Cork flooring: an ancient art with tradition

It's been over 300 years since cork flooring originated in Europe. In all these years it gained in popularity throughout the world due to its longevity and incredible durability. Unlike hardwood flooring, produced from filled treks, cork flooring comes from the bark of the tree only.

The bark is harvested every nine years, and then grows back with no harm to the tree itself. Cork flooring is made by grinding the bark into small pieces, which are coated with a non-toxic resin binder.

It's manufactured as tiles or planks in various thicknesses. Although the cork floor is very smooth to touch, it has the appearance of an uneven texture which is accentuated by the color strakes. In a nutshell, it is extremely attractive and gives your house an exotic touch by its unique designs.

With the help of current manufacturing expertise, cork flooring now comes in a wide range of colors in both planks and tile construction. These floors can be glued down and/or floated over a wide variety of sub floors, including wood, concrete slabs and some types of existing floors.

You can buy cork floors that are unfinished and needs a finishing at the jobsite, however most cork floors come with a special vinyl finish layer to help protect the cork and make regular cleaning easier.

Cork flooring is also known for its ability to absorb vibrations and its natural anti-bacterial qualities help it resist any growth of mold and mildew. Cork flooring has a low thermal conductivity as well, making it an extremely good insulator of heat and cold.

Installation and maintenance

Cork planks or tiles can be installed with adhesives. The flooring material can be cut with a utility knife, so it's simple to fit around corners or along uneven walls.

Maintenance is simple as well-regular sweeping and vacuuming will prevent scratches, and spills can be wiped up with a cloth. A dulling floor can be brightened with another quick coat.

The average cost for flooring are about $4 to $6 per square foot about the same as imported hardwood or high end laminate. Beside a comfortable floor to stand on for long periods of time, cork flooring also insulates your floors better and is hard to beat when it comes to acting as a sound barrier.

Cork floors do show wear and tear over time, even those that come pre-finished. Then you'll want to reseal the flooring with an acrylic finish. You can tell when your cork floor needs a refinishing job when the surface begins to look dull (look for this in heavily trafficked areas first). Before applying the finish, you should key the surface of the cork lightly with fine grade sandpaper.

There are many types of flooring. Typically falls in to several categories: Hard, wood, fiber and sheet. Each style of flooring has its own implication. Some types of flooring are so easy to install that even you can install them whereas there few very complicated flooring as well, which require professionals with expertise. Buying a new floor can be a frustrating and confusing task. Market has been flooded with various flooring supplies and flooring methods. Your decision is very crucial and we know that that's why we just want to help you with your choice of flooring.So make sure while making the estimate you add all the obvious and hidden charges that will be the part of your flooring installation.

You must include all separate changes in one because you would want to know the actual amount you are going to spend. Cost of removal of pre existing flooring must be included in the quoted price. Labor charges for moving all appliances and furniture in the room must be included as well.befoe going to floor in your home you must follow the tips about florring as mentioned above.After following these tips you will not face nay kind of trobule with flooring in your home.