Cork tiles are warm to stand on, comfortable and quiet to
walk over, but not suitable for areas where there will be
heavy usage. They are made from bark of the cork oak tree
that is ground, compressed to increase their density and
heated. They are available as either natural or ready sealed
by the manufacturer.
Cork tiles are available in various finishes and shapes
- dependent on price. If using natural tiles, the floor
must be sealed with polyurethane varnish once laid.
Once you have decided on the tile, note its length and
width and measure the room carefully. Measure its length
and divide it by the length of one tile. Round up the number
of tiles to the next whole number. Now measure the width
of the room and divide that by the width of the tile, round
up the number of tiles to the nearest whole number. Multiply
the two whole numbers together. This will give the number
of tiles required to tile the room. Try our Floor
Tile Calculator page to give you a rough guide to the
number required.
It is always wise to buy a few extra tiles in case of accidental
damage in the future. They are easy to cut and are suitable
for areas where complicated cuts have to be made.
Laying the tiles
Use the adhesive recommended by the manufacturer, as some
require flooring adhesive, contact adhesive or self-adhesive
techniques. Follow the instructions carefully and take care
to lay the first tile correctly, as its position will determine
the position of all the other tiles in the room.
Use a batten nailed to the floor to give a straight edge
to guide the positioning of the tiles. Use a spirit level
to check the horizontal level and a straight edge to continually
check the position of the tiles on the floor. Continue across
the room and work towards the door. Then remove the battens
and cut the border tiles and fix in a similar way. Use an
adjustable shape-tracing template to help with fitting around
difficult shapes.
Cleaning and caring for cork tiles
Sealed
Use a non-slip wax polish and buff clean.
Not sealed
They should be swept, can be vacuumed or cleaned with a
damp mop using a liquid floor cleaner occasionally. Ideally
they should be sealed with at least two coats of polyurethane
varnish when used for flooring. Repairing cork tile flooring.
The flooring can get damaged, badly stained or burnt. Use
a coarse grade sand paper wrapped round a block to rub down
the damaged area. Once the damage has been removed, use
a fine grade sand paper to smooth the area. Once the area
has been cleared of dust, re-seal with a floor sealer.
Removing cork tiles
Most cork tiled surfaces are used for flooring.
Cover furniture and fittings before starting. Look for a loose tile, or a tile in
a central position. Lever the tile carefully using a scraper. This should now
give access to the surface under the tiling.
Gently push the scraper under each tile and remove one by one.
The tiles will probably break as they are removed,
but it is still advisable to work on the removal of individual tiles across the room.
Once removed, the surface will still be covered with the cork tile adhesive.
This is more difficult to remove.
It is advisable to use a hot air stripper and scraper to remove the adhesive.
