With increasing public wakefulness for the protection of your environment, cork floors have gained in popularity lately as a result of the ever-increasing consciousness and consumption of organic sources readily offered, with no destruction of endangered forests and wildlife habitats. Cork floors are a by-product with the cork tree, traditionally found in South America, utilized in the manufacturing of corks supplied to bottle producers for superior sealing qualities. Harvested without the need of harm or destruction with the cork tree, cork floors would be the item of the bark on the cork tree, cut to precise lengths with redeeming qualities not found in other floor covering supplies irrespective of composition.
Comprised of many substrate layers based on the good quality of your cork floor selected, these floors are similar in composition to engineered laminate flooring with superior insulating and sound deadening qualities. Cork is readily available in interlocking tiles or panels with a resemblance to a hardwood floor when appropriately installed. Exactly where cork flooring interlocking tiles are either glued or nailed down, cork floor panels commonly 12″ wide by 36″ long, are “free-floated” for straightforward installation. Cork floor panels “free-floated” over correctly ready sub-floor surfaces, enable for contraction and expansion in the flooring material, with no visible seam or joint separation. Cork floors may be purchased finished or unfinished with numerous colors to select from. When finishing a correctly installed un-finished floor, the application of sealers delivers a more uniform finish maintaining possible water retention to a bare minimum.
With sound deadening capabilities, cork floors are often employed in commercial applications where noise from upper levels is drastically reduced. In residential applications, cork lessens sound transfer in townhome communities and apartment complexes resulting in satisfied homeowners and tenants. Recognized for superior insulating qualities, cork floors reduce energy consumption in the winter and summertime months with decreased energy bills offering to get a cleaner safer airflow of good quality.
There are lots of reasons why this flooring is the preferred flooring more than all standard solutions of floor coverings of which include things like the following:
- Eco-friendly floors, utilizing natural resources
- Sturdy and resilient with dent retention “memory” restoring the floor to original condition when heavy objects are dropped.
- Family members Friendly, with moisture, insect, effect resistance while offering a “warm” floor at all times.
- DIY Installation. Designed for homeowner straightforward installation.
- Low-Maintenance requiring only sweeping having a soft broom and occasional damp mopping.
- Creation of fascinating patterns or borders, when employing 1 or additional colors, with endless possibilities.
- Suitable for all rooms, specifically the kitchen or regions of high foot site visitors.
- Soft “cushion” feeling removing less tension on knees and legs.
- Exceptional warranties of 25-35 years or much more according to grade chosen.
Soft and resilient, cork floors give worth, comfort, and dependability with a quick return on investment of proceeds spent on material and installation.
Pricing for these floors is commonly priced by the square foot on the other hand price tag per carton for interlocking floor tiles is accessible at most big home improvement centers. With average prices ranging from $4.00 for interlocking tiles to $8.00 per square foot for 3′ planks, pricing for these floors has remained consistent for any quantity of years. Skilled installation charges will add to the overall price per square foot and will have to be calculated into the equation for total overall costs. Installation costs differ from $3-$4 per square foot for any substantial area, with smaller rooms costing far more according to a place of residence. Often seek certified and knowledgeable floor covering installers with references when selecting an expert.
Exactly where cork adds worth to new or current homes or industrial office spaces by as much as 35%, these floors are very affordable adding comfort and “eco-friendly” solutions to home or business owners, in search of viable options to flooring alternatives. Making use of organic resources maintains atmosphere harmony with lasting endurance for 5,000 years.