A Photo Tour: Before and After - A Cork Floor Installation and Room Transformation

It was time to re-do this home's multi-purpose room and cork was selected as the flooring of choice. The room is pretty much the first room you see upon entering the home and with its ragged and stained carpet, it wasn't a pleasant welcome. Installing cork would ensure a clean, stylish look and by beveling the edges of the tiles, provide an additional pleasing visual. Cork also serves the multi-functional purpose of being a warm floor both in look as well as function. The honeycomb cellular structure of cork that is created from enclosed air cells makes cork a natural thermal and acoustic insulating material - created by nature.

Before: A multi-purpose room is ready for a make over.

The Transformation

After removing the carpet and prepping the room, the installation process began. To add an additional thermal and acoustic layer to the floor, QuietCork underlayment was installed first. This was followed by a plywood subfloor. The holes, seams and any imperfections on the subfloor must be patched with filler prior to installing the cork floor tiles.

QuietCork underlayment is installed over the original subfloor providing an additional acoustic and thermal insulative layer.

Plywood subfloor installed over the QuietCork layer.

Patching and filling the plywood subfloor. Making the subfloor smooth helps keep imperfections from "telegraphing" through to the cork tile.

Once the subfloor is complete, its time to start prepping for installation. As this is a glue-down cork floor tile, water-based contact cement is applied to both the back of the cork tiles as well as the subfloor. Once it dries, the tile and the floor adhere to each other.

Laying out the tiles and rolling contact cement on the backs of the tiles can be an easier process however be careful contact cement doesn't get on the front of the tiles.

Rolling contact cement onto the prepared subfloor.

Once the contact cement dries thoroughly on both surfaces, its time to install the cork floor tiles.

Once the contact cement is dry on both surfaces, its time to start installing the cork tiles.

The cork floor is installed! Note: This is an unfinished tile so there is still more work to be done.

Now that the floor is installed, its time to finish the floor. To seal and protect the floor, typically three coats are recommended. In this case, one coat of sealer was used followed by two coats of finish - a water-based polyurethane. 

Sealer is applied to the installed yet unfinished cork floor.

Once the sealer is dry, two additional coats of water-based polyurethane are applied.

The floor is finished!

Once the floor is finished and the polyurethane has dried, its time to furnish the room!

The room is finished!

What a transformation!!!

Cork Flooring: Jelinek Cork Flooring (glue-down). Pattern: Madrid. Extras: Custom beveled edges.

Jelinek Cork Flooring - A Photo Tour

Cork flooring adds so much to a room both in decor and function. Cork flooring looks beautiful and adds warmth to any room. With many patterns available, it blends perfectly with all interiors. Functionally, cork has many natural benefits. To list only a few, cork is sound absorbing and insulating, warm and comfortable under foot, easy to clean and maintain, durable and long lasting. Cork is also a fully sustainable, natural resource. To learn more about the many benefits of cork flooring, visit jelinek.com

Now on to the tour...

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Chestnut, Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Harmony. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Traditional Pebble. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Casablanca. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Corkstone. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Harmony Brown. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Harmony White. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Madrid. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Sierra. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

Jelinek Cork Flooring, pattern: Sierra Brown. Available in Glue Down Tiles and Floating Floor.

 
Note: Due to the natural characteristics of cork along with the variations in technology displays, the color of the tile may vary slightly from the image.

Cork Walls - A Natural, Sustainable Wall Covering

I remember growing up, sharing a room with my sibling and our giant cork wall. Yup - one of our walls was completely corked. It was awesome! We pinned up all our art work and many other "treasures" not worrying about putting holes all over the walls. This wall was dedicated to us and to whatever we wanted to pin onto it.

Now, having children of my own, I recognize the genius of corking an entire wall. The difference is there are now so many more choices. Yes - the standard cork roll would still work perfectly. This gives a beautiful, consistent, seamless look to the wall. It basically looks like a big bulletin board. Perfect in many instances.

Cork installed on a classroom wall helps with acoustics plus great for displaying student work.

Rolled cork installed directly on a wall.

Decorative cork wall tiles are another option and work wonderfully in any room of the house or office. You choose a pattern to match your tastes and decor. These wall tiles are available in three thicknesses depending on your needs. The thinnest cork wall tile (3mm thick) is not meant to hold pushpins, its primarily decorative. A fantastic alternative to wallpaper, paint or other wall coverings. The other two thicknesses are designed with pushpins in mind - acoustic wall tiles (1/2" thick) and tackboard wall tiles (1/4" thick). Remember cork is a fantastic insulator as well - naturally. It helps insulate against sound, temperature, vibrations.

Staggered thicknesses (acoustic and tackboard) of cork wall tiles are  installed on this tween bedroom wall.

Cork wall tiles help with acoustics while also being decorative in this basement tv room.

Cork wall tiles - decorative and functional.

Add an accent wall of cork to compliment your home decor.

 Other options include natural cork topped wall tiles. These individually hand produced wall tiles are produced from the first harvest of the fully renewable cork tree. The texture and warmth these tiles emit is amazing. Yes - you could use pushpins on these tiles or leave the tile completely undecorated as they are decor themselves. Actually all these cork tiles are decor and provide so many decorating ideas while remaining functional as well. You can see many options in cork wall and ceiling coverings at the corkstore.com or jelinek.com

Highlight a specific area of your space with a natural cork wall.

Natural cork topped wall tiles add texture and warmth.

Natural cork topped wall tiles - adding an attractive focal point to a wall.

  Questions? The friendly and knowledgeable support team at Jelinek Cork is happy to help.

Jelinek Cork Savannah works closely with students from Design for Ability.

Jelinek Cork Savannah works closely with students from Design for Ability. Design for Ability is a program that enables high school students from Chatham County in Georgia who may have special needs to learn job skills and give them a head start on building traits required by employers. The students who work with Jelinek have participated in assembling cork stoppers, packing and shipping product, and installing cork boards (such as shown in the pictures). 

Jelinek Cork Savannah: http://www.jelinek.com
Design for Ability: www.designforability.org

The Cork House: Specializing in cork & natural home design products & services.

Curious about cork and what it can do in your home? Come visit the Cork House in Oakville, Ontario and experience cork flooring, cork wall & ceiling coverings, even cork fabric first hand. If you are looking for a unique gift, the Cork House has it - cork jewelery, home decor items and more. The Cork House is not only a showroom for cork and cork products but also a historic home. In fact the building, built in 1816, is one of Halton region's oldest homes.

Interior at the Cork House. Items of cork are installed and displayed throughout the house.

Jelinek Cork Mosaic installed behind the sink in the Cork House.

The Cork House, specializing in cork & natural home design products and services is the official showroom for the Jelinek Cork Group. The Cork House places a strong emphasis on home decor including cork flooring, cork wall & ceiling coverings, cork fabrics for upholstery and more. The Cork House presents these products in a real-world situation providing ideas of how to integrate sustainability into your life. Along with cork products, the Cork House also offers installation services, painting and floor refinishing.
 

Jewelery, watches and other accessories made of cork on display and for sale at the Cork House.

Cutting table - we can custom cut cork rolls.

The cork wall tile sample area at the Cork House.

Furniture upholstered in cork fabric.

Ask questions and learn about cork - truly amazing, natural & sustainable.

The various rooms in the Cork House with cork decor.

Cork flooring is installed throughout the Cork House. Walk on it, feel it, experience it.

The Cork House - exterior.

Learn more about the Cork House at: www.corkhouse.com 

The Cork House
2441 Neyagawa Blvd.
Oakville, Ontario
Phone: 905-257-5588905-257-5588
 

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Korok Jelinek Annual Shareholders Meeting

Korok Jelinek, located in the Slovakian capital city of Bratislava, held their annual shareholders meeting this past November 2013.  Pictured are some of the Slovak staff led by managing director Vlado Krajci.  Jay Jelinek and Henry Jelinek represented North America,  and Jan Winkler and David Fajfer
representing Czech Republic and Portugal.

Jelinek Cork flooring -- the ultimate floor for yoga.

Jelinek Cork Flooring is the ultimate floor covering for a yoga studio. Cork, the bark of the cork oak tree, is a natural, sustainable, eco-friendly material. Many yoga studios and yoga enthusiasts find cork flooring the ideal surface on which to practice yoga. Jelinek Cork flooring allows for full body wellness and comfort. It is easily installed, easy to maintain, durable, and long lasting.

Jelinek Cork Flooring looks and performs wonderfully in a yoga studio.

A few of the many beneficial qualities of cork flooring include:

• Cork flooring is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal which is very beneficial in a barefoot environment.
• Cork flooring is durable and easy to maintain.
• Cork flooring is comfortable to stand, walk and pose on. It naturally provides a cushion with some give.
• Cork absorbs sound therefore helping with acoustics.
• Cork is a warmer floor as it naturally insulates against temperature.

Jelinek Cork Flooring - the ideal floor covering for a yoga studio.

On or off the mat, Jelinek Cork Flooring is a comfortable surface for yoga poses.

Jelinek Cork Flooring - warm & comfortable.