Cork tiles are the leading renewable flooring choice. These versatile tiles are easy to install and care for. They also come in a wide range of designs that will suit almost any décor scheme you may have in mind.
The secret of cork floors Cork floors are naturally made in a honeycomb-like arrangement of small cells. Each one of these cells traps a small air space. A cork floor is thus made of millions of compressible air spaces. The result is a soft floor that provides support and quickly returns to its original shape once the pressure is removed. The walls of the cells are made of a waxy chemical called Suberin. This chemical makes cork naturally resistant to water.
Cork Tiles in the Kitchen Cork tiles are ideally suited for installation in the kitchen. In the kitchen you need a floor that:
Is beautiful yet resilient Does not require complicated care and maintenance Is soft – so that your heels do not hurt after long hours of standing Is water resistant Is resistant to germs and allergens. Cork tile flooring has each one of these properties. In addition, cork tile flooring is easy to install, reduces noise and is renewable too.
Types of cork tiles Solid Cork tiles – these are made by mixing cork granules with an adhesive and pressing the mixture. Engineered cork tiles – consists of a layer of cork glued onto fiberboard. Mosaic cork tiles – these are made by sticking small, round slices of cork on a backing material. Many homeowners prefer solid cork tiles for flooring projects. Mosaic tiles are preferred for areas like the bathroom and the backsplash.
Cork tiles will surprise you with the sheer magnitude of variety they offer. You can choose from a multitude of textures and colors. More than 60 styles of cork floors can be seen in the ‘cork floor style’ section at Contempo Floor Coverings. There are several others. You can contact any store of Contempo Floor Coverings for further information about their price and availability. If you have some other color in mind cork tiles can even be stained to suit your requirements.
The choice in cork flooring tiles means that you can easily pair different cork tiles to create custom floors for your kitchen.
Cork tiles versus Cork panels You can select cork as 12 inch square cork tiles. Alternately you can consider rectangular cork planks for your kitchen flooring project.
Types of installations Installing cork floors is not difficult. Cork floors can be installed as glue down floors or a floating floor. Laminate cork floors that have a sandwich construction with fiberboard between layers of cork are suited to floating installation. Floating floors are difficult to seal especially along the margins and are best avoided in moisture prone areas.
Precautions with cork floors Cork floors are resistant to pressure but avoid placing heavy static loads on a cork floor. Heavy static loads will crush the cells of the cork and damage it permanently. Cork is resistant to water but water may get under it and discolor it along the margins. If you are using engineered cork floor tiles that have a fiber board under cork – you will need to be especially careful as water can damage the fiber board. It is advisable to place a vapor barrier between the subfloor and the cork tile floor and to seal the edges of the cork floor to avoid water from seeping. A polyurethane coat over cork will protect it from footfalls and water alike. Polyurethane can be scratched by mud. To avoid scratches you should ensure that mud does not stay on the floor. Visit a Los Angeles Flooring Showroom Today.
