When cork started becoming popular again around the beginning of the new millenium (has been used for flooring since the 1900’s), it was largely for glue down applications and not particularly easy to install. Demand would increase for these floors for their amazing benefits and drive manufacturers to produce more of it.
Initially, cork tiles were introduced and catered to a small market of green enthusiasts or those who walked a slightly different path. Now these floors are mainstream and becoming more popular with each passing day.
Constructions
Today’s cork floors are offered in either tiles or planks. A thick layer of cork is adhered to a HDF core. In essence, it’s the same core used to make laminate flooring and click HDF engineered flooring. And like click wood or laminate, a click locking system connects the planks.
These cork floors are designed for floating floor installations and basically work the same way as laminate floors. To see more details on a floating floor installation,
click here.
Style
Cork floors can offer a variety of different looks. When reintroduced to us a decade or so ago, what you saw was what looked to be a large bulletin board coating the floor. Times have changed and now you can find many stained cork floors in a wide spectrum of colors and styles. Some of these floors mimic the look of other floors (like hardwood and bamboo), going as far as having beveled edge planks and rich, deep colors.
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| Cork with small, sand-like granules |
Cork with small, medium and larger pieces of cork throughout. |
Cork that looks like hardwood and distressed bamboo. |
Cork with swirl pattern. |
Cork with geometric pattern. |
Finishes
Cork Flooring is finished in much the same way as hardwood flooring and bamboo flooring. Several layers of polyurethane and aluminum oxide are applied to the surface. This greatly increases the durability of the floor and what makes it less susceptible to scratches and wear caused by excessive traffic. The quality of the chemicals used to protect the floor is a huge factor in determining its durability. All the manufacturers you’ll find here use only the best of everything. It’s what ensures the health of the environment and the quality of the floor itself.
