Cork Flooring Installation

Before: Carpeting was not an ideal choice for this craft room.

Materials and Tools:

250 square feet cork flooring (varies depending on room)
64 linear feet shoe molding
chalk line
circular saw
flat crowbar
gloves
hammer
jig saw
pencil
power miter box
safety glasses
speed square
tape measure
utility knife

Steps:

1. Start by using a utility knife with a sharp blade to cut through the carpet and the padding.

2. Run your blade down the middle of the room to cut the carpet into sections. This will make it easier to remove the carpet and carry it out. Begin at one end and roll up pieces as you go, and then carry away and dispose of the carpet.

3. Next, pull up all the padding. There will probably be staples left in the floor after removing padding. Be sure to pull all of those up as you go.

4. Now, remove the tack strips by sliding your flat bar along the floor and prying them up. Be careful, the tacks are sharp.

5. Sweep and vacuum the floor, making sure all the staples and nails are pulled out or hammered down. If you're using a push broom, flip it over and run the top side against the floor to check for any staples you might have missed.

6. Begin laying out the cork tiles by measuring out from the longest wall the width of one cork tile plus 1/4-inch. Take the same measurement on both ends, and then snap a chalk line on the floor. This is your starting point.

7. Lay the first row of tile on this line. Continue to the other side of the room by locking each tile together. Be sure to leave a 1/4-inch gap along all the walls for expansion. As you make a cut to finish a row, use the off-cut to start the next row.

8. At the other side of the room (and into a closet if applicable), make your cuts by measuring and marking the tiles, then cutting with the appropriate saw. Use the table saw or circular saw for straight cuts, and the jigsaw for curves and notches.

9. The last step is to apply the shoe molding to cover the expansion gap around the room perimeter.