Acclimation

When installing any natural product, it is important to allow the product to acclimate in the environment in which the installation is taking place for a period prior to install. Every manufacturers has their own guidelines which should be followed closely as improper acclimation can cause various problems post-installation such as; gapping and buckling or cupping.  This applies to both floors that are being glued down and floating floors. A little care prior to installation will help insure a quality installation free from product failure.

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.

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.

Site Finish Glue Down Cork vs Prefinished Floating Floor

Site finish glue down cork tile is a Solida cork tile that is glued to the substrate and then has top coats of finish applied on site. Prefinished floating floors click together without the use of an adhesive and once the floor has been completed, the job is done. No urethane is normally applied on site.

Each of these two options offers their own unique benefits. A prefinished floating floor is very easy to install and can be done by just about anyone with a few tools. There are many options available often at lower price points than a site finish floor. Floating floors also have an added advantage when working with subfloor irregularities. Although there are limitations with subfloor imperfections, a floating floor will work in many cases where glue down floors would require significant subfloor preparation. Many Solida prefinished floating floors carry a 15 year residential wear warranty and all have a durable, hard wearing finish.

Solida site finish glue down floors offer a "WOW" factor. The design possibilities are endless as each floor is made to order in terms of colour, design, shape and size. Top coats of finish are applied on site, giving a more finished look as all of the joints are sealed. As the cork tiles are glued to the substrate and sealed on site, the floor is virtually impervious to water. This makes them perfect for installations in kitchens and basements and high traffic areas. With Solida site finish tiles, a number of different finishes are available offering different gloss levels and commercial grade urethanes.

Solida also has available prefinished glue down tiles and site finish floating floors both of which will be covered at a later date.

Whichever option you are considering, consider the unique qualities of each and please contact your Solida Cork & Bamboo dealer for more information!