Cork Flooring was popular in the first part of the 20th
century and used predominantly in banks, government
buildings, and universities. These same floors exist to
this day. Today friendlier do it yourself products
include click together floating cork panels generally
measuring in dimensions of 12" wide and 36 inches long.
In our reviews, these floors offer a simple installation
because of their resiliency. In other words, they are
more forgiving and install much easier.
Types &
Styles Of Cork Floors
Aside from
click together cork that is prefinished and ready to go
once installed, unfinished cork tiles can be installed,
sanded and finished much like hardwood flooring. Other
new ideas include mosaic tiles that come from cork
bottle tops. The circular pieces are connected to a mesh
backing and set in a trowled mastic, grouted, and
finished with a water proof sealer. Surprisingly from
our research these types can be used in shower stalls!
Colors
and More Colors
Numerous
prefinished colors are available and some manufacturers
can custom color to any desire on minimum sized orders
at much higher prices. Prefinished colors run the gamut
ranging from pure white to jet black. Custom coloring on
site with unfinished cork can be achieved with the right
professional. These floors are not a DIY job considering
their properties. Extreme care and knowledge of how cork
functions should be addressed.
Thicknesses & Appearances
There are
several types of cork tile thicknesses used for both
home and commercial applications. Thicknesses are
more
common at 1/4 and 1/2 inch with the latter preferred for
commercial settings. Older more established cork floors
used in recent years are much thicker than common
prefinished products sold today. Most prefinished cork
floors after installation present a square edged
appearance, but several manufacturers also offer
beveled cork flooring.
Patterns
made from cork are very similar from one manufacturer to
the next. More common names include Athene, Odysseus,
Titan, Cleopatra, and Edipo.
Material and Installation Costs
Cork
material costs run less than better quality prefinished
hardwoods. Installation rates will be higher for glue
down applications as floor preparation makes up a large
portion of the labor involved. Floating cork floor labor
rates are similar to that of hardwood floor floating
systems. Unfinished applications generally follow that
of finishing hardwood floors. |
