Cork Floors

Have you heard about the new fad in flooring? Cork floors might not be super new, but they’re new to us and that got me researching them more and more. By just Googling “benefits of cork floor” I found quite a bit. Did you know that cork is made from the outer bark of a cork oak tree? Did you know that it takes the tree 9 years to re-grow the bark? Did you know the cork oak tree is almost exclusively grown in Europe?

Anyways, many website listed the benefits of cork floors. The best list I found was on about.com summarizing the benefits.

• Comfort & Softness
  The air trapped inside the cellular structure of cork provides a natural shock absorbing feel to the floor. It's great for applications where you are standing a lot such as in a Kitchen providing relief for your feet, back and legs. 

• Beauty
  Cork has a natural beauty rivaled by few other natural materials. It comes in many colors and different manufacturers provide various tile shapes and patterns as well.

• Noise Reduction
  The same cellular structure that makes the floor comfortable also reduces noise and vibration. Unlike hard materials like tile, wood or vinyl, cork is quiet and reduces impact noise such as something dropping on the floor or the sound of walking by people or pets. 

• Healthy and Safe
  Cork has natural properties that are anti-allergenic and resistant to insects. A naturally occurring waxy substance in cork called suberin repels insects, mites and mold and protects cork from from rotting when wet for a long time. In addition, suberin is naturally fire resistant and cork doesn't release any toxic off-gassing when it burns. These natural properties plus the coatings used to seal cork flooring make it healthy and safe for adults, pets and baby. 

• Durability and Ease of Maintenance
  Durability is a strong trait of cork and cork floors have been used in public buildings such as churches and libraries since 1898, long before residential applications. 

Who knew… well now you do. I’ve noticed cork floors on blogs and TV shows more and more. It might be that they’re more in style, but it might also be that I’m noticing them because we have them now. Either way I’m a fan!