Installing a Lot Cork Flooring

One of our lesser-known flooring options is lot flooring. This flooring is only available ready to ship in a set limited quantity (lot) of non-stock patterns, colors, or sizes. Still, if more of a specific lot is desired, it can be produced on a special order basis with a lead time of 16 weeks and minimum square footage of 1000 sqft. Lot flooring, however, offers several benefits, including:

• Discounted Pricing for Larger Volume Orders

• Unique Patterns

• Some Lots Are Unfinished, Allowing for Staining to your Desired Color

• Set  Amount Ready to Ship 

Customer Installation Experience: 

When looking for flooring for our new addition, the lot flooring options appealed to us for numerous reasons. First, we were on a budget and looking to minimize the flooring cost. We also wanted slightly darker and warmer toned flooring than the stock options. This was important to us since we live in a rural area with a lot of red clay mud, and finding flooring that would help hide that when mud is tracked into the house was one of our top priorities. We got lucky that one of the lot patterns available at the time was the perfect fit for our project. The underlying pattern is the Sierra pattern, but the color is darker and redder than the traditional Sierra or the Sierra Brown patterns. The glue-down tiles were larger than the standard 12x12in, but after a little discussion, we were comfortable that we could cut the 3x2ft tiles down to 12x12in tiles. 

12x12in Cut Tiles

To cut the tiles, we created a jig for the table saw to ensure that the tiles were cut at right angles and the same 12in x 12in size. We chose this size to maximize the square footage from each larger tile. Once the jig was set up on the saw, we didn't remove it until all of the tiles were cut to ensure uniformity. We used a fine-toothed blade to reduce any jagged or rough edges on the tiles and create a more polished look. We cut all of the larger 3x2ft tiles, even the ones with slight shipping damage, using the table saw and were able to use the tiles with minor damage on one side in places where we only needed a partial tile. By doing this, we further maximized our square footage. 

After the tiles were cut, we began to prep the subfloor for the installation of our cork flooring. The first step for us was adding an additional layer of plywood subfloor to the base subfloor. This would allow the cork to be level with the existing wood flooring it would abut to. Once the second layer of the subfloor had been screwed in, we moved on to adding a leveling agent across the subfloor. This leveled the seams between the subfloor sheets and removed any divots or height differences in the individual subfloor sheets. We were very careful with our laser level to ensure the leveling agent was even. 

Partway through the leveling agent being applied to the subfloor.

After the leveling agent dried, we brought the cork tiles into the rooms where they would be installed to begin acclimatizing the cork. We followed that with rigorous vacuums to ensure that no dust or debris remained in the space. After the tiles had been in the space for 72 hours, we were ready to begin the installation. 

Since glue-down cork flooring uses contact cement to install, we watched the weather and picked a day when the forecast for the next several days was dry with little wind (easier to do in February in Virginia). This allowed us to crack the windows open and help speed the drying process along. To apply contact cement, we used a paint tray and roller to spread a layer of contact cement on both the subfloor and the back of the cork floor tile. Once the contact cement was applied, we waited for it to completely dry on both the subfloor and back of the floor tiles before moving on to the next step.

Rolling contact cement on the prepped subfloor.

We did sections of about 25 sqft of flooring at a time to help stay organized. While waiting for the contact cement to dry, we did a final vacuum of the following flooring section to ensure it was still debris-free. Once the contact cement was dry, we carefully laid the tiles down and pressed firmly to activate the chemical bond, cementing the tile to the subfloor. We chose a staggered pattern to hide joins, ensuring we never had four corners meeting in one place. When we needed partial tiles, we used a utility knife and a straight edge to cut the tile to size. 

Laying a partial cork floor tile onto the prepped subfloor.

Once all the flooring had been installed and the contact cement had been allowed to set for 24 hours, we went over the whole flooring with a wood stain. Adding the stain helped make any unstained or rough edges less noticeable e. After the stain had dried, we did one final vacuum to prepare for the polyurethane coatings. 

We applied 2 coats of water-based polyurethane with a semi-gloss finish to our cork flooring. We chose a semi-gloss finish as it is a bit harder than a matte or satin finish, but it doesn't show scratches as much as a high gloss finish. This was important to us as our flooring needs to stand up to two dogs playing, moving furniture, and other daily situations. We applied each coat of polyurethane according to the instructions on the packaging with 48 hours between the two coats. 72 hours after the final coat of polyurethane, we took a lint-free cloth and did a final wipe-down of the flooring. 

The cork flooring once the polyurethane had been applied and had time to dry.

We have taken a few steps to ensure our flooring stays in good condition. The first step was laying down cardboard over our flooring when moving large furniture. This way, if we accidentally dropped something heavy, the weight would be distributed a bit. The second was applying felt feet to the bottom of all of our dining room chairs and our dining table; this would let us slide chairs back and forth without scratching the polyurethane or the flooring. Our primary way of cleaning our cork flooring is by vacuuming with hardwood flooring attachment. We do this several times a week, getting most dust and dirt off the flooring before it becomes out of control. For most other cleaning, we spot clean with a wet rag without soap. This will get the mud and dirt off the floor without using chemicals that might shorten the lifespan of the polyurethane finish. When we do a deeper mop, we use a gentle cleaner like PH neutral cleaner or a mild dish soap.

A table sits on floor protectors on top of cork flooring.

We have now had the cork flooring for just over 8 months and we love the flooring. It is especially nice in our kitchen, where standing to wash dishes at the sink is a much more comfortable experience. We have also begun to appreciate the thermal properties of cork in the attic office space over the last few weeks as the temperature has dropped into the 30s in the mornings. The flooring has held up spectacularly to our daily life, including frequent vigorous play sessions between our 12lbs and 75lbs dogs who love to run on the flooring. Our older pup has also decided that she likes sleeping on the cork flooring more than she likes to sleep on her bed!

Mia resting under the table on the cork flooring.

What Makes Cork Buoyant?

Cork was first studied under the microscope in the 1660s. In fact, it was one of the first materials that Robert Hooke, inventor of the microscope, studied. This is likely because cork bark has been a well-known anomaly in the natural world for millennia due to its flexible, lightweight nature and regenerative ability. What Robert Hooke discovered when he looked under the microscope helped to explain the differences between cork bark and most other naturally occurring materials. 

When you look at cork under the microscope, you will see an irregular honeycomb structure that looks quite different from the rectangular shape of most wood cells. This wavy honeycomb structure allows the cells to behave like corrugated cardboard, creating the flexibility that cork is renowned for. In addition, since the cells are closed, they do not absorb liquid, explaining why cork has been the preferred closure material dating back to ancient times. 

Notably, only 15% of cork cells are solid material. The remaining 85% is comprised of trapped air. This makes cork incredibly lightweight and buoyant. The trapped air in the cork's cellular structure means that the cork has a density of 15% water, allowing it to hold several times its own weight while staying afloat.

In addition to making cork flexible and buoyant, cork's cellular structure is the reason for its remarkable thermal properties. This has created markets for cork insulation in weight-sensitive industries like shipbuilding, aerospace, and commercial building applications.