Benefits of Cork Flooring

Cork possesses a multitude of advantages that other flooring options do not.

One of the most notable characteristics of cork as a flooring material is it is sustainable. "Sustainability" is a word that is thrown around quite often these days. In an environmental context, sustainability means renewability. The principle is simple. The easier it is to replenish a resource, which in this case humans are using for commercial purposes, the more sustainable it is considered to be.

Cork is fire resistant and will not spread flame, naturally repels insects, has antimicrobial qualities that resist rot.

This is a good thing for the environment because the harvesting of renewable materials has a notably less negative impact on the ecosystems and environs from which it is plucked. Furthermore, sustainability is a key characteristic of a "green product." Everyone and everything seems to be going green these days. Slow to come as it was, the green revolution is here. Consumers are demanding less ecologically destructive goods. It is altering many industry's business models.

Cork floor coverings are also eco-friendly because cork oaks do not have to be felled for their cork. Every 5 years or so, depending on the tree and the particular harvesting practices of a company, the bark is partially removed from a cork tree. The tree will remain untouched for about another 5 years to protect it vitality and ability to protect itself from the elements. Also, most cork flooring companies use 10-15% of recycled wine corks in their cork flooring. The reuses a remarkable material rather than letting it slowly decay in a dump somewhere.

In addition to being a green alternative to, say, hardwood, which contributes to deforestation and ecological devastation the world over, it is fire retardant. This means that in the unfortunate event of a fire in your home or office, your floor will not be instantly consumed by fire, leaving you time to exist the premises safely. Other types of flooring, carpet in particular, pose a significant fire risk. Carpet and some types of vinyl flooring can ignite and spread throughout an entire room or story in a matter of seconds, leaving one trapped.

Cork is also a great sound buffer. It keeps your child's noise pollution from coming through into your study while you work. It also keeps your classical music in your room. This may not seem like a big deal but once you've lived with it, there is no going back. Quiet is a precious thing.

Cork has been known to last for several decades. This is because the fibers are so durable within the cork bark they can take significant wear and tear and remain virtually untouched. This is how cork trees live for 200 to 300 years sometimes. Another reason is because cork is basically impermeable to insects. It body is to dense and rugged for inspects to make their way through and burrow and breed. This is most certainly not the case with hardwood floors which can become plagues with termites amongst other unsightly bugs. In fact, other than stone or tile, cork is likely the longest lasting flooring type.

Unlike the other most popular green floor covering, bamboo, cork is resistant to scratching and pockmarking. It does not splinter or crack either. All of these matters are some of the main downsides to bamboo as well as hardwood flooring. Like hardwood, cork can be refinished once its original shine has worn thin over years and years of use. Refinishing is a simple process that easily restores the original luster to a floor which may itself be multiple decades old.

Finally, cork offers an aesthetical experience that rivals the most stunning hardwood and bamboo floors. Unlike the cork found in bottle stoppers, cork has been condensed considerably, and so when professionally finished, it appears are striking and beautiful as any floor ever has. Click through the site and see for yourself.

Cork offers beauty, environmentalism, safety and strength at a price that is no more, if not less than, hardwood or bamboo flooring. Who doesn't want that?