Natural Cork Flooring

Cork is the bark of a variety of Mediterranean oak trees or a subset of a generic cork tissue. The bark acts as a protective shell to harsh climate changes and numerous fires. Cork trees are stripped of their bark every nine to fourteen years but the trees are never cut down. Cork consists mostly of suberin, a waxy substance found in higher plants. Suberin is highly hydrophobic and prevents water from penetrating the tissue.

Natural cork flooring provides insulation. Because the density of cork flooring is extremely low it has effective thermal and acoustic insulation properties. Cork flooring is pleasant to touch even with bare feet, because it provides an optimal floor temperature all year round. Natural cork flooring is resilient. Even when subjected to pressure, cork floors have the ability to recover and go back to its original shape. Cork even has shock absorbing properties that relieve the strain on your feet, joints, legs and back. Cork flooring is impermeable, it is impervious to both liquid and gases and is considered the best seal available. Natural cork is hypoallergenic; it doesn't absorb dust and does not aggravate allergies because the surface finish does not entrap dirt, germs or fungus.

Cork floors are durable and remarkably resistant to wear. It is less affected by impact and friction so most cork floors come with warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years. Cork floors are natural fire retardants; they do not spread flame nor release toxic gases during combustion. Cork floors are easy to maintain and reasonably priced. And one of the best advantages of using cork is that it's biodegradable at the end of its useful life. You don't even cut down trees to make cork floors.