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How do cork floors wear?
The finish on Natural Cork floors is a high quality acrylic finish comparable to the ones found on wood floor but which have been specially
formulated to withstand the movements due to compression and release. Because cork "gives" under pressure, it is less subject to abrasion
than a wood floor would be.
How do you maintain cork floors?
Cork floors must be swept regularly to eliminate dirt and particles and cleaned using Natural Cork’s Cleaner. Never wet mop a cork floor. When
fine scratches become visible, Natural Cork’s polish can be applied to rejuvenate the finish.
The finish on Natural Cork floors is a high quality acrylic finish comparable to the ones found on wood floor but which have been specially
formulated to withstand the movements due to compression and release. Because cork "gives" under pressure, it is less subject to abrasion
than a wood floor would be.
How do you maintain cork floors?
Cork floors must be swept regularly to eliminate dirt and particles and cleaned using Natural Cork’s Cleaner. Never wet mop a cork floor. When
fine scratches become visible, Natural Cork’s polish can be applied to rejuvenate the finish.
Will my pets damage my cork floors?
Cork floors are coated with a polyurethane finish that could be scratched by the claws of cats and dogs running on the floor. Once the finish is
removed, the pet can damage the bare cork. Remember that like anything else, good maintenance is the key to longevity and dirt and grit on
the floor can probably do more damage than your favorite pet.
Will cork flooring resist high heels and heavy furniture?
The cork material used for flooring has been compressed to a high density to withstand even commercial traffic. Parquet tiles and floating
floors have been treated with a high quality finish to increase wearability and ease of maintenance. To put it simply, the concentration of weight
on the base of narrow “high heels” shoes is so important that indentations on any cork or wood floors can be expected. Also, cork flooring like
most other flooring surfaces, can be punctured by sharp and damaged feet of furniture. For this reason, we do not recommend dragging
heavy objects with a sharp edge over the floor. We also recommend that furniture feet with sharp and with narrow bases have protective pads
applied underneath.
Is cork flooring suitable for a kitchen?
Yes, today the main application for cork flooring is the kitchen. It is very comfortable to stand on, and it is also easy to maintain. Cork is also
sounding absorbent and hypoallergenic. No other flooring material combines all these benefits. When maintained properly, cork floors last as
long as hardwood floors.
Can Cork Tiles be installed over sheet vinyl or vinyl tiles?
We do not recommend doing so. Any type of residue, built up on the surface of the vinyl could interfere with proper bonding of the adhesive,
risking to delaminate over time. Creating a new sub-floor is often costly and time consuming. We recommend in this case using our floating
floor as it can be installed directly over the existing floor. Floating floors are more expensive, but they make a better floor and can save you
time and money for an installation over existing flooring.
Is cork underlayment effective for sound proofing?
Cork underlayment in 6mm thickness is being used widely for sound reduction in buildings.
Using cork underlayment is a performing and economical solution to meet building codes for sound control. Cork underlayment is used under
hardwood floors, ceramic tiles and laminate flooring. It is available in 4’ x 50’ rolls in thicknesses of 5/64”, 1/8”, and 1/4” thicknesses. It is also
available in 2’ x 3’ sheets in thicknesses of 1/4” and 1/2”.
Natural Cork offers cork underlayment products treated with MICROBAN, an anti microbial additive to prevent the development of
mold and bacteria under floating floors.
When do I have to reseal the floor?
It is very difficult to estimate how long the finish on the floor will last since it is relative to the level of maintenance and the severity of traffic.
When the finish starts to show signs of wear, the homeowner should have the floor inspected by a professional and have the floor re-coated if
necessary. The beauty of this operation is that after re-coating, the floor will look new again.
Since polyurethane is not easy to apply, this application should be done by a professional floor finisher. Note: some cork floors come with a
vinyl wear layer applied at the factory. These floors cannot be refinished.
Can I use a heating system with cork flooring?
Only floating floors should be installed over radiant heating systems. Floating floors tend to go through any normal contraction and expansion
move as a unit as they are not attached to the sub-floor. Certain precautions, however, have to be taken to minimize the effects of
contraction and expansion. Prior to installation, the slab has to be heated and the temperature has to be maintained to 75 degrees during
installation. The floor temperature should never exceed 85 degrees. As with any cork or wood floor installation, material has to be acclimated
in the room for 72 hours prior to installation.
Cork floors are coated with a polyurethane finish that could be scratched by the claws of cats and dogs running on the floor. Once the finish is
removed, the pet can damage the bare cork. Remember that like anything else, good maintenance is the key to longevity and dirt and grit on
the floor can probably do more damage than your favorite pet.
Will cork flooring resist high heels and heavy furniture?
The cork material used for flooring has been compressed to a high density to withstand even commercial traffic. Parquet tiles and floating
floors have been treated with a high quality finish to increase wearability and ease of maintenance. To put it simply, the concentration of weight
on the base of narrow “high heels” shoes is so important that indentations on any cork or wood floors can be expected. Also, cork flooring like
most other flooring surfaces, can be punctured by sharp and damaged feet of furniture. For this reason, we do not recommend dragging
heavy objects with a sharp edge over the floor. We also recommend that furniture feet with sharp and with narrow bases have protective pads
applied underneath.
Is cork flooring suitable for a kitchen?
Yes, today the main application for cork flooring is the kitchen. It is very comfortable to stand on, and it is also easy to maintain. Cork is also
sounding absorbent and hypoallergenic. No other flooring material combines all these benefits. When maintained properly, cork floors last as
long as hardwood floors.
Can Cork Tiles be installed over sheet vinyl or vinyl tiles?
We do not recommend doing so. Any type of residue, built up on the surface of the vinyl could interfere with proper bonding of the adhesive,
risking to delaminate over time. Creating a new sub-floor is often costly and time consuming. We recommend in this case using our floating
floor as it can be installed directly over the existing floor. Floating floors are more expensive, but they make a better floor and can save you
time and money for an installation over existing flooring.
Is cork underlayment effective for sound proofing?
Cork underlayment in 6mm thickness is being used widely for sound reduction in buildings.
Using cork underlayment is a performing and economical solution to meet building codes for sound control. Cork underlayment is used under
hardwood floors, ceramic tiles and laminate flooring. It is available in 4’ x 50’ rolls in thicknesses of 5/64”, 1/8”, and 1/4” thicknesses. It is also
available in 2’ x 3’ sheets in thicknesses of 1/4” and 1/2”.
Natural Cork offers cork underlayment products treated with MICROBAN, an anti microbial additive to prevent the development of
mold and bacteria under floating floors.
When do I have to reseal the floor?
It is very difficult to estimate how long the finish on the floor will last since it is relative to the level of maintenance and the severity of traffic.
When the finish starts to show signs of wear, the homeowner should have the floor inspected by a professional and have the floor re-coated if
necessary. The beauty of this operation is that after re-coating, the floor will look new again.
Since polyurethane is not easy to apply, this application should be done by a professional floor finisher. Note: some cork floors come with a
vinyl wear layer applied at the factory. These floors cannot be refinished.
Can I use a heating system with cork flooring?
Only floating floors should be installed over radiant heating systems. Floating floors tend to go through any normal contraction and expansion
move as a unit as they are not attached to the sub-floor. Certain precautions, however, have to be taken to minimize the effects of
contraction and expansion. Prior to installation, the slab has to be heated and the temperature has to be maintained to 75 degrees during
installation. The floor temperature should never exceed 85 degrees. As with any cork or wood floor installation, material has to be acclimated
in the room for 72 hours prior to installation.
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