The most perfect material for home flooring just might be cork. It looks great, is more durable than other types of wood, easy to care for, is comfortable to walk on, and it is even an environmentally friendly material. Let's explore these features together to discover just what makes cork such a fantastic flooring material.
Cork flooring is created from the exact same type of cork used to make win corks. The cork used to make flooring is actually left over from the process of punching wine corps from cork bark. The scrap cork is ground up, mixed with adhesive, and pressed into sheets. Those sheets are then cut into tiles.
A heating process is often used by cork manufacturers to change the color and shade of the cork. By combining cork material that has been heated to differing degrees, cork flooring manufacturers can create various colors and patterns without using any unnatural coloring process.
Cork compresses when you stand on it because it is such an airy material. This helps prevent cork from scratching or becoming dented as easily as more traditional wood flooring. This feature also makes cork a very comfortable flooring surface to walk on because of the cushioning it provides.
A cork tree can be harvested every nine years. So a single cork tree can produce cork for numerous purposes, and then do it again nine years later. The harvesting of a cork tree does not destroy it; it can be harvested again and again, making it an extremely environmentally friendly product.
Not all cork is created equal. Cork that does not originate from the cork oak tree found in Portugal and Spain may not be as high a quality. Real cork from those areas has the qualities that good cork should have. Lower quality cork generally comes from the far east.
Like most find hardwood, there is some maintenance involved in having cork floors. Cork flooring is durable but can still be scratched. You should vacuum your floor regularly to keep it free from debris. If the floor gets wet, clean it up with a damp cloth. Do not use very heavy cleaners.
Cork is gaining in popularity as a choice for flooring. There are a lot of options when it comes to buying cork flooring, so you should do your research. Make sure you know where the cork comes from and if it is solid or laminated. Shop around. You should definitely check out online suppliers as they can often give you a better price than a local retailer.
