Cork Flooring Care – Care for your floor and it will return the favor, many times over

Despite its hardiness and ability to withstand just about anything you can throw at it, your cork flooring needs to be looked after in order to preserve its finish and overall attractiveness. Taking care of your floor with some easy to follow steps will ensure that it retains its usefulness and beauty for many years to come.  

Regularly spend a little time on some light cleaning of your cork floors surface. This can be done with a light dust mop. A vacuum cleaner can also be used but preferably one without a beater brush. Wet cleaning is not advised, however a very slightly damp mop can be used so long as the moisture from it is light enough to quickly evaporate and therefore not settle on the floors surface.

Take care not to drag furniture across the floor as this may cause deep gouge marks, or irreparable damage in extreme cases which may be cause to replace the floor prematurely. 

Use felt protectors on the feet of furniture items to cushion the contact between heavy items and the floors surface. This will also help lessen any damage that may be caused by the small movements caused through the day to day use of seating and tables, etc. Use felt/fabric backed caster cups or floor protectors under furniture with casters.

Dirt brought in on shoes can be extremely damaging over time as it will slowly wear away at the surface of the floor and eventually  penetrate it. Try to eliminate the possibility of dirt and grit coming into contact with the surface of the floor by placing wipe mats at the entrances to your home or by the doorways leading to the area that is covered with your cork floor.

On a floor with very heavy foot traffic you may want to invest in an area rug to slow down the rate of wear. Be sure to choose a rug that is suitable for use with wooden or cork type flooring. Rugs that are rubber or foam backed may inhibit ventilation and cause fading or discoloration of the cork and should therefore be avoided.

Most types of cork flooring will need to be refinished at some time, the exact time of which will depend on the level of foot traffic that it is subjected to. It is important to refinish before the original coating has worn through to the bare cork. Always seek professional help to carry out the refinishing process.

Keep the suns rays at bay to ensure your cork floor doesn't fade away!

If your cork floor is frequently exposed to direct sunlight it will eventually start to fade. Always try to shield it from the suns rays by using net curtains, blinds or screens on windows or skylights. 

You may want to reposition your rugs and furniture periodically. This will ensure that the floor wears evenly and also that any natural change in color is even across the entire floor.

You should immediately clean up liquid spills. If they are left they will seep into your floor and cause deep staining which may be impossible to get rid of.

If you live in an area that experiences extremes of high and low humidity, you may want to install a humidifier to maintain the humidity at a constant level. This will help stop the floor from expanding or contracting which, at its severest, may cause buckling or unsightly gaps between the flooring planks or tiles.

As a final note it ought to be pointed out that care of a cork floor should start before you have even laid it in place. Cork floors that have been poorly installed will often succumb to problems sooner than those that haven't. Therefore it is imperative that the install is carried out as per the manufacturers instructions as this will probably be one of the biggest factors in determining the longevity of your floor.

So there you have it! By spending a little time looking after your cork flooring you can be sure that it continues to look its best and that the need for major maintenance will be virtually eliminated.

Thinking of buying a cork floor? First see our buying guide.