After a few years of hesitation, you have finally decided to do something about that aging kitchen floor, and choosing cork is a wise move. Cork is sustainably harvested every 9 years, which does not harm the trees. If you have decided to go down the DIY road, you will need to know all about substrate preparation, which this article explains.
- Remove The Old Flooring Material – This is the first thing to do. Whether vinyl, laminate, or timber, you should first remove the old flooring. This will probably be a messy job and when all of the large pieces are removed, you can focus on removing the small bits.
- Remove Skirting Boards – All skirting should be carefully removed, and ready to be replaced after the cork tiles have been installed. If you are looking for a cork flooring Melbourne supplier or an established flooring company that offers this material in your location, a quick Google search should lead you to a store with all the solutions.
- Sweep Up & Fill Hollows – Once you have done this, you need to sweep all the debris up, then mix some cement filler and fill any hollows, while making sure there are no protrusions. Once this is set, sweep again and make sure the floor is free from all obstacles, especially along the skirting boards. When this has been done, you are ready to install the underlay.
- Fitting Underlay – This might be thin plywood or a thin rubber sheet and it should be fitted correctly, butting up to the floor edges. This needs to be fixed with screws that are countersunk so the screws will not penetrate the cork tiles. You should check the floor levels and make sure that you have everything you need prior to starting to install the cork files.
- Determine The Centre Point Of The Floor – This is essential as you should create a straight line across the floor canter. Using string is a good idea, which will give you the line to install the first row of cork tiles.
- Installing The Cork Tiles – First spread the adhesive on the back surface of a row of tiles and carefully place each tile until the first row is complete, leaving the edges free for now (the edge tiles can be fitted later). Work towards one wall first and then the other, which should leave the edges that must be cut to fit in the remaining space. Better use a serrated trowel, as this spreads the adhesive correctly, leaving space for the glue to spread.
- Trimming The Edge Tiles – If you use a jig, you can cut the tiles to the exact size. When all tiles are fixed, you can replace the skirting boards. It is a good idea to walk on a piece of plywood over the newly installed floor, which makes sure the tiles are firmly seated.
If this sounds a bit too much, the cork tile supplier employs teams of professional installers who would be more than happy to install the flooring.
