Cork Flooring – Floors From Generation to Generation

Cork flooring
By Rob Jones

More and more, consumers, retailers and wholesalers looking to source quality flooring are looking for balance tool. They all want to find practicality and look, measured with environmentally-responsible products and processes. Cork flooring, which has been around for centuries, makes striking this balance very easy indeed. Cork flooring are harvested from the cork oak, particularly in Portugal and Spain where the species flourishes, cork flooring stands as a shining example of a renewable source in flooring. The bark of the cork oak is harvested by hand. The process is heavily regulated to protect each individual tree from long-term harm. This means that the source for your cork floor, a flooring alternative that remains to be both decorative and practical for many reasons, is not endangered. Each cork oak tree is harvested on a nine-year rotation. Only mature cork oaks are harvested in order to protect future generations. For a “green” flooring option, cork flooring is worth your attention. And this is before any benefits of aesthetics and practical uses of cork flooring come into play!

How cork is processed for flooring and other products
Once the bark of the cork oak tree is removed with the use of hand-held implements, it is boiled। This allows the bark to become more malleable, easily shaped into a variety of forms. The versatility of cork as a material is thus demonstrated even as it is processed. The primary use for cork is that for which it is literally synonymous – “corks”, for the wine industry, and other similar bottling industries. The cork is pressed into large sheets, and the corks are “punched out”. The remaining cork is ground, and further molded into large blocks. At this point, the cork is baked to further increase its durability. The cork is then cut to standardized sizes, and sorted according to color. The last stage is sealing these cut-down cork pieces with a layer of polyurethane or wax. The cork is then ready for use as flooring (cork flooring), or many other uses.

Nothing Goes to Waste
As you can see, cork flooring stands as a flooring option that is very concerned with the conservation of the species on numerous fronts. Each individual cork oak tree is allowed to reach maturity before it is harvested for its bark. Even then, the bark is not harvested for any length of time less than nine years, to allow appropriate re-growth and general health of the individual cork oak. When the cork oak bark is processed for flooring and other uses, all of the bark is used to the greatest extent possible. The stages which make it a durable flooring option only stands to make its use that much more robust. Increasing the life of the products made from cork means getting the best use out of the natural resource of the bark used to make it. With cork, and with cork flooring, consumers and sellers gain the benefits of quality flooring. Along with this, they also gain the knowledge that their choice in “green” flooring contributes to an ongoing effort in creating renewable products.

Cork flooring

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Jones

Introduction to Cork Flooring

Cork Flooring
By Damian Sofsian

Cork flooring is made from the bark of the cork oak tree, native to Southern Europe, especially Portugal, where the bark is collected by hand. Cork flooring is a very durable, resistant-to-moisture, and anti-static flooring material. Cork flooring is environmentally sound and, as a result of stringent harvesting rules, a renewable resource of a very high order.
For the kind of foot traffic that a home or office floor will have to endure, cork flooring is very resilient. Cork flooring also comfortable to walk on, and its soft surface is able to take the impact of footfalls. Cork flooring is well known for retaining heat and cold, which makes it a very practical flooring solution. Another reason why cork flooring is gaining popularity is because it is keeps the sound from walking to a minimum.

Cork flooring is a one-of–a-kind ornamental material because each tile comes with its own unique speckles and spirals. Cork flooring is first formed into sheets and then baked. This process creates understated variations in color, making room for creativity while laying the floor. Cork flooring is considered ideal for quiet interiors because it emits no sound from footfalls. When complete insulation from sound is an absolute necessity, like in a sound-studio for example, then cork flooring is ideal. Flooring made from cork is aesthetically pleasing, environmentally friendly, and helps in creating an atmosphere of serenity. Cork flooring is also water resistant, and that makes the cork flooring is ideal for use in the bathroom and kitchen.

The cellular nature of cork is such that it has millions of fourteen-sided cells that keep the heat in, create a cushion-like surface that is easy on the feet and the ears, and, perhaps most importantly, is durable. Moreover, due to these qualities, when a plate is dropped on it, it will not break, but simply bounce, making no noise in the process. While soundless flooring is gaining in popularity, creating the perfectly noiseless flooring solution is not easy. Cork is the closest that one can come to noiseless flooring because it keeps the echo from footfalls and the sound of dropped objects to a minimum.

Cork flooring

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Damian_Sofsian