Glue-down cork - healthy living is fun

Laying Glue-down cork - healthy living is fun

The material for the adhesive cork is obtained from the bark of the cork oak. For this purpose the cork oak is not felled, but the bark is partially peeled off. The tree must be be at least 25 years old. Then this peeling will not harm him

She can repeated every 8 to 10 years. The trees can live up to 200 years. Cork oak forests are typical for the landscape of the Iberian Peninsula. They are home to many endangered animal and plant species.

Cork extraction not only has the advantage of preserving the cork oak forests. By peeling the cork oak is stimulated to form new bark. During this process the tree binds three times more CO2 than in the unpeeled state. Thus, considerably more CO2 is bound by the cork extraction.

The advantages of the adhesive cork

• A floor covering made of adhesive cork ensures a pleasantly warm floor all year round. This increases living comfort and reduces heating costs.
• Due to the natural elasticity of the material, cork offers more walking and standing comfort than other floor coverings. At the same time the joints and back are protected.
• Adhesive cork has a sound-absorbing effect.
• If something falls out of your hand, it will not break as quickly on a cork floor as on stone tiles, for example.
• A cork floor covering supports a healthy room climate.
• Adhesive cork is very strong due to its low installation height ideal for renovation work. It usually fits under doors without the need to sand them down.
• Cork is a durable material. For this reason, manufacturers usually give a guarantee of at least 10 years for the residential sector and 5 years for the commercial sector.
• Cork floor coverings are offered in numerous designs and different colours.
• The adhesive cork floor covering contains no substances harmful to health.
• Cork is a natural and renewable raw material.
• An adhesive cork floor covering is suitable for damp rooms and for laying over underfloor heating.

Certified harmlessness

The ecological Harmlessness of the adhesive cork floor covering is sealed by the seal "Global Green Tag Certified" documented. This seal is awarded by the New Zealand and Australian Green Building Councils for ecological products.

The "Greenguard Certificate" and the A+ or A classification according to the French guidelines for building products guarantee that the adhesive cork flooring produces no or very low chemical emissions.

The fact that this floor covering is an ecologically sound product even when taking into account its entire life cycle is documented by the Japanese "Eco Mark" seal.

How is this floor covering glued?

For the gluing of the floor covering you need

• Spatula
• Cutter Knives
• Folding rule
• Pencil
• Spacer
• Angle or bevel
• Special glue

You start by applying the adhesive for the first row on the substrate. Then lay the tiles butt to butt on this adhesive bed and press them down firmly. You will probably have to cut the last tile in the row. Use the remainder of this as the first element of the next row

Continue in this way until the entire surface has been laid. Hold an expansion joint of 10 to 15 mm to all walls. Depending on the relative humidity, cork absorbs or releases moisture from the environment

The cork floor covering expands or contracts in the process

To prevent this from causing cracks and distortions in the floor covering, you need the expansion joint. The drying time for removing the adhesive is normally stated on the package.

The matching accessories for the adhesive cork floor covering

A visually attractive transition between the adhesive cork floor covering and the wall is created by skirting boards. Parkettkaiser offers you skirtings matching every floor covering. Depending on the design, these can be glued, nailed, screwed or fastened with clips. Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for the recommended fixing method for the respective skirting board.

Other important accessories for the adhesive cork floor covering are transition and compensation profiles.

Transition profiles use when you want to create a transition between two floor coverings of the same height. If the coverings have different heights, use Compensation profiles. These profiles are either screwed or glued.

How to maintain the adhesive cork floor covering correctly

Most of the time you only have to sweep or vacuum this floor covering. To remove heavier soiling, you should wipe it with a damp cloth about once a week. A "soft cleaner" is particularly suitable for this purpose

This special cleaner ensures in the same operation that dirt cannot stick to the synchronous embossing

From time to time you should remove the old layers of the cleaning product. The care product "Power Strip", for example, is used for this and for removing stubborn dirt. You should regularly refresh the adhesive cork flooring, especially in areas subject to heavy wear and tear. The care product "Power Polish", for example, is used for this purpose

These products for cleaning and care of your adhesive cork flooring are also offered by Parquet Kaiser.

What you should pay attention to with an adhesive cork floor covering

• Protect the floor covering from direct sunlight with curtains, etc. Cork can fade quickly.
• To prevent scratches on the floor, please install felt glides under the furniture legs.
• You should place protective mats under furniture such as desk chairs that are often moved.
• In the area of the sink, floor mats catch water splashes and any escaping water.
• Plants standing on the floor must be given suitable coasters to protect the cork flooring from watering.
• At the entrance they catch dirt directly through matching mats.
• Please wipe up spilled liquids immediately so that no stains appear on the floor.
• Do not wipe the adhesive cork floor covering too damp.
• Do not use aggressive cleaning agents. Take rather the special products offered by Parkett Kaiser.

The different ways of sealing the adhesive cork floor covering

The sealing can consist of polyurethane varnish or be done by oiling and/or waxing.

Properties of the polyurethane paint sealant

• This sealant is the cheapest and most durable option.
• Depending on the soil conditions, it will last between 5 and 10 years.
• Three coats of varnish must be applied for complete sealing.
• One layer can be applied per day.
• Finally, this sealant must dry for two days.

The properties of oil and wax sealants

• These sealings consist of 100% natural materials.
• They last up to two years.
• After sealing the adhesive cork floor covering with oil or wax, polyurethane varnish sealing can no longer be applied. The oil or wax has settled in the pores of the cork so that the varnish no longer adheres.
• Three layers of wax or oil are required for the sealing.
• A waiting period of one day must be observed between the application of the individual layers.
• Once the sealing is complete, the floor should be polished.