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 cheapest 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, the cost of cork panels is higher than the usual laminate or parquet board;
• base under 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, the protective layer wears off and tracks remain in areas of heavy traffic.

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Types and options of cork flooring

1. 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.
2. The adhesive type is produced in the form of square or rectangular shape. Sizes may vary. A protective layer can be applied on top.
3. 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:

1. Pencil.
2. Roulette.
3. Square for precise cutting of panels at right angles.
4. Long ruler.
5. Chop cord.
6. Construction knife. It can be used to easily cut adhesive-type cork panels.
7. A spatula or roller for applying glue to the floor and cork slabs.
8. Electric drill. Useful if you need to drill holes, for example, for heating pipes.
9. Fine-toothed hacksaw or jigsaw. These tools are useful for cutting floating panels.
10. 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:

1. Before laying the 1st row of cork tiles, you must use a construction cord to mark 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.
2. Draw a pencil line using a ruler along the chop cord.
3. 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.
4. Apply glue evenly to the base using a spatula or roller along the marked line.
5. You also need to apply glue to the panel and let it dry for 10-15 minutes.
6. Then attach the panel to the base and tap the entire surface with a rubber hammer.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. The glue dries within 24 hours. It is advisable not to walk on the laid panels during this time to avoid their displacement.

Cork floors, popular in the West, are not yet very common in our country. And in vain, because the traffic jam is natural material, perfectly absorbing sounds and retaining heat. In addition, it is believed that cork covering is essentially an orthopedic covering that helps reduce stress on our spine. As you can see, there are quite a lot of advantages.

If you decide to do the installation of this wonderful coating yourself, then you should carefully study the instructions.

Preparing the foundation

To prevent your cork floor from suddenly swelling or becoming loose, you should lay it perfectly flat surface. There are several alignment methods.

Plywood base. Sheets of moisture-resistant plywood are attached to a concrete screed and then sanded. If the covering installed on plywood has a ready-made cork base layer, then there is no need for an underlay.

Linoleum. Installation on linoleum is possible only if the floor underneath is perfectly flat. There is no need to lay a backing on linoleum.

Screed. The most common method of preparing the base before installing the floor. After drying, the concrete screed is leveled grinder, cover plastic film and only then the substrate.

Laying methods

There are two known options for laying cork flooring:

• castle;
• adhesive.

Provides faster installation castle method, but it can only be used for a perfectly flat base. The disadvantage of this option is that floors of this type (due to the “floating” technology) can only be connected through thresholds, even when the same type of cork is installed in all rooms.

By glue method You can put the cork on any surface, including uneven ones, but after installation the floor must be varnished on top. The varnish finish coat perfectly protects the coating from moisture and makes its surface monolithic. Adhesive floors are laid without a single threshold throughout the apartment, and they can also be combined with other floor coverings, for example, parquet or porcelain stoneware.

We propose to consider both installation methods in a little more detail.

Adhesive cork floor

It is necessary to leave a gap of 3-4 mm between the coating and the wall. If there is a door in the room, the bottom of the door must be cut to the height of the covering.

Glueless cork floor

1. Cork boards with a wooden or plywood core are laid using the “floating” method using locks (without the use of glue). This type of flooring is usually supplied with underlay and protective layer. The slabs are carefully connected by clicking the lock in the same way as when laying laminate.
2. Glueless slabs should be laid sequentially from the edge of the wall to the opposite. In this case, the slabs should be joined using the “ brickwork", preventing four slabs from joining at the same time.
3. Make sure that the smaller side of the slab is parallel to the wall with the door - in this way the room will appear visually elongated.
4. Coat the cork with varnish to protect it from water. You can also use special gel sealants to seal the joints between the plates. Before covering the entire surface with a roller, apply the varnish with a brush along the edges, near the walls.

Cork flooring is easy to maintain and can be washed with a damp sponge.

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 of cork flooring is very important.

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 the screed under which the classical system electric (cable) heating.

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 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. Installation technique cork laminate is completely identical to the method of assembling a conventional laminated coating; accordingly, it can be easily implemented either with your own hands or 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 bases (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 on each package of goods basic recommendations on installation. 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

From quality preparatory work The beauty and durability of the decorative finishing coating depends. 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 most The best way, time-tested - a mixture of sawdust and PVA glue.

To improve the characteristics of the base base, appropriate soil is used. In particular, for strengthening, you can use a strengthening composition or deep penetration. 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 any women's heels, no animal claws, no 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 with 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. Good decision 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 the 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 on standard scheme for this type of coating – using 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. Acceptable level– 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, peeled, 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 is large quantity 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 waterproofing film with 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, a grinding machine removes the remnants of the old 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 send in the form below a detailed description of the 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.

The growing popularity of cork floors is explained quite simply. Good sound and heat insulating qualities, impact resistance, quick installation with their own hands they 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 (tongue-and-groove locking system).

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:

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

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 selling certain type or a brand of adhesive product that is 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:

1. 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.
2. Decol Vern. Universal two-component neoprene adhesive composition based on solvent. Suitable for any type of cork tiles; 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 back side of the cork floor.
3. PVA. A water-resistant polyvinyl acetate compound that is recommended for installation of unsealed tiles with a protective polyvinyl chloride coating. Direct contact with the cork can cause the floor to swell and create cracks.
4. HomaCol. Quick-setting water-dispersion adhesive, well suited for gluing cork to concrete and wooden base, quite safe, non-toxic.
5. 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 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 cork flooring can be concrete screed or wooden 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 gypsum and gypsum- cement based(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 of the period, it is recommended to treat the base with a deep penetration primer to strengthen and remove dust.

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 must be eliminated. Weak strips should be re-glued or tightened to the base with self-tapping screws.

If desired, you can lay plywood or OSB, secure with hardware in increments of 30-50 cm crosswise, and sand the surface 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 applied evenly to both the base and the back of the tiles. Less often - only on the basis. Area covered adhesive composition The area of ​​the main covering should be larger than the size of the tiles being laid.

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 an air gap under which moisture can get. Plus to this lock joints They don't always turn out perfectly dense.

If the installation is done poorly with adhesive, dampness can penetrate 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: