Cork floors are enjoying resurgence in popularity today. From television design shows to shelter magazines, cork is seemingly everywhere and ostensibly the "hottest new product" on the market.

A member of the beech family, Quercus Suber or the cork oak tree grows in coastal regions of the Mediterranean. Seven countries comprise the bulk of the area where cork oak will grow. These countries are Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia with the majority of the production occurring in Portugal and Spain. Relatively slow growing, cork trees survive harsh conditions in depleted soil that will often support little else of value. There are examples of cork oak trees that are 400 to 500 years old, though the average life expectancy would be 120 to 200 years. actually Natural Cork is a natural fire inhibitor so the bark provides protection from wildfires common to the region. An inherent waxy substance, suberin, serves as an insect repellant eliminating threat from many usual agricultural pests. And the bark is regenerative, so its protective properties will grow back if damaged in any way.

Grown on farms and harvested every 9 to 11 years, the financial benefit lies not in felling these trees but in keeping them alive and in production for generations. Regulations necessitate that a cork tree may not be harvested until it is 20 to 25 years old. The material from this first harvest is known as "virgin" cork. Virgin bark is less desirable as it is tough and irregularly formed. The next harvest results in product that is called "secondary cork" which, though of better quality than virgin bark, is still not ideal. After extracting these first two layers of cork, subsequent harvests produce "amadia". With the harvest of amadia, a cork oak tree has reached its optimum production value. At maturity a typical tree can produce upwards of 450 pounds of cork per harvest. This takes right around 50 years to achieve. Starting a cork tree farm is an investment in future generations.

Cork is still harvested by hand in the traditional method leaving the habitat intact and with minimal impact on the overall environment. Removal of the bark, known as "stripping", must be done during the active growing season, June through August. Using hand tools, a series of cuts are made in the bark, one at ground level, one just below the first branches, and two vertical cuts joining these. The loosened bark is then pried off in two large sheets where possible and smaller bits if not. Sheets of cork are stacked and left for days to dry in the sun, before being sent to factory.

The ability to use cork in flooring applications was not discovered until the 19th century when American, John Smith, discovered agglomerated cork. Today, cork flooring is created from the post-industrial by-product of the bottle-stopper industry. This 'waste' material is ground up and then formed into sheets using minimal amounts of adhesive to bind the particles together under high pressure. The size, quantity, and type of cork granule in conjunction with varying degrees of pressure make the difference between bulletin board material and material suitable for flooring applications.

Historically, cork floors were finished in the same manner as any other wood flooring, i.e. with a paste wax buffed into the surface. However, the labor-intensive nature of this maintenance routine was seen as a real drawback when rolled sheet vinyl and similar 'modern' resilient surface options came on the market in the mid 20th century. Cork flooring fell out of favor and for perhaps 30 years was not readily available to the general public.

New finishing techniques and improved technologies have revived interest in cork over the past decade. Though still a small fraction of the overall floor coverings market, Cork is enjoying resurgence in popularity driven in large part by consumer demand. What does cork have to offer that sets it apart from other flooring choices? Quite a bit it turns out. In fact, no other floor covering can match the combined benefits of cork.

Cork floors combine the best characteristics of hard surface and soft surface flooring. NO OTHER FLOORING OPTION COMPARES! See for yourself:

	Cork	Carpet	Hardwood	Tile	Vinyl	Laminate
Warm	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Comfort Underfoot	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Durable	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Easy to Clean	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
All Natural	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No
Resilient	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
Mold/Mildew Resistant	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Acoustic Insulator	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Thermal Insulator	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Add Home Value	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Resists Insects	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Fire Inhibitor	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Easy to Install	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Easy to Repair	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
Scratch Resistant	Yes	NA	No	No	No	Yes

The basis for cork flooring is agglomerated sheet material produced mainly in Portugal and Spain. This material has the appearance of compressed granules, which is exactly what it is. In order to achieve a different appearance, it is necessary to laminate a thin veneer layer of cork on top of this core material. Lamination takes place at the time of original production making the thin layer inseparable from the core. The veneer layer carries the pattern. There are many patterns to choose from, everything from those that favor bamboo to those that mimic marble and much in-between.

CORK PARQUET TILE - Glue-down tile, often referred to as parquet, is generally available in a range of patterns and colors, finished or unfinished, 12" x 12" or 12" x 24" are standard. It is possible to special order in other sizes up to 36" x 36" which is the limit of the production machinery. Tile can be installed over wood or concrete substrates that meet the qualifications for sheet vinyl applications. The preferred method of adhesion is water based contact cement, however other adhesives are used. It is not recommended to install tile in below grade situations.

CORK PLANK - When applied to cork, the term 'plank' refers to a floating floor installation, where cork has been laminated to a fiberboard center core with a tongue & groove edge. This allows for several advantages: Cork plank products are milled with a specially shaped "click" together tongue & groove center core. This sophisticated and highly accurate milled shape ensures a very tight connection during installation and beyond. Click technology is a glueless installation resulting in less mess, less fuss and less time on the job. What's more, floors that are clicked into place and also be unclicked for easy repair.