How to Replace Cork Flooring Planks in the Middle of a Room

Cork flooring is made and installed in the same manner as other types of manufactured flooring, with the cork planks laminated and installed "floating," which means they aren't nailed or glued down. This makes it unusually easy to pull up the floor if you need to get at one or more of damaged planks later to replace them. Since the planks are connected at the sides, that's how you have to disassemble and reassemble them.

Prybar
Hammer
Cork floor planks (same style and size as the damaged ones)
Trim nail gun

Instructions

- 1
  Take off the trim around the edges of the room using a prybar and hammer, to reveal a space between the edges of the floor and the wall. Don't break the trim as you take it out.
- 2
  Determine which wall is closest to the damaged area of the floor. Push on the cork floor planks closest to that wall, wiggling and loosening them until they disconnect from the adjacent boards and move into the space. Leave the loosened planks sitting in place, but unattached.
- 3
  Repeat, loosening the planks course by course, leaving them in the same arrangement as they were. Continue until you get to the damaged planks.
- 4
  Remove the damaged planks. Set the replacement planks in their place, connecting them along their edges.
- 5
  Put the floor back together, building back toward the wall course by course.
- 6
  Reinstall the floor trim, using your trim nail gun to attach it to the walls and cover up the gaps by the walls.

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