Benefits Of Cork Flooring

Benefits of cork flooring cork flooring is soft underfoot and a sustainable option.

Benefits of cork flooring. Cork granules are compressed at high pressure into large blocks and the sap is added as a binder. Cork flooring also bounces back so indentations caused by furniture won t be permanent. It resists cracking and abrasions and is impermeable to gas and liquid. The cork tissue is nearly 85 comprised of an air like gas that makes the material very lightweight and low density.

When properly maintained cork flooring can last 40 years or more. The cork floor a natural product cork is grown every nine years in the bark of the cork oak especially in spain and portugal. Costs for cork flooring planks or tiles can run from 2 to 12 per square foot depending on the thickness of the material the quality of the cork and the quality of the finish. After maturation the blocks are cut into slabs.

Fuel consumption from shipping cork adds to the embodied energy in every cork flooring product. Even when wet or coated with oil or grease cork retains this quality which surpasses that of leather rubber and many other products used for frictional or non skid purposes. If using chairs with casters retrofit them with hardwood flooring safe casters carbon emissions during cork transportation can offset other benefits. When buying a cork floor ask about the density of the slabs.

Cork flooring costs. Cork is naturally resistant to mold mildew and termites. Professional installation is fairly economical adding 1 to 2 per square foot. The standard cork floating floors are constructed with more fiberboard than cork so you lose some of the softness sound reduction.

Furniture resting on top of cork is fine but needs felt pad protection for cork or hardwood flooring.