Welcome Back to Nik-Cre, for my first project!

There is nothing like walking on a concrete floor! I say this because my Living room was concrete when I moved in, and it was not practical.

Research

I began researching flooring months before I moved in. I too, like most wanted hardwood floors, but they are costly. As I searched website upon website, Homebase, B&Q, and Wickes; eventually I came across Cork flooring. Back then when Cork came to mind, I would think of a topping for wine bottles; but I was rather impressed with what I saw.

Cork is a naturally sustainable material made from tree bark, harvested in Spain and Portugal. It is also a great insulator and Hyperallergic. Cork became my alternative to hardwood flooring due to how environmentally friendly it is, affordable, and that I could install it myself.

Sourcing materials

I decided to go with a rich dark Mocca Cork (brand Nicoline.) I purchased these from Amazon £8.99 for a pack of 9 tiles, 300mm by 300mm; 3mm thick. Read the packet instructions before installing the Cork, as explains clearly how to prep the Cork. I ordered 17 packs for my living room, but I didn’t use all of them. In terms of adhesive, I went for 6 tubs of Parquet and Cork Adhesive by Wickes, £9.99 per tub. For the perfect sheen, I chose a basic varnish from Wilko; clear gloss £9.00 per tin. I bought my first power tool from B&Q, which is the beautiful multi-purpose Mac Allister Sander  £30.00. If you’re going to try this at home, I would also advise you purchase a steel rule, Stanley knife, pencil, dishcloth, wood filler and a rubber mallet.

 Installation 

To prepare the concrete, I started by sanding to make sure the floor was even and filled any cracks or gaps with wood filler. Most people would recommend that you sub-floor with plywood, but I decided not to as I found a recommendation that said you can use concrete as a sub-floor as well. Once the floor is levelled and filled, you’ll need to vacuum until all the dust is gone. As you can see my room got pretty dusty.

Sub-floor

Early stages

Once all the dust has been extracted, you can start laying down the tiles. With tiling, it is always said to start in the middle of the room ( don’t tell anyone but I didn’t measure to check the centre of my room.) Use the spatula that comes with the Parquet to apply the adhesive to the floor. You’ll want to use the damp dishcloth to clean adhesive, where it bleeds through the joins. Where tiles are stubborn and won’t sit flat, use the mallet to apply pressure. The Stanley knife and steel rule become handy when you get to the edges of the room and you need to cut tiles down. Don’t be too rough when cutting the Cork as it will tear or break.

When you have tiled the whole room leave it for 24 hours so the adhesive dries well. When dry, the Cork will need to be sanded, sand until you have a smooth even surface. Again all the dust will need to be vacuumed before varnishing the floor. I used 2.5 tins to varnish my floor. It is recommended that you give the floor 7 days to dry before laying down furniture.

I’m not sure if I have converted you to love Cork flooring, but I sure do. Check out the close ups of my Cork work. I look forward to seeing you next time, on my Upcycling project. Join me on this journey as I ‘make life- rooms, into living rooms.’

Nik-Cre

The stairs used to have a beige lino

I pulled the lino up, to prep before laying with Cork

My new stair case

View from the top of staircase