Installation of cork flooring. Laying cork flooring Cork rolls for flooring laying

The growing popularity of cork floors is explained quite simply. Good sound and heat insulating qualities, impact resistance, and quick DIY installation make the coating very attractive in the eyes of homeowners.

But it should also be taken into account that the installation of an adhesive cork floor is more complicated than a conventional one, which is installed using the floating method ( lock system"tenon and groove").

Adhesive cork floor coverings are plates with a cross section from 4 to 8 mm and dimensions of 30x60, 15x45 or 15x60 cm. They are made from a mixture of granulated cork oak bark and thermosetting resins.

Often to emphasize beauty and create beautiful panels Manufacturers produce multi-layer products, which are based on a slab of fine-grained cork or PVC base, with cork veneer glued on top, coated with durable varnish (polyurethane or alkyd-urethane). Various decors - from natural wood to metal, stone. Veneer can repeat or imitate the texture of natural materials.

Before gluing cork floors, you need to stock up the right tool and choose the optimal glue for this job. Tools you will need:

Tape measure, square and pencil for marking.
A small rubber roller for subsequent rolling of floor elements.
Rubber comb spatula for spreading glue over the base.
Rubber mallet.
Drill for drilling holes for water pipes or heating pipes, columns and other immovable structures.
Jigsaw with blade for wooden parts(small teeth) for cutting the tiles of the final and wall rows or a hacksaw for wood.
Sponge or rag to remove glue residue from the surface cork covering.

When choosing an adhesive, you first need to focus on the quality of the cork tiles and the type of base. It would be a good idea to get advice at the place where you purchased the coverage. As a rule, manufacturers recommend that points of sale sell a certain type or brand of adhesive products that are ideal for cork. The same instructions are given in the instructions on the package insert or information brochures from the manufacturer.

Let's consider the most popular adhesive compositions from the point of view of companies that sell cork coverings:

Cascoflex. The adhesive has reactive components and does not contain a volatile solvent, therefore it is considered safe for people with diseases of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. The drying time is long - at least 2 days, so correction or adjustment of the tiles is allowed.
Decol Vern. Universal two-component neoprene adhesive composition based on solvent (solvent). Suitable for any type of cork tile, due to the hardener it quickly polymerizes, so correction is possible only in the first 10-20 minutes after applying the composition to the base and reverse side cork floor.
PVA. Waterproof polyvinyl acetate composition, which is recommended for installation of non-compacted tiles with a protective polyvinyl chloride coating. Direct contact with the cork can cause the floor to swell and create cracks.
HomaCol. Quick-setting water-dispersion adhesive, well suited for gluing cork to concrete and wooden base, quite safe, non-toxic.
Thomsit UK 400. Universal adhesive composition, easy to use. Requires a perfectly smooth and dry base, applied to both surfaces to be bonded.

Proper gluing of cork tiles requires compliance with the temperature regime - from +18 to +24 ° C, as well as a certain humidity - from 30 to 60%. Under these same conditions, acclimatization of the finishing material occurs.

Laying technology

The basis for laying a cork floor can be a concrete screed or wood covering. The main requirement is a smooth, dry base without defects (pits, chips, potholes), oil and other stains.

If necessary, the concrete floor must be leveled using cement-sand screed(at large differences or damage to the base) or dry ready-made mixtures on a gypsum and gypsum-cement base (floor levelers and self-leveling subfloors).

The preparation period can last for a month, since this is exactly the period required for the screed to gain the required strength and dry completely. After the expiration date, it is recommended to treat the base with a primer deep penetration for strengthening and dust removal.

Wooden floors require no less attention. The floor needs to be sanded or sanded with coarse sandpaper using parquet sanding machines, the “humps” must be removed, and various defects. Weak strips should be re-glued or tightened to the base with self-tapping screws.

If desired, you can lay plywood or OSB, secure it with hardware in increments of 30-50 cm crosswise, and sand the surface with a surface grinder. Additionally, to protect against mold or bugs in the future, you can prime the floor with antiseptic compounds.

A day before installation, it is recommended to bring the adhesive cork flooring into the room and leave it unpacked for acclimatization. The floor covering is removed from packaging immediately before installation.

All tiles must be inspected for defects or different colors; it is advisable to make a preliminary layout on the floor. This will show both the design and ways to minimize waste. After preparatory stage the base is marked.

Installation starts from the center of the room. To do this, cords or fishing line are pulled diagonally from the corners and secured to rods or nails. The center is taken to be the place where they intersect. In addition, you will need guides (profiles) - two perpendiculars relative to the walls of the room.

You can begin a trial installation of beacon tiles. The process is carried out without applying glue. At this stage, the dimensions of the wall tiles that need to be cut are specified. Their width should be at least half of the solid plank.

For convenience, laying the cork floor with glue is done in two steps: first one half of the room, then the other. The cut tiles are laid in a final row along the outer wall.

It should be taken into account that when using two-component or water-dispersion adhesive compositions, the surfaces are bonded quite quickly, so adjustments must be made as soon as possible.

The actual laying of the adhesive cork floor begins with gluing 6-8 tiles in two directions at right angles. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the tight fit of the elements - gaps between them are unacceptable.

The glue is evenly applied both to the base and to the back side tiles Less often - only on the basis. The area of the main coating covered with adhesive composition should be larger size laid tiles.

After allowing the adhesive mixture to dry a little, the tiles are firmly applied to the base and tapped with a rubber mallet to improve the fit. The surface of the tile along the edges is wiped with a damp sponge to remove any glue that has come out. Each subsequent row is pasted offset from the previous one, that is, in a checkerboard pattern. The last to be glued are the cut tiles.

Depending on the type of adhesive cork floor (varnished or uncoated), after drying it is coated with alkyd-urethane or polyurethane varnish. This significantly increases the wear resistance of the coating. Acrylic compounds are not recommended for use, as they wear out quickly.

What to do if the cork floor comes off after installation

Unlike floating interlocking floors, adhesive cork floors come away from the base much less frequently. The fact is that between the tiles mounted using the tongue-and-groove method and the base there remains air gap, under which moisture may get in. Plus, lock joints are not always perfectly tight.

At poor quality installation dampness can penetrate into the adhesive and under the glued coating. In this case, there is a high risk of swelling of the cork floor and the appearance of mold and mildew. In this case, it is necessary to dismantle the affected area and treat it with special means.

You cannot glue old tiles; you will have to purchase new ones.

Also, cork panels can come off due to the “warm floor” heating system. The recommended level is no more than +25 °C. Failure to comply with this condition leads to the glue drying out, the appearance of cracks between the tiles, and finally, to swelling and damage to the integrity of the cork sheet.

Correcting the situation is quite simple. You don’t even have to resort to the help of specialists. You need to remove the peeling panel, dry it, clean the base and glue the tile back. If the moment has already been missed and a fungus has grown under the plug, then the affected panel needs to be replaced.

Video about cork floor installation technology and the main mistakes:

On the market building materials is becoming increasingly popular flooring from a cork. 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 an 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 cork panels irregular shape It is better to use the second method of flooring. 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 adhesive cork on the floor has one peculiarity - 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 found on water based or with a solvent. 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 must be carried out at open window for air intake.

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 placed in transverse rows from the far left corner, inserting the tongue of the 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.

Search interesting solutions for apartment renovation? How would you like to install a cork floor? Don’t know what it is, what the benefits are for you and how to do it? Everything is very simple. Let's look at what cork flooring is and how to lay it correctly.

The material for making cork is the bark of the cork oak tree. The bark is removed from trees that are 25-30 years old, but it is not used in construction. Then, within 6-9 years, the bark is restored, it is removed again (if the technology is followed, no damage is caused to the tree). And this material is already used for the manufacture of various products.

According to technology, cork fabric can be divided into types:

veneer is the most expensive type of cork;
agglomerate - the most cheap option(made by pressing at high temperature crumbs with the addition of various resins);
combined - both pieces of veneer and crumbs are used for production.

Finished panels can be processed various compositions, which affect the properties of cork and give it greater strength and moisture resistance.

Pros and cons of the material

Benefits of cork floors:

excellent heat and sound insulation;
cork - the material is elastic and resilient, does not creak, does not slip, it is pleasant to walk on it;
cork does not rot and is fireproof;
the material is hypoallergenic, does not attract dust and does not accumulate static electricity;
cork floors can withstand high pressure, including point ones.

Flaws:

like any natural material, cost cork panels higher than the usual laminate or parquet boards;
the base for the cork covering must be perfectly level;
if there are cats or dogs in the house, then claw marks may remain on the cork flooring;
over time protective layer is erased and paths remain in places of heavy traffic.

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Types and options of cork flooring

Floating type (you can find the name cork parquet). Available in the form of panels with locks and consists of a layer of cork glued to an MDF panel.
The adhesive type is produced in the form of square or rectangular shape. Sizes may vary. A protective layer can be applied on top.
Technological cork is sold in the form of rolls or plates and is used as a substrate.

For final finishing, the first 2 types are widely used, it all depends on your choice. It should be taken into account that if you plan to lay cork in a bathroom or toilet, then you need to give preference to the adhesive type. This is due to the fact that it is treated with a special compound that prevents the floor from swelling.

Floating cork flooring is best used in a room with a low level of humidity: in a bedroom, nursery or hallway.

To lay a cork floor with your own hands, you will need:

Pencil.
Roulette.
Square for precise cutting of panels at right angles.
Long ruler.
Chop cord.
Construction knife. It can be used to easily cut adhesive-type cork panels.
Spatula or roller for applying adhesive to floors and cork boards.
Electric drill. Useful if you need to drill holes, for example, for heating pipes.
Fine-toothed hacksaw or jigsaw. These tools are useful for cutting floating panels.
Rubber hammer for fitting cork slabs into place.

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Cork flooring technology

Surface preparation

Before laying the cork covering, the surface must be leveled, if necessary. It must be dry, clean and primed.

You don’t have to remove the old flooring, but lay cork on top.

Laying cork flooring with glue:

Before laying the 1st row of cork tiles, you need to use a construction cord to mark the main line along which its assembly will begin. This can be diagonal from opposite corners of the room or laid in a straight line along the walls.
Draw a pencil line using a ruler along the chop cord.
When working with glue, you must use a respirator, for example RPG-67. Cork tile adhesive is flammable and has a pungent odor. After work, the room must be thoroughly ventilated.
Apply glue evenly to the base using a spatula or roller along the marked line.
You also need to apply glue to the panel and let it dry for 10-15 minutes.
Then attach the panel to the base and tap the entire surface with a rubber hammer.
In some places it will be necessary to adjust the cork panels. To do this, marks are made with a pencil, using a square or ruler, markings are made and construction knife the excess part is cut off.
After laying the tiles on the floor, it is necessary to cover it with 2-3 layers of varnish. A two-component polyurethane varnish is perfect for these purposes.
The glue dries within 24 hours. It is advisable not to walk on the laid panels during this time to avoid their displacement.

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. Absolutely environmentally friendly material, combines both 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 a cork laminate: a base of MDF, 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. In terms of useful qualities, it is almost equivalent to solid veneer, but is 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 color of a solid cork is complex figures irregularly shaped 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. In addition to the high price, it is fragile and quite 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 in 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 - cork floor There is a clear “no” here. 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 premises 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 a cork floor, you will first need a rubber carpenter's hammer(mallet). Then - manual Circular Saw or a jigsaw with a circle or a “clean cut” file, very fine-toothed. Any hand saw will crumble the cork 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 trimming 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. A leveled concrete screed is not enough - it is 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 the adhesive connection will be weak, but that the cork will swell. 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 the 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 far corner in transverse rows with the seams shifted by a third or half the length of the board, like a 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

Most cheap material for cork flooring – 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.

Considering that the purchase natural material costs a pretty penny, laying a cork floor with your own hands will help reduce repair costs. Moreover, there is nothing complicated in the process if you follow the instructions. How to do it correctly - our article will help

Considering that buying natural material costs a pretty penny, laying a cork floor with your own hands will help reduce repair costs. Moreover, there is nothing complicated in the process if you follow the instructions. Our article will help you on how to do this correctly.

Types of cork floor installation

Before laying a cork floor yourself, familiarize yourself with the installation methods depending on the format of the covering. They are varied:

1. Solid fabric big size. Used in living rooms and halls. Thanks to its flexibility, solid cork veneer is easy to lay and secure. It is considered the most premium class, hence the price. Installed with glue.
2. Boards or floorboards with locking connections.
They use the “floating floor” technology. The base is not tightly attached to the bottom layer, which is why this option has good maintainability - even after disassembling most floor, the damaged floorboard is replaced and the covering is reassembled.
3. Tiles.
This form is placed on glue and can be used for any surface - floors, walls, ceilings. Small form Convenient for DIY installation. This is the cheapest coating due to its small thickness. Installation should take place in rooms with guaranteed low activity.

Depending on the characteristics of the room and your own budget, you choose the shape of the cork floor and the method of its installation. If hope for own strength– no, professional services are always offered. This is a guarantee of quality.

Requirements for the rough foundation

In order for the flooring material to serve the owners for the stated period, it is necessary to comply with the requirements for flooring under cork. More details:

1. The rough base must be perfectly level. A difference is allowed for each square. m no more than 2 mm.
2. It is important to waterproof cork from below special material with perforation for condensate drainage.
3. Do not lay cork on unpolished concrete base. Due to the pressure from above, the screed will rub the cork from below like sandpaper. A substrate is required.

Leveling the floor is not difficult - it is similar for laying all types of flooring.

Installation instructions for cork flooring

So, the flooring has been purchased. Laying a cork floor with your own hands, the video tutorial below, should be performed in the following steps:

Tools and materials

For quality work, you will need to purchase additional components and tools:

1. Substrate. Its types are numerous.

Based on the characteristics of the room, choose your own option.
2. Glue. Only specialized formulations offered for the material in the store.
3. Leveling mixtures for rough screed. If the floor is wooden, you need to peel it off and lay a layer of moisture-resistant plywood.
4. Tools for cement work: mixer, beacons, rule, level, reinforcing mesh.
5. Tools for laying cork: rollers, mallet, wide spatula, scissors or knife.
6. Measuring instruments – ruler, tape measure, square.

The main job is dirty. You need cleaning products and a lot of rags.

Preparing the base

The old coating is removed. You can lay cork on existing linoleum or wooden floors, but over time they are not in ideal condition. Therefore, they are torn off and the condition of the concrete screed is assessed.
Potholes and cracks, if they are small, can be filled with mortar and then sanded down. But if the damage is more than 10% of the entire area, this is a reason to prepare a new screed.
First, the entire surface is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and moistened. Next, I prime for better adhesion with the new screed.
They select the selected height, set the beacons and place a reinforcing mesh on them. You can pour the solution prepared and matured for half an hour.
It is important to fill small areas and finish the job in one go so that there is no delamination.

The finished screed is left until it sets completely. It can be used after 2–3 weeks, after being pre-primed.

Covering installation

Before installation, it is important that the cork acclimatizes to the room. To do this, it is laid out in the room for a day, freed from packaging. Depending on the chosen shape and type of plug, installation work begins:

1. Lay the substrate. The sheets are overlapped and secured with construction tape.
The substrate is placed on the edges of the walls to compensate for the linear expansion of the material.
2. Mix the adhesive composition according to the recipe on the package and leave to mature. It's better to make a solution in small portions without allowing it to seize.
3. Work with a floating floor is carried out from the far corner of the room, laying boards in the same way as installing laminate flooring. Each floorboard is inserted one into the other, carefully tapped with a mallet.
Elements of adjacent rows are shifted relative to each other by 1/3 or half the length. That is, laying a cork floor - the video illustrates this well - proceeds like brickwork.
4. Working with canvas is different. First, the glue is smoothed with a notched trowel over the surface of the base. Then lay down a whole sheet, tapping the corners and middle with a mallet. Then smooth it with a roller.
The joints between the sheets are immediately wiped of glue - it can change the color of the canvas.
5. The tiles are glued in the same way as the canvas, with the only difference being that installation begins from the middle of the room, in a spiral.
You should always have a level at hand to correct the position of the next unit.

Complete setting of the finished surface occurs according to the adhesive instructions. Previously exploited cork surface forbidden. If the experiment was a success, then carefully consider laying cork tiles on the walls - it is beautiful and unusual for the interior.

Final works

After the cork coating has set, a layer of varnish is applied to the surface several times. It's all about the porous structure - it will absorb one layer of varnish like a sponge. The composition can be glossy, emphasizing the beauty of the patterns, or matte, making the cork warmer and more comfortable. Cork floors are often waxed, but then maintaining them is more labor-intensive.

Do not subject the surface to deformation. Wrap furniture legs in felt, introduce a ban on heels and street shoes, and give pets a place.
Take care of your cork every day. This way, it will get fewer defects and old stains in the future.
Periodically restore the canvas and boards - replace or sand the surface in a timely manner with mandatory varnishing at the end of the work.

Conclusion

Independent work saves the budget. This is an indisputable fact. If it allows free time and have the skill to handle the tool - go for it.

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