You Can Afford a Cork Floor!

Cork floors have been popular in Europe for almost a century but have only started to become popular in North America and Australia in recent years

Cork flooring is made from bark that is taken from the cork oak tree. Every ten to twelve years the bark is harvested from the cork oak trees and then used to make wine corks (hence the name), bulletin boards and flooring. The harvesting of the bark does not hurt the trees. In fact it helps the trees grow their next layers of bark stronger than the layer that was harvested. The reason bark harvests only happen every ten to twelve years is because that is how long it takes for the new layer of bark to mature. A cork oak tree can produce at least twelve bark harvests in its lifetime.

Cork Floors are popular because they are eco-friendly (no trees are harmed in the making of the floor); they are durable and resilient and can be placed in any room of the house. Cork floors are resistant to water and can help lower your utility bills. They are all of these things because of their cell structure. Cork is made of millions of tiny closed air pockets that compress when under pressure (like somebody standing on it) and relax when the pressure has been lifted. It is this structure that makes cork flooring more comfortable for people to walk and stand on. Cork tiles can also be used as wall tiles to help with the sound proofing and insulation of a home.

Cork is one of the most resilient materials you can use in your house. It can be placed in any room of the house, including the kitchen and the bathrooms. Cork flooring stands up to moisture and, because of the air pocket structure, it does not conduct heat or coldness. Because of this lack of conductivity cork flooring will keep your home’s temperature much more constant.

The price you pay for your cork flooring depends on what you are looking for. It is fairly reasonably priced over all, but the prices can vary. Prices fluctuate due to extra finishing, the size of the tile, whether the tile is glue on or floating, etc. Basic cork flooring with little treatments can be found at less than three dollars per square foot. Prices can be as much as seven dollars per square foot (or more). It all depends on what kind of cork flooring that you are looking for. Do you want a basic look? Do you want a finished look? Do you want your tiles to be in specific shapes? Would you like them to be a certain color? Laminate cork flooring can be finished and painted any color you want.

All it takes is a little bit of research for you to find the exact size, shape and finish for your cork flooring. There are a number of great websites ready for your perusal.