How to choose a cork floor

Cork floors have gained immense popularity over the past few years thanks to advertising and claimed her qualities.Try to understand that, from the advantages of cork - the truth, and that the advertising gimmick, as well as how to choose cork flooring suitable for your apartment.

Types cork floors

Manufacturers and sellers of the main advantage of cork coverage is called natural.In fact, cork is obtained from the Mediterranean oak bark.On the trunk make longitudinal cut and remove the dead layer of bark, process it to obtain material for coating.Of course, the whole pieces of cork are available are not always, and in the case are and smaller fragments, cork, so called sinter.

From this raw material makes four types of coatings:

• exclusive and rather expensive whole cork, which is actually a natural material;
• Round material used as thermal insulation and sound absorbing substrate under the decorative coating.
• The adhesive tiles, pressed from agglomerate and the binder for gluing to the sub-floor;
• multilayer tiles on the basis of HDF and solid wood coated with a mixture of agglomerate and veneer.

last two types of coatings, strictly speaking, are not absolutely natural material and do not have absolutely all the properties of natural cork.

truth about cork

1. natural.As already mentioned, it is absolutely natural material is the only one-piece cork veneer.It is not cheap, but it is completely harmless, has a hypoallergenic properties and a number of other advantages.Suitable for all rooms, including wet.The peculiarity of the floor - a limited range of colors and textures need compilation.Tile adhesive, and the more tiles on the basis of MDF with cork flooring, are less environmentally friendly because they contain plasticizers and binders.However, compared with laminate or linoleum, cork is a natural.
2. insulation properties.The structure of the cork cover - porous, with many related small air bubbles.Due to these and achieved an extremely low thermal conductivity of cork flooring, which is close in its properties to the air.Cork touch seems warm, this property is widely used in the decoration of children's rooms and bedrooms.
3. Good sound insulation.Due to the porous structure, the cork has excellent sound absorption, but this applies only to cover at least 3 mm thick.The optimum thickness of the sound-insulating floor coverings of cork - 10-15 mm.
4. Chemical neutrality.In fact, cork is resistant to most substances used in everyday life.But we should remember that for coatings based on natural wood or HDF dangerous conventional chemically neutral water.Penetrating through the gaps into the water resulting in complete disrepair layer HDF or wood, tile boxes, and the floor becomes unusable.Also, high concentrations of alkali plugs are dangerous, so use detergents for cork flooring should be with caution.
5. mechanical strength.Perhaps the most vulnerable point of any cork.It left dents on the hard heavy items, furniture, moreover, it is easy to scratch and even pierce the heels fallen sharp objects, animal claws.In places where the traffic is quite intensive, cork floors often wiped and change color.
6. roughness of the coating.Natural cork - rough to the touch, but the processing of protective compounds it is able to acquire a completely opposite properties.should pay attention to this When buying a cork.

Choosing cork floor

When choosing a cork floor should be, first of all, pay attention to his appointment.Cork veneer is suitable for any room, because it is environmentally friendly, does not pass water, easy to clean.But it is worth it is not cheap, and not everyone can afford.We advise to read about cork flooring in the kitchen.

web material has not decorative, but can be used as the substrate under the parquet or laminate, while it will give the coating cork floors inherent thermal and acoustic insulation.

cork tile adhesive can also be used for areas with any moisture, but because of the relatively thin structure is not sufficiently soundproofed.Also, before laying it is necessary to level the floor in the room with the help of water-resistant plywood or self-leveling floors.

tiles on the basis of HDF easy to stack, it can have many variations of textures, it has excellent sound absorption characteristics due to the lower layer of cork agglomerate, but is not suitable for laying in the bathroom and in the kitchen because of the danger of spillagewater.In the children's this tile is also better not to use, preferring natural cork veneer or tile adhesive.

quality tiles is checked by visual inspection.First of all, attention should be paid to the producer.Leaders in the manufacture of cork is considered to be Portugal, Spain, Sweden - they produce cork cover premium.But at the same time cover the price will include a fee for the brand.You can pay attention to the less expensive products made in Poland or China.

When buying a castle based coatings for wood or HDF living rooms suit cover 21, 22 or 23 class wear resistance, and for the places exposed to high loads better to get coverage is recommended for public buildings.For example, a bed in the hallway tiles 31 or 33 classes, you can fearlessly walk on her heels.

When you purchase it is necessary to compare the coverage of different packages, paying attention to the colors, the quality of treatment and the thickness of the ends, no burrs and burrs on the cuts.Ask the seller how to conduct a sticker or installation, as well as what means the manufacturer recommends to protect the coating.Experts say that a properly selected nail is able to extend the service floor several times, of course, if it is time to update.

When calculating the required amount of coating immediately overfill 5-10 percent of minor repairs.The range covers in stores is changing, and in a few years you will be hard to pick up the same cover, and having a stock, you can replace a single floor element if it is damaged.

Keep in mind that when operating in the cork floors can not lay carpets with waterproof foundation - latex or rubber.They leave stains on the tube.On furniture legs need to secure special soft taps that do not leave marks on the tube.If all of the recommendations for the care of cork flooring provide a comfortable stay to you and your family.

Also read about laying cork floor.

Video - laying cork floor