Tools and materials
Tape measure, ruler, spatula, roller for pressing joints, cutter, square, level, chalked tape for marking lines, cork adhesive, cork tiles, baseboards and metal finishing profiles.

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First, prepare the surface
o Cork tiles can be placed on any surface, but first you must prepare it with putty to cover up cracks and holes and make it level.
o�Unpack the tiles at least a day before using them so they acquire the same temperature as the room. This will keep them from swelling or shrinking.
o If the room has baseboards, remove them, as well as any door that opens inward. As the floor will be a bit higher once the tiles are laid, the doors will have to be shaved a bit at the bottom.

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Where to start?
o�You decide. It can be a corner and wall that are completely straight. Check with the square.
o But another solution is to start in the middle of the room and work your way toward the walls. This way half-tiles or differences in angle can be hidden better.
o With the help of another person mark two perpendicular axes with a chalked tape. The room will thus be divided into four quadrants and in the middle you will have four right angles.
o Start laying the tiles at that point.
o If the pattern is going to be diagonal, the axes should point to the corners of the walls.

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The first row
o�Without gluing them, set a few tiles down to see how they look. Start at the center and keep going until you reach the wall. If you don't like how it looks, move them around until you do.
o Remove the tiles after marking your starting point, then apply adhesive to the floor. Do it with a saw-toothed spatula. o Lay down the tiles one next to another, leaving no space between them.
o If you use glue or neoprene, follow the instructions of the manufacturer. Once you place them, you can't change your mind.

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The last piece
o�Keep placing tiles until you cover the floor.
o The corner pieces or the ones next to the walls may not be whole tiles.
o Cut side-pieces thusly: place a tile right over the last one that is whole. On top of that one, place another that touches the wall.
o Mark the cutting line on the intermediate piece by passing a felt tip pen over the edge of the one you set in place last.
o Use a cutter and metal ruler to cut the tiles.

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The finish
o�As you go along, check the level of the tiles and run a roller over them to eliminate air pockets.
o Place baseboards at the foot of the walls to cover up the seams. Choose between cork and wooden baseboards that contrast with or match the rest of the floor.
o Once the adhesive has dried, varnish the tiles if they are not already varnished.
o Apply at least two coats of varnish, following the manufacturer's instructions.
o Don't walk on the floor until it is completely dry.
o Finally, if you don't lay cork in the rest of the house, place metal profiles where the cork ends and other materials begin, such as plastic, carpet, wood or ceramic tiles.