Among all the finishing works the first place in importance is the finishing of the floor. From the correct choice of floor covering depends not only the beauty of the home, but also the level of comfort: the degree of sound insulation, safety of movement and ease of cleaning. Those who want to combine beauty and maximum comfort should pay attention to the cork parquet.
Paul cork - the pros and cons
The basis of cork flooring is natural raw materials - cork bark. It is carefully removed from growing trees and used to produce one of three types of cork floors:
- Technical coverage. Can be produced in the form of rolls, plates or pellets. Used as a basis for laying other types of coatings to increase sound insulation and insulation of premises.
- Glutinous tiles or cork parquet. It consists of a cork agglomerate (small pieces of bark) and veneer. Due to the variety of colors can be used to create various drawings. On the floor, this tile is fixed with a special glue, which forms a strong waterproof joint.
- Lock cork laminate. The coating is made of cork, pasted on MDF plates. For laying does not require additional materials, fixing on the principle of laminate.
Advantages of cork flooring can be called:
- Ecological compatibility. In the manufacture of cork parquet or laminate is not without synthetic resins and plasticizers, but a large part falls to the bark of the cork tree. The resulting coating does not provoke allergies, does not attract dust and harmful microorganisms.
- Plastic. The cork cover pleasantly springs under your feet and quickly restores the shape after dents.
- Ability to absorb sound. In the section, cork parquet resembles honeycombs, which helps to suppress sound waves.
- Low thermal conductivity. The cork reflects the warmth of the human body, so the touch is always pleasantly warm, unlike linoleum or ceramic tiles. But the system of warm floors under the cork coating does not make any sense - their heat will not break through.
They have cork floors and their minuses :
- Expensiveness. Like other natural materials, cork parquet can not be classified as budgetary. If you add to this the need for careful preparation of the surface before laying and the cost of work, the costs go impressive.
- Hygroscopicity. Cork parquet based on MDF under the influence of moisture swells and warps, so it is not suitable for finishing bathrooms and kitchens.
- Fear of scratches and cuts. Although the plug has a high plasticity, it easily collapses under the influence of cutting objects. Sharp heels, claws of domestic animals can make it unfit for use.
- Unpleasant smell. In the process of laying the glutinous parquet, special compounds with a pungent odor are used. Before their complete drying, the room needs regular airing.
Cork floor thickness
Depending on the type and method of installation, the cork board on the floor can have a thickness of 4 to 10 mm. Glutinous cork parquet is available in the form of tiles of various sizes (gold standard - 30x60 cm) with a thickness of 4 to 6 mm. The castle cover has a thickness of 6 to 10 mm and is available in the form of panels of 30x90 cm. According to their thermal insulation properties, 3 cm of cork coatings are equivalent to 40 cm of bricks or 10 cm of pine massif.
Cork floor in the interior
Until recently, the cork parquet was a dull gray-brown spectacle. The development of technology made it possible to impart to it a texture not only of any kind of wood, but also of other materials: leather, metal, ceramics. The ability to use a special printer to apply to the cork, absolutely any image gives an unlimited space for designer fantasy.
Cork floor in the kitchen
Cork is a floor covering, although comfortable, but afraid of excess moisture. Therefore, only glutinous cork parquet is suitable for the kitchen, which, during the installation process, forms the most protected canvas. Its color can be any, depending on the overall design and preferences of the hosts. A parquet of a dark color with a characteristic cork texture will be a win-win option, on which small damage and small debris are not so visible.
Cork on the floor in the bathroom
Many do not lay the cork floor in the bathroom, for fear of its rapid deformation. For premises with high humidity it is possible to use glutinous cork parquet opened with an additional layer of protective varnish or a special coating on the basis of a hydroplate. You should prefer dark or mottled colors, because on light and monochrome tiles you will see the slightest flaws in the styling.
Cork floor installation
Work on laying the cork floor (cork parquet or laminate) begins with the preparation of the working surface: cleaning from debris and leveling. One concrete screed is not enough - in due course it will start to destroy a fragile cork. It is recommended to lay the floor with polyethylene and / or substrate material. You can also lay a cork over an old linoleum or carpet.
The cork laminate is laid from the window to the door, neatly adjusting the panels to each other with a rubber hammer. Laying the cork parquet starts from the center of the room, moving in a spiral. Tiles are tightly pressed to the floor and to each other, so that there is no gap between them. Work should be as quick as possible, because the glue grasps in a very short time.
Glue for cork on the floor
How strong and durable will be the cork (parquet) depends largely on the glue. Optimum use of adhesive compositions of the same manufacturer as cork parquet. Cork can be laid on universal adhesives without aggressive solvent, for example, "Kaskoflex". Glue "PVA" for flooring the cork floor is not suitable because it can lead to deformation of the plates and the formation of gaps.