More and more often, when choosing a floor covering, ownershouses and apartments decide to install cork flooring, the pros and cons of which are perhaps not always taken into account by developers. Recently, the import of this material to the domestic construction market has increased, and its range has expanded, represented by a variety of colors and textures. Of course, natural finishing in the house is in any case more preferable than synthetic, but it still makes sense to consider the pros and cons of cork flooring in more detail.
Cork flooring diagram.
What does the cork floor consist of?
The raw material for cork covering isAn evergreen tree of the beech family, commonly known as a cork oak, which is cultivated in various parts of the Mediterranean. The bark, manually removed from trees that have reached 30 years of age, is used to make construction products. Over the course of 6-8 years, the plant renews its cover, after which it is again ready to transfer the valuable peripheral layer, the structural composition of which includes suberin. It gives the finished product water- and gas-impermeable properties, and also reduces thermal conductivity. To make a cork floor slab, the bark is crushed and processed using modern technology by heating and pressing. The result is a durable heat-insulating base with shock-absorbing and sound-absorbing properties. Cork flooring consists of 4 layers, two of which are made of pressed cork oak bark chips and are 1 mm thick. Between them there is a layer of wood dust mixed with resin, it can be of very different thicknesses. The fourth layer is the front layer.
Cork flooring installation diagram.Decorative sheets of valuable wood, simple veneer, cork can be used for it. An additional layer of varnish or vinyl coating protects the entire structure. Portugal is a traditional producer of cork, and its products are represented on the domestic construction market by such companies as Allied Cork Wicanders and Corkstyle. All their products are considered high-quality, and you should not particularly puzzle over the advantages of a particular brand. The priorities may be the price and appearance of the product. Return to the table of contents</a>
Types of floor coverings from cork
Three types of cork products are used to make floor coverings:
- veneer;
- agglomerate;
- combination of veneer with agglomerate.
The most expensive product is veneer, the raw materialfor which the peripheral layer of the plant directly serves. When creating an interior, floor tiles must be carefully selected according to the pattern and color palette, since all the tiles have a variety of structural lines and original shades. Agglomerate is made from a mass of small cork particles that are heated in special ovens and pressed. Such pressed tiles can be purchased relatively inexpensively. Combined tiles consist of two layers: fine agglomerate and large sheet veneer.
Types of cork flooring installation.Depending on the type of material used in production, the floor covering can be technical, adhesive and floating. Technical flooring is used as the main layer under laminate and linoleum, it increases the thermal and sound insulation of the room. Cork technical flooring is sold in the form of granules, rolls and plates. Adhesive cork slabs are produced in the form of small rectangles and squares treated with waterproof impregnation. They are suitable for decorating floors with patterns and ornaments. Their advantage is that they feel great in the bathroom and other rooms with high humidity. "Floating" flooring or cork parquet is made in the form of cork floorboards, on one side of which a wood fiber coating is applied. The floorboards are sheets with dimensions of 90 x 18.5 cm. They are very easy to lay using the locking method, according to the principle of assembling laminate. Having dealt with the variety of types of cork flooring, it is still necessary to understand what attracts most buyers to this material and what qualities can become an obstacle to its purchase and installation, that is, to find out all the pros and cons. Return to contents</a>
Pros of cork floor
Table of technical characteristics of corkfloor. The undeniable advantages of cork include its environmental friendliness, as well as elasticity, resilience and lightness. This is explained by the fact that oak bark has many closed pores saturated with nitrogen and oxygen. Cork flooring retains heat perfectly, as it has good thermal conductivity. Anyone who has ever walked barefoot on linoleum and stepped barefoot on a cork flooring immediately notices the difference between the feeling of coolness in the first case and the feeling of warmth in the second. This is why cork flooring is suitable for laying in bedrooms and children's rooms. Despite the fact that cork is a wonderful conductor of heat, it does not have the ability to spontaneous combustion, and it does not emit harmful toxins even when burning. The positive qualities include the ability of cork materials to absorb noise inside the room. For apartments in panel houses, where this problem is more relevant than ever, cork floors will be an excellent solution. One nuance should be taken into account: cork will not protect against noise that occurs outside the home. You can rearrange furniture in an apartment with cork floors without worrying about the integrity and beauty of the flooring.
Cork floor coverings:agglomerate, cork veneer, a mixture of veneer and agglomerate. Such flooring can withstand quite large loads without any consequences for itself in the form of pressed-in marks from the legs of cabinets and chairs. In addition, it should be added that cork floors have strong shock-absorbing properties, and this, according to orthopedic specialists, has a wonderful effect on the human musculoskeletal system, since the load on the joints and spine is greatly reduced. In addition to the health effect, cork floors are almost not subject to abrasion, have high resistance to detergents, and are not afraid of woodworms and all kinds of pests. Return to contents</a>
Cork floor
Considering all the positive qualities of sexualcork flooring, one can come to the conclusion that such floors are the ideal option that many home and apartment owners are trying to find. But with all these wonderful qualities, cork floors also have their drawbacks, among them we can note:
Sometimes defects formed during servicecork floors are caused by the choice of material from an unscrupulous manufacturer or by a violation of technology during installation. Therefore, despite some disadvantages, cork flooring is a great option for finishing an apartment, especially in a bedroom, children's room and living room.
