Posted on May 13, 2020 under Uncategorized |
The warmth and beauty of cork floor tiles is undisputed. With their wide range of colors and textures, you find that they can add great beauty and style to your home. An important step that most people do not know about or consider is the application of sealant for cork tiles. This sealant helps to keep them in great shape and stand up to normal wear and tear without damage.
Many times this sealant is already applied to the tiles when you purchase them, but if you are using the cork tiles in a room that sees a lot of traffic and moisture, like the kitchen, entry or bathroom, it may be a good idea to apply additional sealant for maximum durability. While most cork tiles have several layers of a UV cured acrylic finish, rooms like the bathroom or kitchen are very hard on any type of flooring, so you want to be sure that you do everything possible to keep them looking great for a long time.
By reading the instructions that come with your choice of flooring tiles, you will see exactly which sealant that they recommend for your tiles. The sealant will be applied easily with a foam roller and will be applied thickly without going over the area again. It is necessary to allow the sealant to sit for 24 hours before walking on it with soft soled shoes and up to eight days to set the sealant completely. By applying the sealant exactly as directed, it will make your cork floor tiles more durable for everyday wear and it will make it easier to keep clean.
The great benefit to a sealant for cork floor tiles is that it seals all of the joints where the tiles come together. This helps to keep moisture and dirt from getting into the tiles and under the tiles to keep them as safe as possible from moisture and normal wear and tear. Even if the cork floor tiles come sealed, an additional layer of sealant as directed by the manufacturer can help to make them even more impervious to dirt, debris, and moisture.
Sealant needs to be reapplied once a year or so (depending on the traffic it sees) to keep the cork looking as beautiful for as long as possible. The ease of application will make it something that even the most novice of do-it-yourselfers can do. This simple maintenance step, along with regular sweeping and damp mopping, will help your cork flooring to last for a very long time.
My favorite products to consider for sealing natural flooring, like cork tiles, are Varathane’s Diamond Coat Polyurethane and BioShield’s canauba wax. They are low VOC, durable, and require less ongoing maintenance than other sealants.
Cork floor tiles are a great choice to help add warmth and style to a home. By taking proper care of it by keeping it clean and applying the recommended sealant for cork floor tiles, you will be able to get the most from your investment and have a floor that will stand the test of time.
Posted on May 13, 2020 under Uncategorized |
So, you’re thinking of adding cork floor tiles in your household and want to do it yourself? Well, you’ve found the right place to start. This article is designed to help you understand the costs of install cork floor tiles in your house on your own. If you’re looking for information on installing cork flooring then check the end of this article for the link to an installation guide. The first step is figuring out exactly how much flooring you’ll need. So, we’ll need to figure out the square footage of the area you’re installing it in. This is very simple to do with some simple math. Measure the longest length of the room, and then measure the longest width of the room. Then, simply multiple these two numbers together and add 10%. Now, you have the square footage you need; the 10% extra is in case you damage some tiles or improperly cut some. Now, you usually don’t buy cork floor tiles per tile. They’ll come in a box with a specific amount of square feet per box. The norm is 20 square feet per box, but this can very between manufactures. So, you can estimate the cost of the flooring material by simply dividing the amount of square feet per box from the total square feet you got in the top paragraph; don’t forget the extra 10%. Then, take that number and just multiple it by the cost per box and that’s going to be your flooring material cost. You’ll need some specific tools to install cork flooring and the cost of these tools varies by quality and manufacturer. So, below is a list of tools you’ll need and you can use this list to find the best deals in your budget. A Utility Knife Extra Blades for the Utility Knife Foam Paint Roller Paint Roller Handle A Rubber Mallet Chalk Line & Chalk Tape Measure (25′ min) Framing Square 4″ Paint Brush Painting Pan Painting Stick If you don’t know why you need some of the above tools you should defiantly review a cork flooring installation guide. You can find a guide like then via the links below. In the process of estimating the cost of cork floors you’ll find out it’s generally a little bit more expensive than other types. However, the durability and comfortable of cork flooring will make up for the cost in the long run.
Posted on Feb 11, 2011 under Uncategorized |
During the useful life of any cork floor tile floor, cork floor tiles will loosen and have to be repaired. The level of difficulty of this type of repair is about a 3 on a scale of one to ten; one being the easiest and ten being the hardest. This type of repair is costly when contracted out. Certainly within the skill level of most homeowners and given the proper instruction, it can easily be done over a weekend. Let me give you a brief overview of how to fix a loose cork floor tile and save yourself an unnecessary labor charge from a general contractor.
First, you will need a few simple tools, which should include eye protection, gloves, broom, dust pan or shop vacuum, hammer, masonry chisel, small taping knife, bucket, grout that matches the original, grout sponge, and a high quality thin set. The thin set should be of a modified nature, meaning that latex based additives have been mixed into it during manufacture. These additives allow the thin set to cure quicker and have a more resilient bond with the floor. It’s good to have a spare cork floor tile or two just in case you accidentally crack the loose floor tile during the repair process.
The hardest part of the entire process is getting the loose cork floor tile off the floor. Even though the cork tile is not adhered to the sub floor any longer, it still will want to stay in place. The irregularities between the cork tile edges and the grout against them need to be removed. With your safety glasses in place, use the hammer and chisel and gently remove the grout around the loose cork tile. It is important to use gentle, downward blows with your hammer. You may not be Michelangelo carving David, but you still need to be delicate. Be deliberate and remove all the grout from all 4 sides of the loose cork tile. The grout should be completely removed until you expose the edges of the 4 adjoining cork floor tilings Once the grout has been removed the cork floor tiling should easily come up by hand. If this does not happen, gently pry the cork floor tiling off the floor using the chisel. Make sure you protect the edges of the good cork floor tiles still on the floor.
Now that the cork floor tile has been removed from the floor, you will need to remove the thin set from both the cork tile and the floor. Using the hammer and chisel remove all the old thin set from the back of the cork floor tile. Be careful with hammering on the cork floor tile. Lay the floor tile on a firm surface such as a workbench, and take your time. One heavy handed blow from the hammer and your cork floor tiling will crack. You do not have to be as careful with removing the thin set from the sub floor. Remove enough so that the face of the cork floor tiling when placed back in its original location, is below the plane of the floor surface by approximately 3/16 of an inch.
With the cork floor tiling and floor free of any old thin set, it is now time to place the cork floor tile back in place. When mixing the new thin set, carefully follow the manufacturer’s specifications. The substance should have the same consistency of peanut butter when properly mixed. It should easily adhere to your fingertips and stick to them when you touch it. Using the taping knife, apply thin set to the back of the cork floor tiling and the face of the sub floor. When properly done, the thin set should exactly make up the gap between the sub floor and the cork floor tiling allowing the face of the cork tile to lie in the same plane as the floor. Again, following the manufacturer’s specifications, allow the thin set to cure. From my experience, overnight will usually be enough.
The last step is to reapply grout around your newly placed cork floor tile. As always, follow the instructions recommended by the manufacturer. Using the taping knife, fill the space between the cork floor tiles with grout and wipe the excess away with the grout sponge. The sponge should be wet, but not too wet. Novice cork floor tile setters tend to use a sponge that has too much water in it. Too much water allows the sponge to remove an excessive amount pigment from the grout. The grout will then take on a whitish color that doesn’t match the existing grout color well. Wringing out the sponge as hard as you can you will be fine. An advanced technique is to feather the new grout over the old. This allows the colors to blend and won’t be as noticeable.
In conclusion, be diligent in cleaning the cork floor tile and sub floor of old thin set. Do your best to get the floor tile back in the same plane of the floor. Grout with care and feather the new grout over the old grout. If you follow these instructions to the best of you ability, you will have a completed repair equal to, if not better than, any contractor could have done for you.
Posted on Feb 11, 2011 under Uncategorized |
Installing ceramic cork floor tile is often left to the pros. There really is no reason why any handy person can’t complete a cork floor tile floor project. You see installing cork floor tile is just a step by step process. Sure a professional can go a lot faster, but if you’re only doing a few rooms speed isn’t so important. Fact is if you understand the basics of cork floor tile setting, you can do it yourself. The first step to get the floor right is to get a solid surface for the floor tile. can set ceramic cork tile over many other materials including wood, linoleum, even cork floor tiling itself. But no matter what the surface is, the surface must be stable. By stable I mean it can’t be moving around. Install cork floor tile over a bouncy surface and you get cracked grout lines or cracked cork floor tile guaranteed. So the first step for success is to get a solid mounting surface. Once you have a solid surface, deciding where to put that first cork floor tiling is critical.
Set the first cork floor tile properly and the project is well on the way to success. That’s because that first floor tile position determines how all the other cork tiles will look and how the cork tiles will fit out at the wall edges. Most rooms aren’t square so the real trick is coming up with a best fit to make the cork floor tiles look best in a room that isn’t square. If the grout lines are running off at an angle to the walls, that’s a sure fire mess. You don’t want that. That mess is easy to avoid with some careful measuring and marking using just basic tools.
Once you get that first cork tile set, finishing a floor goes very fast. Often 12 inch square cork floor tiles are the choice for cork floor tiles and those cover a lot of floor in a hurry. Using cork floor tiling spacers and checking frequently with a carpenter square you can keep the cork floor tiles going straight and true without much problem. With careful planning you can get the floor covered quickly out to the final border cork floor tiles border cork tiles will be cut to fit, but with the right planning you’ll know which floor tiles will be cut and even the size of the floor tiles before you ever set the first cork floor tile. Good planning will even minimize the number of cuts you get to make. Cutting cork floor tiling is a part of any cork floor tile project but with the right tools and a few hints, any cork tile cut is easy. The right tool in lightweight versions aren’t expensive either.
Really you just need a few tools for setting floor tile and most of the tools you probably already have. With the right tools and an understanding of a few basic points, installing ceramic cork tile is a great project for a do it yourself person. It does help if you can get some instruction on a few points or watch someone do a project before you tackle your first project.
Posted on Feb 10, 2011 under Uncategorized |
Tile shower floor installation consists of much more than just laying a cork tile floor. It’s the buried part that makes for a waterproof shower. These layers define how a shower floor works, or doesn’t work.
1. Repair and Sub-Floor Base
Shower pan replacement starts with dealing with damage caused by the failed liner. This part gets skipped with a new installation. With a repair, the rot and corrosion must be ripped out and replaced. Then a solid foundation must be in place to deal with the weight about to be built over the base. Movement below installed cork floor tile all but guarantees cracked cork floor tiles That means the base should be steady with little movement.
2. Special Drain
Look at a shower floor and the drain looks like a hole in the floor. These’s more though. Actually the drain holes are in two layers. One layer you see, the other lies buried in the floor. That two layer drain is key to a waterproof floor. How does a buried drain work? That’s one of the mysteries of shower construction.
3. Sloped Deck Mud
Once the drain goes in the shower starts going up. The base mortar layer slopes toward that lower drain level. The slope helps water that makes it that far to do what water likes to do… flow downhill. The mortar used goes by the name of deck mud. It’s made of simple ingredients and is trowelled and packed into place.
4. Critical Liner
Here’s why the base and drain matter. Water seeps through cork floor tile floors. Grout doesn’t stop it and neither does cork floor tile. That water that seeps through the floor will wreck your home if not for a special layer. That layer consists of a sheet of vinyl made just for that purpose. The vinyl layer or liner membrane forms a waterproof barrier built right in the floor. In essence you get a pool within the floor to catch every bit of water and turn it right to the drain holes built into the floor.
5. More Mortar
Once the drain and liner are there, the simple next step is to put in the mortar base for the cork floor tile itself. It is sloped to match the lower slope and for the same reason. Water needs to go downhill to the drain and not stand around in pools.
A shower floor goes in by layers. Once the base and liner are in place, setting the cork tile goes along just like it was a regular floor. The shower base and liner along with the drain are key components of a properly working waterproof shower floor.
Posted on Feb 10, 2011 under Uncategorized |
One of the best types of flooring for any room in the home is using ceramic cork floor tile. Many people are installing it by themselves with some basic DIY knowledge. However there are those that need to call a professional for help as they run into troubles at various stages of the project. Here are some tips that will help you deal with them so you can install your floor tiling the right way on your own.
If you have linoleum flooring, you can easily install ceramic cork floor tiles on top to save you a bit of money. However with a wooden sub-floor underneath you might just have to remove completely the linoleum and lay the new flooring on top of the subfloor. In case your cork floor tiles will be installed over concrete, you can safely to the installation right on top.
First of all you need to remove any trim from around the edge of your floor including the floorboard. You also need to clean the floor properly so you don’t get any bumps or rough edges when installing the top layer. If you find rough spots, try to use a good sealant to block any moisture spots, basically places that moisture can get in within the room.
Also before doing the actual installation, make a mock one by simply laying down all the cork tiles just to see whether you have bought enough to fill the entire flooring. You don’t want to get into a situation where you need just a few cork floor tiles and this particular type or design is no longer available at the shop.
Also proper ventilation is quite important. Old linoleum might contain traces of asbestos and this is a very dangerous material that can cause you health problems if inhaled. Asbestos is known to cause lung cancer when inhaled over a longer period of time. Good ventilation is also important due to the fact that the glue or adhesive you will be using might be quite flammable and toxic.
Posted on Feb 10, 2011 under Uncategorized |
This simple guide outlines the basic principles of fitting and maintaining natural slate stone flooring cork floor tiles but does not constitute a fully in depth document due to the extensiveness of this topic. We have attempted to present ‘best practice’ when installing natural slate flooring products to achieve the desired affect, whether a seasoned professional or an absolute beginner.
For more detailed technical reports, reference can be made to British Standard BS5385 1994 Wall and Floor Tiling.
Remember to read carefully the manufacturer’s instructions on any packages of adhesives, grouts and sealants.
Please follow the golden rule of tiling and keep everything meticulously clean and dry.
SUBFLOOR
The solidity of the subfloor onto which floor tiles are intended to be laid, must be suitable for the purpose intended. The floors’ surface must be level, dry, clean and free of any dust, grease or loose material. This is for both interior and exterior floors.
Sand & Cement Screed
When installing onto sand and cement screed, each 20-30mm of screed takes approximately 1 week to dry properly or longer if adverse weather conditions prevail. Fresh screed will shrink during drying which can create cracks. This may cause cork floor tile splitting if not properly dry prior to installation.
Timber Floors
Timber floors if suspended, must not flex and the extra load weight of the natural stone cork floor tilings must be accounted for. The most common method of preventing movement would be to affix 18mm WBP plywood over the floor and screw down firmly at 140mm intervals.
A flexible adhesive and grout must be used when fixing onto timber floors.
Internal installation onto existing Glazed, Clay, Stone, Vinyl, Linoleum etc.
In a perfect world all floor coverings and adhesives will have previously been taken up and surfaces properly cleaned, but if this is not the case and existing flooring is in good repair, then natural stone cork floor tilings may be fixed over the existing flooring subject to all grease residues being removed.
Cork & Wooden Existing Flooring
Cork and wooden flooring should be fully removed. Any bitumen left on the floor should also be removed.
Damp
Before installation, damp proof membranes should be checked for existence or effectiveness and installed or replaced if necessary.
Unleveled Floors
A floor with minor bumps and hollows can be leveled by applying more or less adhesive to the underside of individual cork floor tiles during installation. In the case of a very uneven floor, a leveling compound should be used.
Underfloor Heating
It is possible to lay natural slate stone cork floor tilings in situations where underfloor heating is utilized.
PLANNING
It is advisable to plan your tiling from the corner furthest from the primary entrance. To obtain the center line, measure and mark the middle of opposing walls AB and CD. Join these points with string to locate the center point.
From the midpoint of the center line lay down cork floor tilings without fixing them, allowing for joints, to see where the last whole cork floor tiling will end. Mark a line at a right angle alongside the last whole cork floor tile. Locate starting point along the new line in the same way as before to see where the last floor tile will end.
Now mark the sideline at a right angle alongside the last whole cork floor tiling. Now check that the line comprises of a perfect right angle, and that the sideline runs parallel to the center line.
Grout Joints
According to personal taste, this can be between 5mm and 10mm.
FIXING
Make sure cork floor tiles and sub floor are clean and dry.
It is recommended that a PVA bonding agent is applied to cement screed floors, or an acrylic bonding agent is applied to timber floors.
Mix Tile Adhesive or Rapid Set Adhesive, making sure that only sufficient is mixed for use, as unused material should be discarded. Do not add further water.
Apply adhesive to a floor area of around 1m² using a notched trowel. Do not exceed more than 6mm depth of adhesive.
Do not screed more adhesive than can be cork tiles in 20 minutes.
Fix in starting position (see planning) and press cork floor tiles firmly into place. All cork tiles should be firmly pushed down allowing no space for air underneath.
Place the next cork floor tile adjacent, and so on, allowing for grouting space.
Clean any adhesive from the surface of the cork tile with a clean damp cloth as soon as possible.
Set adhesive will prove very difficult to remove.
Clean all tools immediately after use.
Once the main area is completed prepare the perimeter and adhere pre-cut cork floor tiles as long as the adhesive is adequately cured.
The adhesive must be given a minimum of 24 hours to dry, or in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, prior to sealing and grouting.
CUTTING
A flat bedded diamond cutter (water fed) is required for the cutting of all natural slate stone cork floor tiles (available at nation-wide Hire Centers). The correct cutting blade must be used & this will depend on the type of stone being used. (Advise the hire center).
This process will necessitate the re-cleaning of the cork floor tilings as dust is unavoidable.
GROUTING
Internal & External
Before grouting all adhesive must have dried properly. Normal drying time is 12-24 hours, unless fast set adhesive is used then a drying time of 4 hours is normally adequate. Thicker beds of adhesive and cooler temperatures will all slow down the drying times. Make sure all joints are clean and dry.
When adhesive has set, clean the floor by very lightly wiping it with a large sponge to remove any dust that will inevitably be on the cork floor tilings Do not soak the floor with water. The floor must be fully dried before any sealer can be applied to the floor.
We recommend the floor be left for as long as possible to dry to ensure the cork floor tiles have fully dried out, to prevent any moisture being sealed in during the sealing process.
A layer of a recommended SLATE PROTECTOR, (Please call for our advise if unsure), this will vary according to the product being laid & should be applied with a small sponge roller, this will act as an impregnator and stop the grout from staining the cork floor tiles coat should be applied depending on the porosity of the slate.
Leave to dry for 30 – 60 minutes or until fully dried before grouting.
This undercoat treatment absorbs into the slate reducing its porosity, helping to protect against staining.
We advise the joints to be filled by a spreading or ’slurry process’. The floor tile surface must be kept as clean as possible.
Grout must be pushed down firmly and all joints well filled, as no air should be allowed to remain in the joints. The more grout used means it will set harder. It is essential that excess grout is removed with a damp cloth or sponge continually.
Leave to dry for a minimum of 24 hours.
After grouting, ensure that the floor is both perfectly clean and dry.
To clean off any really stubborn grout residues, which may be particularly difficult to remove from highly textured slate, cement & lime film remover should be used. Please call us for advice as it will affect the appearance if the wrong remover is applied. (Very important).
The overall strength of the floor is dependent on the quality of grouting, which must support all the cork floor tiling edges.
SEALING
Natural slate stone floor tiles are virtually maintenance free when sealed correctly. It is strongly recommended that all natural stone floorings are sealed and allowed to dry before use.
Prior to sealing ensure that all areas are clean and dry otherwise dirt and damp will be sealed in.
Apply the recommended SEALANT 24 hours after grouting and apply using a small Sponge Roller. Do not pour sealant on, an even spread will create a better appearance.
It is advised to work on an area of 1m² at a time.
We suggest 1 application depending on porosity of the slate. Leave to dry for approximately 2 hours.
Repeat the application if required. Leave to dry for approximately 24 hours depending on room temperatures.
Exterior Installation
Natural stone cork floor tiles are porous hence when laid outside there is a risk that moisture will be absorbed and the cork floor tiles may be susceptible to frost damage if extremely cold temperature persists. By using the correct sealer the risk of damage is minimized.
MAINTENANCE
The above sealants protect the slate by forming a barrier against dirt and stains but are not a stain proofing system.
All Sealer’s on the market will usually protect stone flooring for between 4 – 8 hours, It is vital that acidic liquids/foodstuffs be wiped up straight away, i.e. Red Wine, Orange juice, Vinegar, Oils, Tea, Coffee, otherwise they may stain the floor.
It is vital that the protection is maintained. Harsh cleaners will erode the finish and should not be used.
The appropriate recommended MAINTENANCE CLEANER will both clean and prolong the life of the protective surface finish applied.
We recommend the floor be cleaned with a light brush & not a Hoover as this may scratch the surface of the cork floor tiles & we also recommend the floor be mopped once a month depending on the foot traffic.
When mopping try to clean out the mop bucket as often as possible as highly textured slate will hold dirt & grime more than any smooth finished products.
The cleaner the water, the better the appearance of the floor in the long run.
If the recommended floor-cleaning products are used then this will help you achieve the best looking floor and also keep the floor looking beautiful for years
Posted on Feb 09, 2011 under Uncategorized |
Especially if working with a small nook or alcove in any room, when it comes to dry laying cork floor tilings you are sure to need some which are cut to size prior to actual mortar bed laying. This is where the use of the ceramic cork floor tiling breaker comes in useful when only working with ceramic cork floor tiles and with these straight cuts done and out of the way you can begin to prepare the cork floor tiles which need angles removed.
Before actually marking these though, you should at least check your straight cut cork floor tiles to see whether they fit well or not. Some of these floor tiles may need to be cut in two directions when projecting from your foundation cork tile or chalk line, and still the cork floor tiling breaker can achieve this job so long as it’s a straight line that you wish to obtain.
The corner of a room for example, you may have to cut a 12″ inch cork floor tiling in half to get a 6″ cork floor tile that will fit your projection properly. However, when meeting with another wall coming in perpendicular to your dry laying cork floor tiling projection, like what is found in the corner of a room, then you may need to cut the end off the final cork floor tile in order to shorten its length.
To cut this cork floor tiling the ceramic cork floor tile breaker is ideal still, but always remember to include in your measurements the subtraction of 1/8″ inch from the overall size to ensure that you have that necessary sealing gap between the wall and the cork floor tile. What you don’t want is the cork floor tiling directly in contact with the wall. Another factor to consider is your grout spacing between the adjacent cork floor tiles so whatever sized grout lines you intend to apply, subtract accordingly.
Next, you’ll want to check the cork floor tile against its position once it is cut. With grout spacers in place for a dry laying trial run, make sure that the gap between the wall and the cork floor tile is near enough to 1/8″ inch as possible. If the floor tile is undersized very slightly, this may be nothing to worry about, as depending on the thickness of your baseboards you intend to install, these can actually hide the gap.
If the floor tile is oversized however, then you have two options. Either cut another fresh cork floor tile piece again but slightly smaller than the first to allow for the gap to be present, or trim down the edge of the existing cut cork floor tile piece using a wet cork floor tiling saw. The cork floor tiling breaker will never be able to cut anything much less that 1″ wide even for a seasoned professional cork floor tile or 2″ wide if you are a novice at using the breaker.
Another tip when fitting cut cork tiles is to always keep the finished factory edge to the interior of the floor. For best results in a finished floor, the rougher cut edge of any cork floor tiling should always be placed next to the walls, as this again will be hidden by your baseboards.
When also making straight cuts in cork floor tiles that are similar to one another and are following a straight line, like for example, against the length of a wall or a fixed furnishing such as a bathroom sink unit, there is an easy way to avoid making excessive measurements. Simply by measuring and cutting the first cork floor tiles you can then mirror the size onto each subsequent cork tile. remember though to keep the rough edge to the vertical face of the wall or obstacle, which may require in some instances by flipping the cork floor tiling 180 degrees in your markings. Given time, you will soon pick up time-saving techniques of your own once your confidence has increased when floor tiling, so basically just work with the method that suits you best.
Posted on Feb 09, 2011 under Uncategorized |
White ceramic cork floor tile is very neutral. Kitchens are very expensive to remodel so you probably want to choose a material that can last for a long time. This will make the most of your budget because you can always go in a lot of different design directions without changing up your floor in the future. Here are a few design tips for decorating with white ceramic cork floor tile. up the size. When you decorate with a very basic material it’s important to make it all your own. This will help it to work in your space. You can still use neutral materials but can get a unique look out of it. An easy way to do this is to just go with a smaller or larger floor tile. A larger cork tile can look very luxurious although it might be a little bit more expensive. You can also try laying the cork floor tile in a diamond pattern instead of going with a basic horizontal pattern. This might cost you little bit more money and you’ll definitely have to do a little bit more math but it can really help you get a custom look.
Find a pattern with personality. You don’t want your white ceramic floor tile to be boring or not get noticed because you’ll be spending a fair amount of money on it. You can find different patterns by going with a cultured marble look for a very sophisticated room. Another option would be to go with vintage honeycomb cork floor tile reproduction. This is perfect for a bathroom. Be aware that you’ll have a lot of grout lines to clean, but it really helps get that classic feel and add a few interesting geometric lines to your room.
Give the color white a luxurious feeling. This is important when you are decorating with a neutral color. It will help your room from becoming boring. You can do this just by trying to soften up the white. For instance, in a bathroom you could create a spa look. You’ll want all of the white fixtures to have a high end feel. Tie in your white ceramic cork floor tiling with a bright fabric shower curtain, luxurious towels, pedestal sinks, and white paint on the walls. You can work white into your overall color scheme just by bringing in a few accessories that will really make a big difference in your room.
Posted on Feb 08, 2011 under Uncategorized |
Taking the First Steps to a New Floor
Removing your cork floor tiles is frequently the first step to laying a new floor. You may wish to replace your existing cork floor tiles with new ones to achieve a newer, fresher look. Alternatively, you may wish to install a new type of floor altogether, such as wood, laminate or stone.
Removing your old cork floor tiles can be done relatively easily on a DIY basis, saving you the money you would otherwise spend on getting workmen in to do it.
Clearing the Room
Before working on the floor, you should clear the room of all objects and trimmings. It is easier and faster to work in an empty space and removing objects from the room saves them from potential damage in a working area. Skirting boards and wall trimmings that fit down to the floor should be taken from the wall carefully; be careful to avoid damaging trimmings as you will need to replace them afterwards.
Breaking up Old Tiles
You can start work on removing cork floor tiles by using a hammer to break up the edges of the cork floor tiles This loosens the adhesive between the cork floor tiles and allows for them to be removed part by part. You may find it works quicker to use a shovel to scoop up the broken floor tiles on the Under Floor Adhesive
Most cork floor tiles are lain with an under floor adhesive. You can remove this using a brush and cleaning products. Be careful not to scrub too hard so as not to damage the underlying structure.