Cork Flooring is:

non-allergenic, durable, warm, resilient, natural, sustainable, insulating, non-toxic, sylish, non-flammable, ecological, water-resistant, sound-absorbing, great value, easy-maintenance, elegant, environmentally friendly, comfortable, rot-mould and mildew resistant...we could go on!

Maintaining a Cork Floor

Keep your floor clean. Sweep or vacuum regularly to remove grit, sand, stones etc.. These abrasive materials will damage both the finish and the cork tile. Clean up spills immediately as once they have set, spills become harder to clean up. Solida Cork floors should be cleaned with a waterbase urethane cleaner such as the specially formulated cleaner Solida Cork Cleaner, available from your dealer. Never use pretreated dusters or wet-jet type dusters or cleaners as these will damage the urethane finish. Observe the finish for signs of wear.To prevent damage to the cork tile, the finish must be recoated at the first signs of wear.
Use mats at entrance ways and in high traffic areas such as sinks and stoves. Do not use vinyl or rubber back mats which discolour floors. Install proper protectors on chair leg and table legs as well as heavy furniture. Use chair pads behind desks. A well maintained cork floor can last a lifetime!

Glue Down Cork over Radiant Heat

Not all manufacturers recommend installing glue down cork tile over a radiant heat floor. The primary reason for this has to do with using an appropriate adhesive. Some adhesives are not recommended or approved for application over radiant heat and may not withstand the rigours of constant direct heat or substantial changes in temperatures over brief time periods.
Solida does recommend radiant heat installations as the contact adhesive supplied with Solida Cork tile has been tested by the Woodwork Institute of California and its heat resistance test.
Two critical things to remember if installing Solida Cork over radiant heat is that the floor must be up to temperature, regardless of season for at least 72 hours before and after installation and the floor temperature should never exceed 85° F.
Cork is an excellent thermal insulator and this inherent characteristic will slow the floor warm up slightly but your floor will retain heat longer. For further details, contact your Solida dealer.

What is the life expectancy of a cork floor?

Cork floors are very durable and have a long life if maintained properly. A key thing to remember is that whatever your floor is finished with, be it urethane or hardwax oil, you are walking on the finish not directly on the cork. With this in mind, keep an eye on the finish for signs of wear and always re-coat before the finish wears through. Solida's A2.10 (Satin Finish) and M2.10 (Matte Finish) urethanes are waterbased and dry very quickly. In normal atmospheric conditions, the finish is dry (though not cured) within about an hour. If you choose to apply more than one coat, in many instances, a second coat can be applied about an hour after the first.
As long as the finish is maintained, your floor can last a lifetime. Citing two examples, The Mayo Clinic & Plummer Building had two installations of cork flooring, the first in 1912 and another in 1940 totaling more than 300,000 square feet which is still in use. Toronto's Osgoode Hall has had cork flooring in use for nearly 100 years.