Cork Flooring Overview

When you think of cork, images of wine bottles or coasters come to mind. But we invite you to explore the innovative fresh stylish products that the cork manufacturers have created and soon you will be associating screw tops with wine and cork as a floor covering.

Being a natural and sustainable resource, cork flooring is ideal for the buyers with an eye towards the environment. Cork also has excellent properties and is available in more colours and patterns than you may imagine and even with an above average price you will still get good value for your money.

Cork is harvested from the Cork Oak tree every 9 to 12 years. Only when the cork tree is 25 years old, will it be harvested for the first time. Harvesting is done by hand so no machine damage to the tree. The cork tree is an evergreen and lives to about a 150 to 250 years, so the tree can be harvested about twelve times in its lifetime. The tree is widely cultivated in Spain, Portugal, Algeria, Morocco, France, Italy and Tunisia and the forests cover approximately 25 000 square kilometres. Portugal is the largest provider, accounting for about 50% of the worlds cork harvest.

Cork is naturally anti-microbial and has excellent insulation properties, ensuring minimal heat loss and comfortable warm walking surface. Cork is resilient and ‘springs back’ preventing imprints which can be caused by heavy traffic and furniture.It also provides excellent noise insulation. Cork is low in VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions, however it is important to check the finish applied. Cork is not suitable for bathrooms, as it absorbs moisture.

Cork Flooring is one of the many beauties of nature that has been transformed to make your home or even office a natural work of art.