About Cork Flooring

Why Choose Cork?

Cork flooring is an excellent choice in homes because of its durability, insulation properties and health benefits. Although cork is much softer than most hardwood floors, cork has a feature known as memory which makes cork dent resistant. When cork is dented, it slowly pushes the dent out over time, returning to its normal state. Cork consists mostly of suberin, a waxy substance that prevents water from penetrating the cork tissue. This provides resistance to moisture, making cork possible for installation in places where other flooring types are not advisable.

Cork has a couple of important health benefits. First, because cork is soft, it feels great under your feet, especially in rooms where you will stand for extended periods of time or for those with arthritis. Secondly, cork is hypoallergenic, resisting the growth of mold and mildew, and anti-static so it will not attract and hold dust and pollen particles. For people with respiratory problems, cork is an excellent choice.

Cork is also a natural insulator and sound-suppressor. This means that cork flooring and cork underlayment not only dampen the sound of walking over a hard surface floor, but they also reduce heating and cooling costs in your home. Cork flooring or underlayment is ideal over concrete subfloors for this reason and has long been recognized in the building industry for these properties.

Construction

There are two types of cork flooring: solid tile and floating planks. Solid cork tiles are made with a thin veneer layer which features the pattern and any pigments for the tile over a non-patterned cork substrate. Solid cork tiles are suitable only for a glue-down application.

The floating plank variety of cork flooring is built similar to laminate, with a cork veneer surface layer adhered to a medium- or high-density fiberboard core which has a thin cork backing board adhered to it. This construction makes the floating cork a bit more user friendly for do-it-yourselfers and can be installed anywhere in a home.

Cork History

Cork comes from the bark of a species of oak tree, Quercus suber, which grows primarily around the Mediterranean in Portugal, Spain, and parts of North Africa. This bark naturally regenerates over time, meaning that the tree itself is not cut down. Cork trees can be harvested every 8-10 years for the entire lifespan of the tree, which is typically 150-200 years. Cork flooring is a by-product of cork bottle stopper production, which means that none of the cork bark which is harvested goes to waste. Cork has been used for flooring in Europe for over 1000 years.