The floor inevitably comes into our field of vision, forming the image of the room as a whole. It should be comfortable and beautiful, because every day you will have to come into contact with its surface. The main requirements include insulation performance, environmental friendliness, wear resistance, representative appearance. The choice of surface material should also include the specifics of the room, so the level of humidity and the number of visits to the bathroom, hallway and nursery are different. Among the many options, of course, preference should be given to wood. It is always in fashion and fits any style and color. This material is capricious and is unacceptable in rooms where the level of humidity is high, condensation and steam often appear. Thus, it is worth excluding the bathroom, toilet, and kitchen. Wooden floors include solid boards, MDF, laminate, and combined coatings. There is another way to arrange the floor in living rooms– do the installation of cork flooring yourself. This procedure will occupy the whole family, becoming a vivid joint memory. The material is pliable and pleasant to the touch, and its fixation and distribution do not require special skills.

Origin of the material, its types

Cork is comparative new material. Only in the 17th century did they begin to use it for clogging wines, guided by the properties of the material that did not affect the taste of the wine. Now Cork tree used in construction and decoration. This is a layer of cork oak bark that is removed from the tree starting on its 25th anniversary. It is during this period that the bark easily moves away from the branches and does not harm it. The material then goes through several processing stages, which this moment They work quite effectively with large volumes of cork.

Cork floors are divided into types, installation differs depending on this, therefore video instructions differ from each other depending on the type of material used. The most expensive material is solid cork veneer. This is a slice that can be of varying thickness. The form can be either solid - in the form of a board, or flexible - in the form of rolls. The surface color is yellow-brown, with a large natural pattern of dark, rich color. The material can be cut into tiles, since a single piece is difficult to lay out, and the surface for it is ideal to prepare. The underside can be covered with a film for better adhesion of the glue to the surface.

Installing cork floor panels is like putting together a puzzle. In this case, a special technology is used for each board. The MDF base is covered with a layer of pressed cork chips, and then a section of cork veneer is glued to the front side. This type of flooring can use the scraps and scraps that are collected when making a solid cork sheet, so it costs less. In addition, those who are going to do the work of laying cork floors themselves will find it easier to work with this material. A separate category is cork laminate, which is already prepared for fastening and can be laid after preliminary calculation footage

There are also offers from construction stores, where knowledge of cork flooring technology will help you create a masterpiece. We are talking about cork tiles, which are made from crumbs. Under influence high temperature it is pressed, resulting in a yellowish base tone speckled with small grains of a darker color. The properties of the material, such as elasticity, thermal insulation, environmental friendliness, are preserved in this case. The size of the tiles traditionally follows the parameters ceramic slabs- these are squares and rectangles with a side of 30, 60 cm. There are also smaller tiles, they are more reminiscent of parts of a stained glass window, thanks to their bizarre shape and small size. Only experienced master will be able to assemble it qualitatively.

Laying work

Any construction and repair work requires concentration, remarkable desire and strength. In order for everything to be successful and the result not to disappoint, you need to choose the right materials in the store, calculate their required volume, find out where it’s best to start the work and what to do with the room after it’s finished. The work of laying a cork floor is not easy, as it requires accuracy, a good eye and patience, but from a technological point of view, even a child can handle it.

The basis is the subfloor. It must be smooth, clean and dry. If your base is made of concrete, clean it from dirt and dust, examine the surface for cracks and chips. If there are any, they need to be sealed with putty, and if the floor is completely covered with uneven surfaces, it is better to apply a layer of screed. Do not forget that the liquid layer must dry completely, which may take a week. A wooden floor can be additionally covered with a layer of plywood.

Next, you need to buy glue, depending on the type of coating you choose. The packaging usually indicates the parameters of this product, so you should rely on the instructions and advice of sellers. Don't use regular glue water based, it will not dry completely and will transfer dampness to the cork, which will quickly swell and begin to peel off and rise in lumps.

In the case of cork flooring, we are talking more about panels different sizes, and it is very important to position them correctly. We start not from the walls, but from the center of the room. It can be determined by pulling the ropes from the corner to the prick and fixing their middle. It is from this point that the layout will go. It is important to maintain symmetry so that the strips of laid panels or tiles are parallel to the line of the walls.

Cork laminate and solid panels

There are two ways to lay cork flooring - glued and dry. Solid cork, laminate, and veneered MDF panels can be laid by attaching them to each other with special grooves. This type of floor is called “floating” or interlocking. On one side of the tile there is a narrow hole along the entire length, and on the other there is a ridge. One panel is placed under the other and snaps into place. This method is pleasant, since there is no need to fuss with glue, scrub it off and breathe in its vapors. This method requires a specially prepared layer on the subfloor for better insulation. It could be polyethylene film, fastened at the joints with tape or furniture stapler, and maybe a layer of wood. Laminate or solid cork flooring can also be laid over carpet if it is clean and level.

Laying cork flooring starts from the wall. The second panel is applied to the first panel, slightly at an angle, then it is lowered, and the lock latches itself. After laying the first row, you can move on to the second, and so on. It is better if the tiles are placed in a checkerboard pattern; to do this, you need to start with half a board every other row. Laying such a cork floor does not even require a training video; everything is intuitive. It got its name due to the gaps between the boards, which must be left (about 7 mm), and due to the lack of fastening to the wall - the plinth only hangs over the floor, without being attached to it in any way.

Tiles - the master's weapon

Cork tiles – cheap coating, but it does not regulate the styling pattern, giving room for imagination. It is very important to work with glue correctly here. It is better to buy an expensive sample so that the work does not go down the drain. The first step is to distribute the tiles. To do this, we determine the center of the room, from which we begin to lay out the tiles dry. To begin with, we determine the main points, laying out the most large tiles. Having covered the space of the room, we place small tiles in the crevices. Once you like the result, start gluing. It is made according to the same principle - starting from the center, with the largest tile. Remember that they must be adjacent to each other.

The glue is applied to both the tile and the base; the impregnation time for the cork is indicated on the packaging. The technology for laying cork flooring involves applying pressure to the tiles so that the adhesive adheres better. Excess should be wiped off immediately so that no stains remain; you can use a sponge for this. After the large tiles are glued, you can fill the space between them with smaller pieces. If you don't have the right size, you can cut the tiles into several smaller ones with a knife.

Laying a cork floor can take from one day to several, it all depends on the rough surface. If you filled the floor with screed, it is better to wait an extra day for everything to dry completely; if you laid a cork base, then the period may be shorter. When choosing a cork floor, take care of the baseboard to match. Knowing how to lay tiles, you can put together a whole composition using different shades of cork or even tinting it, but such panels are more suitable for walls.

A number of warnings

Cork also has a number of disadvantages. It swells and expands from moisture and shrinks from dryness and heat. These are normal properties of wood, so there is no way to get rid of them. Plus, it absorbs odors. This type of flooring is unacceptable in a dacha that you leave closed and unheated for a long time, in a bathroom where there is constantly high humidity, in a kitchen where food odors permeate the material.

Despite all the advantages natural material– softness, shock absorption when walking, a feeling of natural texture, there is also back side question - cork is not an antiseptic. In this case, you can see under a broken tile or in another area that there are probably microbes under the coating. This is a coating, a dubious liquid similar to glue.

Of course, if the surface is glued with the right glue, the humidity is always normal, and you clean regularly, the likelihood of getting to know germs face to face is minimal.

Care

The cork will serve you for a long time if handled with care. Sufficient for regular cleaning clean water or soap solution, but you should not use chemicals, there is a risk of damaging the natural surface. If you have a lot of furniture that also moves, it is better to fasten pieces of cork to the legs; this trick will avoid scratches. You should not use mats made of rubber or latex, such as those sold for yoga, as they leave stains on the cork that cannot be removed.

Cork flooring means warmth for your feet and the ability for your children to lie and sit on the floor. It will not allow such injuries in the event of a fall as a concrete base; it will absorb as you walk, creating the effect of contact with nature. Choose high-quality flooring, follow the instructions and your apartment will gain an unsurpassed look and comfort.

It doesn't matter what style your interior is. Cork is one of the most successful materials for decoration. So that the products please you for a long time with beauty, aesthetics and magnificent performance characteristics, correct installation is very important cork covering on the floor.

Cork oak bark is a valuable natural raw material used to produce various necessary things, from shoes to finishing coatings. In particular, the following products are produced for floor decoration:

1. Agglomerated cork boards are glued.
2. Tiles or strips of crushed cork are self-adhesive.

Let's look at each variety in more detail.

Adhesive agglomerated plug

To obtain this type of product, the bark is crushed into crumbs of the required size, mixed with thermosetting synthetic resins and pressed into blocks with a density of 450 to 800 kg/m³. The resulting semi-finished product is cut into sheets with a thickness of 3 to 6 mm, from which tiles or planks of standard dimensions up to 30 cm wide and up to 120 cm long are formed on the machine. finished products They are even, so they need to be glued end-to-end. The cost of production is from 700 rubles/m² and above.

Cork agglomerate board.

The adhesive plug goes well with a water-based “warm floor,” but you need to choose an elastic adhesive marked “for heated bases.” We remind you that manufacturers (Corkstyle, Wicanders, etc.) strongly do not recommend gluing the product to a screed under which a classic electric (cable) heating system is installed.

Finished with varnish or finishing wax, this finishing material Perfect for rooms such as the kitchen, hallway, balcony, living room and other objects with a high degree of foot traffic and abrasive loads. At the same time, it combines equally well with ceramic tiles, classic parquet and any other floor covering.

Self-adhesive floor plug

The finishing material consists of thin tiles of standard or veneered agglomerate, on the reverse side of which an industrial grade is applied. adhesive layer under protective paper. The latter prevents the adhesive coating from drying out and greatly facilitates the installation process on any base, including walls and even ceilings. The price of the product starts from 800 rubles/m².

Cork flooring in this series is produced in the form of tiles with a side of no more than 30 cm, thickness from 3.6 mm to 5 mm. It is very rare to find adhesive-based planks of shortened dimensions - width up to 18 cm, length up to 90 cm. The front surface is usually clean, requiring protection from water, coloring liquids, household chemicals and abrasives. Additionally, adhesive compounds are almost never used, but it is important to carefully prepare the base, under which only water heating is allowed.

Cork in an interior decorated in eco style.

According to the manufacturers, floor cork can be glued to the floor and walls in any room with normal level humidity: bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, children's rooms. The combinatorial nature of the products allows us to create interiors in the retro and eco-style that are so popular today.

Quite an interesting and practical solution - a decorative layer of solid veneer or thin sheet agglomerated cork. The perimeter strips are equipped with locking Click connection for glue-free assembly of products into a single piece.

Cork laminate with integrated backing.

Some manufacturers add, in addition to standard layers, a backing layer. As a rule, a high-density cork layer with a cross-section of up to 2 mm is used. The total thickness of the product does not exceed 12 mm. Product cost – from 1100 rubles/m².

The main advantages of this type of product:

1. No glue or composition required finishing surfaces (varnishes, enamels, etc.);
2. Compatibility with water and electric “soft” (infrared roll products, rod mats, etc.) floor heating systems.
3. The technique for installing cork laminate is completely identical to the technique for assembling a conventional one. laminated coating, accordingly, can be easily implemented both with your own hands and by specialized teams.
4. A wide range of applications, because cork parquet is produced in almost all load classes - from 21 to 41.

Products based on HDF are used in rooms with normal or partially high levels of humidity, including living rooms, loggias, kitchens, as well as shops, beauty salons, cafes, etc. For bathrooms, laundries and other similar objects, it is better to lay the product on PVC- stove.

Laying adhesive cork flooring - step-by-step instructions

To install cork flooring, you must first prepare the following tools and aids:

1. Compositions for leveling and repairing concrete or wooden base(self-leveling floors, cement or epoxy restoration compositions, plywood sheets, chipboard, OSB, etc.);
2. Adhesive primer for mineral floors or fungicidal for wood floors;
3. Polymer contact adhesive (Decol Vern, Homakoll 277, Forbo 650 Eurostar fastcol, etc.);
4. Polyurethane or acrylic lacquer marked “for floors”, finishing oil or wax to protect the surface (Lobadur Supra, Osmo Hartwachs-Öl, Biofa 9032, etc.);
5. Brushes and other means of applying protective surface compounds;
6. Construction vacuum cleaner;
7. Tape measure, square, dye cord and marking pencil;
8. Hygrometer and level;
9. Notched trowel or short-haired velor roller for applying glue;
10. Mallet or weight rollers for rolling cork tiles to the floor;
11. Cutter and drill with bit attachments for forming technological holes or cutouts;
12. Sponge or soft cloth to remove excess glue.

It is recommended to glue cork products without a surface protective layer with water-dispersion adhesive compounds. And tiles with a vinyl or varnish tread layer can be laid using solvent-based compounds.

Manufacturers print basic installation recommendations on each package of goods. In particular, it is indicated that the packages must be brought into the room 24–48 hours before installation. And all work should be carried out with:

• Absence of drafts, operating heating devices;
• Room temperature – from +18 to +25 °C;
• Relative air humidity should be between 55–65%.

Laying cork flooring is not such a difficult undertaking and can be easily done on your own. It is carried out in 4 stages:

Step 1. Thorough preparation of the base

The beauty and durability of the decorative finishing coating depends on the quality of the preparatory work. Cork tiles are thin and have little rigidity, so any defects in the base will immediately appear on the surface.

The subfloor should be:

• Durable, withstand compression of at least 150 MPa;
• Flat, with a maximum height difference of no more than 2 mm for every 2 meters of surface;
• Solid, without cracks, loose, rotten areas and other similar defects;
• Clean, without traces of glue, grease, soot, soot, bitumen and old coatings;
• Dry. Residual moisture indicators for mineral bases are 0.5–2%, for wood (including plywood and chipboard) – 8–12%.

The best base for cork is considered to be a mineral screed. Leveling the floor is also allowed. But you need to choose moisture-resistant products, preferably with grooved edges. This will prevent the base from swelling under the influence of glue and the formation of seams between the elements of the subfloor. The joints between sheets are usually filled with acrylic (not silicone) sealants. But the best time-tested method is a mixture of sawdust and PVA glue.

To improve the characteristics of the base base, appropriate soil is used. In particular, a strengthening or deep penetration composition can be used for strengthening. And to level out the absorbency of the floor and enhance adhesion to the coating - adhesive.

After checking the subfloor for evenness and the absence of the slightest defects, you can begin marking. Using a laser plotter or tape measure, mark the center of the room. Parallel and/or perpendicular to the length of the wall, a starting line is drawn on the base, relative to which the tiles will be laid out. If the customer requires the slats to be glued diagonally, then the axes are marked at an angle of 45° to the walls of the room.

Cork products are first laid out in a checkerboard pattern or offset onto a dry surface end-to-end along the reference axis as shown in the figure below. The outer tiles are cut taking into account the temperature gap around the perimeter of 8–10 mm. If necessary, technological holes for communications are cut out in the elements. If you need to form a chamfer, then simply sand the edges with fine-grained sandpaper and remove dust with a damp cloth.

Step 2. Gluing the cork covering

The installation process begins from the center of the room to the walls. The adhesive should be thoroughly mixed and applied to the subfloor and the underside of the tiles with a notched trowel or velor roller. In accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, you need to wait 5–20 minutes for the composition to partially polymerize. Then apply the floor element to the base with slight tension, that is, forming a barely noticeable “wave”, smooth it and roll it with rollers. Excess adhesive mixture that appears must be immediately removed with a damp cloth.

When choosing glue, pay attention to two important parameters. Firstly, solvent-based products are classified as professional and emit a strong chemical odor, so the technician needs a respirator and gloves. And secondly, during the cold season you need to buy only products labeled “frost-resistant”, which can easily withstand repeated freezing and thawing and do not delaminate.

Some adhesive compositions are distinguished by ultra-strong instant fixation, that is, they allow two dissimilar materials to be glued together almost immediately. But this is not very convenient to use, since it will not be possible to make minor adjustments to the floor elements during the installation process. Therefore, we recommend that inexperienced craftsmen use universal non-shrink adhesives.

The technology for working with self-adhesive cork products is much simpler. Remove the protective paper, place the tile on the base and tap it with a mallet. Try to work as accurately and carefully as possible, as fitting can lead to the formation of cracks and even tears.

Step 3. Applying a protective coating

It is recommended to cover the laid cork floor with glossy or matte finishing compounds 12–24 hours after gluing is completed. To do this, clean the surface with a vacuum cleaner or damp soft cloth. Mix the varnish, wax or oil thoroughly and apply with a roller, flexible pad or brush in 2-3 layers with intermediate drying for 2-3 hours. You can walk on the floor within a day, and you can use it after 3–5 days.

If the varnish or wax is chosen correctly, then your floor will not be afraid of women's heels, animal claws, or falling objects. Therefore, the higher the load, the more resistant the coating should be to abrasion. For example, standard products are not suitable for salons, gyms or hotels. home use. Must be purchased special series especially resistant compounds containing polyurethane resins.

Step 4. Final decoration

The easiest stage is fixing various moldings, such as plinths, fillets, corner elements, etc. Their purpose is to ensure a smooth and uniform framing of cork coverings and give a finished look to the room.

Plinth made of cork agglomerate.

The following are used as molded products:

• Flexible plinth glued from agglomerated technical cork up to 1 meter long and 40–60 mm high. The products fit well both on flat walls and curved structures - bay windows, columns, etc. There are natural colors, as well as tinted or bleached. To protect against water and impacts, the surface is varnished.
• Semi-rigid planks made of solid agglomerated cork, veneered natural wood. The length of the product does not exceed 1 meter, height – up to 60 mm, thickness – no more than 20 mm. The color range includes from 5 to 12 shades.
• Rigid MDF plinth covered with cork-look imitation film. A good solution for rooms with high ceilings, since the length of the products is 2.5 m, the height can reach 100 mm, and the thickness is 30 mm. As a rule, the choice of colors is not too wide - up to 8 tones.
• Standard PVC plinth with a natural cork surface. Available in the assortment of almost every manufacturer of hard plastic products, including moldings with cable duct.

PVC plinth with imitation cork surface.

The first two types of moldings are fixed using contact adhesives for cork. MDF products can be installed both on “liquid nails” and using traditional self-tapping screws. For PVC skirting boards, it is recommended to use original fasteners or dowel nails.

For clarity, we suggest you look professional video on the correct gluing of cork flooring.

Installation of cork laminate

Laminated parquet, veneered with cork, is laid according to the standard pattern for this type of coating - the “floating” method. You will need the following set of tools and materials:

1. Leveling mixtures or sheets of plywood, OSB, chipboard, gypsum fiber board, etc.;
2. Construction vacuum cleaner;
3. Deep penetration soil;
4. Waterproofing film 0.2 mm thick (for mineral substrates),
5. Cork or any other substrate with a cross section of 2–3 mm;
6. Tape measure, square and marker for marking;
7. Hydraulic level;
8. A jigsaw for cutting planks, as well as a drill with bits for forming holes for pipes;
9. Spacer wedges for forming a temperature gap along the walls;
10. Mallet and tamping block;
11. Metal bracket for fitting planks.

The work is carried out in 4 stages:

Stage 1 – preparation of the base

The base must be level, dry, durable and clean. To do this, you need to carefully inspect the subfloor, check for:

• The presence of surface differences, potholes, and bumps. The permissible level is no more than 2 mm for every 2 linear meters. All irregularities must be leveled locally using available tools and repair compounds;
• The presence of cracks, loose, peeling, damaged areas, which must be eliminated with ready-made or dry mixtures.
• Residual humidity level. A moisture meter will easily cope with this task. Acceptable indicators for mineral screed are 0.5–4%, for organic screed – no more than 12%;
• No dirt or stains of grease, bitumen, old glue or mastic.

Often craftsmen assure customers that to eliminate all shortcomings it is enough to buy a roll substrate or in thicker mats. This is an erroneous statement. Not a single lock will withstand the play created by the soft underlying layer and will simply break under load. Therefore, if there are a large number of floor defects, it is better to form a new one, finishing layer with help liquid mixtures or dry prefabricated screed.

So, the base is leveled, primed and cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. the slightest sign dust and sand. Now it is recommended to cover it with a waterproofing film with the strips overlapping by 10–15 cm. When working on a prefabricated screed made of plywood or chipboard, a moisture barrier layer is not required.

Next you need to lay down the backing. Although manufacturers claim that it is best to choose a cork underlying layer for a laminate, in fact, absolutely any one will do - from foamed polyethylene, extruded polystyrene foam, pressed coniferous substrate, etc. It is enough to lay the strips or mats evenly end-to-end and secure them.

Stage 2 – laying the finishing coating

First, calculate the required number of planks and rows. This is necessary in order to correctly position the outer strips, because their width must be at least 5 cm. If necessary, you can trim the strips of the first row a little.

The first lamella should be placed with the ridge against the wall farthest from the door, and spacer wedges should be inserted into the gap. Attach the following strips to the end and secure. After filling one row, a new one is formed, not from a solid floorboard, but from trimming the previous strip at least 30 cm long. It is recommended to lay the slats at an angle of 20–30° and snap them together until a smooth sheet is formed.

The planks of the last row must be cut taking into account the temperature gap, inserted into the opening and tightened with a metal bracket until the locking connections snap into place.

Stage 3 – installation of decorative moldings

At the end of the work, the floor must be vacuumed and skirting boards and thresholds installed. Products made from agglomerate, PVC, MDF or metal are equally suitable for cork laminate. The main thing is that the shades of the selected moldings do not discord with the main coating.

Features of caring for cork floors

The agglomerated array and cork veneer have a dense structure, but the surface is not very resistant to mechanical loads. The first level of protection is various finishing coatings, including varnishes, waxes, oils, and high-strength vinyl films. As practice shows, even with them, you can ruin the floor.

• Maintaining stable indoor climate parameters: humidity from 45% to 65% and temperature from +15 to +35 °C;
• Gluing felt and silicone protectors onto furniture legs;
• The presence of rugs at the entrance and under movable elements of furniture (tea tables, chairs, office chairs);
• Protection against contact with rubber products. For example, rugs with a needle-punched base, bicycle or stroller wheels, and the soles of sports shoes are strictly contraindicated;
• Use of mild household chemicals for care, without containing abrasive particles;
• Use for frequent vacuuming.

The good thing about cork floors is that they can actually be restored. Thus, small dents, holes and similar defects are eliminated by gluing pieces of matching color and texture or by filling them with cork sealant or repair wax.

To eliminate heavy dirt, stains, minor scratches and minor abrasions, cork manufacturers offer a wide range of special household chemicals in the form of concentrates or ready-to-use formulations.

For glued cork materials with a hopelessly damaged varnish layer, it has been developed effective method renovations – re-varnishing. First of all grinder the remnants of the old are removed protective coating. Then the floor is cleaned of dust, primed and varnish is reapplied in 1–3 layers.

Cork floors coated with oil or wax can also be restored. But for this it is better to turn to professionals, since you will need special equipment and special industrial tools.

Advice! If you need repairmen, there is a very convenient service for selecting them. Just submit in the form below detailed description work that needs to be done and you will receive offers by email with prices from construction crews and companies. You can see reviews about each of them and photographs with examples of work. It's FREE and there's no obligation.

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. 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. Large solid fabric. 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 dismantling most of the 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. The small shape is 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

To flooring material served the owners for the stated period, it is necessary to comply with the requirements for the floor under cork covering. 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 the cork floor underneath with a special material with perforations to drain condensate.
3. Do not lay the plug on an 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, flooring acquired. 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 install cork on existing linoleum or wood floors, but over time these will not be in perfect condition. Therefore, they are torn off and their condition assessed concrete screed.
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. Knead adhesive composition according to the recipe on the package and left to mature. It is better to make the solution in small portions, without allowing it to set.
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, it is prohibited to use the cork surface. 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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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 products 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’s not easy to confuse it with school cork board. Natural veneer is an environmentally friendly material that combines both the strongest advantages and disadvantages of cork. It is produced in large sheets of up to 6 square meters. 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. In terms of useful properties, MDF cork panels are similar to solid veneer, and are not too demanding on the quality of the surface on which they need to be laid.

Produced in traditional sizes and thicknesses for this coating.

. This is a cheap material for flooring. 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 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, start self-coating Cork flooring is not recommended.

This material is highly sensitive to temperature changes and mechanical damage from the claws of pets. Its internal composition and appearance completely depend on this. 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 temperatures have a negative effect on 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 properties on the baby’s psyche and feels like it 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. Leaders in the production of cork coatings, as a rule, offer substrates with different thicknesses, but for a floating type of floor 2 mm is enough.

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

For successful installation cork backing you need to do the following:

• 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;
• jigsaw or Circular Saw with a fine-toothed cut, as from any hand saw the cork material will crumble 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.