Frequently Asked Questions about the cork

Cork is by far the best heat insulator made of natural materials used for finishing living quarters. The coefficient of thermal conductivity of cork coverings is 0.03-0.04 (in comparison to air – 0.02), respectively, the more the thickness of the cork is, the warmer it will be. Touching this material, we feel a pleasant warmth, so in a house where a cork is laid, you can safely walk barefoot.

The cork cover is practically an eternal material, because it does not age and is not susceptible to decay. Due to its unique natural qualities, it is not eaten by rodents and microorganisms are never found in it. In case of compliance with the rules of care and operation our company gives a guarantee on a material from 10 to 20 years.

Cork has several undeniable advantages over parquet. These are environmental friendliness, softness and excellent sound insulation. Unlike the parquet floor, which is afraid of water in any form, the glue-down cork is not afraid of water at all. And, basically, does not require special care. In addition, modern material processing technologies allow you to create any artistic solutions for your home.

Bark of oak cork as a floor covering began to be used in Europe already at the beginning of the last century. Leading European experts have developed special technologies for processing cork bark and subsequently began to produce plugs for wine bottles, a technical cork, wall coverings, and glue-down parquet. Recently it has become popular in North America, Australia and Russia. Today, this unique material has been loved all over the world and is happily used on all continents.

Yes. Glue-down cork is a material that is excellent for repairing the kitchens and bathrooms, because it has a high moisture resistance and does not support burning. Cork floor does not require a special care, but due to its natural softness you will always feel comfort. The cork is also suitable for basements, due to its properties it will provide additional protection against moisture and cold, and act as a good soundproofing device.

There are 2 varieties of outdoor cork coverings: floating parquet and glue-down one. However, for both it is necessary to prepare a smooth and dry basis. According to GOST, the difference should not be over 2 mm × 1m2. For flattening, a special self-leveling mixture (filling floor, leveler for floors, leveling mixtures, etc.) is applied.
Glue-down cork parquet is attached with special glue, and the cork-based cork parquet, based on the principle of tongue and groove joint. For more information about laying the floating and glue-down flooring, visit the service section.

Cork covers do not require a special care. To clean the room finished with a cork, it is sufficient to vacuum or wet the room using soft materials and detergents, excluding abrasive.
Cork has an antistatic property, so it does not attract or accumulate dust. It is recommended to wipe the wall cork with a damp cloth.

The floating cork is easily and quickly mounted, resulting with a smooth and beautiful seam. However, it is afraid of water and is not recommended to be placed in rooms with high humidity. The floating mechanism is inconvenient in case when replacement needs one plate, it is necessary to disassemble whole floor. The best solution for your home, if  it is an apartment or a mansion, will be a glue-down cork. It is water-resistant, it can be laid anywhere. Glue-down cork will not be wearing out, after a certain time, you can update the old varnish and extend the life of this material to unlimited time. Therefore, the glue-down cork is the ideal solution for any interior.

It is possible, but this is not necessary. The cork has a low thermal conductivity, so it is already warm itself. In case if you decide to put a cork on such a floor, the temperature regime should be no more than 26-28 degrees. This temperature will be optimal for your feet.

No. Glue-down cork has a high moisture resistance. It can be laid in rooms with high humidity. It also withstands sharp temperature fluctuations.

There are no cork coverings of low or high quality. However, it should be noted that the quality affects the country of cork oak. Today, the best cork covering is the material produced in Italy. Due to the existence of many producers of cork in Portugal, the quality of this material varies greatly.

Yes. If you have damaged any part of the floor, you can easily replace one or two plates, in the case of the glue-down cork, and then cover the entire room with the varnish. This will significantly increase the life of the material. As for the floating cork, repair is also possible, but is more difficult and requires an additional cost, because to repair one or two floating plates, you must disassemble the entire floor. However, in case when your floating floor has been laid more than 2 years ago, it is impossible to disassemble it without chipping or breaking of the floating joints.

During the manufacturing, the cork is exposed to an influence that promotes an increase of the quality of the material density. This increases its ability of coping with stand heavy movements and weight. After the cork is laid, it is covered with the varnish, which provides additional protection against mechanical damage. Consequently, in case of the strong compression, the cork will be restored and will take its initial appearance, just as the cork from the wine expands after removing it from the bottle. However, producers, to avoid scratches or other damage, still recommend attaching special lining under heavy furniture.

Among the builders and designers there are lively discussions about whether it is necessary to paint cork at all, because this is a natural material with a natural texture. However, to create an unusual interior it is necessary to give the floor a color. In this case, you cannot avoid the coloring. It is possible to do any color, and the cork will not lose its unique qualities at all.

Long exposure of the sunlight can lead to a change in the shade of almost any natural material. So, darker tones can fade, and whites can turn yellow. This is normal and is not a production fault. To minimize fading of your cork floor, curtain large window curtains are welcomed. However, it is necessary to add that there are coverings that allow the material to remain in its original state, one of which is Hot Covering varnish.

The cork has excellent cushioning properties, in addition, after the coverings is laid it is covered with a special protective layer of varnish, which creates additional protection for your floor from pets as well. However, to avoid rapid abrasion of the material, the producers of cork coverings still recommend cutting pets nails.

Yes. Throughout the world, the cork is laid not only in residential, but also public areas with high patency. An example of this is the Symphony Hall in Osaka, the airport in Gothenburg, the public library in New York. It is important to know what increases the wear resistance of the cork coverings. Firstly, this cork is covered by special varnish at least three times. Secondly, the use of cork coverings with the Hot Covering factory varnish, which gives the cork floors 33rd class of wear resistance, makes such floors almost unbreakable.

It is possible but laying the cork floor requires a special preparation and knowledge of the installation technology of the material. There are subtleties and nuances, without observance of which, you can simply spoil the material, and the results will not be so joyful. Therefore, we advise you not to take the risks, but to entrust this works to the professionals. So, you will save time and money, and your floor will delight you for many years. But if you still want to lay the cork cover yourself, go to our section the service instruction for laying the glue-down cork floor.

For a home cinema you need a separate special room, which will provide high-quality sound. To finish the room, the material with good sound insulation required. Also, all the experts recommend designing a ceiling in a cinema so that it has a special structure, i.e. was ribbed – this allows the sound to be evenly distributed throughout the room. Today, the producers of cork offer a huge selection of textural and color of material, which will make your home cinema not only comfortable, but also beautiful. Thus, the cork for finishing the floor, walls and ceiling of your home cinema is a great option