Laying cork flooring yourself is no magic trick
Healthy properties, a soft feel and ecological advantages: Natural flooring is something very special. Are you wondering whether you can even install such a premium floor yourself?
As flooring experts, we can guarantee you: As a do-it-yourselfer, you can install HARO cork floors quickly and easily yourself. And we'll tell you how it works.
Floating installation and its advantages
Floating installation means not gluing the floor covering to the subfloor. The flooring comes to you with a click system. You simply connect the individual parts with a little pressure. You don't need a large toolbox or glue for this. A little DIY skill is all you need.
This type of installation has several advantages for do-it-yourselfers
- You do not have to hire a craftsman and can lay cork floating yourself.
- You need few tools: you are sufficiently equipped with a pencil, saw, tapping block and, of course, spacer wedges.
- Thanks to the Top Connect connection system, you get a precise result with a harmonious surface.
- With little effort, you can connect the planks safely and professionally.
- The cork floor is installed quickly and easily.
- And it's just as easy to remove if you ever move house
Laying cork flooring yourself: Preparation and instructions
Preparing the room
Experienced do-it-yourselfers know: Well prepared is half done. First examine the subfloor. Clean it thoroughly with a broom and hoover. This will help you to see if it is completely straight. Do you see dents or small irregularities? Then use levelling compound. It will run all by itself to create a perfectly even surface.
The next step is to lay a 0.2 millimetre thick PE film on the subfloor. The so-called "vapour barrier" is a must. It ensures that no residual moisture from the screed penetrates into the floor.
Good to know:
You do not need to lay any impact sound insulation. With HARO cork floors, we have already integrated a cork insulation underlay. One step saved.
Do not open the packages with your new floor covering until just before installation. In winter, cork needs some time to get used to the indoor climate: Therefore, leave the packages unopened for a few hours until they have reached room temperature, ideally around 18 °C.
Now you have made all the preparations for a foot-soft, precisely laid cork floor.
Floating installation of cork - the instructions
Step 1: Start in the right-hand corner of the room. Lay the first plank with the tongue side facing the wall. Look for a bulge to identify the tongue. The groove is a recess into which the tongue fits. (cf. illustration)
Step 2: Fix the plank with spacer wedges to both walls. The expansion gap should be 10 to 15 mm. You need this so that the cork floor can work. The natural material can expand or contract depending on the room climate.
Step 3: Click the second element into place with a little pressure at the head of the first. Make sure that both planks form an exactly straight line.
Step 4: You will most likely have to shorten the last part of the first row a little. Measure from the penultimate element to the wall and subtract the expansion distance from this length.
Step 5: Proceed sparingly: In the next row, start with the leftover piece from the first. Keep an offset of at least 40 cm. This provides the necessary stability. The offset is the distance between the ends of the adjacent boards. Angle the board lengthwise. Take another plank and place it lengthwise. Only then lock the end face. Again, make sure that the headboards are exactly flush.
Angle
Press
Ready
Step 6: Follow steps 3 and 4 for the entire room. Cut the elements of the last row to fit again, with the expansion joint in mind.
Step 7: After installing the last plank, remove the spacer wedges.
Step 8: Now attach the skirting boards: You will find the right skirting board for every design in the HARO range. They are just as easy to fit as cork flooring. Read more: Skirting boards.
As our main range is uniformly equipped with Top Connect System, you can use the parquet installation video as a guide for the work steps.
Because the cork floor is already sealed and therefore "ready to live on", there is only one thing left for you to do immediately after installation: enjoy your new floor covering with all your feet.
For details on the vapour barrier, heating pipes and door transitions, please refer to the enclosed installation instructions or find out more on our HARO YouTube channel. The preparation and work steps are identical for all floors with Top Connect System.
Our tip for a harmonious result:
Take cork elements from alternating packages. This cancels out natural colour shifts caused by the material.
Laying cork flooring yourself - any questions?
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In which direction do I lay the floor covering?
Basically, it is up to your taste which direction you want to lay the floor. This is how you find out your desired direction: Before laying, place a few planks loosely in the room. The classic way is to lay the floor in the direction of the incidence of light. Orientate yourself on the largest source of light in the room. In the living room, for example, this would be the balcony or patio door.
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Are HARO cork floors suitable for full-surface gluing?
Our cork floors make life easy for you: We have developed them especially for floating installation. Full-surface gluing is not possible.
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Can I install HARO cork flooring on underfloor heating?
Yes, all designs are suitable for this. Underfloor heating additionally enhances the cosy warming effect of the natural material. And you save on heating costs. Because cork stores heat very well. Long after the underfloor heating has been switched off, the surface still feels comfortably warm. With cork, cold feet don't stand a chance.
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Can I also lay cork flooring over existing flooring?
If there is no other way (e.g. because of natural stone in the rented flat), you can do this. However, you usually don't know what is hiding under the old covering. Therefore, we recommend removing it. For a beautiful result, it is important that the subfloor is firm, clean, dry and even. This is especially true for carpets and other soft floor coverings.
Are you looking for a new cork floor? Here you can find out even more about its positive properties: the structure of cork flooring.
