Laminate or cork floors. What is better cork or laminate Cork laminate top cork

Many consumers today are interested in one floor material - cork laminate. It appeared on the market not so long ago, there is still little information on it, so not everyone knows its technical characteristics.

What is cork laminate, and why is it so named?

Cork floors have recently been included in the category of exotic flooring. But the one who used this finishing material has already appreciated all its advantages:

• This floor is always soft and warm.
• It is an excellent heat and sound insulating material.
• It never collects dust.
• If you drop glassware on it, it is guaranteed not to break.

True, this flooring has a huge drawback - too high a cost. Therefore, for the mass consumer, it is still an inaccessible pleasure.

To solve the problem and reduce the cost of cork flooring, manufacturers decided to change the design of the material to include a cheap but strong enough base. So cork laminate is a panel based on either moisture-resistant chipboard or MDF board. But the front side is covered with cork material. It turns out that the new cork floor is cork-shaped panels that are easy to install using almost the same technology as conventional laminate.

Material design

The new cork flooring is very similar to conventional laminate flooring. This is a multi-layer structure consisting of different building materials. In appearance, it resembles laminate panels, that is, planks of a certain length. And if you don’t know that this is cork material, it’s hard to guess right away.

What layers does the cork laminate construction consist of? Let's start from the bottom:

• The bottom layer is compressed cork chips.
• MDF or chipboard.
• Another layer of crumb cork.
• Wood veneer. Often manufacturers use cork oak veneer.
• Protective covering. It can be varnish or polymer - more often vinyl.

The design of the panels includes a lock connection. That is, a groove is made from one edge of the panel, and a spike from the other. This simplifies the process of assembling the laminate on the floor to a minimum. Even a beginner can handle it - installation is so simple. Of course, knowledge of some of the nuances is necessary, but more on that below.

Advantages and disadvantages

Cork laminate device

We have already mentioned the pros and cons of cork flooring. In part, they switched to cork laminate. However, it is worth adding something to fully highlight the characteristics of this coating.

• Easy and fast installation. You can do it yourself and still save a lot of money.
• High maintainability. A failed panel or several elements can be easily dismantled and replaced with new ones. Experts assure that such a cork floor can be transferred 2-3 times to any other room without compromising its quality.
• Cork laminate is made taking into account such an indicator as moisture resistance. In addition, it is an environmentally friendly floor covering with high elasticity. Even traces of legs from heavy furniture are quickly restored.
• When walking, the elasticity of the flooring and its softness are felt. This has a beneficial effect on the spine and joints of the human legs.
• Huge choice in terms of decorative design of the front side of the panels. And compared to a solid cork floor, laminate flooring is several times cheaper.

• Low tensile strength, so walking on cork laminate in stilettos is not recommended.
• It has already been said about the high thermal insulation properties, so it is not worth laying a “warm floor” heating system under the cork material. The maximum that such a board can miss is 20% of the allocated thermal energy.
• If we compare the strength of a conventional laminate and cork, then the advantage will not be in favor of the latter. Hence the low service life - up to 10 years.

Cork laminate flooring

Although the material is made of cork, it is still a laminate. Therefore, the technology of its laying is almost identical to the installation of conventional laminatin.

To begin with, a cork laminate floor is a floating structure. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account all the nuances of such a process.

Training

Wood floor repair

First of all, the finishing material must be brought into the room where it will be laid, unpacked and left in this form for a couple of days to adapt. Like any wooden product, cork laminate quickly picks up the temperature and humidity of the place where it is located.

While the material is lying, we proceed to the preparation of the room, or rather, the floor. To do this, you will have to dismantle the old flooring, remove the baseboards and check the subfloor for defects. Please note that cork flooring, like conventional laminate, can only be laid on a flat and solid base.

Therefore, if floor defects are found, it is necessary to get rid of them:

• If the floor is concrete, then the easiest method is to pour a cement-sand screed.
• If the floor is wooden, you will have to repair the base, and then cover it with plywood sheets.

The next stage in the preparatory process is associated with the front door. Usually, when finishing a newly built house, doors are installed at the very last moment. They are ordered to the final dimensions - especially the height of the element. Here everything depends not only on the size of the opening, but also on the height to which the floor with the finish is raised. If the repair is carried out in an old house where the doors are already installed, you will have to remove them, lay the flooring, and then adjust the doors to the required dimensions. Usually they are sawn from the bottom if they are wooden.

If the doors are made of MDF, PVC or metal, then you will have to accurately calculate the height of the floor covering to be laid. Couldn't fit into the required size range? There is no way out - you will have to order new doors.

Further along the entire perimeter of the room along the walls at the level of laying, spacer wedges are installed and fixed with self-tapping screws. They can be wooden or plastic. Everyone knows that the floating floor structure does not come into contact with the walls of the room. This is her main requirement. Indeed, during the operation of wooden structures, their dimensions can change under the influence of different temperatures and humidity. Therefore, the expansion gap is an indispensable element of cork laminate. By the way, this unsightly gap will eventually be closed with a plinth, so it will not be visible.

Substrate mounting

Substrate laying

What is the purpose of the substrate? Mainly for leveling the base of the floor. Small differences can remain even after pouring the screed or installing plywood, and the substrate material hides such defects up to 2 mm in size. Today, manufacturers offer two types of substrates - technical cork and synthetic films. The first material is expensive and the second is cheap.

There is one important point in this case. Much depends on the room in which you will install the cork laminate. If this:

• first floor, under which there is a wet cellar
• floors laid on the ground
• the second floor, under which there is a wet room,

Then option one - a synthetic film. Most often, ordinary polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 0.2 mm is used for these purposes.

It is laid out so that it completely covers the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room with a slight overlap on the walls - 10 cm will be enough. If the width of the film does not completely cover the floor surface, it is placed in overlapping strips relative to each other. The joint must be fastened with construction tape. In fact, the polyethylene film serves not only as a substrate, but also as a hydro- and vapor barrier. Sometimes craftsmen put a layer of technical cork on top of the film, and then the cork laminate itself.

Installation of cork panels

Laying cork floor

Installation of cork laminate and conventional laminated panels is carried out using the same technology. Here is the sequence of actions:

• It is necessary to start installation from the corner farthest from the front door. The first board in the first row is laid. The first board in the second row is cut in half. After all, a laminate floor is a structure mounted on the principle of brickwork.
• The half is brought to the first laid board, the spike is inserted into the groove, after which the half of the board is lowered to the floor level. You will definitely hear a click, which indicates that the connection has occurred. After that, you need to install a special bar near the board and hit it with a hammer a couple of times. This is how finishing is carried out, that is, sealing the joint. It is also necessary to adjust the elements along the ends of the panels, that is, to knock out the board from the back side.
• Most often, masters use this method of laying, when the first row is laid out completely, then the second is attached to it, and so on. There is an option when the rows are not fully laid out and filled as you move to the door. This is the so-called ladder technology.

Note! Some beginners face the problem of installing the last board. It is inconvenient to work with it, because the wall interferes. In a set of tools for laying laminate, manufacturers lay a special tool called a clamp. It facilitates the installation of the last element.

• The last board is cut to the required size in length and placed next to the penultimate one. Then a clamp is inserted from the end, or rather, its end bent down. On the second end bent up, they knock with a hammer. Thus, the last board is brought to a tight connection with the penultimate one.
• And the final stage in the process of laying cork laminate is the installation of skirting boards. For such a floor, a cork plinth is well suited, which is attached to the walls with an adhesive composition. You can install wooden or laminated plinths, which are fixed with self-tapping screws. And don't forget the door sill. It will hide the border between two finishing materials laid in different rooms.

Please note that the skirting boards must be mounted so that there is a distance of 1–2 mm between their lower plane and the floor.

Laying near pipes

Some novice craftsmen find it difficult to install cork laminate around pipes. There is nothing complicated here. It is necessary to measure the distance from the edge of the board laid on the floor to the center of the pipe, then transfer it to the panel being prepared. Here you will need a drill with a nozzle in the form of a crown. The diameter of the tool should be slightly larger than the diameter of the pipe. In the calculated place, a hole is made for the pipe. An undercut is made on the side for the pipe to enter the panel. When the board is installed, the gap between it and the pipe is sealed with a special stroke. It will close the gap and give the floor finish a beautiful look.

Conclusion on the topic

So, cork laminate is conquering the market. Not all consumers have yet realized what advantages this floor material has, and what advantages it has over conventional laminate. Of course, it takes time and positive feedback not only from manufacturers, but also from consumers who have already enjoyed all the delights of using laminated cork. This flooring is one of the best available today. After all, it contains the basic requirements of modernity - environmental friendliness, strength, beauty, heat and sound insulation at the same time.

Related publications

In the range of floor coverings, cork laminate is gaining popularity, which has found its consumer. This product does not belong to the building materials traditional for our area, so its cost is quite high. However, the natural properties of this exotic wood successfully manifest themselves in any climate.

What is good material

In the literal sense, cork laminate does not have a laminating top layer in order to make the most of the technical parameters that cork has.

However, the panel has a multi-layer structure of various materials, which increases the performance of the panels and reduces their cost.

In the section of the lamella, you can see the following 5 layers:

• top protective film of water-based varnish, vinyl, polymer;
• cork veneer;
• pressed crumb cork;
• rigid moisture-resistant base - chipboard / MDF sheet;
• underlying layer of cork chips.

The result is a floor covering with the following characteristics:

Structurally, the panels, like consumer products, are connected using a locking connection, which is a groove on one end of the panel and a spike on the opposite side. The lock is located on the solid part of the panel - chipboard.

In appearance, cork laminate does not stand out too much in the line of similar coatings, but after it takes its place in the room, the differences will undoubtedly be in its favor.

How does it manifest

Cork creates a pleasant feeling of warmth underfoot

The distinctive qualities of a cork laminate need not only to be known before laying, but also to apply them in rooms suitable for the conditions.

In the room where the cork is laid, the boards underfoot will be warm, slightly soft, absorb sounds and prevent the penetration of cold from below. For the same reason, a “warm floor” is not installed under a cork-based laminate - too reliable thermal insulation prevents you from getting the expected result.

But for the bedroom and children's room - this is a safe, harmless and comfortable choice.

Advantages and disadvantages

Different life situations can turn the properties of cork laminate into pluses and minuses alternately. For example, the rigidity of the upper side of the stove is such that in one case, when falling, glassware will not break, in the other, a trace of a heavy object may remain. From the same point of view, the cost of this flooring can be considered as an image component and an investment in the comfort of the home.

pros

Natural natural material offers to take advantage of such useful qualities in living rooms:

• simplicity and speed of installation will not transfer this room to non-residential for a long time;
• the ability to work independently;
• compatibility of docking with other coatings (for example, tiles) using a cork compensator that will close the gap up to 5 mm;
• finished thermal insulation;
• protection from external noise and absorption of internal sounds;
• does not electrify and, accordingly, dust will not accumulate;
• not combustible;
• elasticity allows you to quickly recover places squeezed by furniture legs;
• suitable for quick repair (replacement of plots of any area);
• does not lose performance in case of dismantling and transfer for installation in another room;
• ecological cleanliness, hypoallergenicity;
• a large number of decorative appearance solutions.

When choosing a cork laminate, you must carefully read the passport of this particular brand. The moisture resistance declared by the manufacturer may allow installation in rooms with high humidity (kitchen, bathroom and toilet rooms).

Minuses

Materials of natural origin are more responsive to changing environmental conditions than specially designed polymers. Cork has comparative disadvantages in this respect:

1. Weak moisture resistance. The surface is subjected to dry or wet cleaning, special synthetic detergents (non-aggressive) are used, but spilled water can penetrate the plywood sheet, fiberboard and cause swelling. To reduce risks, it is recommended to choose moisture-resistant brands, in which the top protection is varnished.
2. Low tensile strength. It makes no sense to lay such a laminate in rooms where they walk in heels (stiletto heels), often move furniture or hold sports equipment. In this case, you can apply a combined method - arrange platforms from solid material or carpet.
3. residual deformation. With all the elasticity in places of constant walking, over time, the crushing of cork veneer and crumbs becomes noticeable. The defect can be eliminated by sanding with sandpaper.
4. The rough surface of the panels suggests wearing slippers (socks will not last long). Rubber soles are not recommended for shoes.
5. Decreased efficiency of underfloor heating. From the “warm floor” system, only 1/5 of the heat generated will break into the room through the cork layers.
6. The stated service life is 10 years. Although, according to the characteristics of the constituent materials, cork laminate can be used for up to 30 years with care.

In general, this product requires the right approach, based on performance. For more information about the types of cork floor, see this video:

Comparison

You can visually evaluate the expected result from the installation of cork laminate and compare with other types of flooring, according to the proposed table:

The moderate performance of cork products in terms of operational parameters is complemented by safety for the health of residents, both in terms of the release of harmful substances used in processing, and simply mitigating the fall (important for small family members).

Signs of quality

Lamellas must have a smooth smooth edge

Self-acquisition, as well as do-it-yourself laying work, involves a preliminary acquaintance with the important nuances of the process.

In the trading floor, 2 methods are used: inspection and acquaintance with the attached documents.

You need to pay attention to the following checkpoints:

• package integrity (no breaks, dents, nicks);
• all panels in a pack of the same size and thickness;
• when connected on a flat plane, the docking line is almost invisible;
• boards have smooth edges, cut lines;
• the back side is a dense surface without foreign inclusions;
• wear resistance class - high.

The slats are packed and sold in packs of 8-10 pieces, so they are also not purchased individually. Excess whole packaging, retaining the receipt and presentation, can be returned to the store at the end of the repair with a refund.

In order for the expectations from the application of the selected type of coating to be justified, the product must have a quality certificate from the manufacturer. Otherwise, the behavior of the flooring in the long term is difficult to predict.

Assembly Methods

The developers have provided that the technology by which the cork laminate is assembled is simple and practically does not differ from the flooring of the usual floor coverings. To learn more about laying this particular laminate, see this video:

Depending on the size of the room and the wishes of the owner, 2 traditional laying methods for plank flooring are used:

1. Floating (without attachment to the base);
2. Glue.

Installation begins after the material has matured in "its" room, its temperature and humidity have caught up with the climate of the room.

Since the supporting base of the multilayer board is a wood board, the perimeter gap to the wall for thermal expansion is maintained by 0.8 - 1 cm (closed with a plinth).

Heating pipelines are bypassed with round cutouts at the rate of pipe Ø + 5 mm. To get a clean cut, it is better to use an electric jigsaw and a saw blade with the appropriate markings.

Laying the laminate is carried out on a clean, flat floor. The concrete screed is preliminarily brought to a horizontal plane with self-leveling compounds. The plank floor is cycled and covered with plywood. On the GWP (dry screed), lamellas are laid immediately. For more information on cutting holes, see this video:

If the base has roughness, small defects no larger than 2 mm, they are eliminated by a substrate made of technical cork (expensive) or synthetic film materials (cheap).

A shock-absorbing substrate is not needed, and it would be appropriate to protect the bottom from moisture vapor with plastic wrap. Its thickness should start at 0.2 mm.

Cork floors are gradually moving from the category of exotic to the usual niche of popular flooring. And it's completely predictable! A cork floor is always warm and soft, it retains noise, dust does not accumulate on it and dishes do not break. The only drawback that limits its widespread use is the high cost of cork oak veneer, from the fragments of which cork is made. However, manufacturers have found a way out of this situation, ingenious in its simplicity. To reduce the price of coating, they began to produce cork laminate (otherwise - cork parquet) - a symbiosis of cork and chipboard (or MDF). Retaining all the properties of solid cork, this coating has a more affordable price and, moreover, it is very easy to fit.

What kind of coverage is this?

Cork laminate, just like a regular one, is sold in the form of elongated planks with a locking fastening system. Each plank consists of several layers:

• 1st layer (bottom) - natural cork (made from compressed chips);
• 2nd layer - fiberboard or MDF;
• 3rd layer - natural cork;
• 4th layer - veneer of cork oak or other tree species;
• 5th layer - lacquer or vinyl protective coating.

Due to its multiple layers, cork laminate is much cheaper than solid cork, but in terms of operational properties it is practically not inferior to it.

Cork laminate panels are connected into a common coating by a “floating”, glueless method. Due to the spikes and grooves located at the ends, the dies are combined with each other “in a lock”, without being fixed on the base. "Floating" laying is very simple, does not require building skills and, on top of everything else, makes the cork floor very maintainable. That is, if one or more panels are damaged, you can easily replace them with new ones without opening the entire floor. The coating is quite strong in structure and in operation resembles parquet or laminate.

Step by step installation of cork laminate

Installation of cork "floating" floors is simple and is carried out in several stages:

1. Adaptation of cork laminate to room temperature and humidity. To do this, the cork laminate brought into the house must be left in the package to “lie down” for 48 hours. During this time, the material adapts to the climate of the room and takes its final dimensions (it may expand if the humidity is higher than in the store, or, conversely, it will dry out and shrink).

2. Leveling the base of the floor. A “floating” cork-based laminate forgives some of the unevenness of the base, but it is still desirable that there be fewer errors. Therefore, the old, worn-out coating is dismantled and the subfloor is leveled with cement screeds or self-leveling mixtures. It is necessary to ensure that the base for laying becomes even, clean, hard and smooth.

An impeccable subfloor is the main condition for the long-term flawless service of the laminate laid on top of it. You will learn in detail about the various options for leveling the floor plane from the material:.

3. Mounting the substrate . Underlayment under cork laminate is not required. It is needed if moisture accumulates on the base during operation. For example, when laying cork in the bathroom or on the first floor, below which is a damp basement. The impact of moisture on the cork laminate is undesirable, as it leads to deformation of the coating. As a result, noticeable gaps appear between the joints of the cork panels.

Polyethylene can be used as a vapor barrier. It spreads on the base base with an overlap on the walls (3-4 cm). The film sheets are overlapped, all joints are glued with adhesive tape. A technical cork or a polypropylene substrate is often laid over polyethylene, but they are used only for additional heat and sound insulation, as well as for leveling the remaining defects (irregularities) of the base.

4. Assembly of cork panels in a "floating" way. The principle of installation is the same as in the case of a conventional laminate. Cork panels begin to be laid in rows, starting from the far corner of the room. The seams of the previous and subsequent rows are shifted by a third or half of the panel to get a "chess" pattern. The floor is assembled as follows: a spike of the next board is placed at an angle into the groove of the already installed panel, pressed on it and carefully lowered to a horizontal position. The thorn-groove lock snaps into place. Next, a wooden bar is superimposed on the end of the laid panel, it is hit several times with a hammer to seal the joints. Thus, row after row is mounted.

Cork laminate flooring is easy to install thanks to the tongue-and-groove lock

When laying, remember that between the walls and the cork, as well as around any obstacles (pipes, thresholds, etc.), there should be expansion gaps of a couple of centimeters. Over time, the cork-coated laminate will definitely expand and, if the width of these gaps is insufficient, it will rest against the walls and swell and warp.

5. Installation of skirting boards. The deformation gaps that remain after laying the cork flooring are covered with skirting boards. In this case, it is most effective to use products made from the same cork as the main coating. Although wooden or laminated plinths (from MDF) are also good. In order to fix cork skirting boards on the walls, mounting glue is used, wooden or laminated products are mounted using special clips, self-tapping screws, dowels, nails. The selected type of skirting boards is attached to the walls so as to hang over the floor at a distance of 1-2 mm.

We will tell you about how to choose the right wooden plinth from an array and install it yourself in an article on our website:.

Cork-based laminate is often used as an alternative to underfloor heating.

The floor of cork laminate (cork parquet) is ready! You can immediately walk on it, arrange furniture and operate in full force.

Flexible laminate in its appearance almost does not differ from the usual one, but is characterized by particular flexibility, wear resistance and ease of installation. Let's talk about this material, installation methods and requirements for the base, in a special article:.

The advantages of this material

Let's sum up all of the above and evaluate the real advantages of cork laminate. Why is it so attractive to potential buyers? Here are just some of its main advantages:

• high maintainability. The floor can be assembled and disassembled 2-3 times without loss of quality and decorative appearance;
• warm surface;
• soundproof properties;
• softness and elasticity, allowing to reduce the load on the joints and spine when walking;
• compared to solid cork, lower cost.

That's all for today, ladies and gentlemen. If you have any questions or comments - write!

Laminate on the floor 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 parquet. It is necessary to install it by analogy with a traditional laminate. Individual elements are held together by means of a locking groove. Mount the coating on a prepared cork substrate or other base.

cork based

There are two types of flooring from:

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

floors in the design of the room

Cork based flooring will be a great addition to any design solution. A 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 large selection of cork-based coatings is on the market. The difference between them lies in the texture of the surface layer. It may resemble plates or fine grains (like marble). A rich palette of colors of the material, including brown, sand, yellow, ocher shades. There are interesting solutions in colored speck.

To give the design a special style, use at the same time different options for the cork floor, which differ in texture or color. This technique allows you to highlight the functional areas in the room and give uniqueness. A justified solution is cork laminate for the floor of the children's room, because it is soft and warm.

cork floor

Cork floor and laminate - different finishing materials. Each of them has characteristic features:

• The 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, and has a pleasant softness. Its cost reaches 1600 rubles / m 2.
• Cork-based laminate is a lightweight version of the previous version. In its composition there is a chipboard that acts as the base. However, the coating demonstrates the key qualitative characteristics of the cork. It is distinguished by a more democratic price, which is an average of 400 rubles. below the cork floor.

Cutaway structure of cork laminate

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. Layers of laminate, starting from the bottom:

• A base made by crushing and pressing cork chips.
• MDF with lock.
• Cork wood layer.
• Cork veneer.
• Protective coating.

Laminate strips form a single coating using a floating method (no adhesives, screws or nails). Separate elements are fastened together, but do not hold on to the base. This technique is easy to apply and can be performed by a non-professional. The undoubted advantage of this solution is the ability to easily repair the flooring. If individual strips are damaged, you can replace them without disassembling all the others. Cork laminate has good performance, in which it is similar to parquet or a conventional wooden flooring option.

Do-it-yourself laminate installation

Instructions for those who independently plan to mount a cork laminate. Laying it does not cause difficulties and is performed in the following sequence:

1. The material is acclimatized to the conditions in the room. 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 room temperature and humidity. This will lead to minor changes in dimensions, which will not change during operation.
2. Prepare the base for coating. The floating mounting method does not require an absolutely flat surface. But the fewer rough irregularities, the better the result will be. The existing coating is completely dismantled, and the floor is poured with a solution that levels itself. The resulting base will be smooth and solid.
3. Lay the underlay. The technology does not require the obligatory implementation of this layer. However, you can’t do without it when working in bathrooms and apartments located on the 1st floor (dampness in them can come out from the basement). Strong humidity can ruin the cork coating: gaps will appear or swelling will occur.
4. Install 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 the overlap of the joints, the planks of the next row are shifted by half relative to the previous one. Reliability of connection of cork panels is provided with a lock groove. To latch the hitch, a rubber bar is brought to the side surface of the new element and gently tapped on it with a hammer.
5. Install skirting boards. They will hide the bumps that have turned out at the junction of the laminate to the wall. To create a complete picture, it is recommended to use cork products. However, they can be replaced with wooden or plastic ones. Cork plinths are attached to a special glue. Products made of plastic and wood are mounted using self-tapping screws or nails. A millimeter gap is left between the laminate and the plinth.
6. The laid covering is already ready to use. Its quality is not inferior to the cork floor.

Cork laminate is also among the prestigious and high-quality floor coverings. The pros and cons of this material will allow you to better evaluate it.

Advantages of cork laminate

• Maintainability. Cork laminate can withstand many assembly and disassembly cycles. These operations do not affect its appearance in any way. Deformed elements are easily replaced by new ones.
• It is easy to work with him. You can lay the laminate yourself. This does not require special skills and numerous tools.
• According to reviews, the floor saves heat well. The structure of the cork does not allow it to be cold even during the winter months.
• Additional room soundproofing. The cork prevents the penetration of sounds from the lower floor into the room.
• Affordable price. Laminate will cost the owner of the apartment much cheaper than a solid cork coating.
• High strength due to the absence of gaps between the elements.
• Compared to a board, cork is softer, so stepping on it is more pleasant.
• The material does not burn.

Disadvantages of cork laminate

The coating is afraid of high humidity, and even more so water - this is the main and main drawback of the laminate, which is noted by the owners. From the action of the liquid, the fibreboard, which is used as a supporting structure, swells first of all. It is allowed to wash the floor only with a well-wrung rag, using household chemicals intended for cork coating.

For safety, it is recommended to buy a moisture-resistant cork laminate. It has a varnish coating that protects the material from contact with water. Cork laminate is rough to the touch, which indicates its naturalness and specific structure. There is increased friction between the sole and the floor. To prevent socks from wearing out very quickly, it is better to wear slippers.

Joining tiles and laminate

The use of ceramic tiles in certain areas of the floor can be in demand for various reasons. The most important of them is that this material is more durable and resistant to mechanical stress and dampness. With it, you can finish the floor areas at the front door or sink. Upon completion of the laying of tiles and cork laminate, the seam between them will have to be sealed. There are many ways to solve this problem.

The 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 or other defects. The compensator makes it possible to lay the laminate without fixing it with glue.

Choice of cork laminate

The class and other coverage parameters are selected depending on the planned place of its use. For an 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 traffic use the 33rd class. Cork laminate for wet areas must be provided with a special substrate, and the locks must be treated with a special composition.

Cork laminate manufacturers

Cork came to us from the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Portuguese factories produce 25% of all 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.

Buying cork laminate

Where to buy cork laminate? Leroy Merlin is one of the largest building materials hypermarkets, which offers a wide selection of this flooring. Before buying, be sure to determine the number of strips that are needed for a particular room. To the calculated area, a margin for irregularities should be added. It doesn’t matter if there are extra canvases left. They need to be set aside and protected.

No one knows what might happen to the coating and when. If you have a spare tire, you can always replace damaged strips with new ones. There is no guarantee that then the store will still sell laminate of the same manufacturer, model and color.

Cork laminate 32 and 33 wear class designed for indoor use with moderate to heavy floor loads. Unlike glued floors, the lock plug (floating floor) has a multi-layer structure, it implies a simple and quick installation without the use of glue.

✔ New! We singled out a section of the catalog - budget: the best offers for the price. The category is updated regularly.

The flooring is supplied in the form of non-bending sheets. Each plate consists of several layers of different materials, interconnected by hot pressing. Consider the composition on the example of the Portuguese brand Corkart. The base of the floor is high-density fibreboard HDF. Under it is a layer of pressed agglomerate 1.5–2 mm thick. Above the HDF board is another layer of cork 2.2-2.9 mm thick.

The top decorative layer is cork veneer or paper with. This layer is the thinnest in cork laminate - 0.1-0.8 mm. Decorative veneer is covered with wear-resistant varnish. The floating floor is fixed with locks - Uniclic or other technology. The lock is cut into HDF, the hardest and most durable component of the floor covering.

Benefits of cork laminate

✔ Easy styling. Locking connections are provided, only minor preparation of the base is required, installation is carried out without glue.

✔ High degree of factory readiness. The plates are varnished at the factory, do not require additional processing after laying.

✔ Can be disassembled and rebuilt. The flooring can be easily dismantled without damage to the structure and decorative coating, and laid again in the same or in another room.

✔ Eco-friendly and hypoallergenic. The structure contains natural cork oak bark and HDF fibreboard, which is also a completely sustainable material. Such floors do not attract harmful microorganisms, do not contain aggressive chemicals, and are antistatic (do not attract dust).

Cork coatings create a unique atmosphere in the house: a delicate aroma and a special, natural microclimate.

Lock plug manufacturers

The catalog contains branded cork laminate:

Photo and video materials

Installation instructions

We offer very simple and understandable instructions for laying the floor of the castle type.

Photos in the interiors

It is convenient to buy lock cork laminate in the online store at a price per m2 from manufacturers and with delivery in Russia. You can see samples, ask questions about products in our showrooms - in Moscow and Odintsovo. Welcome!