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.

Cork tiles have all of the same benefits as traditional cork planks, but allow for a little more versatility. Cork tiles consist of a few different layers that combine to form the tile. Generally these layers are:

Underlay – Sometimes installed separately as panels, the cork underlay provides thermal and acoustic insulation from the flooring substrate underneath the tiles.

Stability Core – Within the center of the tile is the stable core, which is generally made of medium or high-density fiberboard. This provides the structural stability for the cork tile, and also serves as an anchor. The edges of the stable core extend slightly past the edges of the rest of the tile, and are milled in such a way that they interlock with adjacent tiles to form a tight seam.

Cork Core – Occasionally omitted, the cork core provides a little bit of extra comfort and elasticity to the feel of the floor, as well as additional insulation from heat and sound.

Top Layer – Cork veneer or processed cork forms the top layer, which is often dyed by the manufacturer using proprietary methods to achieve different colorations and patterns.

Finish – Usually cork tiles are finished by the manufacturer using a UV hardened varnish, but can be finished during installation using special oils or other sealants. Most recently, a new non-toxic oil which dries quickly and allows for repeated refinishing has been developed and is rising in popularity.

Cork tiles are manufactured to be analogous to their ceramic counterparts. They are colored and patterned much like traditional ceramic tiles, and so they are intended to be used in a similar manner. Cork tiles can be laid out in colorful patterns, or a single base color can be used to achieve a look that is much like tile floors, without the disadvantages such as the need for grout or the large differences in temperature between feet and the floor.

While cork floors have a number of benefits over their counterparts, there are a few drawbacks. Sharp objects can easily damage the tiles, and excessive water or strong cleaners might result in damage to the flooring as well. Additionally, sunlight can cause cork to fade in color over time, discoloring portions of the floor that receive large amounts of direct sunlight. For these reasons, cork is best suited to areas of low or medium traffic that are generally free of water and large amounts of direct sunlight. This makes cork flooring ideal for a nursery, basement or study, but generally rooms like the kitchen and bathroom should be avoided.