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BDU Cork Flooring College™
Bark For Flooring: The Making of Cork Flooring
What you will learn: The benefits of cork for flooring; how cork is harvested;
what processes cork undergoes at the factory; cork flooring as a decorative option
Cork has been used for multiple purposes for millennia, and more recently in the last
hundred years, for a resilient solution for flooring. With a natural structure that makes
it a great supplementary element for insulation of both heat and sound, cork flooring is
a great choice for any interior. But how does this environmentally friendly and versatile
product go from bark to floor?
Cork is a material that is somewhat of an unsung hero, put to many uses which have made cork
a mainstay in every day life. It is also an increasingly popular material for flooring,
providing comfort underfoot, due its natural tendency to insulate warmth and provide cushioning
under foot. Besides the feel of cork flooring, this unique material also has a rich appearance,
attractive in both residential and commercial interiors; the colors of the cork flooring planks
can be mixed and matched for designs that are truly individual. In addition, cork flooring is a
great choice for those concerned with issues of renewability – cork flooring stands as a very
renewable resource and is harvested in a very environmentally friendly way. Cork flooring is a
great material for dampening sound, as proven by its popularity as an acoustical underlayment.
So it is well established that cork flooring is a flooring solution worthy for consideration
for all kinds of applications. But, where does it come from?
Cork at the factory
Some of the most well-known regions of cork harvesting include the areas surrounding Portugal and Spain,
where a majority of the world’s cork is sourced. The harvesting of cork is a standardized process, to
ensure that the health of the cork oak species is considered for future harvests, as well as for the immediate
health of the cork oak in general. The bark of the cork oak is removed when it reaches a specified age (25
years and older) and at nine-year intervals. This is done in the summer months, and done very carefully by
means of hand-held implements to make sure that the bark will grow back. The next stage is to boil the bark.
This makes it easier to fashion the cork into a variety of forms, meant for different uses.
One of the primary uses for cork, of course, is for wine bottle stoppers. Once these have been made, the
leftover cork is ground and subsequently molded into large blocks. From here, the cork is baked to increase
its durability for other uses, including cork flooring. After being cut to standardized dimensions, it is then
sorted by color, and sealed with polyurethane, or wax.
Color and Design
Despite the fact that cork flooring is derived from the bark of one particular species – the cork
oak – it is a richly diverse material in terms of design and color variation with which to decorate
a residence or office. One thought to banish from your mind are images of flimsy bulletin board cork.
Cork flooring is a refined, high-density flooring material that is meant not only for practicality,
but for aesthetics too. Cork flooring can be purchased in planks, which feature tongue-and-groove locking
systems and a core of fiberboard, not unlike laminate flooring. The surface patterns of the cork are
unique, appearing in varied, speckled whorls, an effect that often helps to define a room in which the
cork flooring is installed.
Ready for use
All cork flooring is sealed with polyurethane, protecting the surface. You are free to re-apply additional
coats of finish about once every five years after the cork flooring has served under the stresses normal
residential foot traffic. Cork flooring has the potential to last for many years in areas which endure very
heavy foot traffic – government buildings, urban churches, and other public buildings.
Cork flooring, the product of careful harvesting and efficient processing, serves as a practical, and
decorative, flooring solution which is well worth your consideration for residences and for offices.
Back to Cork Flooring College
©2009 by BuildDirect.com Technologies Inc. (BuildDirect™). All rights reserved.
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Durability – Cork flooring made with the stresses of foot traffic firmly in mind. This is where you must put the image of flimsy cork bulletin boards out of your mind – this is a high-density material equal to the task of any high quality flooring option "Springiness" – This attribute not only gives cork flooring a level of comfort when walking on it, but also can mean less breakage when fragile items fall Sound Insulation – Cork naturally dampens sound, making it a very desirable material when the need for quieter footfalls becomes necessary Heat Insulation – Cork flooring locks in warmth, adding an even greater comfort level when walking without footwear. Renewability – Cork flooring is a product which has two levels of renewability going for it – harvesting doesn’t damage the trees from which the cork is taken, and the fact that cork flooring is made from the remainder of other cork products, such as wine corks. None of the material is wasted in the making of cork products. Visual Flair – Cork offers unique patterns that can make a floor an eye-catching feature to any interior
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