Cork Flooring in Your Home - An Environmentally Friendly Tile Product

Cork flooring has been around for a long time and it's making a comeback in a big way.

Many people visualize cork flooring as only available in a brown color. With modern technology, it can be stained to suit any décor and cut into a variety of patterns and textures. Some of the other available colors are black, dark green, navy blue, ivory and terra cotta. Installation is easy because it’s manufactured in easy-to-install click and lock pieces.

Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree found in the Mediterranean. Cork bark is made up of a tiny sealed honeycomb cellular structure (14-sided polyhedrons) containing gas of 90% air. These cells provide resiliency (cushion) and insulation and there are about 40 million of these cells per cubic centimeter. Cork can be compressed up to 40% and quickly returns to its original shape. This all works to make cork a very special flooring material.

The product comes from the bark of the Cork Oak tree and is peeled away from the trunk approximately every 10 years. The tree regenerates its bark and can be harvested in years to come. With an average life span of 200 years, one tree can be harvested 20 times.

The air trapped inside the cellular structure of cork provides a natural shock-absorbing feel to the floor. It's great for applications where you are standing a lot such as in a Kitchen providing relief for your feet, back and legs. It insulates against heat and cold; therefore, cork is ideal for cold basement floors or houses with crawl spaces. Even if a room is chilly, the floor will feel just right

The same cellular structure that makes the floor comfortable also reduces noise and vibration. Unlike hard materials like tile, wood or vinyl, cork is quiet and reduces impact noise such as something dropping on the floor or the sound of walking by people or pets.

Cork has natural properties that are anti-allergenic and resistant to insects.

A naturally occurring waxy substance in cork called suberin repels insects, mites and mold and protects cork from rotting when wet for a long time. In addition, suberin is naturally fire resistant and cork doesn't release any toxic off-gassing when it burns. These natural properties plus the coatings used to seal cork flooring make it healthy and safe for adults, pets and baby.

Cork is mildew, rot, and mold resistant. It’s also fire retardant.

Maintenance of Cork Floors

With all the other benefits of cork flooring, would you expect anything less than low maintenance for these floors?

• Vacuum or sweep or "swiffer" the floor weekly.
• Damp mop the floor monthly but do NOT use a lot of water.
• When cleaning the floor, use a damp mop with a PH-balanced detergent or mild soap to clean and keep the surface free of abrasives such as grit or sand.
• Always avoid the use of harsh cleaners such as abrasives, oil or ammonia-based cleaning products. Only use cleaning products approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not drag furniture across the floor because this may cause gouging and scratches. Affix felt protectors or fabric backed casters on the feet of your furniture. Not only will this allow you to freely move your furniture, it will help protect your floor from the day-to-day use of your furniture.

Summary: Cork flooring is one of the most beautiful and comfortable floor material options available. Cork flooring is environmentally friendly and cork is considered a renewable and sustainable natural resource. These floors can be a little expensive and their installed cost per square foot can be close to a good quality ceramic tile floor. However they are definitely worth the cost when used in smaller areas such as a Kitchen, Den or Dining Room but can be used in just about any flooring application.