The Cork Forest
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Cork is an eminently renewable
resource harvested from the living
bark of the Cork Oak.
Cork is harvested in a steady cycle
that promotes healthy growth to the
tree over its expected lifespan of over
200 years. Though the Cork Oak can
flourish in many climates, the
conditions that favor commercial use
lie in a fairly narrow swath that cuts
through Western Europe and
Northern Africa along the
Mediterranean coast.
Typically, virgin cork is not removed
from saplings until the 25th year, and
reproduction cork (the first cycle)
may not be extracted for another 9-12
years.
Cork Harvest
Ecology
• Cork is an ecological product.
• At a time when the Earth’s resources are being
depleted cork is a material which is totally natural
and does not harm the environment.
• Bark is harvested every 9 years, therefore it is
renewable.
• The harvesting promotes healthy growth to the tree
over its expected lifespan of over 200 years.
• It enables the tree to flourish without the
intervention of herbicides, fertilizers and irrigation.
Cork Flooring Advantages
• Environmentally friendly
• Thermal regulator
• Impact noise insulator
• Easy to install
• Simple maintenance
Characteristics and
Benefits of Cork
Sound Proofing
• Very effective insulation
against sound.
• Frequently used in
recording studios,
libraries, museums and
galleries.
• Ideal for apartments and
two-story homes.
• Used in schools and
government buildings.
Thermal Insulation
• Cork is a very effective thermal insulator.
• Corkboard is used to insulate external
walls and roofs in buildings.
• Can be used in cold and hot climates.
• Used in Japan on refrigeration vehicles.
Comfort
• Cork flooring is
comfortable to walk on.
• Air cell structure
provides a high level of
comfort underfoot.
• There are over 100,000
cells per cubic inch.
• Maintains an even
temperature year round.
Safety
• The characteristics that
make cork soft and
comfortable also makes it
safe.
• Non-slippery surface makes
it safer when stepping out of
a bath.
• ADA approved
• Gives better grip underfoot.
• Causes few breakages from
fallen plates, glassware, etc.
• Cork flooring is used in
gyms because it lessens the
risk of injury in case of a
fall.
• Useful in retirement homes
and any place where there
are children.
• In the event of a fire, smoke
from burning cork is nontoxic.
• Cork does not conduct
electrostatic charges making
it ideal for computer
environments.
Durability
• Cork has been used in the
United States since 1890.
Installations still in use date
back to 1924.
• Used in churches, homes,
hotels and public buildings.
• Can be used in all domestic
situations as well as in
commercial applications such
as offices, stores, schools etc.
• Under normal circumstances,
cork should last for decades
without much maintenance.
Anti-vibration
• Expanded
corkboard, baked
cork specially made
for industrial and
insulation
applications, is also
installed under
machinery to cut
down on the
vibration.
Humidity
•Cork flooring is suitable for kitchens and bathrooms.
•Cork is a humidity regulator, it can be in contact with
normal levels of humidity without problems.
•While cork does not act as a vapor barrier, in its natural
form it does not suffer from contact with moist
environments.
•An example of this quality is the cork bottle stopper.
Bottles are normally kept horizontally, sometimes for
decades, and cork is in permanent contact with a liquid
without deterioration.
Cork Products
Floating Floor
Parquet Tiles
Cork Rolls
Floating Floor
• TONGUE AND GROOVE SNAP ON
PLANKS
• DIMENSIONS: 915 x 305 mm. (3’ x 1’)
• THICKNESS: 11 mm. (7/16”)
• 3 LAYERS:
– 2 mm. CORK UNDERLAYMENT
– 5 mm. HIGH DENSITY FIBREWOOD CORE
– 4 mm. UPPER CORK LAYER
Parquet Tiles
• CORK TILES TO BE GLUED ON THE
FLOOR
• DIMENSIONS:
- 610 x 305 mm. (24” x 12”)
- 305 x 305 mm. (12” x 12”)
• THICKNESS: 4.8 mm.(3/16”) & 8 mm.(5/16”)
Cork Underlayment
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Residential and Commercial Applications
Underlayment between substrate and flooring
Sheets: 2’ X 3’
Rolls: 4’ X 50’
Thickness: 1/8”, ¼”, ½”, 1”
Other Products
• Cork giftware, a new arrival to California, is
also available in a very wide range of fashion.
Products include: handbags, ties, briefcases,
wallets, belts, cosmetic bags and umbrellas.
• Wall Tiles are available in 12” X 24” X ¼”, in 20
different patterns and colors.
• Wall Paper is available in rolls in 10 different
colors and patterns.
• Cork upholstering material.
Ease of Installation and
Maintenance
• Installation and maintenance
compares to that of wood
flooring.
• For proper protection and
extended wear the application
of a commercially rated water
based polyurethane is highly
recommended.
• On finished floors, stains such
as coffee, wine and sauces can
be removed with a damp mop
and mild detergent.
• Cork flooring is factory
urethane-coated.
Installations
Summary
• Grown almost exclusively in South East Europe, due to favorable
climatic conditions, cork trees have been harvested for human use
for over two thousand years.
• In the United States cork has normally been associated with cork
stoppers in wine bottles but has become increasingly popular as a
flooring product. Used in homes from Florida to California, it also
used in churches, offices and public buildings such as the Library
of Congress in Washington D.C.
• In Europe it is associated with wine bottles as well but it is being
used more and more as a flooring product as far as Russia. It is
also used as a wall covering product for insulation and decorative
reasons.
• Recently new products have been made in cork, from office
giftware to fashion accessories. Cork is a natural product which is
becoming increasingly popular worldwide, as its amazing
characteristics and ecological benefits become better known.