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Only five years ago if someone had told me that he or she had just put down a cork floor I would have instantly thought of three things:

1. It must be a rumpus room
2. It is probably subfloor cushioning
3. It is probably for sound-dampening

I would have been right on all counts but I would never have thought that cork could be used as the actual flooring.

The New Kitchen Floor

Considering the amount of time you spend in the kitchen tile can be both hard on your back and feet. It is unforgiving when items are dropped on its surface shattering even the durable Corel™. In addition, in the winter time an unheated tile floor can you lots of reasons not to go into the kitchen.

The Facts About Cork

Everyone knows cork is soft and almost spongy. But there a lot of questions you have to ask before settling on a floor that’s as foreign to many as putting sawdust down.

• Cork flooring always blends in well with other decorations and furniture. It comes in a wide range of colors, from its familiar honey tones to green, red, chocolate and black.
• Cork is environmentally friendly. No cork trees are cut down, only the bark is peeled without destroying the tree, and it grows back within nine years, ready to be harvested again.
• Cork is naturally hypo-allergenic, anti-microbial and anti-fungal
• Cork flooring cuts easily to create floor mosaics, flooring borders and other floor designs
• Cork flooring is tough. It is usually protected by 4 coats urethane finishing system
• Cork floors are easy to clean - just sweep and damp mop.
• Cork has thermal properties make for a floor that always feels war.
• Cork is not expensive.

Installation

Cork for flooring usually comes in 12″ x 12″ tiles which are glued down to the subfloor. Most cork tile manufacturers recommend water-based adhesives for this task, which will not “off-gas” volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) after it is cured. Some products are now available as ‘floating floors” much like laminate and will have an MDF core to allow it to snap together.

After they are put down most cork tiles will require a protective coating of either wax or polyurethane sealants. Most manufacturers recommend a natural wax that has a beeswax base or have low VOC’s that can cause irritation and sickness to people with environmental afflictions. For a polyurethane finish 3-4 coats may be required but use a water-based polyurethane finish with low VOC’s.