Installer/Owner Responsibility

Cork floors are a product of nature and therefore, not perfect. The defects may be of a manufacturing or natural type. The Installer assumes all responsibility for final inspection of product quality. Carefully examine flooring for color, finish and quality before installing. If material is not acceptable, do not install it and contact the seller immediately. WE Cork recommends selecting planks from various cartons during installation to maintain natural color and pattern variation. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight as it will cause fading.

Click Here to view our Floating Floor Installation Guide Video

Recommendations

Prior to installation of any wood-flooring product, the installer must determine that the job site environment and the sub surfaces involved meet or exceed all applicable standards and recommendations of the construction and materials industries. These instructions recommend that the construction and sub floor be dry, stiff and flat, within 3/16″ in 10′ and 1/8″ in 6′. Use a quick drying mortar based leveler if necessary.

WE Cork glueless floating floors can be installed over existing pvc or vinyl. Carpeting must be removed. WE Cork recommends the use of 6mil polyethylene sheeting as a vapor barrier under all installations. Polyethylene sheets should overlap 8″ at the seams, run 3″ up the wall, and sheets should be taped together. Use of foam underlayments or soft pad is not recommended under WE Cork glueless floating floors.

Always leave a 3/8″ space between flooring and perimeter walls and fixtures. Floors exceeding 30′ in length and or width will require an expansion joint.

The floor should be allowed to contract and expand therefore, finish moldings; trims and thresholds should never be attached to the floor itself.

Installation of WE Cork glueless floating floors is not recommend in bathrooms or any areas with high moisture concentration.

Tools and Material

Mallet, wood block, ruler, saw with finish blade, measuring tape, 3/8″ wedges, crowbar

In-Floor Radiant Heating

WE Cork Glueless Floating Floors are suitable for use with underfloor heating. It should be pointed out that the flooring installed over in floor heating may gain moisture or dry out faster. Use of a humidifier is suggested. The surface temperature of the floor should not exceed 85 degrees fahrenheit. In floor heat should be allowed to run 5-6 days before installation regardless of the season.

Floor Installation

1. Place 6 mil polyethylene sheets on subfloor. Overlap seams 8″ and tape. Run up the wall 3″.
2. Start installation in corner of longest perimeter wall using 3/8″ wedges to keep the floor 3/8″ from the wall. You may install left to right or right to left. Before installing measure length of room to insure that the last plank installed is not less than 12″. If it is, the first plank installed should be shortened to guarantee overall stability.
3. Begin placing of the panels by installing the “tongue” side facing the wall. Continue by installing next plank at short side inserting tongue side into groove side at a 45 degree angle gently moving opposite end of plank slightly up and down pressing gently. Allow floor to lay flat and use tapping block, placed flat on floor, to gently tap floor together. Once the planks have clicked together, DO NOT TAP THEM AGAIN, as this can cause the joint to be too tight and result in peaking. (Cork flooring is resilient by nature, to much pressure at the seams contributes to the peaking. Should this happen gently remove the plank and reinstall) Never hammer directly on the panel. Close the joint on the last panel of the row using a crowbar.
4. On remaining rows, if the cut off piece from previous row is longer than 12″ it can be used to start the next row. End joints between adjacent rows should always be staggered by at least 12″. Position the long side of the plank to be installed at a 45 degree angle to the plank already installed. Lift plank gently slightly up and down and press lightly on grooved side. Close the joints by tapping together gently (as described above) until floor clicks into place.
5. On the last row, it is usually required for the planks to be cut lengthwise. Measure each plank at several places along the length for a proper fit. Be sure to leave 3/8″ expansion space. Mark and cut. Install last panel, adjusting it with the help of a crowbar.
6. Remove wedges and cover perimeter gaps with a baseboard. Never attach the finish moldings, trims or thresholds to floor.

Protection

Protect floor from scratching and denting by using felt gliders beneath furniture. At points where there will be a lot of heavily centered wear (i.e., in front of desks, entrance door, etc) a protective matt must be put down to protect the floor surface. Avoid rubber backed or other non-ventilated mats or rugs.

Spills should be wiped up immediately

Never apply tape or other adhesive products directly to the finish.

Sweep or vacuum floor frequently to avoid buildup of abrasive material.

Clean the floor with Bona wood floor cleaner following the instructions on the bottle. (Avoid use of excess water on floor)

Occasionally Bona wood floor refresher may be used to rejuvenate the finish.

Products containing wax should never be used on urethane-finished floors.

Floating floors are made of thin veneer laminated to a cork base. How long the finish lasts is directly related to the traffic level and quality of the floor care. It is the responsibility of the owner to determine when the floor needs recoating. When the floor exhibits sign of wear it is time to renew the finish. WE Cork recommends recoating with Bona Traffic. This will make the floor look new again and prolong its lifespan. WE Cork recommends following the finish manufacturers guidelines.

Avant-Garde Collection with Greenshield™

Classic Collection with Greenshield™

Timeless Collection with Greensheild™

Eco-Nomical Series with Greenshield™

Full Lifetime Structural Integrity Warranty

WE Cork warrants, to the original purchaser, that its products, in their original manufactured condition, to be free from manufacturing defects in milling, dimensions, and grade for the lifetime of the floor for residential use (5 year limited commercial use**). Structural integrity does not cover normal expansion and contraction that cork floors may experience between boards at different times of the year. If minor separations do occur, they are not covered by this warranty. Cupping or crowning due to excessive moisture or humidity is not covered by this warranty.

Wear Layer Warranty*

WE Cork warrants, to the original purchaser, that its surface wear layer will not wear through or separate from the wood for 20 full years for residential use (5 year limited commercial use**), from the original date of purchase, on all prefinished products in the Classic Collection with Greenshield™, Avant-Garde Collection, Timeless Collection and Eco-Nomical Series when used in normal residential traffic conditions.

* WE Cork recommends using BonaKemi wood floor products or equivalent there of. The use of other products not formulated for wax or urethane finished wood floors may damage your floor and void the warranty.

WE CORK WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS

The patterns and color variation created in a living tree are like that of nature – never repeated. Naturally occurring wood characteristics such as mineral streaks, and variation in grain and color, are not considered defects. Your newly installed floors will vary from samples or pictures shown, this variation is not covered by our warranty. Also, age, character and exposure to sunlight may keep new or replacement flooring from matching existing flooring samples. Because cork flooring is a natural product, it may lighten due to the effects of sunlight and/or Ultraviolet light and these changes are not covered by our warranty. Area rugs should be moved occasionally as they block sunlight and may give the appearance of discoloring under the rug. This is not a product defect.

WE Cork warranties exclude indentations, scratches, or damages caused by misuse, negligence, accidents, fire, erosion, pets, spiked heel shoes, pebbles, sand, other abrasives, failure to follow all manufacturer’s specific written installation instructions, lack of proper maintenance, insufficient protection on furniture, and misuse or improper alterations of the original manufactured product. Damage due to water and/or moisture, including, but not limited to damage resulting from broken or leaking pipes, wet mopping, weather conditions or natural disasters, is excluded from WE Cork warranties.

Gloss reduction is not considered surface wear; therefore it is not covered under this warranty.

This warranty does not cover:

1. Labor or other expenses involved with the replacement.
2. Merchandise, which has been damaged through transportation.
3. Defects, which are not related to the manufacturing process.
4. Problems caused after the installation through inferiority of the substrate or infiltration of water from below or above.
5. Ignorance of our, and the adhesive manufacturer’s, installation instructions.
6. Installed merchandise which was visibly defective or not acceptable as specified above.
7. Verbal promises by our personnel. Only written commitments signed by authorized employees are valid.

This writing is the complete and exclusive statement of warranty, and is in lieu of all other expressed and/or statutory warranties. WE Cork assumes no liability for incidental or consequential damages. However, some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you. This warranty gives specific legal rights and you may have other rights as they vary from state to state.

*THIS WARRANTY APPLIES TO THE AVANT-GARDE AND CLASSIC COLLECTION WITH GREENSHIELD PURCHASED AFTER JANUARY 2006.

**EXAMPLES OF LIGHT COMMERCIAL USE: HOTEL ROOMS, SMALL OFFICES & CONFERENCE ROOMS

CLAIMS INFORMATION

In the unlikely event that any portion of your WE Cork floor should fail with respect of the provisions of the warranties, WE Cork, Inc., at its sole option, to the original purchaser will repair, refinish, or replace such portion, at no cost to you, with the same product of equal value. In the unlikely event that WE Cork is not able to correct the failure after a reasonable number of attempts, WE Cork will refund, if requested, the purchase price for that portion of the floor that fails.

To file a claim, first contact the WE Cork retailer where the original purchase was made. If the retailer is unable to satisfy the claim, contact in writing, WE Cork, Inc, 16 Kingston Road, Unit 6, Exeter, NH 03833, Attn: Claims Department. The owner must notify WE Cork or its agent within thirty (30) days after discovering the nonconformity. Claims must be filed within the warranty coverage period. The owner must give WE Cork a reasonable opportunity to examine the claimed nonconformity before undertaking any repairs, removal or replacement. The owner must present the original invoice, bill or other proof of the date of purchase. Compliance with the requirements of this paragraph is a condition to coverage under the Warranty: if these requirements are not complied with, WE Cork will have no obligation to remedy any non-conformities.