Cork is the name given to the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber), a member of the beech family, commonly found in western Mediterranean countries, especially Spain and Portugal.
The tree can live for hundreds of years and grows a thick, wonderful bark which is made of millions of tiny air cells, each lined with alternating layers of cellulose and a waxy substance called suberin. The bark acts as a protective shell in the harsh climate changes and numerous fires affecting the region. Cork bark's unique properties help protect the tree from forest fires, floods, droughts, molds and funguses, and more than 38 species of insects. These unique properties are retained in any products made from the bark.
This wonderful bark can be harvested every 9 to 14 years with absolutely no harm to the tree. The tree is never cut down to produce cork products. After the bark is harvested, it is drilled for wine bottle corks. What is left is reclaimed and ground up to make other products such as flooring. The ground up cork granules are put into large presses and heated up. The high pressure and high heat causes the cork to fuse together and become a large block of agglomerated cork. This large block can then be cut into cork flooring or cork underlayment, depending on density.
The properties of cork are derived naturally from the structure and chemical composition of the inner cells. Each cubic centimeter of cork's honeycomb structure contains between 30 and 40 million cells. These cells allow cork to provide:
INSULATION
Ninety percent of the tissue consists of gaseous matter, therefore, the density of cork is extremely low giving the material wonderful insulating properties, thermal as well as acoustical.
RESILIENCY
When cork is subjected to pressure, the gas in each cell is compressed and volume is reduced. When released from pressure, cork rapidly recovers to its original shape.
IMPERMEABILITY
The presence of suberin, an inherent waxy substance, renders cork impervious to both liquids and gases. As a result, it does not rot. Many consider cork the best seal available.
HYPOALLERGY
Cork does not absorb dust and consequently does not contribute to allergies.
DURABILITY
Cork is remarkably resistant to wear. Its cellular composition means it is less affected by impact and friction than other hard surfaces.
FIRE RETARDANCE
A natural fire retardant, cork does not spread flames and does not release toxic gases during combustion.
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About Cork Flooring . . .
Cork waste from the stopper industry (wine corks) and low quality bark are used to produce cork granules. These are classified according to density and grain sizes.
Flooring tiles are produced from cork granules bound with resins and molded to obtain the desired density under pressure and heat. Cork can be sealed with wax, varnish, urethane or acrylic.
Floating floor technology has been successfully adapted to cork flooring to produce one of the highest quality floor covering.
Cork parquets and floating floors are quiet, warm, comfortable and easy to maintain, while remaining reasonably priced.
By nature, cork flooring is:
- Extremely resilient - kind to back and legs.
- Highly durable - cork floors have lasted well over 100 years.
- Acoustically insulative - reduces noise.
- Thermally insulative - warm and cozy.
- Clean and hypoallergenic - Resistant to mold, mildew and insects (including termites).
- Fire and moisture resistant - inspires confidence and safety.
- Environmentally friendly and beautiful - offers an extraordinary unique look with a social consciousness.
Yesterday's prestigious applications include:
- The First Congregational Church in Chicago, Illinois installed in 1890
- The Mayo Clinic & Plummer Building installed in original building in 1912 and some additional cork flooring installed in the 1940's for a total of 300,000 sq. ft.
- Fallingwater; Western PA; residence designed with cork floors by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1937
Just to name a few.
Today, Natural CORK™ can also claim some prestigious installations like:
The offices of several Fortune 500 corporations
Churches and museums throughout North America
Natural CORK™ flooring is specified with increasing frequency by many of the largest architectural firms in the country. Cork flooring is coming back strongly as architect and designers are very enthusiastic about the distinctive look of the material, the need for better indoor air quality and overall comfort and the related environmental issues.
Recommended applications for cork foors:
Residential
Kitchens - comfortable and quiet
Playrooms, family rooms - comfortable warm and quiet
Bedrooms - for people with allergies
Commercial
Office Settings - comfortable and quiet, indoor air quality
Museums, Libraries - comfortable & quiet, indoor air quality
Retail Stores - comfortable and quiet, indoor air quality
Cork flooring has been used worldwide for over a century.
Natural Cork™ flooring comes in both glue down tiles and floating tongue & groove planks.
Both floating floor and tile products are commercially rated and available prefinished or unfinished.
Prefinished flooring comes from the factory with 5 coats of a UV-cured acrylic finish.
Natural Cork™ floors have a high density of 34 Ibs. per cubic feet.