by Ray J. Walberg
A lot of people out there when thinking of cork flooring, visualize a bulletin board. But that's not reality. Available at a large number of shades and color ranging from light to dark, the cork flooring has a beautiful material and texture. Custom designed to fit any type of interior décor; cork flooring comes at a variety of patterns and textures that includes pergo flooring like wood grain and marble patterns.
Advantages of Cork Flooring
A good insulating material, cork flooring keeps your house cool in summer season and warm in winter. Cork flooring brings down the energy bill in your home during winter due to its energy efficiency, which is more than that of discount wood flooring or Armstrong laminate flooring. Cork flooring also brings down the noises in another floor or room, as it's a good sound insulator.
In addition the material of cork flooring feels softer than stone or wood flooring, Bellawood or ceramic tiles. Your feet will feel wonderful on the cork flooring itself. A good place to put the cork flooring is in the kitchen. It's the place where you probably spend most of your time standing. Chances of breaking your brittle utensils if you drop them are lower than on stone flooring or tiles. Its resistance to fire is definitely an added bonus.
The cork wood tree's bark is used to make the cork and it is environmentally beneficial. These trees can mainly be found in Portugal and Spain. Without harming or cutting the trees, its barks are simply stripped away thus it doesn't affect the number of trees in anyway. The bark that has been stripped is replaced by new ones and in about nine years gets ready for the taking again.
Cork Flooring Installation
Cork flooring can be installed easily. The material is either glued or nailed during installing. Cork flooring can be done over concrete or wood. Making sure that the sub floor is dry is an essential criterion. To control moisture and prepare the surface, it's always helpful to apply a sealer. Cork tiles are easier to install as they can be simply peeled away and stuck again.
The adhesive can be spread with the help of a paint roller on the sub floor and the tiles can be placed next. The seams are hardly noticeable and one can use sharp knives to cut angles or corners for the perfect fit. Roll a 100 pound weighted floor roller on it once the tiles are properly placed. The floor roller can be rented from any tool-renting place. For added protection a clear urethane can be placed on the tiles as it helps to make the floor more water resistant.
Cork Flooring Maintenance
Maintaining cork flooring is easy as it's pretty easy to clean. Clear away the dirt by a sweep of broom and mop it with a damp cloth when required. After some years the finishing might start to wear off. Lightly sand the floor with floor sanders. After sanding thoroughly, give a urethane coating for floor protection. To make the floor more water-resistant add several urethane coating.
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