Cork flooring Explodes in Popularity - so long wine bottle, hello floors!

Cork flooring is currently experiencing a renaissance in its popularity as homeowners learn more about its unique properties and advantages. No longer is cork flooring only reserved for installations in castles and museums, cork floors are gaining popularity in residential and commercial installations as a highly attractive and unique floor covering. Let's take a look what cork flooring has to offer:


NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL
Cork flooring has come a long way in the last few years and has become a popular and trendy choice for the design elite. Cork flooring is highly original and unique and commands the attention of anyone walking on it for the first time. With over 50 colors and patterns to select from, there is a cork floor to match almost any design decor. Best of all, your floors will be the talk of the town for years to come.


ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
Cork Flooring is made from the bark of cork trees. The bark is harvested from the cork trees every 10 years and then is allowed to regrow making cork flooring a truly renewable resource. Spain and Portugal account for over 80% of the world"s supply of cork from their highly productive cork forests. Choosing cork flooring as your next floor installation truly is a "green" choice and will help to reduce


WATER RESISTANT
Due to the naturally found waxy substance in the cork cellular structure called suberin, cork flooring is highly resistive to water penetration and water damage. In nature, the cork tree grows in a hot and dry climate and the suberin acts to seal in the water of the cork tree.


SOUND REDUCTION
The natural honeycomb cellular structure of cork contains air pockets which naturally act as a sound insulator. Cork has such good sound insulating qualities that many apartment buildings will require cork underlayment be installed under laminate or hardwood floor installations to provide a barrier of sound insulation for neighbors below. The cellular air pocket structure of cork flooring also acts to dampen or reduce vibrations, which further reduce noise transference.


WEAR RESISTANT
The unique cellular structure of cork makes this flooring incredibly soft and spongy to walk upon. No matter how heavy and object is placed on the flooring, once it is removed the flooring naturally bounces back to its original shape.


HEALTH BENEFITS
Cork is a natural material that does not absorb dust and has anti-microbial properties which make it resistant to rot and insect damage. Unlike man-made flooring products which produce slowly break down over time and produce chemical off-gases, cork is a natural substance found in nature that does not breakdown chemically and produce indoor pollution.


IDEAL FOR SPECIALIZED ROOMS
The sound and vibration dampening qualities of cork make it an ideal flooring solution for specialized rooms in a home that require a quiet space, or to contain sound. Sound studios, study dens, and even rooms that have echoes are great candidates for cork flooring. Many couples also install an extra underlayer of cork flooring in their bedroom for added privacy!

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