What type of glue to use for traditional cork.

Traditional cork flooring of the glue down type which dates back to the 19th century is adhered directly to the substrate. Each supplier or manufacturer has a different outlook on the installation process. Some companies supply a contact adhesive, others provide a wetset adhesive. Some supply no adhesive but recommend or sell an adhesive separately and still others leave it up to the purchaser to decide what type of adhesive to use. Contact adhesives are far superior to wetset as they grab the tile immediately when pressed into the floor. Wetset adhesive cure over a period of time during which a tile can curl up from the floor resulting in a unsatisfactory installation. Solida supplies a propriety contact adhesive automatically with each order. As it is a contact adhesive, both surfaces, the back of the tile and the substrate require an application. When the adhesive is dry on both surfaces and they meet, a permanent bond occurs. Solida tiles leave the factory with a coat of adhesive already applied to the back of the time and the correct amount of adhesive necessary for the supplied tiles is included. This adhesive contains rubber which offers an significant advantage over other contact adhesives as once cure, you are left with a rubber membrane that is virtually impenetrable by water making it perfect for basement installations. As always, if you have any installation questions, contact your dealer prior to proceeding.

Solida Cork over Radiant Heat

When installing a cork floor over radiant heat, not all floors are created equal.
Most cork manufacturers and suppliers will only recommend the use of a floating
floor. Cork floating floors do work well with radiant heat bearing in mind that the
floor will take a little longer to achieve full temperature due to the MDF core.
Conversely, the floor will retain heat longer.
Solida also recommends the use of glue down floors over radiant heat. Many
manufacturers will not suggest this due to uncertainty with adhesive. Some cork
suppliers do not provide adhesive or the adhesive they do provide is not suitable
for this type of installation. Solida supplies a premium waterbased contact
adhesive with every order. This adhesive passes the Woodwork Institute of
California test for heat resistance and is perfectly suitable for installation over
radiant heat. Solida’s adhesive also exceeds California’s stringent air quality
requirements under Rule 1168.
When installing glue down tile over a radiant heat floor, two rules must be
adhered to. First, 5 days prior to installation, the heat must be brought up or
down to room temperature (70-72 degrees Fahrenheit) regardless of season.
Secondly, the floor temperature should never exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
After the floor is installed, the temperature can be adjusted as long as the second
rule is not broken. All other installation guidelines must still be followed.
A correctly installed and maintained cork floor will look beautiful for generations.

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.

Where does cork flooring come from?

Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber for the botanists out there). Cork oak trees grow in the Mediterranean and the vast majority of cork used in flooring comes from Portugal where it is a protected species. The bark from these trees is harvested in approximately 9 year cycles (the first harvest occurring after approximately 25 years) with the bark becoming more supple after each harvest. This harvesting is done by hand with experienced personnel. About 50 percent of the bark is removed during each harvest.

After harvesting, the bark is processed for bottle corks. The premium bark has bottle corks punched out by hand, the lesser material is done by mechanical means. The remaining material goes through a process which agglomerates the bark into granules. This material is mixed with a binder and then baked to form large blocks of cork. These blocks are then sliced into the appropriate thickness for cork flooring. Some products are homogeneous (this potentially allows them to be sanded and refinished while on the floor, a valuable attribute in a heavy traffic, commercial installation), other products have an attractive veneer applied to the top allowing for a multitude of design possibilities! Products that are homogeneous can be baked for longer periods causing carbonization of the cork. Carbonized cork is darkened to a shade directly relevant to the length of time spent in the oven.

One of the most appealing elements of cork flooring (besides its natural beauty) is that it is almost entirely recycled industrial waste. Cork can help in achieving numerous LEED credits and has a lengthy life span. There are cork installations in use today that were installed one hundred or more years ago!