Cork: An Industry Positive

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9602
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If you are constantly on the lookout for green initiatives, using cork floor will help you stay on the right side of green. Cork is a renewable resource and provides one of the best green flooring solutions. With today’s pressing need for environmental conservation, cork products provide a true environmentally friendly alternative.

Cork, an all-natural product, is produced from the bark of the QuercusSuber tree, also known as the cork oak tree. It grows mainly in Portugal and Spain around the Mediterranean Basin. The bark is carefully harvested from the tree by skilled artisans using only hand tools. This is done in such a manner so that the tree is not damaged or injured. After the top layer of bark is stripped off, the tree then regenerates and grows a new bark. This process will take up to about nine years before the regenerated bark is ready for harvesting.

To maintain the integrity of cork oak trees and to prevent over-harvesting, a law was passed during the 1930s that stipulated that the bark could be stripped from a tree only once every9 years. With an average life span of 200 years one tree can be harvest ...
... up to 20 times. As a result we get a naturally renewable and sustainable resource.

Cork flooring has been around for over a century and can be found in colleges, churches, mansions, and even the Library of Congress. Go with a cork floor and you will see a big improvement in any space you add it to. Cork floors are great in the kitchen because of their natural ability to be water resistant. They won’t rot or mildew. Install a cork floor in your living room as it helps insulate against those cold winter mornings. Walk across it, you’ll notice your feet aren’t freezing as you walk through the room. Cork floors also insulatesound, so are a great choice for apartments where you need to minimize the noise from your neighbors.

Cork floors are also good for your health as it does not absorb dust, which makes it hypoallergenic for those of us who suffer from asthma and indoor allergies. They naturally produce waxy substance called Suberin works as a barrier against insects such as termites that will not eat cork flooring and against microbes and germs.

You won’t sacrifice style for value either since cork comes in numerous patterns and designs to fit any décor. With unbeatable value, resilience for a long lifetime, allergy and germ health benefits, and an environmentally friendly choice, you really can’t deny that cork flooring is your positive choice for your home improvement needs.

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If you are looking for a green option for your flooring, you cannot find anything better than Cork Floors . They are a renewable resource and are the material of choice of homeowners everywhere. iCork Flooring has a wide range of Cork Floors . Check them out today.