Cork
is natural, hypoallergenic environmentally friendly flooring
that comes in two basic styles. 3mm glue down tile
and a “floating panel” floor. Cork floors are considered
to be warm, sound absorbent and durable but the correct selection
is critical for a long lasting floor. Both styles of cork are
suitable for most rooms in your home however cork glue down
floors are the preferred product in bathrooms due to the higher
risk of spillage. Floating floors are recommended over radiant
heated floors and in basements over a 6mm layer of poly.
Your cork floor will only be as good as your original floor/sub
floor. Damaged, incorrectly installed floors/sub floors, inferior
sub floors, excessive layer(s) of cushion - or vinyl floors
- can cause your new floor to fail. The ideal installation
situation for any new cork floor is having a properly installed,
high quality plywood sub floor underlayment overtop a plywood
floor with a combined thickness of greater than one inch. It
is recommended new sub floors acclimate for 48 hours minimum
before install.
Glue Down Cork Tile:
General guidelines for install. Avoid installing Cork glue
down floors in any areas with excessive sub floor moisture
(i.e. moist below grade basements or freshly poured concrete
or levelling compounds not completely cured). When using levelling
compounds, complete drying of compound is critical for proper
adhesion.
Experience
has demonstrated time and again that the best adhesive for
installing Cork floor tiles is“water-based contact
cement”. Cork is unique in that it is a porous material
and therefore allows the water in the adhesive to evaporate
and create a strong bond. Sub floor preparation for Parquet
tile installation must be meticulously clean, level, and unblemished.
This degree of preparation can be costly and time consuming.
Glue down tiles expand and contract individually thus the
tiles, even at time of installation, are not absolutely square
therefore lines and gaps will be present in your floor. Larger
spaces between panels can be filled with wood based filler.
Top coat dressings (usually water based polyurethanes) can
be applied to all cork products.
If possible try to avoid directly adhering cork to a vinyl
floor. Residue built up on the surface of the vinyl could interfere
with proper bonding of the adhesive, causing it to delaminate
over time. If installing on existing vinyl or other smooth
surfaces, rough up surfaces to ensure adhesive bond. Existing
vinyl and sheet goods sub floors must be in good condition,
firm and clean.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE:
Furniture rests are recommended to prevent indentations in
the tiles.
Entrance mats are recommended in order to keep dirt and moisture from coming
in contact with the floor. Do not allow a moisture saturated floor mat to remain
on the cork floor. Cork floor tiles may be refinished. Please contact us for
complete details and instruction.
As with any quality floor, regular maintenance will keep your
cork floor looking beautiful and assure its long life, even
under heavy use. Keep the floor surface free of dirt and grit
through regular sweeping and occasional mopping. Use a VERY
WELL wrung out damp mop to perform this procedure. Clean up
spills and excess water immediately. Never flood the floor
surface with any liquid or use harsh abrasive cleaners.
Just like other wood products, cork is subject to the phenomenon
of expansion and contraction in response to climactic conditions.
During the heating season, moisture levels diminish, causing
cork to contract and making joint lines more visible. When
humidity levels are higher, cork flooring will expand. Maintaining
a stable environment through temperature and humidity control
will minimize visible signs of expansion and contraction.
All
Cork products are carefully inspected prior to shipping.
Final
inspection and approval is the customer’s responsibility.
Patterns and colors must be verified as correct before installation.
Claims cannot be accepted for installation of incorrect material.
