Not so long ago, apartment renovation for our man involved a complete departure from the old environment and the use of the latest technologies. We tried to create a more modern, and even pompous interior. Now, after the completion of this renovation boom and the complete saturation of the market with fashionable materials, the time has come when we are ready to pay not so much for an aesthetically pleasing spring look, but for the quality and durability of the materials. Last but not least is health safety. Therefore, wood-look cork laminate will be appreciated by those who want to get a wear-resistant floor and a presentable appearance of the room.
Which cork laminate is better?
The choice will depend on the room and your preferences. The laminate board itself consists of several layers. The first layer of the “pie” is a cork base, followed by a plate with a lock, and pressed cork chips are placed on it. Either a layer of cork or wood veneer is laid on top. Cover it all with high-quality durable varnish or vinyl. And the price and characteristics of a cork-coated laminate will depend on the materials used.
For example, you are doing renovations in an office or in a room where there is very high traffic. This means that it is worth considering flooring options with a board thickness of at least 3.2 mm. This thickness of cork-based laminate has characteristics close to parquet and even ceramic tiles.
Next, take into account the characteristics of the indoor climate. For example, models for the bathroom must have an additional backing, and the locks must be treated with a special compound, since it is this part that will become the weak link in conditions of high humidity.
Cork laminate flooring and two sides of the “coin”
It is worth noting that one of the pleasant aspects of the issue of cork-coated laminate is the fairly wide selection and world-famous manufacturers. The material is not cheap, so time-tested companies undertake its production, and this is a guarantee of quality. Portugal is considered the leader; it also offers the widest selection of colors and quality classes. An excellent imitation of natural wood is offered by the German company Egger Laneo, also a world-famous manufacturer.
The undoubted advantage is the feeling you will notice when walking on a cork floor. The fact is that cork laminate is softer, and you will immediately notice the difference. There is no need to talk about its safety for the youngest members of the family; everyone knows about this quality.
The following is a whole list of the advantages of cork-based laminate:
- the material is quite elastic, so it is not afraid of heavy furniture (even if small dents form on the floor, they will gradually disappear after a while after rearrangement);
- due to the softness of the coating, fallen fragile things like dishes have a better chance of remaining intact;
- cork is an excellent insulating material, in particular this concerns noise and heat preservation in the apartment;
- We can attribute the durability of cork laminate to both pros and cons, it all depends on the quality of the purchased floor (that’s why there is no point in saving and looking for cheap analogues, it will be a waste of money and playing the lottery);
- installation is not much different from laying regular laminate, but you will be able to use the same boards until then.
Since cork laminate has advantages, it means there are also disadvantages. Among them we note the following:
- whatever one may say, price is still one of the selection criteria, and for this coverage it is quite high;
- remember that although the floor can withstand high static loads, point loads remain dangerous for it (this means that dancing in stiletto heels or furniture with a lot of weight and very thin legs will leave irreparable dents);
- and do not forget about some features of the material: cork is not suitable for a heated floor system, since it will not be able to work with high efficiency.
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