Cork wall coverings surprisingly harmonious with their natural decorative effect and rare practicality. Elegant and comfortable, they add solidity and sophistication to the interior decoration of the premises. Excellent performance and a wide range of collections allow these coatings to be used both in the living room, bedroom and kitchen, and in the office of the manager.
One type of wall cork is a decorative cork in rolls, the usual size of which is 1000 × 500 × 2 mm. The basis of the coating is made up of pressed cork chips, on which a decorative cork veneer is then applied. The roll cork does not change its linear dimensions and technical characteristics from year to year. It is easy and simple to work with it, it is elastic and resilient, it is combined with all types of finishing materials.
When testing roll cork coverings, no swelling or peeling was observed during various studies: the effect of constant humidity and alternating humidity and heat. However, in practice, as in this case, the opposite is often the case - a little soaking and an expensive cork coating exfoliated and bubbled.
The defective "cut" must be dried on a flat flat surface before gluing, preferably by pressing it with a large flat sheet. Most often, cork dries evenly. If the bubbles remain when drying, then, unfortunately, it cannot be glued - defects will be visible.
If you bought 2 mm cork wallpaper (not on a paper basis), then it is best to glue them on a special adhesive composition "KORK", which is ideal for self-gluing, which will avoid mistakes, since it allows you to adjust the canvas, unlike contact glue.
From contact adhesives, you can use "NOVOPREN", which is recommended for cork coverings. Stir the glue well before use, then apply it to both glued surfaces using a brush, roller or spatula with sparse teeth. The surfaces must be pre-cleaned of dust and dirt, be sure to be dry and not free-flowing. After applying the glue, you need to wait 10-20 minutes so that it is absorbed - it is not sticky to the touch. Having connected both surfaces, press the cork cover with force and evenly, avoiding the appearance of air bubbles. We recommend tapping the edges of the plates with a rubber hammer for better contact with the wall, if there are glue residues on the surface of the plates, then they should be immediately removed with a rag. The glue grabs strongly immediately, therefore, after joining, the correction of the plates is impossible. Full bonding time is from 30 to 60 minutes. The adhesive is highly resistant to heat. The approximate consumption of the adhesive is 200g / m².
You can also use BUNITEX P-55 glue or some other special adhesive for gluing the cork.
Added: 07.06.2012 11:41
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Please tell us what to do, bought cork wallpaper without a base and accidentally wet one piece with water - it swelled in places. Will the bubbles disappear when dry? And can you glue them on glue for heavy wallpaper?Wooden coverings, and parquet too, look interesting and impressive. They are chosen for their many positive features - naturalness, environmental friendliness, attractive appearance, the ability to "breathe" for coating. However, you have to pay for a luxurious appearance, because the coverage does not last forever and problems are not excluded. One of the most frequent problems is the parquet bay. The question arises - what to do: put a new one or repair the old one?
The process of repairing a parquet that has suffered after flooding the wood covering with water
What to do immediately after flooding?
After flooding the parquet, it is worth taking a number of actions quickly. Among them, the following are distinguished:
- Elimination of the source of water - a broken pipe, a broken tap, etc. It is worth shutting off the water and calling a plumber if necessary.
- Next, water is removed from the floor. You should get rid of all the water, open the windows to ventilate and dry the apartment.
- Now you can solve the problem yourself or call specialists.
Attention! If the parquet is flooded, the water should be quickly removed. If this is not done, the wood will begin to absorb water and the parquet will swell. Literally before our eyes, parquet dies increase in size and a so-called boat will appear.
Parquet that has suffered from high humidity, which led to deformation of the dies It is not worth saving in such a situation, as this leads to negative consequences: from the unsightly appearance of the parquet to the fungus. This negatively affects the health of the household.
What are the consequences of floor flooding?
If you let the parquet dry, it will lead to consequences. The parquet will warp, waves and curvatures will appear. Mold and mildew will appear under the parquet floor. If you do nothing, the edges of the dice darken, stains appear on them that cannot be removed by ordinary grinding.
In addition, the consequences depend on the type of wood from which the parquet is made. They react differently to high humidity. Beech is subject to moisture - it absorbs moisture strongly. Oak is considered resistant, but even it deforms when dried. After drying is complete, the waves will diminish, but not completely eliminated.
Waves on the surface of the coating after flooding with water The consequences of flooding the parquet with water depend on how the flooring was laid, on its quality and the quality of the materials used, and some other factors. Water is absorbed into both the parquet and the substrate. If the parquet is not laid on a substrate, but on logs, water accumulates under them. This will lead to the fact that it will get to the neighbors below.
The next consequence is the appearance of mold, which gradually develops into a fungus. Mold and mildew are considered strong allergens due to the secretion of spores. Therefore, they affect the upper respiratory tract and lungs, provoking allergic reactions and asthma. Removing mold is difficult as it penetrates both the wall and the wood.
Basic methods of parquet restoration
There are many methods for restoring parquet. The specific one is selected based on the area of the affected area and its condition. In some cases, it is necessary to dismantle a section of the square, and in others it is enough to improve the ventilation system of the parquet.
Parquet swelling caused by excessive moisture Dismantling of parquet flooring is required in cases when it cannot be repaired. This happens during severe flooding. If this does not happen, you can replace individual sections. First, the parquet is allowed to dry completely. It depends on several factors - temperature and humidity in the room, floor construction. Drying times vary from a couple of weeks to several months. Only after the wood coating is completely dry, they begin to restore.
If mold or mildew has formed under the floor surface, I process it. To do this, use a solution of bleach or special chemical compounds. If you cannot get rid of mold or mildew, you will have to dismantle the affected areas.
Using a sander to level the surface After drying and preliminary preparation is completed, proceed directly to the repair, elimination of squeak and restoration of the wooden surface. To do this, use dies that are not damaged by water, repeatedly. Those dies that cannot be used are replaced with new ones. The final step is restoration, which involves sanding, grinding, opening with protective oil. Alternatively, you can use mastic. If everything is done correctly, the coating will last for more than a dozen years.
Bloating and problem solving
Bloating and squeaking wooden surfaces is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The first step is to release tension. To do this, dismantle areas that are damaged by moisture. Then let it dry. Only after that the repairs are continued. It is preferable to make or widen expansion joints, even if the cause of the damage is not in them. Slats with slots should be replaced with new ones. They should not be repaired.
The planks that were selected for drying are put in place and see how much they are deformed. If there are small cracks, do not worry. They can be easily fixed with parquet putty. Broken mounts are not repaired, but replaced with new ones. After the completion of the repair, the surface is sanded and covered with a layer of oil or mastic.
Sometimes there are no “native” dies in stock, or it is not possible to pick up similar ones in color even after coloring. In this case, it is recommended to rearrange the planks from inconspicuous places to the central part of the covering. Can be removed from corners or under furniture. In their place they put new ones that are somehow different. In this case, it will be possible to preserve the aesthetics of the coating without a complete replacement.
A coating that has suffered from water and needs to be restored Leveling the surface becomes one of the stages. They approach him responsibly. It is worth using a sander, with which it is possible to bring the surface to one level. After that, it remains to varnish the parquet. It is worth preparing for the fact that you need to do the procedure several times.
What to do if the parquet squeaks?
Sometimes after drying, a characteristic parquet creak appears. The squeak should be eliminated in order to make the use of the parquet comfortable. To do this, determine the location and nature of damage to a specific section of the parquet. Most often, the parquet planks are dry and dry, which is why a creak appears.
Attention! To understand the nature of the problem, they use a building level, which they put in the place of the creak and see the location of an air bubble. During the measurement, the building level should not be touched. It is advisable to move further away, since the weight of a person affects the level, and high-quality work to eliminate the squeak of the parquet will not work.
After the place and cause of the creak has been established, restoration is started. To do this, drill a hole with a diameter of 2.5-3 mm in the "walking" strip of the parquet. Through it, glue is pumped under the surface of the wood. You should choose the glue that is suitable for working with wood. After that, the holes are closed with a wooden stopper, the surface is cleaned and polished. However, this elimination of the squeak is not complete.
The next step in getting rid of the squeak is to lay or pull the plank to the base using fasteners, which are used as screws. They are carefully sunk, and the caps are masked with mastic. These are important steps in eliminating squeak.
In some cases, the boards rub against a fixture, screw or nail, and a creak appears. Then the creak is eliminated without autopsy work. An additional mount is mounted nearby, securely fixing the board. This will eliminate squeaking. In most cases, it is possible to restore the surface even if it is blackened and an unpleasant squeak appears.
Floor covering that has been restored after exposure to moisture Attention! If for some reason you are unable to correct the creak of the board with your own hands, you should seek help from specialists. It is worth choosing exclusively experienced craftsmen who know the subtleties of solving the problem. They will correct the appearance of blackness, mildew or squeakiness.
Restoration of parquet after flooding with water is a long-term process. It is based on drying, eliminating squeak, mold and mildew. It is worth immediately preparing for the fact that the parquet may darken or become completely black. In most cases, you can correct the situation with your own hands, drying and decorating the laid parquet. Everything needs to be done quickly so that the blackened parquet does not have time to become unusable. If you miss the moment, you will need to install a new parquet.
The use of environmentally friendly building materials during renovations is becoming popular among consumers. Finishing work is no exception. Cork materials have been used for a long time for decorating walls, ceilings and floors, in addition, cork is an excellent building material that meets the requirements of fire safety, noise absorption and thermal insulation. It is noteworthy that the use of cork for repairs is ecologically beneficial on both sides: a person receives a safe material that does not cause allergies and does not contain harmful chemicals, and cork oak, from which cork is harvested, is able to recover in an average of 10 years. Since the average lifespan of a tree is 200 years, the tree continues to grow and develop. Today I will tell you more about cork wall panels, how to choose and install them correctly.
Pros and cons of cork panels
Like any finishing material, cork also has disadvantages, which cannot be ignored, since ignorance of these nuances can be too expensive for the buyer, in the literal and figurative sense. The disadvantages of cork panels include:
- Price. Of course, the high price is due to the complexity of the extraction of the material, the absence of chemical elements in it, which makes the panels safe and almost exclusive.
- Instability to mechanical stress. If the choice fell on cork floor panels, heavy furniture can leave unsightly dents on the floor. When it comes to wall panels, it is important to ensure that no furniture rests on the walls, this is easier to do than in the case of flooring.
- Ban on abrasives. Cork panels are easy to maintain, but remember that abrasive ingredients can ruin the cork once and for all. Study the composition carefully, or choose the agents approved for use on the cork.
- High humidity. If there are cork decor elements in the apartment, it is important to monitor the humidity of the air. With high humidity, cork panels begin to swell, practical qualities deteriorate, and the panels become unusable.
But, despite the shortcomings, the material is popular, and this is easily explained. The advantages of cork panels, in addition to the mentioned natural environmental friendliness, include the following aspects:
- The material has heat-insulating and sound-absorbing qualities. If there are children in the house, their games will not disturb the neighbors, and you will be calm, the children will not be cold on the floor.
- The cork does not absorb the smells of the apartment, even when installed in the kitchen, it will not start to smell of dishes that have ever been cooked in the room.
- Cork maintenance is simple, the coating is antistatic and does not attract dust. In the presence of contamination, it is permissible to use a damp cloth, strongly wrung out, and cleaning agents that do not contain abrasive particles.
- Cork panels are durable and durable, the coating will last you more than one year, it will look like the first day after repair. Despite the instability to prolonged mechanical stress, the cork tends to recover with short-term pressure. This is due to its high shock-absorbing characteristics.
- The coating is not afraid of corrosion. The development of mold, rot and other harmful problems on the cork is impossible due to the anti-condensation properties.
- Cork panels are a refractory material, despite the origin. They are not dangerous to install in a residential area; when heated, the panels do not produce hazardous vapors.
- Installation of cork panels is simple and affordable even for a beginner in the construction business. Installing cork panels on walls and floors can be handled without the need for specialist assistance.
Types of cork panels
Cork material in appearance is not only panel (sheet), but also rolled. This material is similar to wallpaper and is glued to the wall according to the same principle. Apart from the appearance, there are several classifications of cork panels.
- According to the field of application, the panels are divided into technical (used as a substrate for insulation and noise insulation), adhesive (have an adhesive base or are installed on a special glue for cork), and floating (there is a lock on the panels, as in the case of laminate, the panels are fastened together into a single canvas).
- Cork panels also differ in cost. 100% cork veneers are more expensive than cork chips. There is also a middle price category on the markets, which includes both crumb and veneer.
- The thickness of the cork panel indicates the composition and scope. For walls, panels are used, with a thickness of 2 to 8 mm, they consist of 100% cork. Panels up to 2 mm consist of a chipboard layer covered with cork - this material is used for room decor.
- Depending on the design solution, the consumer can choose a different coating of cork panels. From untreated natural panels to lacquered or painted. When choosing painted panels, carefully read the composition so that the advantages of the cork are not spoiled by poorly selected paint.
- The decorative properties of cork panels, in addition to coloring, include inclusions of metallized or glass chips, application or drawing.
How to choose cork panels
The selection criteria for wall cork panels are determined by the installation area and the intended use. Before buying, consider a few important points:
- The location of the cork panels affects the thickness of the material. For a bedroom or a children's room, choose no thinner than 4 mm, such panels will successfully cope with sound insulation and heat retention.
- If you plan to install cork panels in your bathroom, look for an option with a waterproof base.
- To decorate walls in a living room or office, a panel thickness of 2 mm is sufficient. It makes no sense to purchase thicker material, and the cost will differ several times.
- Decide which decorative technique is preferable for the room, a clean cork without splashes, or with the addition of decorative elements.
- Pay attention to the cost of the panels in terms of the required number. If you want to save money, choose panels that include cork veneer and crumb; due to the addition of crumb, the panels will be cheaper, but they will not yield to quality.
- Select the size of cork wall panels, it depends on the size of the room. For a small room, square panels with a side of 60 cm are suitable, choose a larger size for finishing a spacious room.
Installation of cork panels for walls
Before proceeding with the installation of cork panels, bring the materials into the house and leave them indoors for a day. This secret will help to avoid deformation of the panels during installation. During this time, you will have time to prepare the necessary tools for installing cork panels on the wall. You will need:
- dispersion glue or specialized glue for working with cork;
- stationery knife,
- Attach the panel to the lines, outline the perimeter with a pencil. Apply glue to the wall, if using thick panels, apply glue to the base of the panel as well. To speed up the process, draw out and apply the glue on 4 panels at once, then by the time you finish working with the fourth panel, the first one will already have glue, it can be glued to the wall.
- Place the panel against the wall, press firmly and hold for a few seconds. Use a roller to smooth the surface to align the hitch.
- After gluing the adjacent panel, roll along the seams so that there is no difference in height.
- It will take two days to dry, after which the work is considered complete.
Working with cork panels is simple and interesting, the result will delight you and your family for many years. The step-by-step instructions provided in this article will help you choose high-quality material and not make mistakes in its installation.
The use of natural cork for decoration of residential premises goes back more than one hundred years. The first mentions of such coatings date back to the 15th century. The source of this natural material is cork oak, the bark of which is used for the production of various materials. The main places of distribution of cork oak are the Mediterranean countries. The main supplier of this natural material is Portugal, which supplies about 50% of the cork material to the world market. In this article, we will talk about how the cork floor is laid and we will analyze some of the nuances in the work.
This material, due to the complete absence of proteins in its composition, is not susceptible to the influence of microorganisms, in other words, it does not rot, unlike natural wood. In addition, cork has many characteristics that allow it to be used as flooring and interior decoration.
Cork flooring panels are relatively recent. These coatings are produced in two versions. The first production option completely coincides with the production of laminated floor panels, or rather, the installation technology is the same. The cork panels are groove-and-tenon mounted and are not attached to the sub-floor. In the second option, the cork boards are attached to the base of the floor with glue.
Laying technology
Laying the cork flooring is not particularly difficult. Regardless of the installation option, the subfloor must be properly prepared. Preparation of the base consists of the leveling process, the differences should not exceed more than 10 - 15 mm, otherwise the cork coating may break at the joints.
Another prerequisite for the installation of a cork floor is a certain moisture content of the base. If the substrate is very humid, the cork floor may swell. The installation of cork flooring is completely identical to the installation of laminated floor panels. When installing the cover, it is necessary to make a gap between the walls and the cork cover. This gap should be between 0.8 -1.5 cm. A smaller gap will lead to swelling of the floor covering, with thermal expansion of the material, a larger one, to the formation of a gap between the covering and the skirting board.
There is one more nuance: manufacturers of cork panels, and laminated ones as well, use their own way of attaching panels to each other. That is, if you try to dock panels from two different manufacturers, then you will not succeed. Therefore, when purchasing panels, you do not need to confuse different manufacturers.
The installation system for glued cork is a little more complicated than installing a floating floor. Laying such a coating is akin to laying tiles on the floor. However, if the tile flooring can be leveled during the mortar setting, the cork tile cannot be leveled. The glue, which is intended for installation, sets quite quickly. Therefore, before starting installation, careful marking is required. It is best to draw the marking lines with a pencil and stick to these lines during the work. It is better to start from the center of the room.
Recently, this type of flooring has gained quite a lot of popularity. This is primarily due to the excellent technical characteristics of the material and its natural origin.