It’s hard to improve  on Mother Nature, but  cork suppliers are doing  just that with new products that offer even  greater green benefits for the home  today as well  as commercial  applications. Put  simply, cork  is nature’s  gift to  the flooring industry. Long used in commercial applications for its durability, cork is  becoming a  hot choice  for residential  use due  to its  unique health  and energy-saving benefits. And, with more people becoming aware of it, more product options are being offered by cork flooring suppliers to meet the growing demand.

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Cork flooring is hypoallergenic.
Cork floors and tiles provide excellent thermal and acoustic insulation.
Cork’s resiliency cushions shock on knees, feet and backs.
Cork flooring creates a serene and quite environment.

Cork floating floors can be installed by any homeowner quickly and easily. Cork planks come in 1 x 3 feet dimensions, so installing a floating floor is quick work and does not require any glue, so you can walk on your cork flooring immediately after installation. All cork floors come with a built-in underlayment to help lower room noise and feature three coats of durable factory finish. Read more »

With the ever increasing focus on being “Green” more and more people are looking towards natural, renewable materials for their flooring options. One of the most popular choices is cork flooring, which is incredibly eco-friendly and one of the most easily renewable resources in the world. It also has a host of wonderful qualities which make it an ideal flooring choice in many situations. Read more »

Cork flooring is enjoying a strong resurgence as more people begin to appreciate the distinctive look, feel and the durability of the material. Natural cork products are made from the renewable bark of the cork oak tree. These trees grow primarily in Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia. The cork is harvested approximately every nine years and amazingly, the cork bark grows back with no real harm to the tree. Cork flooring is made by grinding up the bark into small pieces then forming them into large blocks after a non-toxic* resin binder is applied.The blocks are sliced into sheets that are either 5mm or 8 mm thick.
The color of cork varies from a tan to a dark walnut depending on how long it was baked during manufacturing. Most cork manufacturers recommend using polyurethane adhesive but some recommend using DriTac, a water based, low-VOC latex adhesive, which should work just fine for any cork flooring. After installation, the floor tiles are coated with either a polyurethane finish or a natural wax treatment. A water based, low VOC polyurethane can be used for coating as well and is a better environmental choice.
Cork flooring provides acoustical and thermal insulation, it is cushiony, resistant to moisture damage and decay, easy to clean, definitely has some eye appeal, and it’s anti-allergenic and anti-static.
It does have a couple of drawbacks. As with any wood product, water can damage it, so it should not be installed in basements which may be subject to seepage or flooding.It is soft, so furniture pads are recommended to prevent denting. Cork is imported, so the energy used during transportation and shipping costs are a consideration. Cork is somewhat expensive, although a it does not appear to be more expensive than linoleum tiles.