisable to lay a cork floor without first laying a waterproof film. Residual moisture from the floor surface can negatively affect the cork board.

The film is cut into strips and laid out overlapping, as well as running onto the walls. The backing is laid on top.

The first panel is laid in the corner of the room, and then the following tiles are sequentially secured end to end using a lock.

The second and third rows are assembled in the same way. The rows are connected to each other by a locking connection. It is very important that when laying the panels there is expansion joint between the wall and the covering.

Cork tiles with interlocking connection

If at the end the row is incomplete, the panel is cut off. The cut part is the beginning of the second row.

If the width turns out that the last row will not be full, then the panel is cut lengthwise.

There are times when the panel lock is cut off and the panel is glued to the floor with glue. Such cases happen in hard to reach places for styling.

Laying cork tiles

The essence of laying interlocking flooring is similar to a floating floor. This installation method is faster and easier. The interlocking cork floor has only one drawback - it is not resistant to moisture.

Laying tiles

Exist different ways, how to lay cork flooring. Cork tiles can be laid either flat (tile over tile) or offset (brickwork). When using irregularly shaped cork panels, it is better to use the second flooring method. This will help visually smooth out the unevenness of vertical lines due to different sizes cork tiles. The installation method is selected before work begins at the interior design stage.

Laying methods

Laying in technology brickwork begins with laying a whole series of boards. The second row is laid in such a way that the beginning of the first board is located in the center of the board of the first row. All subsequent rows are laid in the same way. It turns out that each row is shifted relative to the previous row.

Adhesive coatings

Laying glue plug on the floor has one feature - it is laid from the center of the room. Because of this important stage When laying, the markings are correct and accurate. This determines how the cork floor will look in the end.

Marking before installation

To mark the center of the room, draw a contour parallel to the wall. Another line is drawn nearby, retreating from the first by the width of two tiles. At diagonal laying the second line is drawn diagonally across the room.

To obtain a beautiful pattern, the cork board is first laid out on the floor, after which it can be secured with glue.

The first tile is glued perfectly exactly according to the markings, because even a small error at the beginning can lead to a significant deviation at the end of the work, and the overall picture of the design will be spoiled.

Applying adhesive to tiles

Contact adhesive is applied to the floor and cork tiles using a spatula. The adhesive applied to the tiles is left in place for half an hour. Then you need to glue the plate to the floor.

When installing the floor, the tiles are overlapped to create a tight connection. The edge of the panel must be held. The free part of the tile is pressed, and the resulting wave is smoothed towards the joint. This creates a tight joint. Additionally, each joint is tapped with a rubber hammer for a tight connection.

Leveling the base

Before laying any material, you need to thoroughly prepare the base for laying. The quality of preparation of the base on which the cork floor will be laid will determine its service life.

The stages of preparing the floor base are as follows:

Cleaning the surface from contamination;
Leveling the base;
Drying the floor surface.

Clean the surface from dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner or dry brush. Next comes the process of leveling the surface depending on the base material of the floor.

Vacuum the floor before laying

If the base is a concrete floor that has cracks, holes, imperfections are removed cement mortar. If the concrete floor is curved or there are differences, then it is better to level it using a concrete screed. The surfaces are allowed to dry thoroughly to reduce the moisture content of the coating. It is recommended to use a polyethylene layer between the concrete and the cork covering to protect against possible condensation. Only after preparatory work The adhesive plug or lock is installed.

The subfloor in the form of a wooden floor requires checking for rotten boards. If the floor is uneven, then it is leveled using sheets of plywood or chipboard. In this case, the floor will not only have an ideal surface for laying cork, but will also act as additional thermal insulation.

Set of tools

Installing cork on the floor yourself requires having a tool in your arsenal that will help you carry out this work efficiently and effectively.

To lay interlocking cork you need:

Pencil for marking;
Roulette;
Hacksaw for cutting cork tiles;
Wedges for installation in gaps between the wall and panels.

Tiles on a backing

Laying an adhesive cork floor requires the same tools as for a castle floor. You only need to add:

Roller or spatula for glue;
Rubber hammer;
Dishes for glue.

Gluing tiles

The adhesive plug is glued to glue, which can be water-based or solvent-based. When applying water-based adhesive, you should understand that in the event of possible flooding, the adhesive panel on such adhesive may fall off.

Installing cork flooring with solvent-based adhesive requires the use of protective equipment to prevent harmful substances into the respiratory organs. Work should be carried out with an open window to allow air to enter.

Floating floor installation

The floating floor method involves the absence of a tight connection between the floor covering and the building structure, which makes it possible to avoid the impact of building shrinkage on the covering. In this case, the flooring material does not come into contact with the side walls, and sound waves are not transmitted from them. The floor installed in this way will be insulated from noise that is generated when the floor slab is impacted by walking, moving objects, etc.

How to lay cork floor using the floating floor method? The process begins by covering the surface with a film that does not allow moisture to pass through. The film is laid in overlapping pieces, which are connected with tape. To insulate the floor under the floor covering, it is possible to lay a cork underlay. Panels of an incomplete row are cut without affecting the groove. The panels are arranged in transverse rows from the extreme left corner, inserting the ridge next panel into the groove of the previous panel. A gap of 20-30 mm wide is left between the wall and the coating. To do this, place a wedge in the gap for expansion. Excess film is cut off. At the finish, a cork plinth is attached to the wall at a distance of 1-2 mm from the floor covering.