What Exactly Is The Difference Between Cork Floating Floors And Cork Glue-down Tiles?

By Author: Vikram Kumar
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More and more people today are choosing to use cork floors over other traditional flooring options because of the many benefits that a cork floor offers. First and foremost cork is an environmentally friendly material as no trees are killed to produce it. The bark is simply removed from the cork tree and the tree is left alone so that it can grow new bark around it. This is unlike hardwood floors or stone floors that are produced by actually cutting down trees or by quarrying, both of which are considered detrimental to the environment. In addition, cork also offers excellent insulating and shock absorbing properties so it stays warm, comfortable and easy to walk on unlike hard, cold stone floors. Last but not least, cork is economical, durable and easy to maintain. With all of these features and benefits, it is not surprising at all that cork floors have overtaken other types of flooring in terms of popularity.

When you are choosing cork floor, you will see that there are two main types in terms of installation. These two types are cork floating flooring and cork glue down flooring. The main difference between these ...
... two types lies in the way that they are installed. If you are planning on doing the installation by yourself, then it is important that you know the differences before you get started.

Cork Floating Flooring
Installing cork floating flooring is simpler of the two options. Most people who opt to do the installing themselves choose this because of its simplicity. If your earlier flooring was ceramic, laminate or vinyl, you can just simply lay these planks on top of your old floor. No need to take off the old flooring or no need to do any work to the old sub-floor. There is also no need to apply any type of glue, finish or sealant to the tiles. These planks click together so you just put each one down and attach it to the previous tile and soon you have a brand new cork floating flooring. As far as the cost is concerned, the planks themselves cost a bit more but where you get to save is on the cost of hiring a professional.
Cork Glue-Down Tiles
Laying down these tiles is slightly more difficult. For a start, you cannot just lay these down on any old substrata. You are going to have to make sure that have a subfloor that is proper in all ways. The subfloor must be clean, dry and level before you lay the first tile. If the subfloor is uneven, the tiles will telegraph any imperfections through to the surface of your floor; this is especially true of high-gloss finishes. Best subfloors are those make of concrete, cement or plywood. Of course, whichever one you have, it has to be absolutely clean and even. That is crucial if you want your flooring to look good and last long. For this type of flooring, you have to apply adhesive to the tiles and then lay each one down side by side. It is more laborious but it can be done yourself if you have some experience with DIY.

A Cork Floor offers several benefits over traditional options, which is why they have become so popular recently. You can find some fantastic Cork floating flooring varieties at iCork Floor.