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Eco Cork Foam Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors

Eco Cork Foam is the natural choice underlayment for all laminate and engineered wood floors. It is designed for multi-level dwellings, above and below grade and to meet building code with a 6mil vapour barrier. Acoustically, Eco Cork Foam offers a life-time of absorption and deflection of sound, noise and vibration with industry leading IIC 71 and STC 67 ratings. It adjusts to minor floor imperfections, conforms to floor settling and shifting, helps protect tongue and groove connection and helps reduce stress-crack noise. The exclusive blending of natural cork granules with virgin polyethylene to produce Eco Cork Foam creates total protection, from cushioning support to moisture management along with a natural resistance to mould, bacteria, mildew and odours.
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36 Answers
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Questions & Answers for Eco Cork Foam Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors

Question
Can I use this directly on my basement floor, or do I need a subfloor ?
I have a concrete basement floor. Previously had carpet with foam underlay, no subfloor. It is now removed, I want to install laminate or engineered hardwood. Can I install this Eco Cork direct to the basement floor like the old foam underlay, or do I need a subfloor ?
asked 1 year, 11 months ago
by
Anonymous
 - Stittsville
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
2 answers
Answers
answer 1
You can install Eco Cork Foam directly onto the concrete floor. Moisture vapour barrier facing up.

Note that you should check your concrete floor for moisture and ph level.
If you have cracks on the concrete this needs to be fixed.

If you do have concerns of moisture coming through the concrete floor than a subfloor is the best practise - check Dri-Core an excellent product in forming a subfloor. If you do use such a product than the Eco Cork Foam moisture vapour barrier needs to be installed facing up.
answered 1 year, 3 months ago
by
JobOne
answer 2
Yes it can be directly applied on your basement floor, and would not need a subfloor. Hope this helps.
Staff Answer
answered 1 year, 7 months ago
by
Zeee
Question
I have a concrete main floor. Previously had carpet with foam underlay, no subfloor. I want to remove rug.
I would like to install engineered hardwood. What do you suggest. A definate moisture barrier required as there was none installed initially.

Thanks,
asked 1 year, 10 months ago
by
Anonymous
 - Richmond Hill
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
2 answers
Answers
answer 1
It is a misconception that a mositure barrier is not reqquired above grade on concrete subfloors. All subfloors that are concrete whether below grade, on a main floor including high-rises (condominiums) in all floor levels requries a moisture barrier. All concrete subfloors have moisture and Ph factores to consider so it is highly recommended to have the subfloor tested for moisture and PH levels prior to installing any type of flooring to make sure it does not exceed the flooring covering mfg specific quidlines. You will notice that most lamiante and engineered flooring manufacturers recommend and or require a true moisture vapour barrier to uphold thier warranties on concrete.
It is most important that the mositure vapour barrier meets the National Sandards of Canada (CAN/CGSB-51.34-M86) in specific thickness and construction - such as the barrier that comes with Eco Cork Foam. When using building materials in your home that meet building code standards you will enjoy the comfort of knowing that any potential home insurance claims will be better covered.
As a footnote, never install a secondary mositure vapour barrier underneath or on top of an underlayment with a plastic film sheeting of any thickness as it can casue mosture in between the two plastic sheets.
answered 1 year, 7 months ago
by
JobOne
answer 2
If it is on the main floor then there is no need for a moisture barrier. However just to be on the safe side, try doing a moisture test to see if there is moisture on that floor and if there is then I recommend using a barrier then. Hope this helps.
Staff Answer
answered 1 year, 8 months ago
by
Zeee
Question
why is not recommanded for hardwood floor?
asked 1 year, 7 months ago
by
Anonymous
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
2 answers
Answers
answer 1
In fact Eco Cork Foam can be used with hardwood floors and many contactors have done so.
What is needed is the correct nail lengths to reflect the needs of the thickness of the wood floors and Eco Cork Foam's 3.2mm thickness. Nails are preferred over staples.
answered 1 year, 5 months ago
by
JobOne
answer 2
Usually underlayment is not put for hardwood instead either rosin paper or felt paper is put when installing hardwood flooring. Hope this helps.
Staff Answer
answered 1 year, 6 months ago
by
Zeee
Question
should eco cork foam be glued down on a concrete sub floor?
asked 1 year, 6 months ago
by
Anonymous
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
2 answers
Answers
answer 1
It is not necesaary to glue-down Eco Cork Foam to a concrete sub-floor. If you decide to do so, alwasy install with the mositure vapour barrier facing down, the sub-floor. Also, use the correct glue which is avialble at Home Depot Canada and make sure to follow glue instructions - allowing glue to breath (become tacky) before installing underlayment.
answered 1 year, 4 months ago
by
JobOne
answer 2
Eco Cork foam can be glued down to concrete floors. Concrete floors must be completely try, free of any mould and entirely smooth.
Make sure that the flooring being installed is glue-approved.
Recommend Roberts 1708 glue which is available at Home Depot.
Carefully follow gluing instructions on glue label, making sure that you allow the glue to breath until it becomes tacky before laying down underlayment. For do it yourself installs, suggest that you test glue thickness with a small 2" x 2" Eco Cork Foam sample.
You can also apply the same glue on the top cork-foam membrane if you wish to glue flooring system to Eco Cork Foam.
answered 1 year, 5 months ago
by
JobOne
Question
Eco Cork Foam as insulation on fiberglass
I'm thinking of using the Eco Cork Foam as an insulation inside a fiberglass camping trailer.
What is the R value of it? Can it be glued to fiberglass? Can it be painted over?
asked 1 year, 4 months ago
by
Anonymous
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
2 answers
Answers
answer 1
The package claims an R-value of 3.1. This is an utter fabrication.
Cork has an R-value of between 3 to 3.6 or so per INCH. Eco Cork Foam is 1/8" thick. That means its effective R-value is more like R 0.4. I suppose they were saving ink in printing the package (and electrons in the website) and left out the fact that the R-value is 3.1 "per inch of thickness". Note I am using U.S. customary units here. If we were using SI units, the R-value would be about six times smaller.
For Eco Cork Foam to actually have an R-value of 3.1, its material would need to have an R-value rating of 24.8 per inch. To give a comparison, EPS foam has R-value of about 4 per inch, silica aerogel is about R10 per inch, and only vacuum insulated panels have effective R-value of 30 to 50 per inch.
answered 6 months ago
by
WingmanL
 - Vancouver, BC
answer 2
Eco Cork Foam has a 3.8 R value.
A strong high-grade contact cement should do the job although make certain that the glue is rated for outdoors. Look into marine contact glues and suggest you try gluing a sample of eco cork foam before commencing with the entire project.
Regarding painting, do not paint the plastic 6mil barrier as it would need a special primer.
Painting the cork/foam membrane can work but again check into marine paints because of your particular application.
answered 1 year, 3 months ago
by
JobOne
Question
Can we use two layers of Eco Cork Foam to improve the accosutic performance?
asked 1 year, 4 months ago
by
solios
 - Montreal
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
2 answers
Answers
answer 1
The manufacturer's instructions in the package suggest not to do this. The reason is because the Eco Cork Foam product has a vapour barrier bonded to one side. With 2 layers, you'd end up with at least one layer of cork trapped between 2 layers of plastic. This will likely lead to rotting of the cork over time, as you'd end up with moisture trapped there.
Putting the 2 layers of cork outside isn't any better, as you want the plastic towards the wood flooring.
If you're looking for better acoustic performance, you'd be better off adding a thicker built-up subfloor (plywood & something dense like XPS).
answered 6 months ago
by
WingmanL
 - Vancouver, BC
answer 2
It is not recommended to use two layers of Eco Cork Foam because the 6 mil mositure vapour barrier can create moisture between the two.

Note that any 2 layers of poly (plasstic) films of any thickness will create mositure between the layers and should never be used/installed.
answered 1 year, 3 months ago
by
JobOne
Question
should i tape the foam pieces together?
i'm installing on a basement cement floor, should i duct tape them together?
asked 1 year ago
by
Anonymous
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
2 answers
Answers
answer 1
There is no need to duct tape them together. Lay it foam side down with the plastic vapour barrier up. But the two strips together, remove the paper from the self adhesive strip and fold over the vapour barrier flap from the previous strip, Once the laminate covers the seam, your vapour barrier will be air tight.
answered 5 months ago
by
HJM1
 - Kamloops, BC
answer 2
It is better to use red sheathing tuck tape (http://www.homedepot.ca/product/red-sheathing-housewrap-tape-60-millimetres-wide-and-50-metres-long/951143). Do not use duct tape, as duct tape deteriorates relatively quickly.
Although this product conveniently has an adhesive flap on one (long) edge, if you are butting 2 pieces together (rather than using 1 long piece running the entire length of the room from one wall to the opposite), you will need to tape the short edges together in order to preserve the integrity of the vapor barrier as well as to keep the ends from flipping up at the join.
I've seen pros both recommend as well as not bother to tape the edges to the walls. I ended up doing so for my slab-on-grade installation, just to be paranoid, and as well to help keep the underlayment down while I was putting down the floor. Concrete is very porous to water vapour.
answered 6 months ago
by
WingmanL
 - Vancouver, BC
Question
How many square feet does a roll of eco foam core underlayment cover?
How many square feet does a roll of eco foam core underlayment cover?
asked 2 years, 2 months ago
by
Anonymous
 - London
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
1 answer
Answers
answer 1
This roll of underlay is 50 sq.ft, with the dimensions of 20'L x 30"W. I hope this helps.
Staff Answer
answered 2 years, 2 months ago
by
OnlineAssociate
Question
What area ) sq ft?) does each roll cover?
asked 2 years, 1 month ago
by
Anonymous
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
1 answer
Answers
answer 1
This roll of underlay is 50 sq.ft, with the dimensions of 20'L x 30"W. I hope this helps.
Staff Answer
answered 2 years, 1 month ago
by
OnlineAssociate
Question
How thick is the cork?
asked 2 years, 1 month ago
by
Anonymous
on Natural Choice Underlayment, for Laminate and Engineered Wood Floors
1 answer
Answers
answer 1
3.2mm or 0.126 inches

A thickness recommended by most laminate and engineered flooring manufacturers. If the underlayment is too thick, it can actually cause the flooring inter-locking system not to function properly or hold long-term. In some cases, too thick of an underlayment can also cause cracking nosies especially as the floors and homes continuously shift and settle.
answered 1 year, 7 months ago
by
JobOne
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