Making cork tiles is not a very arduous task, though the whole process, from growth to formation of tiles, is rather time consuming. After the cork is pruned (on usually 9 or 10 year cycles), it is collected and laid in the sun to air dry. The selective shavings are then ground up to varying degrees and sorted into different categories (mainly by size of pieces). Depending on the mixture, the pieces are either intermixed or left alone as large chunks.

Cork flooring is a product made from the bark of the cork oak tree, a material which is ground, processed into sheets and baked in a kiln to produce tiles that serve as flooring for offices, light commercial locations, and residences.

Natur Cork flooring can be installed over most existing floor coverings (except for carpet) in any room of your home except in very damp or wet areas (eg. Bathrooms) .

occasional DAMP mopping with a neutral floor cleaner, such as Everwood Cleaner is generally all that is required to maintain Natur Cork flooring. Do not use soaps or detergents they may leave a film on the floor. Quickstyle Natur Cork flooring should never be waxed. Wipe up spills immediately.

Cork flooring is most popularly harvested, manufactured, and sourced in Southern Europe, with Portugal being one of the most prominent regions from which cork comes. This is an area where the cork oak species is plentiful and where hand-harvesting is most practical.

Cork flooring was first used popularly at the end of the 19 th century. By the early 20 th century, Frank Lloyd Wright was incorporating cork flooring in some of the public buildings he designed. Many of these buildings still feature these original cork floors.

Evora cork flooring from BuildDirect comes with a UniClic locking system which makes for ease of installation, requiring about the same level of flooring installation experienceneeded for a laminate flooring project, for instance.

Cork flooring is very accommodating and installation over concrete, wooden subfloors and tile are commonplace. The surface upon which you install your cork flooring must be level, dry, and clean. Evora cork flooring does not require underlayment, just a vapor barrier in the form of a plastic sheet.

Regular mopping with a damp mop will be sufficient in keeping your cork flooring tile clean. Avoid harsh cleaning agents, and do not overwet your floor. Try to clear obvious mess quickly. Spills can be absorbed with a sponge or paper towel to avoid the possibility of permanent stains.

Cork floors are fine for a kitchen. They are very comfortable to stand on and easy to maintain as well as hypoallergenic and sound absorbent. Sweeping and damp mopping should be part of your regular maintenance program as grit could act as sandpaper and scratch your additional coat of sealer. If the floor starts to show signs of wear, simply apply another topcoat and this should bring back the original luster to the floor.

If the tile surface is suitably even and meets the requirements for laminate flooring in terms of the subfloor (see above) then it is in principle possible. Any unevenness or variations in height in the tile surface can be evened out with an insulation mat. Contact with your manufacturer to check on your specific case.

If you are good at do-it-yourself projects, and have installed other types of flooring, then you will probably not have any difficulty. However, if you have never installed any form of flooring, then you may wish to employ a reputable flooring installer who is experienced in installing vinyl, wood, or ceramic tiles. If you decide to have your cork floors professionally installed, ensure that they are familiar with the product and brand that you have chosen.

Please refer to the installation instructions found in every box of product or refer to our Floor Care, Installation section of our website.

Natur Cork flooring is scratch resistant . However, no flooring is completely scratch proof. To help minimize damage to your floor, proper floor maintenance such as using felt pads, sweeping your floor regularly etc. will help prolong the life and beauty of your floors.

The use of an underlay is not necessary unless your sub-floor is a cement slab, in that case you should apply a vapour barrier of 6 to 8 mils. The seams should overlap by at least 8’’/20cm and be sealed with tape.

While no natural wood floor is entirely scratch-resistant, cork flooring is more adaptable to claws caused by dogs and cats than many other natural wood flooring options. This is due to the general resilient nature of cork flooring, which is naturally impact resistant.

The cellular nature of cork flooring allows warmth to be held in, making it a very warm flooring to walk on, even in winter months. Another aspect of the kind of insulation cork flooring provides is that of sound, which is naturally absorbed. This makes for almost silent footfalls and can have a significant quieting effect in areas which are normally associated with echoes and other distracting ambient sounds, such as in foyers and hallways.

Core Flooring tiles are shaded through a unique baking process. No dyes or stains are used. Darker shades are baked for longer periods of time and at higher temperatures than the light shades.

The shades will lighten slightly over a period of years. The original shade can be brought back by sanding and refinishing the cork tiles. Cork tiles and other flooring surfaces should be protected from UV-Rays using a window treatment. Renaissance Flooring customers in Arizona have been extremely pleased with the numerous cork flooring installations we have completed. Please contact us if you would like more information about cork flooring.

Prefinished floors have two big draw-backs; they tend to look synthetic and the seams between tiles are left unprotected leading ultimately to black lines and lifting tile corners. The DuroDesign cork floor is site-finished with 4 coats of our MP765 low-VOC polyurethane varnish for the ultimate in optical definition, clarity and durability. All seams between tiles get sealed and protected for a long-lasting, easy to clean floor.

Warm Tiles is designed for marble, ceramic, concrete, tile, slate, paver (brick, stone, etc.),laminate and engineered wood* type floors. It is NOT designed for wood, carpet, linoleum, or vinyl tile floors. Warm Tiles cable MUST be embedded in â??cementitious materialâ?? (e.g., mortar). *For use under engineered, floating wood floors only. Not approved for nail down installations.

For the proper maintenance and to protect against moisture leeching into the seams, apply an additional coat of water-based varnish to the tiles after they are installed. Before applying the finish, the tiles must be clean and free of adhesive. Once you have applied the second coat of finish, to keep the cork tiles clean all you must do is vacuum regularly, or sweep with a fine bristle broom followed by damp moping with a ph balanced cleaner.

The floor substrate, be it wood or concrete, needs to be flat and smooth. Because of corks' resiliency, imperfections, bumps and holes will telegraph through the finished flooring. If the subfloor isn't sufficiently smooth, troweling on a skim-coat with a cement-based patching compound is essential for professional results. We recommend using Ardex SD-F W.W. Henry Feather Finish, Mapei Planipatch Plus or Mapei Ultra Skim Coat.

Cork tiles can be applied directly on to of sealed concrete, which is above grade, on plywood sub-floors, or even over primed drywall. The answer for this is, no. Carpeting, vinyl tiles, sheet vinyl, etc., will have to be completely removed and the subfloor sanded until smooth or a new plywood sub-floor will have to be installed prior to installing the cork tiles. The adhesive used to apply the cork will not adhere to other surfaces, resulting in the tiles pulling away.

Cork Flooring must be allowed to acclimate to the temperature of the room in which it will be installed. The unopened packages should be placed in the room for a minimum of 48 hours prior to installation at a room temperature of 21 OC and a relative humidity of 50%.

One of the characteristics of cork flooring is its resilience to pressure and impact. Because of its cellular nature that features millions of microscopic air pockets, cork flooring has “memory” that allows it to withstand foot traffic and the pressure of furniture legs (best if the legs have felt protectors), taking its original shape after impact.

A natural substance found in cork called suberin, a waxy material that is a key component in the makeup of the cells in found in cork, is responsible for the moisture-resistant nature of cork and cork flooring. Suberin is also insect-resistant as well as adding a level of fire resistance. Although cork flooring is resistant to moisture, it is still a good idea to mop up excessive wetness as soon as possible as such levels of wetness can have ill-effects in the long term.

Cork flooring is cushion-like, made as it is of about 50% air that is locked into microscopic compartments which act as natural shock absorbers. This can be quite beneficial when you’ve dropped dishes and glasses. It can also a positive effect when accidental human falls occur. For areas used by children or the elderly, this can be a major benefit. What about colors? Are all cork flooring tiles the same? Being a natural material, cork’s color variation should be expected.

Generally speaking, the best places to install cork flooring are on-grade (the level of the surface exterior to the space) or above grade (the second floor of a building, for instance). Areas where a lot of dampness and moisture, such as basements with newly poured subfloors, should be avoided. Subfloors must be level, dry, and clean before installation is considered.