Installing a vida cork plank floor

Vida CorkTM planks feature the revolutionary Uniclic® system

Vida CorkTM planks feature the revolutionary Uniclic® system for installing flooring without using glue or nails (see paragraph below entitled "Gluing" for the option of using glue.) The tongue and groove edges click together, allowing fast, easy, problem-free installation, with no glue runout to clean up later. These planks work well in most rooms. However, don't install them in damp or steamy rooms, such as full bathrooms or locations with a sump pump or floor drain.

Subfloor preparation
The floor must be level and dry. Remove any existing carpet. You can leave most other flooring, including wood, tile, vinyl, linoleum, particleboard and plywood. Allow new concrete floors to cure for at least 60 days. Concrete floors, especially those on or below grade, should be tested for moisture emission. This can be done using a calcium chloride test kit* or an electronic test instrument owned by most professional flooring contractors. An ideal figure is one of less than 3 pounds per 1000 square feet in 24 hours.

Vida CorkTM planks are not designed to bridge low spots or ridges. If flooring heights vary by more than 3/16-inch per 10 feet, apply a concrete-based floor leveling compound and allow it to dry thoroughly. (Figure 1). The moisture content of the topping must be less than 2 percent when you install the planks.

If you are installing the planks over concrete (new or old, even if covered with vinyl or other flooring), install a moisture barrier before proceeding. (Figure 2). A 6 mil polyethylene plastic can be used or, any foam underlayment not exceeding 2mm in thickness. Overlap sheets by 8 inches and tape seams, using a moisture resistant tape. Turn up edges of moisture barrier along walls. After floor installation, install base molding to cover moisture barrier.

At least 48 hours before installation, turn on heating or air conditioning so the room is 65 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with relative humidity of 45 to 65 percent. (If you have in-floor radiant heat, see requirements below.) Set unopened packages of Vida Cork™ planks flat in the middle of the room. This allows the planks to gradually adjust to the room’s temperature and humidity. Don’t reduce heat below 65 degrees until installation is complete.

Planning the installation

Vida CorkTM planks create what is called a "floating floor". The cork is not attached to walls or to the subfloor. Instead, individual planks click together and expand or contract as one unit when temperature and humidity shift. You must provide expansion gaps of at least 7/16 inch around the perimeter of the room to allow this natural—and inevitable—movement to occur. (You can use scrap pieces of the plank flooring on edge to establish the required gaps):
at the perimeter of the room and around fixed objects, i.e. pipes.
at doorways where flooring extends from one room to the next.
within any expanse greater than 33 feet in the planks' lengthwise direction or 26 feet in their crosswise orientation.
over any existing expansion gaps in the subfloor.
various transition profiles are available from Vida CorkTM dealers throughout the US, including Environmental Home Center.
Measure the room and decide which direction you want planks to run. Then determine the number of inches that won’t be filled with whole planks. If partial planks are shorter than 12 inches or narrower than 2 inches in the final row, trim planks in the first row so that you can increase the size of pieces in the final row. It usually looks best to balance the edge pieces by making them approximately the same size on both sides of the room.

Radiant heating

Vida CorkTM planks can be used over in-floor radiant heating set to a maximum of 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but slight gaps may appear at edges. Use a humidifier, dehumidifier or an air conditioner, as needed, so relative humidity in the room stays fairly constant, 55 to 65 percent at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tools and Supplies

Necessary

Saws (jig and circular)
Straight edge
Measuring tape
Vida CorkTM tapping block & pull bar*
Hammer
Spacer blocks

Optional

Titebond II Wood Glue*
OSMO Liquid Wax Cleaner*
OSMO Wash and Care*
Foam underlayment
Moisture resistant tape for underlayment
OSMO Transition Profiles*