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Cork Care & Expectations

Basic Care and Maintenance requires little more than sweeping and vacuuming the floor. You can also use an anti-static cloth which will clean the dust and prevent it from settling on the floor. A slightly damp mop can be used for cleaning but do not pour water directly onto the floor. A hardwood floor spray cleaner can also be used on your cork flooring.

PREVENTATIVE CARE:

    • Ideal and Healthy room conditions are 35-65% R.H. at 20˚ C
    • When using intensive room heating, the indoor air humidity may drop so low that the floor is prone to dry out
    • As cork and wood are a natural material, intensive heat may cause shrinkage of the tiles that will result in minor gaps in the flooring joints – use a room humidifier to prevent this.
    • Cork as a natural material will tend to fade when exposed to sunlight – use blinds, curtains or other sun-screening systems to minimize this effect. This is no different than other hard-surface flooring. It is the cork itself that tends to fade and not the surface finish
    • Use felt pads on chair and furniture legs
    • Avoid moisture on the floor. Do not pour water directly onto the floor surface.
    • Regularly vacuum, sweep or mop the floor area
    • Never use wire brushes
    • Never use cleaning products with abrasive ingredients or that are solvent based
    • Do not use latex or rubber backed mats, as they can permanently discolour the floor
    • Always clean your cork floors periodically with Wicanders cleaning and maintenance products

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR NEW CORK FLOOR

    • Cork is a natural product, NOT ALL boards are the same colour
    • Cork is a natural product and will fade to a certain degree of sunlight, darker stained colours will not fade as badly.
    • Cork, like all natural flooring products, can gap in the winter and in the summer it can expand, as such a constant relative humidity between 30 and 60% should be maintained to minimize possible gapping.

WHY CORK?

    • Cork is soft, warm and very comfortable. It also adds texture to the room.
    • It is durable, hypo-allergenic, and very environmentally friendly
    • TORLYS Cork is now available in 50 designer patterns suitable for anyone and any room
    • Cork has been used for centuries and is one of the most beautiful, most sensuous flooring materials available today.

HUMIDITY IN SASKATCHEWAN

It is very important to understand that because we live in an environment that’s subject to us to 30 degrees below in the winter to 30 degrees above in the summer, humidity is almost impossible to manage.

Your flooring is installed at a certain humidity when the temperatures drop or increase, your may gap in the dry and low humidity times and peak in the high humidity times. When humidity levels are low, it is not as easy to just turn a humidifier up and expect your levels to jump up by 10 degrees. What you’ll see happen is your windows will sweat and ice will build up on your windows, the interior of your house simply won’t handle that at once. You can, however, increase moisture slowly at a time. There is not an exact science to humidity, therefore when purchasing your wood, you must expect the gapping and peaking are inherent in wood in our area. Wood flooring IS expected to shrink and expand.

Grainier type wood, like oaks, will show fewer problems that solid maples or dark exotic products. Engineered wood is more structurally sound four our environment, and should be considered.

The above comment concerning humidity relates to Cork flooring

Cork & Leather

Cork is a flooring that surpasses other types of flooring when it comes to comfort, design, warmth and ease of installation. Cork flooring comes in a variety of different colors and formats.

E.T. Flooring & Design
305 A 38th St E,
Prince Albert, SK, S6W 1A5
Telephone 306-763-2424
E-mail: info@etflooringdesign.com
Fax: 306-953-8284

Store Hours

Monday 08:30 AM – 05:30 PM
Tuesday 08:30 AM – 05:30 PM
Wednesday 08:30 AM – 05:30 PM
Thursday 08:30 AM – 05:30 PM
Friday 08:30 AM – 05:30 PM
Saturday 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Sunday Closed