Commercial Grade Cork Floor Tiles

Cork Flooring: Patterns & Colors - Commercial Grade Tiles

Avenue Bark Coffee Dawn Drops Earth Fire Mirage Nogar Pyramid Rusty Sky Sandy Terracota

INSULATION
Because 90% of the tissue consists of gaseous matter the density of cork is extremely low giving the materials wonderful insulating properties, thermal as well as acoustical.

RESILIENCY
When cork is subjected to pressure, the gas in the cells is compressed and volume reduces considerably. When released from pressure, cork recovers very rapidly to its original shape.

IMPERMEABILITY
The presence of suberin, an inherent waxy substance, renders cork impervious to both liquid and gases. As a result, it does not and may therefore be considered the best seal available.

HYPOALLERGENIC
Cork does not absorb dust and consequently does not cause allergies.

DURABILITY
Cork is remarkably resistant to wear, as it is less affected by the impact and friction than other hard surfaces because of the cellular composition.

FIRE RETARDANT
A natural fire retardant, cork does not spread flames and does not release toxic gases during combustion.

Cork waste from the stopper industry (wine corks) and low quality bark are used to produce cork granules. These are classified according to density and grain sizes.

Flooring tiles are produced from cork granules bound with resins and molded to obtain the desired density under pressure and heat.

Cork wear layers can be waxed, varnished, urethane or acrylic coated.

This past decade the floating floor technology has been successfully adapted to cork flooring to produce one of the highest quality floor covering.

Cork flooring parquets and floating floors are quiet, warm, comfortable and easy to maintain, still remaining reasonably priced.

Cork flooring has been used around the world and in this country for over a century.

Yesterday’s prestigious applications include:
- The First Congregational Church in Chicago, Illinois - Installed in 1890
- The Mayo Clinic & Plummer Building – Installed in original building in 1912 adding some additional cork flooring in 1940 for a total of 300,000 sq. ft.
- Falling Water, Western PA, residence designed with cork floors by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1937..just to name a few

Cork flooring is coming back strongly as architect and designers are very enthusiastic about the distinctive look of the material, the need for better indoor air quality and overall comfort as well as related environmental issues.

Cork underlayment, a lower density material is becoming more and more accepted as an economical and well performing alternative for sound insulation in building construction.
Cork composition material in rolls or sheets is also the ideal underlayment for laminate flooring as it absorbs sound and provides resiliency.

Cork, a unique material, combines more benefits than any other floor covering.

Shade Variances
• Cork tiles are made from natural materials and subject to shade or tone variations
• Tiles may be received from the manufacturer up to a maximum or 3 different shades
• Separate the cartons according to shade markings on box; boxes will be marked light, medium or dark
• Tile should be installed from alternate boxes using 3 to 4 boxes to even out the distribution of shade variances

Acclimation
• Do not loose lay tile before installation, tiles may curl, making installation difficult
• Leave tiles in boxes with the adhesive in room where they are to be applied for 24 hours prior to installation
• Temperature should be between 65 and 75 degrees, 24 hours before, during and after installation

Adhesive
• Before applying any adhesive to concrete, it should be moisture tested - Click her for more info about how to check your subfloor for moisture. The slab should not exceed a reading of 3-4. If the moisture content is higher, a concrete sealer would be needed.
• We recommend a pressure sensitive latex DriTac 6200 for clean non painted concrete subfloors. If placing the tiles on plywood we recommend a urethane adhesive such as DriTac 7600.
• It is advised to spread the subfloor and let the adhesive tack. “Butter” the back of each tile with additional adhesive,.
• Use 3/32” x 3/32” x 3/32” v-notch trowel. Spread rate is approx. 120 sq. ft. per gallon but varies with subfloor conditions.
• Follow Manufacturer’s recommended application


Installation
1. Tools and Supplies: Square and straight edge, tape measure, chalk line, trowel

Application
1. Lay tile from the center of the room toward the wall
2. Mark a 45 degree angle its point at the center of the room and place and align the first few tiles to this mark
3. Lay tile from alternate boxes to help evenly distribute any shade variations on the tiles
4. Do not install tiles if they are curled in any way
5. Tiles may be cut with a linoleum or utility knife and straight edge
6. Always install cut tiles with factory finished edge facing installed tiles

Securing the Tile
1. After the tile has been laid and they do not slide underfoot, the floor must be rolled in two directions with a 12 inch wide, 100 lb. roller. Use a hand roller around base and any area not accessible by a large roller
2. One hour and two hours after the first rolling, roll again in two directions
3. After installation, the cork floor tiles will require a minimum of 72 hours to set

Finishing the Tile
1. APC Cork tiles are finished at the factory with a flexible acrylic matte varnish. It is necessary to put three coats of urethane or two coats of Bonakemi Traffic to seal the seams and protect the existing finish.

Cork Flooring FAQs

APC Cork Warranty Information

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