Cork – Not Just for Wine Bottles

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.

5 “Green” Flooring Products

(Picture: Stained Concrete)

There is nothing warmer and more pleasing to the eye than brand new wall-to-wall carpet. With freshly- painted walls the space becomes as new as the day it was first built and decorated.

Environmental Disease

However, carpet is also associated with giving off chemicals which can affect peoples’ allergies and immune systems. This so-called “new carpet smell” is called “off-gassing” and is a by-product of the manufacturing process.

With the rise in knowledge of environmental diseases and asthma it is no wonder that homeowners are looking to other products for floor covering. A new trend is to replace the existing carpet with “green” products such as reclaimed wood, linoleum, cork or bamboo, products that reduce wastage while providing a lasting beauty to any room.

1. Reusable Wood

Wood is one of those products that becomes more beautiful as it ages. Even wood planking that has mars from use or rust stains from old nails can either be re-planed and finished or just lightly sanded and clear-coated before being put down as flooring. This adds character to a feature room such as a library, office or den. These products are available from second-hand building supply depots.

2. Cork

Cork flooring originates from the cork oak tree. The cork itself is actually the bark and is harvested by peeling it off the trunk and branches. This harvesting of the bark is done about every 10 years but does not hurt the tree so it will be ready again for another batch down the road. Cork trees have been known to live for 200 or more years so it is a truly renewable resource.

3. Bamboo

In addition to being as hard as maple one of the best things about bamboo is that it is, like cork, a truly renewable resource and is farmed in a pasture . However, unlike cork you can harvest bamboo every 2-3 years. When we think of bamboo our thoughts usually drift to overseas origins but the continental U.S. and Mexico is now growing it. Bamboo is available in two distinct types: natural and carmelized, which means that an amber stain is applied. There are three (3) methods of putting down bamboo: floating floor, glue-down, nail-down.

4. “Green” Linoleum

A new formula is paving the way for floor coverings. Made of the same linseed oil that the original linoleum used almost 140 years ago there is the addition of cork, tree rosin, limestone, and jute to form a biodegradable floor covering that is non-toxic, easy to maintain and anti-bacterial. And this new material is not solely limited to the floor. Wallcoverings are also being made of this composite.

5. Stained Cement: Earth-friendly-heat-energy-saver

Stained concrete interior floors are gaining in popularity because consumers can create nearly any color or design. They are especially easy to put down on a cement slab and can mimic everything from polished marble to tanned leather or stained wood. When placed over an in-floor heating system their high heating and cooling retention allows floors to absorb, store and release this energy when conditions are ideal resulting in lower energy costs.