Is a Cork Floor the Best Option for Your Home?

Bricoflor Eis White Cork Flooring

For any of you who are longtime viewers of my website, you will definitely know about my appreciate affair with cork. It is a single of my all-time favourite resources for so numerous causes and following I frequented the cork harvest in Portugal back again in 2019, I grew to become an even bigger admirer of this organic, sustainable and flexible product.

Over the previous number of a long time, we have noticed architects, designers and decorators rediscovering and embracing cork as they have recognised its extraordinary features and the added benefits that it can supply to their initiatives. We have more and more noticed the design marketplace adopt cork as the content of preference for household and commercial initiatives, notably when it will come to insulation and wall and flooring coverings.

And this is what I’d like to converse about currently. A cork flooring is picked out by several owners these days owing to the obvious benefits that it gives around alternatives. And no will need to be concerned about it catapulting you appropriate back again to the 1970s. Thanks to improvements in technological innovation and a robust concentrate on style and design, currently cork is incorporated into complex flooring coverings in a broad assortment of textures and colours, best for fashionable-day tastes.

Provided the move to organic elements, natural textures, biophilic style and sustainability in interiors it’s no question that cork is owning a little bit of a moment.

Bricoflor Mystic White Cork Ground

So let’s acquire a appear at some of the homes that make cork these kinds of a exclusive materials.

What are the Rewards of a Cork Ground?

Many thanks to the innate houses of cork, this fascinating purely natural substance gives a lot of benefits that make it perfect for use in flooring.

Hypoallergenic

Cork is one of the greatest methods for men and women who suffer from allergic reactions due to the fact it does not collect static electrical energy and as a result does not attract or take up dust, pollen or tiny fibres. This, together with its resistance to humidity would make it a wonderful decision for these at threat of allergies or for asthma sufferers.

Warmth and Seem Insulation

Cork presents crystal clear pros in conditions of acoustic insulation and can support to lower noise due to the all-natural absorption capability of cork. It also helps with thermal insulation, regulates area temperature, and prevents decline of heat into the atmosphere. This can in convert lower vitality intake and outcome in fiscal cost savings for property owners, which is a large additionally specified the present charge of vitality.

Watertight

Cork is a naturally water-resistant setting up material and due to its composition, it does not absorb h2o. So is a cork flooring water-proof? Nicely, this relies upon on the variety of flooring that you choose. The glue-down cork ground tiles can be put in in any space, but click cork tiles or floating tiles, are not able to be installed in soaked rooms, as there is an HDF board in the plank composition, which is prone to h2o hurt.

So if you’ve been inquiring oneself ‘is a cork ground very good for kitchens?’ or ‘is a cork ground great for loos?’ the respond to is indeed. As extended as edges are sealed, a h2o-resistant lacquer is made use of and the cork flooring has a drinking water-resistant core, then a cork ground is properly acceptable for loos and kitchens.

Bricoflor’s Sprint Cork Flooring

Fire-retardant

Cork also performs perfectly went it will come to hearth as it is a all-natural fireplace retardant. It is even utilized by the aerospace industry due to its special attributes. When it undergoes combustion it burns without having a flame and does not emit poisonous gasses.

Resistant to Mould, Mildew and Termites

Cork is by natural means resistant to mould, mildew and termites due to a substance termed suberin. The internal partitions of cork cells are lined with suberin, a fatty compound that is hugely impermeable to gases and water. This is what tends to make cork inherently antimicrobial.

Gentle and Warm Underfoot

Cork is a fantastic flooring material simply because it is comfy to stroll on and stand on for extensive periods of time. Cork is always enjoyable to the contact due to weak thermal conduction.

Elastic and Compressible

Cork floors are shock absorbent and will retain their original shape when exposed to standard compression. This means that they accomplish perfectly less than significant furnishings. Cork can really be compressed to around half its thickness and will get better its condition and volume when unveiled. Its elasticity signifies it is equipped to adapt to variations in temperature and pressure without the need of currently being altered.

Eco-pleasant

Cork is a really amazing material for the reason that it is 100% natural, sustainable, renewable and recyclable. Cork oak trees have the distinctive ability to take up C02 from the atmosphere. It is estimated that the cork oak forests can soak up up to 14 million tons of CO2 per yr.

Cork is also categorised as an eco-successful substance. This is because any waste made through the producing system can be reused as biomass to deliver new items.

It is a actually inexperienced substance that does not hurt the setting.

Bricoflor Castello-Terracotta Cork Floor

So now we know the advantages of cork, let us just take a glimpse at some other frequently questioned inquiries when it arrives to determining irrespective of whether or not to pick a cork floor.

How is Cork Flooring Manufactured?

Cork is harvested from the cork oak forest in Portgual. The cork oak tree has a life span of 250-350 years and the cork can be harvested for the initially time once the tree reaches maturity at 25 many years of age. The harvesting method is completed by hand rather than with equipment so that the trees are not harmed. As soon as the cork has been stripped it will develop back and can be harvested every single nine many years. A cork oak tree can be safely harvested up to 20 situations for the duration of its life cycle.

When harvested, the cork planks will want to rest for up to 6 months outside so that they can stabilize. Then the planks are selected by top quality and thickness and the appropriate ones are chosen for flooring.

Is a Cork Flooring Tough Putting on?

Yes, cork flooring is tricky carrying and is really resistant to abrasion. Its honeycomb composition helps make it resistant to impression and friction so it is far more hard-sporting than several other difficult surfaces. Even so, it is nonetheless fairly a smooth content does demand specific steps to make sure that it is retained in great condition. Specifically if you opt for raw cork tiles, you will need to guarantee that they are varnished accurately in buy to secure the grain structure from destruction.

How to Clear a Cork Flooring?

A cork flooring is very effortless to keep and retain clear. When hoovering a cork floor you should constantly use the hardwood floor placing on the vacuum cleaner, or even use a floor duster. This is because cork flooring are really smooth and you might danger scratching the varnish.

Cork floors can be washed just like laminate flooring with diluted cleansing detergent resolution and a moist mop. Make certain you wipe up any big spills immediately, especial if the cork floor has an HDF board in its composition.

What Search Can I Obtain with a Cork Floor?

For quite a few folks, a cork flooring stirs up negative reminiscences from the 1970’s, but technological improvements indicate that cork flooring has occur a long way due to the fact then and can now be made use of to reach several distinct seems to be and styles with several distinct colours and finishes.

The pure color of cork is a light tan shade which instantly provides warmth to a house. It can occur in numerous brown shades dependent on the tint and varnished employed. But it is also accessible in black variations as perfectly as grey and whitewashed shades.

You can also insert different degrees of texture to your room relying on the measurement of the granules in the cork ground. Larger granules increase additional texture although more compact granules give a smoother end.

If you want a a lot more textured search, then you need to go for even bigger granules. The little granule cork offers a smooth texture. Peeled cork is another choice and this is made by taking strips of cork and placing them next to just about every other to make a streamlined search.

The purely natural cork designs are not that adaptable when as opposed to the versatility out there in LVT or laminate flooring, as they are limited by the cork pattern. But the many rewards that a cork ground can supply significantly outweigh this small aesthetic drawback.

Exactly where can I buy Cork Flooring?

Bricoflor materials two distinctive models of cork flooring and focuses mostly on floating cork tiles with manufacturing unit used end, as these are easiest to install and can be made use of promptly just after installation.

If you have uncovered this publish handy, really do not forget about to help you save it for later by pinning the graphic down below. And as usually, I would really like to examine your comments about cork flooring. Do you have it installed in your residence? If not, would you look at it?