Cork, It’s Not Just For Wine Bottles Anymore
For centuries, wine bottles have used cork as their primary stopper. How many of us associate the sound of a cork being popped from a bottle of champagne with celebration and good cheer? Yet, cork has another use that is even better…
Cork is one of the very best, most sustainable materials for flooring. And why is that…?
Well, it all starts with an explanation of what cork actually is.
Forming forest all over Portugal, Spain, and North Africa, the Cork Oak, or Quercus suber, creates a haven for such endangered species as the Iberian Lynx (the most endangered cat in the world), and the Barbary Ape. The material we know as “cork”, is actually the bark of the tree, which is carefully cut off by hand (see above). Once removed, the cork oak simply grows it back, in a process that takes 9 to 12 years, during which the forest remains mostly undisturbed. Cork harvesting causes no harm to the tree, and in fact, the only thing that is causing difficulties to the cork oak forests is the switch from using natural cork for wine bottles, which is 70% of the cork industries revenue, to using synthetic corks and screw caps. There is real concern now that these historic forests may start to be cut down in favor of planting trees that grow more quickly, and provide pulp for paper and other products. But there is a way we can prevent that from happening…
As a flooring material, cork has so many wonderful properties. It’s resilient, durable, anti-static (meaning it doesn’t attract dirt), anti-fungal, and feels warmer to the touch than wood, ceramic or stone. It also works to dampen sound, making it a great choice for those who don’t want carpet, but need something that doesn’t turn their home into an echo chamber. Best of all, it’s just plain beautiful to look at.
Cork flooring also comes in many different sizes, styles and colors, so there really is something for everyone.
Now, although cork is just about the perfect material for flooring, there are a couple of potential drawbacks. First, you need to remember that cork is a type of wood, and it needs to be hand harvested. This means that it costs about the same as a regular low to mid-level wood floor. Second, it is important to get the cork from a company that is careful with the adhesives they use. No point in getting a sustainable floor if it off-gasses noxious fumes in your home. Luckily, most reputable manufacturers, such as Wicanders, and Natural Cork, are careful to use only no to low VOC adhesives in their products.
Isn’t it amazing to think that, by using a particular resource, we can save an entire eco-system, not to mention the livelihoods of around 100,000 skilled cork laborers? So please consider using cork for your next project. You’ll love the results, and the Iberian Lynx will thank you.
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Tags: cork, eco-friendly, flooring, green
Hi Rachel,
I really enjoyed reading your article. Thanks for sharing a bit history of “cork”. The cork flooring really looks nice, and I believe this will add some green factor when comes to housing decoration as well.
Jay Chua
Publisher, PorchSwingSets.com
Great advice! It seems very interesting to work with the cork as it is comfortable and safe for children at home.
Cork is a wonderful material.
The designer, Donald Deskey, was creating walls covered entirely with cork for his New York City clients in 1929.
Great Information, thanks for this fine Article. Really great topic to write about on my Website. I probably make a bookmark from another Website. Shelving Racking Flooring
woww.. nice article. keep posting buddy
I have a cork floor (APC) and like it. One thing the article does not mention, however, is that cork dents fairly easily. If you wear high heels or have alot of company over that does, caveat emptor.
The cork flooring really looks nice, but we can deny that wood flooring can do harm to our environment~~~
Cork floors cast my mind back to my childhood as we had them in out kitchen and bathroom.