Floating Cork Tiles – Usage & Options | Blog

Cork floating floors come in both plank and tile format. Floating tiles serve as an excellent alternative when glue-down tiles are neither practical nor preferred for an install. Cork tiles with natural cork and stone visuals are available with our Uniclic floating system, making for easy installation. This article reviews the floating cork tile patterns available, and offers a comparison to our glue-down tiles.

Reanaissance Earth, Timeless Collection – Floating Cork Tiles

Choosing Floating vs Glue-Down Tiles

Various factors come into play when choosing floating or glue-down tiles. Beyond style preference, key considerations include application, specification, and installation:

• Application
  Where the tiles will be installed is the first consideration, especially when it comes to basements and full bathrooms. Floating tiles are recommended for basements, whereas glue-down tiles are recommended for full bathrooms. The basic rule of thumb is that floating tiles work better when moisture could be seeping up from below the floor, whereas glue-down tiles work better where moisture could be spilling down from above.
  
  Why is this the case? If basements are not properly sealed, moisture could seep up and potentially loosen the adhesive for glue-down tiles. On the other hand, spilled liquid could permeate between floating tiles and potentially damage the eucalyptus HDF clicking core layer. For other applications, see Choosing the Best Cork Flooring.
  
  
• Specification
  Although our glue-down tiles are 3/16″ thickness, they are solid cork. The floating tiles have a 7/16″ thickness, but that consists of a decorative cork top layer, an HDF core, and a cork backer. WE Cork glue-down tiles are finished with Greenshield or come unfinished, whereas floating tiles are finished with Greenshield or with our patented hot coating. Variables such as these affect performance and warranty, and should be considered when selecting.
  
  Compare additional specifications for our glue-down cork tiles (Classic Collection) vs our floating cork tiles (Timeless and Serenity Collections).
  
  
• Installation
  Floating or glue-down floors are both common in residential use, and selection depends on the the rooms being installed and skill of the installer. Floating tiles are easier to install, as they have a glue-less Uniclc locking system. Watch our cork flooring installation videos to compare.
  
  Although glue-down tiles are more common for commercial applications, AC5 rated Serenity floating floors can be used for smaller commercial applications such as churches, libraries, educational buildings and hotels. However, since floating floors require expansion joints every 30 ft, this may not be a desired design element for larger commercial applications.

Floating Cork Tile Options

Once the choice for floating tiles has been made, then next decision will be choosing between our Timeless Collection and Serenity Collection. Both collections feature the industry-preferred Uniclic locking system and have a 7/16″ tile thickness, but the chart below compares other variables:

CORK TILE COMPARISON – WE CORK FLOATING FLOORS

Sandstorm, Serenity Collection – Floating Cork Tiles

Getting Started with Floating Cork Tiles

Visit our downloads page for installation, maintenance, and safety info for the floating tile collections mentioned above. Feel free to also contact WE Cork for additional questions. To get 6″ or 12″ samples for any of our floating cork tiles, use the individual links in the chart above or shop our shop our sample store using the button below.