Tag Archives: Cork

11 Advantages of Using Cork Flooring in Kitchens

One of the more popular environment friendly flooring options used for kitchens today is cork flooring. Your kitchen floor looks updated, warm and inviting with cork flooring. Besides this, there are other benefits associated with kitchen cork flooring.

1.To the environment conscious, cork flooring is the best flooring option for them. This is because cork is a renewable resource. No tree has to be chopped down for cork; it comes from the tree bark, which grows back within nine years’ time.

This is a much better alternative than hardwood flooring where trees are cut down. A minimum of 30 years is required for the tree to grow large enough to be used again for flooring.

2.Families with allergies benefit the most from cork flooring as cork is hypoallergenic. It does not absorb any mites or dust and the flooring can easily be mopped of allergens.

3.Cork flooring is resilient wherein it offers some cushioning when you walk and stand on it in the kitchen. This is advantageous as you will be standing for long periods of time preparing and cooking food.

4.The chances of anything brittle breaking after falling on cork flooring is also reduced because of the cushioning of cork flooring.

5.As the kitchen is the most traversed room in the house, being durable, cork flooring is best suited for its flooring.

6.As cork is water resistant, cork flooring is easy to clean. This makes cleaning the many spills and messes in kitchens very easy. In addition to this, cork flooring is also fire resistant.

7.Cork flooring has an added advantage of being an insulator that helps with noise and temperature control. It helps keep your room warm in winter, and cool in summer. Its energy efficiency thus helps you cut down your energy bills.

8.Cork flooring adds multi-dimensional beauty to your kitchen as it is available in various colours and shades. You find flooring with shades from tan to black which you can also mix to create custom flooring of your own. Moreover, as cork flooring comes with light and dark swirls, it effectively hides dirt and blemishes.

9.As cork flooring is neutral, it goes well with any kitchen design. It creates a beauty and warmth statement no other flooring can come close to.

10.When compared to other flooring, cork flooring is ‘self healing’. This means that if the flooring suffers a wound on dropping a knife or any other sharp object, the wound quickly heals up.

11.Cleaning cork flooring is a cinch. You just have to regularly sweep and damp mop it to get rid of dirt and debris. If required, you can refinish the cork flooring as per manufacturer’s instructions.

You can also try lightly sanding cork flooring to rekindle the flooring’s shine. It’s better to coat the floor with a urethane coating after sanding it for longer lasting protection and shine. Additional coatings make the flooring water resistant.

With so many advantages associated with cork flooring, it is better to use cork as your kitchen flooring during your next kitchen renovation.

If you are thinking of changing your kitchen’s flooring we at flooring locally have a list of companies where you can buy quality flooring supplies.

Cork As Flooring

Everyone has heard of popping the cork on a wine bottle or simply recapping an open bottle of soda with a cork plug, but who ever heard of using cork as a flooring material. Cork flooring has a unique quality about it that probably no other type of flooring has. Cork has a natural sound absorbing ability; therefore, a home that is equipped with cork flooring automatically has a much quieter and restful atmosphere throughout the whole home. Who doesn’t crave a little more tranquility in their life?

Unlike the beautiful natural wood flooring that we are accustomed to installing in our homes, cork floors do not necessitate the cutting down of any of our precious trees. The bark of the cork tree is just carefully stripped away from the tree. The next phase is just about unbelievable; the cork tree does not die. Instead the bark of the tree regenerates itself in an incredible period of only about nine years. Is this amazing?

Walking on natural cork flooring is a treat. These floors are soft and yielding under your feet. If by some chance a high heel shoe should leave an indentation in the cork, the mark will quickly disappear as soon as the foot is moved to another location.. No matter how much the children and their friends play with their varied assortment of toys, they cannot permanently scratch or dent a cork floor. Not only that, but the winter’s icy cold temperatures will not be transferred through a natural cork floor. This insures that not only the children, but everyone, who happens to sit or step barefooted on a cork floor will not have a chilling experience. Heavy object, however, if left for a long period of time in the same spot will cause damage to a cork floor.

So, the next time you are considering the replacement of a floor in your home, why not give cork flooring a try?

James is the owner of Flat Fee MLS Listing SIR, a Flat Fee MLS company that specializes in placing For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties on the Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for a low one time flat fee. Please visit Southwestern Flat Fee MLS Listing to learn more about their services and the Flat Fee MLS packages they offer.

Ceramic and Cork flooring in MA

Lexington MA cork flooring is an increasingly popular choice in the area, providing many significant benefits. The honeycomb makeup that occurs naturally in cork is comprised mainly of air, accounting for the springy softness available to discerning homeowners in Lexington, MA. Floor installation of cork will provide plenty of comfort and durability as the honeycomb structure can be pressed down to 40% of its original size. The cork flooring then returns to its original state with no damage.

Cork flooring also offers natural benefits to both safety and health. Natural substances in cork keep it resistant to insects, mold and rot; all of which could otherwise present health hazards. Cork is also fire resistant, making it an ideal choice for any Lexington, MA cork flooring option. Another advantage to cork is its sound absorption characteristics. In fact, cork is often used as a soundproofing material. This makes cork even more ideal for an upstairs floor, deadening noise and keeping downstairs quieter. These same characteristics also make cork a natural insulator, keeping warm or cool air in a room anywhere in Lexington, MA.

Cork flooring also offers the benefit of being one of the ‘greenest’ flooring materials around. It is a natural resource that is completely renewable, with many types of cork coming from the bark of trees that can be stripped off time and time again without killing the tree. The fact that cork can be harvested without the deforestation associated with other types of wooden flooring makes cork a favorite in any Lexington, MA floor installation. Finally, the durability and beauty of cork flooring are selling points that should get any home owner interested. No paint or design is necessary; the natural beauty of this material stands on its own. In terms of durability, picture a cork in a wine bottle, compressed for months, years, even decades. Once the cork is popped, it returns to its original shape in moments. The same resilience is present in cork flooring; it just springs back.

Lexington MA ceramic tile is another popular choice in flooring for several reasons. First is the unquestionable durability of ceramic tile. When compared with carpeting and hardwood, tile has a much longer useful life. It is also completely fireproof, never giving off noxious fumes. Of course, ceramic tile is virtually waterproof as well, making it the ideal choice for areas likely to experience moisture such as a bathroom or kitchen in Lexington, MA. Ceramic tile is also highly resistant to signs of wear and tear. Foot traffic that would be obvious in a carpet or hardwood floor will remain undetectable in tile for decades. Glazes and substances can also be added to tile in order to make it virtually slip proof, an important consideration in Lexington, MA. Floor installation of tile can withstand a wide range of temperatures, is stain resistant and incredibly easy to clean. Patterns and colors on ceramic tile are safe from the sun’s rays as they do not dull or fade even in the summers of Lexington, MA. Ceramic tile is resistant to all chemicals and is quite hygienic when compared to other choices.