Laminate cork: types, advantages and disadvantages, reviews

Laminate on the floor does not surprise anyone. He firmly took his place in the market of finishing materials. However, the cork laminates are something new. He has other names: floating floor, cork parquet. Install it is necessary by analogy with the traditional laminate. Individual elements are held together by a lock slot. Mount the coating on the prepared substrate from a cork or other substrate.

Types of laminate based on cork

There are two varieties of flooring from a cork tree :

• Castle. This refers to the mentioned cork laminate. Durable coating that does not require additional consumables for installation. All that will be needed is to cut off the elements of the required length, adjusting them to the dimensions of the room.
• Adhesive. Cork is sold in the form of square plates. Mounting is carried out on the glue. The service life of the coating is much less than the cork laminate. This finishing material is more affordable.

Cork floor covering in the decoration of the room

A cork-based floor covering will be an excellent addition to any design solution. A noticeable advantage of the laminate is its exclusive appearance. The natural pattern of the structure of the plug is unique, it does not repeat from one element to another. There are no regularities in it, which makes the surface bright and memorable.

A large selection of coatings based on cork is available on the market. The differences between them are in the texture of the surface layer. It may resemble plates or small grains (as in marble). A rich palette of colors of the material, including brown, sand, yellow, buffy hues. There are interesting solutions in the color speckles.

To give the design a special style will help the use of different floor variants from the cork, different in texture or color. This method allows you to allocate functional areas in the room and give uniqueness. A justified solution is the cork laminate for the floor of the nursery, because it is soft and warm.

Cork floor

Cork floor and laminate - different finishing materials. Each of them has the following characteristics:

• Cork floor has gained popularity due to its unique qualities: it performs the function of additional heat and sound insulation, does not accumulate static electricity, has pleasant softness. The cost of it reaches 1600 rubles per square meter.
• Cork-based laminate is a lighter version of the previous version. In its composition there is a chipboard, which serves as the basis. However, the key quality characteristics of the cork cover demonstrates. It is distinguished by its more democratic price, which on average is 400 rubles. Below the cork floor.

Structure in the cut of a laminate of cork

Laminate cork has a 5-layer structure. This "pie" allows you to reduce the price of the coating in comparison with the whole material, while maintaining high quality indicators. Laminate layers, starting from the bottom:

• A base made by crushing and pressing cork crumbs.
• Fibreboard with lock.
• Interlayer of cork tree.
• Cork veneer.
• A coating that performs a protective function.

Laminate strips 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 onto the ground. This technique is easy to use and can be performed by an amateur. The undoubted advantage of this solution is the ability to easily repair the floor covering. If the individual slats are damaged, the replacement can be done without dismantling all the others. Laminate of cork has good performance characteristics, according to which it is similar to parquet or usual wooden cover variant.

Laminate installation by own hands

Instructions for those who plan to install a cork laminate on their own . Stacking it does not cause difficulties and is performed in the following sequence:

1. The material is acclimatized to the conditions in the room. Packaging with a laminate is brought into the room and left for a couple of days. During this time the plug adapts to the temperature regime of the room and humidity. This will result in minor changes in size, which will not change during operation.
2. Prepare the base under the cover. A floating installation method does not require an absolutely flat surface. But the less rough roughness, the better the result will be. The existing coating is completely dismantled, and the floor is poured with a solution that is leveled independently. The resulting base will be even and strong.
3. The substrate is laid. Technology does not require the mandatory implementation of this layer. However, one can not do without it when working in bathrooms and apartments located on the 1st floor (dampness in them can be seen from the basement). Strong humidity can damage the coating from the cork: cracks will appear or a swelling will occur.
4. Install the cork laminates. Its installation does not differ in principle from the wooden analog. Elements are arranged in rows from the far corner of the room. To ensure overlapping of the joints, the bars of the next row are shifted by half from the previous one. The reliability of the connection of the cork panels is provided by the locking groove. To snap the coupling, a rubber bar is brought to the side surface of the new element and gently taped on it with a hammer.
5. Install skirting boards. They will hide the unevenness that is obtained at the point of abutment of the laminate to the wall. To create a complete picture it is recommended to use products made of cork. However, they can be replaced with wooden or plastic ones. Cork skirting boards are fastened to special glue. Products made of plastic and wood are mounted using self-tapping screws or nails. Between the laminate and the plinth leave a millimeter gap.
6. The laid coating is ready for use. Its quality is not inferior to the cork floor.

Among the prestigious and high-quality floor coverings are cork laminate. Pros and cons of this material will allow you to better evaluate it.

Advantages of laminate from cork

• Repairability. Cork laminate withstands many assembly-disassembly cycles. These operations do not affect its appearance in any way. The deformed elements are easily replaced with new ones.
• Working with him is easy. You can lay the laminate yourself. This does not require special skills and a large tool.
• According to the reviews, the floor is good for keeping warm. The structure of the cork does not allow it to be cold even in the winter months.
• Additional noise insulation of the room. The cork prevents sound from entering the room from the lower floor.
• Affordable price. Laminate will cost the owner of an apartment much cheaper than a cover from a solid cork.
• High strength values due to the absence of gaps between the elements.
• In comparison with the board, the cork is softer, so it's more pleasant to tread on it.
• The material is not lit.

Disadvantages of the cork laminate

Coverage is afraid of high humidity and especially water - this is the main and main disadvantage of laminate, which is noted by the owners. The action of the liquid is primarily swollen fibreboard, which is used as a supporting structure. To clean the floor is allowed only a well-wrung rag, using household chemicals intended for cork coating.

For safety it is recommended to buy a moisture resistant laminate of cork. It has a varnish coating, which protects the material from contact with water. Laminate cork to the touch rough, which indicates its naturalness and specific structure. There is increased friction between the sole and the floor. So that the socks do not wear out very quickly, it is better to put on slippers.

Docking of tiles and laminate

The use of ceramic tiles in certain areas of the floor can be claimed for various reasons. The most important of them is this material is more durable and resistant to mechanical influences and dampness. With it, you can trim the floor at the entrance door or the sink. After the completion of the laying of the tiles and cork laminate, the seam between them must be sealed. There are many ways to solve this problem.

A cork compensator between the tile and the laminate masks a gap of up to 0.5 cm in width. Its use is possible only when the materials have absolutely smooth edges without chips and other defects. Compensator makes it possible to lay the laminate without fixing on the glue.

Selection of cork laminate

Class and other parameters of coverage are selected depending on the planned location 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 is. In rooms with high trafficability use the 33rd class. Cork laminate for wet rooms should be provided with a special substrate, and locks - treated with a special composition.

Manufacturers of cork laminate

Cork came to us from the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Portuguese factories produce 25% of the whole cork laminate. The products of German enterprises are of good quality. Many factories are engaged in its manufacture in other European countries, as well as in China.

Purchase of laminate from cork

Where to buy cork laminate? "Leroy Merlin" - one of the largest hypermarkets of building materials, which presents a wide selection of this flooring. Before buying, be sure to determine the number of strips that are required for a particular room. To the calculated area it is necessary to add a stock on irregularities. It does not matter if there are any extra paintings left. They need to be postponed and protected.

Nobody knows what can happen with the coating and when. If you have a spare, you can always replace the damaged strips with new ones. There is no guarantee that then the store will still sell laminate of the same manufacturer, model and color.

Reviews

On the cork laminate customer feedback is directly opposite. But if you study them carefully, you can make an obvious conclusion: do not wait for miracles from cheap material. The main negative is associated with the purchase of products of the lowest price category or the conditions of its operation.