Cork Flooring Reviews

An attractive flooring can add value to any home decor. It's always surprising how flooring can change the attractiveness, coziness and appearance of a home drastically. There is no dearth of options in the types of flooring available today. Whether carpets, hardwood or laminate flooring they all have their sets of advantages and disadvantages. But, if you are looking for a popular and attractive alternative for traditional flooring, then I would strongly recommend cork flooring. Being warm, cozy, comfortable and durable, the flooring is pure value for money. The prices are also comparatively less and moreover, the installation is so easy that you can do it yourself. Before we begin reading different cork flooring reviews, you would like to gain more knowledge on this type of flooring.

What is It?

The raw material used for making cork floors is the bark of the cork tree. Cork oak mainly grows in the Mediterranean countries. Cork tree is able to give up its bark every nine or ten years, after which a new layer of bark grows. This unique trait of the tree is harmless and cork is definitely a natural renewable resource. This wonderful natural resource has been improving home decors for over a hundred years in houses, schools, hospitals, churches, museums, libraries and even hotels. In early days, these floors became quite a sensation due to its durability and attractiveness. But its popularity decreased due to the advent of other new materials. However, now it's again regaining popularity among the masses due to its wide range of benefits.

Essential Benefits

Durability
We don't want to install flooring after every few months, hence in any type of flooring, durability is an extremely crucial quality. In this fast paced life we want a flooring that is easy to clean, maintain and lasts long. Well, the flooring definitely provides us with all such benefits. Without being biased, the durability is as good as any other flooring, if not more. The reviews suggest that they are protected with five layers of durable UV along with acrylic finish. So they also require minimum maintenance. Cork floors are also covered in polyurethane coating, which increases the durability and longevity. So if the protective coat of a cork floor begins to wear out, it can easily be re-coated.

Resilient
Resilience is an important property worth mentioning. Cork is made up of fifty percent air, which makes it lightweight and extremely resilient to pressure. Now, even if we place furniture on this floor, it will make a temporary dent, but as soon as the furniture is removed, the floor will regain its original shape almost immediately. This property of the tiles does not even affect its attractiveness. In some other types of flooring, such as carpet, heavy furniture can leave a permanent mark.

Water Resistant
This flooring is also water resistant. It contains a natural substance called suberin, which is a wax type substance that makes the flooring resistant to liquids. Unlike hardwood floors, which get damaged, if exposed to water or liquid, cork will not rot and also won't lose shine. Cork flooring will be a perfect choice for kitchen floor. However, do not use mops to clean the floors, because it absorbs water which can damage the floor.

Sound and Temperature Insulating Property
Another important aspect, which will make it your favorite, is that it is a good sound and temperature insulator. Temperature-insulating properties does not let go the heat present in the house, through the floor. This factor is extremely important during the winter season. The flooring could provide ample insulation against sound coming from outside. It will effectively lower the noise that is invading your peaceful moments.

Cork flooring is available in various natural and artificial colors. Moreover, if cork flooring is maintained properly, it can last for 20 to 25 years without many problems. I hope this article helps you in buying the best suited flooring for your home.