Hardwood floors: Going green at home? Get cork!
Today we have a guest blogger, Mary Vargas from "Build Direct." Take it away, Mary:
More and more consumers today are going green. Advocacy for responsible and sustainable use of resources has never been more extensive now more than ever thanks to popular media and advanced technology.
So if you’re contemplating on taking the green drive home, I suggest going for cork on your floor. Cork may cost slightly higher than laminate flooring but this is a sound investment; first, for comfort and second, for a whole lot of other benefits.
Why cork is an environmentally sound choice?
Cork is made from harvesting the bark of an oak tree. It is a natural product created without cutting down its source: the oak trees. This is done on specially dedicated oak farms in Mediterranean countries where cork farming is a highly regulated industry. Harvesting is done carefully by hand. This resource is renewable since the trees will grow its bark ready for harvest again in nine years.
Further, most cork flooring materials are literally left over from the slab created for cork’s primary purpose: wine corks. The slabs where the wine corks were taken are then grounded and recreated into the flooring planks or tiles.
Another benefit is its resilience and being low maintenance which guarantees less wastage and no need for using chemical cleaning or treatment products. All you will need is a regular sweep and a damp mop.
Its also fire resistant and does not release any toxic materials during combustion.
A legacy of resilience
Unlike most contemporary flooring materials available today, cork has been used centuries earlier because of its 2 distinct characteristics: resilience and versatility.
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Greeks used cork in the soles of their sandals (as we still do today);
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The Egyptians were the first to use cork as bottle stoppers;
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The Chinese used them in their fishing nets;
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Natural cork was first used as flooring material in the 19th century; and
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Modern 20th century architecture saw cork flooring in most business and government buildings in North America.
Cork Structure
Cork is literally made up of millions of air cells. Imagine looking at a honeycomb magnified several hundred times. That’s exactly what the structure of cork looks like: millions and millions of tiny air pockets. These tiny air pockets are the secrets to corks durability. They serve as the “memory” of your cork flooring which helps it retain its natural state and shape even after impact.
Cork also contains Suberin, a natural substance that makes it resistant to water and decay.
The advantages of getting cork flooring:
As I mentioned earlier, aside form being environment-friendly, cork has a lot of other benefits and some of these are:
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Cork is comfortable. It feels soft under your feet. Its also warm because its a natural insulator.
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It absorbs sound - making it an ideal material for your bedroom or home office.
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Its has a “memory”. It resists impact and retains its natural form making it the most ideal flooring material if you have heavy equipment, children or pets.
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Suberin makes cork hypoallergenic. It prevents molds from developing and repels insects.
Choosing a cork flooring
There’s a wide variety of choices you can pick from when you choose to get cork flooring for your home. Plank sizes comes for residential or commercial needs. Tiles are also available and you can choose between glued-down application and an interlocking system of tongues and grooves.
Cork is usually finished with several layers of polyurethane but you can also get unfinished ones. As for the shade, there are variations since cork is a natural material. They can range from bright or yellowish brown to a deep nutmeg shade. However, recent technological advances have enabled manufactures to offer them in different colors.
So if you’re thinking of going green, consider getting a cork floor for your home. You get to enjoy its comfort, aesthetic and natural benefits.
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Written by Mary Vargas from BuildDirect
Post intended for The FloorMAN