Cork Floor Tiles: The ?Green? Alternative
Posted by articlelink01 on September 29th, 2014
Do you have plans to build a new home or renovate an existing one? If so, you might want to join the “green” revolution, if you’re not already part of it. Being eco-friendly is a trend that hopefully will continue long into the future. We can do our small part by using eco-friendly products for our homes and cork floor tiles are certainly a perfect choice.
There are many advantages to installing this type of flooring, but perhaps one of the biggest advantages is that cork is an eco-friendly product. Here are some reasons why cork is being labeled as an eco-friendly product and why it is an excellent alternative to use in every room in your home, even for your kitchen flooring.
This type of floor tiles are considered to be eco-friendly from production all the way through cork flooring installation. The manufacturing process starts from removing the bark of a cork oak tree. The process of removing the bark from the tree is entirely done by hand. This is so that a thin layer of bark will remain on the tree. The tree will then be harvested for its bark only after 9 years.
Drying the bark of the tree is an all-natural process as well. The bark is left in the forest for a few months until it is ready for further processing. In some areas, the bark is primarily used for manufacturing wine bottle stoppers. The excess cork is then ground up and manufactured into tiles or other cork products.
The cork flooring installation process is eco-friendly as well. The process starts with the preparation of the area where the cork tiles are to be installed. Sometimes, the tiles need to be installed in old houses, particularly the ones built before 1980. It is often discovered that the base floor of these houses are made of asbestos, thus this is safely removed before installation can begin.
In some cases, particularly when doing kitchen flooring, floating floors need to be used. No adhesives are used in this process, thus adding to its eco-friendliness. In cases where adhesives are used, water-based adhesives are preferred.
These floors are resistant to mold, mildew, and bacteria. They are known to be hypoallergenic, which is why this type of flooring material is popular with homeowners who are sensitive to allergens. Not only that, but the floor area is easy to clean since it resists dust as well. Most of the time, simply sweeping the floor will do, even on kitchen flooring.
These floors are also excellent heat and cold insulators thereby requiring less energy to heat or cool the home. During hot months, these floors prevent cool air from escaping. During cold months, the same tiles prevent heat from escaping as well.
When it comes to using eco-friendly flooring materials, nothing can beat these floor tiles. To date, no man-made materials can equal the benefits that cork files provide. So, if you’re planning to build a new home or remodel an existing one, go green by using these tiles.
Cork floor tiles - http://cancork.com/beveled-cork-floors.html require protection from the sun and other elements that can damage the surface or the entire tile. Forna Flooring’s exterior coating for wood is the perfect solution to extending the life expectancy of cork kitchen flooring and enhancing the overall beauty of a cork floor.
