Conscious Choice: Cork Floors

June 1999 | Sensible Home

Cork Floors

by James Dulley

Dear Jim: We are remodeling, and I want reasonably-priced no-carpet floors. I am concerned about comfort, noise and insulation over the slab. I also want it to be natural and earth-friendly. What do you recommend? — Mike R.

Dear Mike: Many people are switching to non-carpeted floors because of allergies and for an attractive, elegant decor. Several flooring material alternatives are hardwood, laminate, vinyl, cork, or bamboo.

Of all these flooring materials, cork tiles are probably your best choice. Although most people, when they hear the word "cork," think of wine bottles or message boards, it is an excellent flooring material.

Cork is an excellent flooring material for many reasons — it is durable, attractive, insulates, absorbs noise, is comfortable and quiet to walk on, and very earth-friendly. Although a cork floor feels hard to the touch, a dropped coffee cup usually will not break when it hits a cork surface. That makes it great around kids.

You can refinish a cork floor exactly like a hardwood floor. You have probably walked on many cork floors and assumed they were ordinary vinyl or wood floors. Cork has been used for floor tiles for about 100 years. With reasonable care and cleaning, one should last decades (some have a 25-year warranty).

Especially if your house is built on a slab, a cork floor can save energy. A single cubic inch of cork has more than 100 million tiny air cells and it has an insulation value of about R-2.8 per inch. This insulation and slight resilience also makes it the most comfortable non-carpeted flooring tile.

Cork is about the most earth-friendly material available. To obtain it, a layer of bark is peeled off a cork oak tree every nine years without harming the tree. These trees live for 200 years, and the bark peeling is good for them.

Cork colors range from very light to nearly black. The color depends on how hot it is baked in the curing ovens. Choosing a bright, lighter color reduces the need to switch on lamps. The cork density and the type of binders determine how hard it is. You can feel the difference between various brands.

Urethane (usually matte) finishes are most durable and should not need refinishing for many years. Acrylic finishes are more natural, but require more frequent care and treatments. Natural carnauba wax is also an option.

If you like a true hardwood look, new bamboo flooring is an earth-friendly choice. Bamboo is actually a grass, and cutting it every four years does not kill it as it would a tree. Bamboo flooring is harder than maple and more stable than oak. The natural patterns and combinations of colors are beautiful.

Write for (or instantly download) Update Bulletin No. 996 — a list of ten manufacturers of cork and bamboo flooring, colors, tile sizes available, typical patterns and installation instructions. Please include $3.00 and a business-size SASE. James Dulley, Conscious Choice, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244

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