Cork Flooring Is the Best Option Around for Durability
and Aesthetic Value
By Kevin Brown
It is inevitable, almost everyone no matter how long they
have lived in their house, wants to replace their flooring at
some point. Do you have carpet that is covered in pet stains,
juice, coffee or wine stains? Carpet gets matted down and shows
wear patterns quickly. Alternatively, maybe you have hardwood
floors that are full of scratches and dents. Linoleum that is
peeling up at the edges and seams and has rips and tears in it.
No matter what type of flooring you currently have. If you
are not happy with what you are walking on, it can reduce the
value and appearance of your home dramatically. If you are considering
a new floor, you owe it to yourself to look into cork flooring
as an option.
What Is Cork Flooring?
Cork has been used in a variety of capacities for thousands
of years including flooring. Because of all of the wonderful
properties found naturally in cork, it is a perfect choice for
flooring, sound proofing, and of course in wine bottles.
Cork is taken from the bark of the cork oak tree. The cork
can be harvested after the tree is 25 years of age. And after
that, the tree can be harvested every nine years for the rest
of the lifetime. In addition, since each cork oak tree can live
to be over two hundred years old, cork is a renewable resource,
making it an excellent option for environmentally conscious consumers.
How Durable Is Cork?
When you think of cork, you may think immediately of wine
corks or small cork plugs that are used to plug bottles of all
shapes and sizes. You may have had the experience of a cork used
in a wine bottle breaking off into your wine. If this has happened
to you, you might be wondering if cork really is strong enough
for a flooring option.
The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, cork is probably
one of the strongest flooring options available on the market
today! Cork is much less affected by impact and friction than
hardwood, laminate or tile flooring. Therefore, cork can stand
up to much more use and abuse than any other flooring type.
In fact, cork has an amazing resistant and is extremely resilient
to pressure. If you stand on a cork floor with high heels, the
floor will make an impression or a dent. However, when you remove
the pressure, the floor will spring back to its original shape
almost immediately, and leave no lasting mark or impression!
This is handy if you plan to place any heavy furniture on your
floor. With other types of flooring such as carpet, heavy furniture
will leave a permanent mark when it is moved. However with cork,
when you remove the furniture, the floor with look as good as
new.
When you drop heavy items on tile floors, they are prone to
cracking and breaking. However, with a cork floor, the item will
not leave a mark. This is an excellent property if you have small
children or are just clumsy!
What About Water?
Cork contains a natural substance called suberin. Suberin
is a waxy type of substance that makes the cork impervious to
liquids and the cork will not rot if it is exposed to water or
liquid like a hardwood or laminate. This makes cork flooring
a perfect choice for kitchens or bathroom areas. Cork is the
best seal around which is evidenced by the use of cork to stop
up wine bottles for centuries.
If you spill anything on a cork floor, you do not have to
worry about staining or any other damage, you simply wipe it
up, and the mess is gone. Unlike carpet or hardwood where you
would have to worry about a permanent stain or discoloration
of the floor.
What Other Properties Does Cork Have?
Cork is the perfect choice if you suffer from allergies or
if you have an illness that requires your living environment
to be very clean. Because cork is a natural barrier to insects,
common problem insects such as termites and ants cannot get into
the flooring and infest the house.
In addition, cork is naturally germ resistant which means
that no allergens can hid in the floor such as with carpet. The
floor will not absorb dust or allow any molds or funguses to
grow. It is easy to clean and is not produced with any harsh
chemicals, which makes it the perfect choice for people suffering
with allergies or any major illness.
Can I Install It Myself?
If you are a do it yourselfer and you like home projects,
than cork is definitely something that you can install over a
weekend. Many manufactures are now producing cork-flooring tiles
with a glue-less technology. You simply snap the tiles in place
like a floating floor. This makes the installation easy and it
does not require any special tools.
The Final Decision
Cork is the perfect choice for flooring if you need something
that will stand up to use and abuse, be long lasting, is resistant
to water and stains and be safe for the environment. An excellent
value for your money, cork will last forever and is only half
the price of many other popular flooring options.
© 2005 http://www.laminate-flooring-now.com
Kevin Brown is successful author and publisher of many informative
websites including http://www.laminate-flooring-now.com . His
websites offer tips and advice on a wide array of topics including
laminate flooring, hardwood floors, cork flooring and more.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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