Cork Flooring Environmentally Friendly

Save a hardwood tree by choosing a cork floor for your home. Thousands of people just like you are choosing cork. Since cork is considered a renewable resource, it's the practical choice in a world that's concerned with global warming and environmental impacts.

By installing cork floors, you are helping to save the environment one floor board at a time. So now that you know the environmental impacts of choosing cork flooring, let's look at the quality of the flooring itself.

In terms of durability, cork is a very durable flooring choice. It's not as hard as hardwoods are, but many people find that it's more comfortable to walk on because it has a slightly softer feel to it.

A lot of people also say it's a warmer floor that holds your homes warmth better than traditional floorings do. Others report that after they installed their cork floors, they noticed that the rooms were much quieter. Cork does have sound-deadening insulation qualities. If you need a floor that can absorb some of life's noises, then cork might be your answer.

Cork floors are also antimicrobial, meaning that your cork flooring is resistant to mold and mildew. That's a great feature for kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms. What about the qualities of the flooring itself? There are variety of cork floors available, offered in a wide variety of colors.

Cork flooring comes in both planks and floor tiles, available in the glue-down and in glueless inter-locking styles for faster installation without all the mess of glue. The nice part about choosing cork flooring, is that it can be installed right over the top of other flooring or subflooring, so you don't have all the hassle of removing the previous flooring.

Are there any drawbacks to cork flooring?

Yes, there is one. Cork does fade in direct sunlight. So, never install a cork floor in a room where the flooring gets exposure to direct sunlight. It's okay if you can close the drapes when the sun is hitting the windows exposing the cork flooring. Just make sure the sun doesn't bleach out your floor by protecting it from sunlight, just like you would protect carpeting from direct exposure.

Also, cork yellows a little over time. Many floor covering will do this too though. Even the finish on hardwood floors tends to yellow over time.

Cork floors also interact with climatic conditions. If there's a lot humidity in the air, your cork flooring gets a just a little spongier. The changes are very subtle, but it's good to know that cork is influenced by humidity or the lack of it.

Why choose a cork floor?

1) Cork floors are truly beautiful.2) Every cork floor is unique. 3) Installing a cork floor will cost you less than if you choose hardwood. 4) Cork floors last a good long time. 5) Cork flooring is a means of taking your home one step towards being environmentally friendly.