Parquet Flooring | This how to guide is designed for the intermediate do-it-yourselfer. If you’re a beginner in this technique it’s recommended that you find another how-to guide or visit our website for a more detailed guided; which is available at the end of this article. However, if this is something you’re a bit familiar with then this guide will suit you just fine. It’s suggested you read this entire guide before you do any of the steps listed. So, if you’re ready to get started and install cork parquet tile flooring yourself then continue below.
Step One: Prepare Subfloor for Tiles
The first step is to make sure you prepare your sub floor properly. You’ll need to make sure the sub floor is clean and level. Any low spots in your sub floor can be filled with the appropriate filler. Any high spots should be sanded down with care; you don’t want to then have to fill it in because you sanded it down too much. A level will aid you in this quite well.
Step Two: Apply Primer to the Subfloor
Regardless of what type of subfloor you have you’ll need to use a primer. You’ll need a paint tray (unused) and a paint roller. You will use the paint tray to hold the primer and the paint roller to apply it. Using the manufacturers guide regarding working in proper temperature and humidity the primer should dry in about 30 to 40 minutes. Remember, your primer must be completely dry before you apply the adhesive.
Suggestion: It’s a good idea to use a primer specially designed for cork floor tiles or any primer provided with the cork floor itself.
Step Three: Apply the Adhesive to the Subfloor
The next step is to apply the adhesive to the subfloor. You’ll need a fresh and clean paint tray and paint roller. The trick is to only do about 50 square feet at a time. You’ll want to apply a (thin) coat on your 50 foot square area. A uniform glossy film will tell you you’ve used the correct amount of adhesive, using too much will result in lumps. DO NOT step onto or place anything on the adhesive until it’s dry; use the manufactures guidelines to determine the length of time needed. Once dry that 50 foot area tiles must be installed within an hour. You NEVER want to lay tiles on wet adhesive.
Step Four: Lay the Cork Parquet Tiles
IMPORTANT: It’s suggested that you leave your cork parquet tiles in the area of installation out of the box for a minimum of 72 hours. This allows the cork parquet tiles to adjust to the temperature and humidity of the area and prevent warping and cracking.
When placing your tiles you’ll want to use a standard laying pattern, if you don’t have one you can Google “standard floor laying patterns” and choose one to your liking. Make sure when laying the cork parquet tiles that you mix the tiles from different cartons. This will help maintain a natural color and keep pattern variation alive. Make sure to keep about one forth an inch expansion space between your tiles and the walls.
Step Five: Roll the Cork Parquet Tiles
As each tile is laid it should be rolled over with a mini roller usually one should be supplied with your order. After installation is complete you must then use a 100-pound 3 part floor roller and roll the entire floor several times from several directions. After sitting for about 12 hours you should then repeat this process. After completing the rolling you should avoid walking on the floor for 24 hours.
