Laminate flooring does not surprise anyone. He firmly took his place in the market of finishing materials. However, cork laminate is something new. It has other names: floating floor, cork flooring. It must be installed by analogy with a traditional laminate. The individual elements are held together by a locking groove. Mount the coating on a prepared substrate of cork or another base.
Types of cork-based laminate
There are two varieties of cork flooring:
- Castle. This refers to the cork laminate. Long-life coating that does not require additional consumables for installation. All that will be necessary is to saw off the elements of the desired length, fitting them to the dimensions of the room.
- Glue. Cork is sold in the form of square plates. Installation is carried out on glue. The service life of the coating is much shorter than cork laminate. This finishing material is more affordable.
Cork flooring in the design of the room
Cork-based flooring is a great complement to any design decision. The noticeable advantage of the laminate is its exclusive appearance. The natural pattern of the cork structure is unique; it does not repeat from one element to another. There are no patterns in it, which makes the surface bright and memorable.
A wide selection of cork-based coatings is available on the market. The differences between them are in the texture of the surface layer. It may resemble plates or small grains (like marble). A rich palette of material colors, including brown, sand, yellow, ocher shades. There are interesting solutions in colored dots.
Using different styles of cork flooring, which differ in texture or color, will help to give the design a special style. This technique allows you to highlight the functional areas in the room and give uniqueness. A justified solution is a cork laminate for the floor of a children's room, because it is soft and warm.
Cork floor
Cork flooring and laminate flooring are different finishing materials. Each of them has characteristic features:
- Cork flooring has gained popularity due to its unique qualities: it performs the function of additional heat and sound insulation, does not accumulate static electricity, has a pleasant softness. Its cost reaches 1600 rubles / m 2 .
- Cork-based laminate flooring is a lightweight version of the previous version. In its composition there is a wood-particle board, performing the role of the foundation. However, the key qualitative characteristics of the cork coating demonstrates. It is distinguished by its more affordable price, which is on average 400 rubles. below the cork floor.
The structure in the slice of a laminate from cork
Cork laminate has a 5-layer structure. Such a “pie” allows you to reduce the price of the coating compared to solid material, while maintaining high quality indicators. Laminate layers starting from the bottom:
- A base made by grinding and pressing cork chips.
- Fiberboard with lock.
- Cork wood interlayer.
- Cork veneer.
- A coating that performs a protective function.
The stripes of the laminate form a single coating using a floating method (without the use of adhesives, screws and nails). Individual elements are fastened together, but do not hold on to the base. This technique is easy to use and can be performed by laypersons. The undoubted advantage of this solution is the ability to easily repair the floor covering. If individual strips are damaged, replacement can be done without disassembling all the others. Cork laminate has good performance in which it is similar to parquet or the usual wooden coating option.
DIY laminate installation
Instructions for those who independently plan to install a cork laminate. Its laying does not cause difficulties and is performed in the following sequence:
- The material is acclimatized to indoor conditions. The packaging with the laminate is brought into the room and left for a couple of days. During this time, the cork adapts to the temperature conditions of the room and humidity. This will lead to minor dimensional changes, which will not change during operation.
- Prepare the base for coating. The floating installation method does not require a completely flat surface. But the less gross irregularities, the better the result. The existing coating is completely dismantled, and the floor is poured with a solution that aligns independently. The resulting base will be smooth and durable.
- Lay the substrate. Technology does not require the implementation of this layer. However, you can not do without it when working in bathrooms and apartments located on the 1st floor (dampness in them can come from the basement). High humidity can ruin the cork coating: cracks will appear or bloating will occur.
- Install the cork laminate. Its installation has no fundamental differences from the wooden counterpart. Elements are arranged in rows from the far corner of the room. To ensure overlapping joints, the strips of the next row are shifted half relative to the previous one. Reliability of connection of cork panels is provided by a lock groove. To snap the hitch, a rubber block is brought to the side surface of the new element and gently tap on it with a hammer.
- Install skirting boards. They will hide the bumps resulting from the junction of the laminate to the wall. To create a holistic picture, it is recommended to use cork products. However, they can be replaced with wood or plastic. Cork skirting boards are mounted on special glue. Plastic and wood products are mounted using self-tapping screws or nails. A millimeter gap is left between the laminate and the baseboard.
- The laid coating is ready to use. Its quality is not inferior to cork flooring.
Among the prestigious and high-quality floor coverings include cork laminate. The pros and cons of this material will allow you to better evaluate it.
Advantages of laminate cork
- Maintainability. Cork laminate can withstand many assembly-disassembly cycles. These operations do not affect its appearance. Deformed elements are easily replaced with new ones.
- It’s easy to work with. You can lay the laminate yourself. For this, special skills and numerous tools are not needed.
- According to reviews, the floor saves heat well. The cork structure does not allow it to be cold even in the winter months.
- Additional noise insulation of the room. Cork prevents the entry of sounds from the lower floor into the room.
- Affordable price. Laminate will cost the owner of the apartment much cheaper cover from a single cork.
- High strength due to the absence of gaps between the elements.
- Compared to the board, cork is softer, so treading on it is more pleasant.
- Material does not burn.
Disadvantages of Cork Laminate
The coating is afraid of high humidity and especially water - this is the main and main disadvantage of the laminate, which the owners note. The action of the liquid primarily swells the wood-fiber board, which is used as a supporting structure. It is allowed to clean the floor only with a well-wrung rag, using household chemicals designed for cork.
For safety, it is recommended to buy a moisture resistant laminate from cork. It has a varnish coating that protects the material from contact with water. Laminate corky to the touch is rough, which indicates its naturalness and specificity of the structure. There is increased friction between the sole and the floor. To socks do not wear out very quickly, it is better to wear slippers.
Joining tiles and laminate
The use of ceramic tiles in individual sections of the floor can be in demand for various reasons. The most important of them - this material is more durable and resistant to mechanical stress and dampness. With it, you can trim the floor at the front door or sink. Upon completion of the laying of tiles and cork laminate, a seam between them will be closed. There are many ways to solve this problem.
A cork compensator between the tile and the laminate masks a gap up to 0.5 cm wide. Its use is possible only when the materials have absolutely smooth edges without chips and other defects. The compensator makes it possible to lay the laminate without fixing it to glue.
Cork Laminate Selection
The class and other parameters of the coating are selected depending on the planned place of its use. For the office, the thickness of the panels should not be less than 3.2 mm. The higher the wear resistance class, the more durable the laminate. In rooms with high traffic use the 33rd class. Cork laminate for wet rooms should be equipped with a special substrate, and the locks should be treated with a special composition.
Cork Laminate Manufacturers
Cork came to us from the west coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Portuguese factories produce 25% of all cork laminate. Good quality products of German enterprises. Many factories are engaged in its manufacture in other European countries, as well as in China.
Buying laminate from cork
Where to buy cork laminate? Leroy Merlin is one of the largest building materials hypermarkets, which presents a wide selection of this flooring. Before buying, be sure to determine the number of bands that are necessary for a particular room. To the calculated area should be added margin for bumps. It doesn’t matter if extra canvases remain. They need to be postponed and cherished.
No one knows what can happen with the coating and when. If there is a spare wheel, you can always replace damaged strips with new ones. There is no guarantee that then the laminate of the same manufacturer, model and color will still be sold in the store.
Reviews
On cork laminate, customer reviews are exactly the opposite. But if you carefully study them, you can make an obvious conclusion: do not expect miracles from cheap material. The main negative is associated with the acquisition of products of the lowest price category or the conditions of its operation.