Choosing Your Cork Flooring

Cork (actually the bark of the cork oak tree) was a popular floor covering for most of the first half of the 20th century, and it's making a huge comeback. Cork is one of the most beautiful and unique flooring materials today. Its textured surface is both natural and comfortable - walking on cork is like walking on air. Cork flooring is rugged. It resists most scuffs and stains, and its textured pattern disguises indents. Cork is very comfortable underfoot, making it the ideal floor for the kitchen or other task rooms where you stand for long periods of time. Cork reduces noise and is warm to the touch. It is a natural insulator. The bark is carefully and meticulously harvested by hand, but not until the tree has matured enough - about 25 years. The bark can be stripped every nine to fourteen years. The trees can survive for decades.