Proper Cork Flooring Installation
“Believe it or not, I’m walking on air! I never thought I could feel this free-eee-eeee!” Remember this catchy song from the 80’s hit TV show “The Greatest American Hero.” Yeah… I honestly didn’t remember the name of the show, but the intro song has always been on my mental 80’s music track. And it is what you will be singing after you install cork flooring.
Obviously, you have done your research on flooring options and decided on cork flooring for a number of reasons, I am sure! One of the main reasons that people tend to choose cork flooring over any other option, besides being such a green building material, is the comfort it lends to your home. Your footsteps are cushioned; cold floors in the middle of winter are gone; and the visual beauty our flooring incorporates into your home is unsurpassed.
So, how do we reach this point of beauty and comfort from your current point of installation, which is probably a lot of boxes sitting around your home and your furniture all out of place? Let’s begin by opening the cartons. We ship only the finest Portuguese cork to our clients and stand by our product. Inspect your shipment and make sure it is up to par. Once you have inspected the flooring, you will need to allow the tiles to acclimate for 48-72 hours prior to installation. Why? The flooring needs to be acclimated to allow for any climate changes from the point where your product was shipped to the point in which you received it at your home or office. Cork must become accustomed to the temperature and conditions that will occur once the work is complete. Without proper acclimation, flooring could expand or contract after installation.
While the acclimation process is occurring, all substrates need to be cleaned, dried, and free from dust. Any holes, cracks, and joints must be patched with a cement based compound. If acoustic absorption needs to be increased from what the cork flooring naturally lends, consider laying our cork roll over the substrate prior to installation.
Our detailed cork flooring tile installation guide will instruct you on how to install over concrete, wood, and Radiant Heating systems. Plank flooring should be installed parallel to the direction of the natural light entering the room. This allows the joints to be less noticeable. For our parquet flooring, we recommend that you mix tiles from various cartons to maintain a natural variation of color and pattern.
We highly recommend that you download our PDF Installation Guide for exact How-To Instructions for your particular type of flooring and substrate, or view any of our cork installation guides online. We know that once your flooring is installed in your home or office, you will be singing, “Believe it or not! I’m walking on air! I never thought I could feel this free-eee-eee!”