Generally cork flooring comes in panels with grooves on the side similar to those seen in tongue and groove floor panels. These grooves interlock to securely connect the panels together, which are laid down piece by piece and snapped together. Construction for these panels, thought varying slightly between manufacturers, generally consists of these components:

Cork Underlay – The cork underlay provides insulation from temperature changes as well as acoustic insulation, and can be installed separately if desired.

Stable Core – The stable core usually consists of fiberboard to provide stability, and forms the groves which are used to interlock the boards together.

Cork Core – The cork core, which is sometimes omitted at the manufacturer’s discretion, provides additional elasticity and insulation to the flooring material.

Top Layer – The top layer is the visible portion of the flooring, and is made of either cork veneer or cork processed to achieve a certain look or coloration.

Finish – The finish can either be applied during installation or by the manufacturer, and may take the form of a varnish, oil or some other type of sealant to protect the floor.

In floating-floor installations, the cork panels are not glued down, which allows for them to be placed on a wider variety of surfaces. In order to install a cork floor using the floating-floor method, the intended surface need only be hard, level and dry. Floating-floor applications are the most common and, due to the fact that they can be used on a variety of surfaces, are ideal for use over pre-existing flooring.

In contrast, glue-down applications require a completely flat, clean and dry substrate on which to be applied. The tiles are glued down, which reduces the cost of materials as the interlocking grooves are not required, but greatly increases the cost of installation. Additionally, glue-down floors are more difficult to repair as the damaged part of the floor must be completely ripped up instead of merely replacing the affected tile.

Though cork floors are durable and fairly resistant to any kind of damage, they still require proper maintenance. Keeping them clean and free of any kind of abrasive debris will help preserve the look as well as extend the life of the floor. Additionally, only approved cleaners should be used to prevent corrosion of the top layer or adverse reactions with the flooring itself.

The benefits of cork flooring make it an extremely popular flooring material, and is being used in more public applications. Cork flooring is widely used in libraries for its acoustic insulating properties, and the famous Mayo Clinic has thousands of square feet of cork flooring to provide a comfortable, hypo-allergenic environment for any who visit.