Easy Cork Installation Process Under A Wood Floor
Installing cork underlayment plays an important role when you are planning to install a wood floor, due to the reason that it gives a great deal of flexibility to the floor. Additionally, cork is also important as it offers a benifit of soundproofing for second story wood floors in homes. Flooring adhesive is used to install sheets of cork on a plywood subfloor or concrete slab, which you can apply with the help of adhesive trowel. If you want to have a professional installation, some preparation is essential to attain it. In order to install cork under a wood floor, simply go through the below-mentioned steps carefully & achieve the desired result of your work:
- Clean The Floor: First of all, you need to get rid of dust & debris from the floor with the help of a shop vacuum. In case of a plywood subfloor, walk through the floor and try to listen for peep sound. Move or push 1-1/2-inch deck screws next to existing nails or screws where the floor peeps, with the help of a cordless drill and screw-tip attachment.
- Flooring Adhesive: Start from the wall that is opposite to the doorway, which in turn will help you to move outside the room in order to apply flooring adhesive before installing the sheet of cork. After that, calculate the width of cork sheet underlayment, so that you can find out the size of the area where you apply adhesive. The width of the cork sheets is usually 36 inches & length may be 48 or 60 inches.
- Latex Gloves: Now, it is time wear work latex gloves before applying a uniform coat of flooring adhesive with the help of an adhesive trowel having 1/16-inch notches. This can be done by applying some adhesive across the base of the wall, and then spreading it outward in semicircle swirls.
- Place Sheets: Starting from one end of the wall, place sheets completely on the adhesive using the long edges of each across the base of the wall. Press down on the sheets with help of the flat of your hands in order to uniformly align the butted ends and outer edges.
- Measure A Filler Piece: Now, calculate as well as mark a filler piece for the first row of cork, using a metal or wooden straightedge, and then trim or cut the piece with the help of a utility knife.
- Apply Adhesive: It is time to work on the second row at the end where a filler was installed in order to balance the butted ends of the sheets. Apply adhesive as you did before, and then install the second row of cork. Trim the pieces to fit at the base of a cabinet in order to maintain the consistent outer line of a row.
- Doorway: Keep installing the rows of cork as you move toward the doorway. Install the cork at each side of the doorway and across the base of that wall. Trim the final piece to size, before applying adhesive and the doorway area, and then install the final piece.
- 100-lb. Floor Roller: Finally, roll the whole area of the cork underlayment with the help of a 100-lb. floor roller in order to get rid of any lumps or unpredictability on the surface. In order to get the best results, roll the cork in different directions. Now, your cork is installed successfully under a wood floor.