Laying the cork floor or how not to forget about the little things

The cork floor is exclusively natural andenvironmentally friendly coating. It not only looks beautiful, but also practical enough to use, which makes it an ideal option for large rooms in which there are many people.

Laying the cork floor should begin withpreparatory works, since the substrate must be perfectly clean, smooth and dry. To increase the adhesion of the cork coating to the substrate, it must be cleaned of grease, glue, paint and wax. Do not leave seams, potholes or crevices on the surface. The finished base is covered with a primer coat.

If the cork is to be laid onold, firstly, sheets of moisture-resistant chipboard or dense plywood are laid. Above them, an equalizing mixture is applied, which is then carefully ground.

Cork flooring is only possible whenspecific humidity of concrete or cement base. Too high a level of this indicator can adversely affect the building material. The ideal indicator in this matter is 25% humidity level. If the conditions do not allow achieving the required conditions, then before the work is done, it is necessary to pre-lay a layer of waterproofing material. A thin roll or sheet cork is laid over it. Such measures will give the future coverage additional heat-saving and sound-proof characteristics.

Before proceeding with the arrangement of the floor,it is necessary to take into account several nuances. First of all, the air temperature in the room should not be more than 18-20 degrees, while the plates should adapt to the environment within 24 hours. You can unpack them just before laying.

The cork floor is laid usingspecial adhesive composition. It is applied with a notched trowel. Cork sheets are placed on the adhesive layer only after 30 minutes from the time of application. Beforehand, the room must be carefully marked. The rails can be either parallel to the walls or be placed diagonally.

After laying the cork floor on the greased base, the finished area is rolled with a weighted roller and is taped with a rubber mallet.

After a certain period of time, the cork boardscan slightly expand, therefore, according to the technology of laying a natural cork floor, it is necessary to leave a small gap around the perimeter of the room. The width of this gap should be at least 4 mm. It is covered with a plinth, so from an aesthetic point of view it does not violate the integrity of the surface. It should be noted that the skirting is fixed only to the wall and should be located several millimeters above the cork cover. This will avoid possible deformation of the plates.

Cork flooring implies not onlyconcrete or cement base, slabs can also be laid on linoleum, carpet and other coatings. The only condition that must be strictly observed is to eliminate possible defects and irregularities. Such substrates practically do not need additional waterproofing.

Cork flooring should be strictly oriented in the direction of light penetrating through the window.

When the laying is completed, it is necessaryTreat the coating with a cloth moistened with white spirit, from the glue residues. Then give the canvas slightly dry during the day, after which it is again cleaned with special solutions.

At the final stage, cork flooring needs additional protection. To do this, it is covered with varnish, and this work can only be started after a day and a half after laying.