How to Install a Cork Floor

Cut energy costs and dress up a room with these installation instructions.

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Filed under: Flooring, Cork, Eco-Friendly, How To

Half the volume of cork flooring is air, which keeps the floor warm even if it’s installed over concrete. The air pockets are also an excellent sound insulator. And then there’s the fact that cork flooring just looks great, with a rich, attractive surface.

Sold? Here’s how to install it:

Materials and Tools:

cork flooring (tongue-and-groove plank)
utility knife
5-in-1 painter’s tool
hammer
tape measure
chalk line
pencil
wood glue (suitable for floor installation)
damp cloth
finishing nails
cork-floor cleaning solution
floor primer and top-coat finish (see manufacturer’s suggestions)
lamb’s-wool applicators

Steps:

1. Remove any appliances, including the stove and the refrigerator, from the floor where you’ll be working.

2. Score the caulking between the shoe molding and baseboard molding. Use a 5-in-1 tool and a hammer to remove the molding intact. The molding will be reinstalled later.

3. To begin the layout, measure out 32 inches from two ends of the same wall (or from the cabinets along that wall). Make marks at these locations and snap a chalk line between them. This line will serve as a reference point for the cork planks.

4. Slide the first board into place at one end of the wall (or the cabinets). Add glue to the tongue of the board, and then slide the groove of the next board into place. Continue along the wall or cabinets to complete the first row, applying glue and then tapping each plank into place. Be sure to use a scrap piece of plank and a hammer to tap the boards rather than hitting the boards directly with the hammer, which could warp the tongue of the plank.

5. After measuring against the chalk line to make sure all boards are straight, add the second row, continually wiping away glue that’s forced from the grooves with a damp cloth. Continue to work your way across the floor.

6. Once all the planks are in place, attach the reducer strip for the doorway threshold with finishing nails.

7. Clean the floor with a manufacturer-recommended cleaner. Allow to dry.

8. Apply floor primer with a lamb’s-wool applicator. Pour the solution out in a 3- to 4-inch band and wipe across it. Try not to lift the pad—keep it on the floor to avoid dripping.

9. When the floor is completely dry, apply the top-coat finish with another lamb’s-wool applicator in the same manner as you did the primer coat. This will give the floor a lustrous shine.