Cork floor tiles
We are here to help you make an informed decision on what best will fit your floor and home budget. You will find information about buying and choosing cork for your flooring along with the information you need to study and breakdown the components that go into installing and buying.
Introduction to cork flooring
When most people think of about cork, they usually don’t imagine it on their floors. However, cork tiles have several benefits, they are warm to stand on, offer a comfortable surface to walk on, are quiet to walk over. In addition, for anyone who has joint problems, cork tiles are a perfect flooring option.
Cork planks and tiles are made from the bark of the cork oak tree. The bark is ground, then compressed to increase it’s density, and finally heated. Cork planks and tiles are available through several manufacturers as either natural or already sealed.
If you are installing natural planks or tiles then the cork floor must be sealed with polyurethane varnish once laid. However, if you are installing already sealed planking or tiles, then once the flooring has been laid, your job is complete, except for moving the furniture back of course.
So, if you are considering installing new flooring, consider using cork. It is quiet, warm, comfortable, and easy to maintain, while still remaining reasonably priced.
Benefits
It offers many benefits to homeowners wanting new and exciting flooring for their home. Natural cork floors are comfortable to walk on, cushioning your feet, which makes it perfect for playrooms, and kitchens. In addition, they are durable, fire resistant, anti-microbial, insect resistant, and are excellent thermal insulators. They also absorb sound, thus providing superb acoustical properties making it perfect for condo living.
It is a green-building product, meaning that it comes from a renewable and sustainable resource, which does not contribute to deforestation. Completely natural, it is harvested without damaging or cutting down the cork oak tree, which can live for 150-200 years. The bark is stripped from the tree every 9 to 14 years, which the tree immediately begins to grow back.
Cork floor tiles are not a new product or decorative choice. In fact, over 100 years ago, cork flooring was installed and is still in place in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Which is a testament to the fact that cork flooring, will hold up to furniture and high heels. This is due to the fact that every centimeter of cork is composed of 40 million cells that function as individual micro-shock absorbers.
Conceivably the most important advantage is the simplicity of its maintenance, requiring only sweeping with a broom to remove dust and debris. Then when only need the occasional damp moping. Over the years, the surface finish may wear off, if this happens, then you need to only to lightly sand the floors then reapply a coat of urethane. Your floor will once again look beautiful. With proper care and maintenance, they should last you countless decades.