It is inevitable, almost everyone no matter how long they have lived in their house, wants to replace their flooring at some point. Do you have carpet that is covered in pet stains, juice, coffee or wine stains? Carpet gets matted down and shows wear patterns quickly. Alternatively, maybe you have hardwood floors that are full of scratches and dents. Linoleum that is peeling up at the edges and seams and has rips and tears in it.

No matter what type of flooring you currently have. If you are not happy with what you are walking on, it can reduce the value and appearance of your home dramatically. If you are considering a new floor, you owe it to yourself to look into cork flooring as an option.

Cork Flooring Options

Cork Floors Durability

What Is Cork Flooring?
Cork flooring has been used in a variety of capacities for thousands of years including flooring. Because of all of the wonderful properties found naturally in cork, it is a perfect choice for flooring, sound proofing, and of course in wine bottles.

Cork is taken from the bark of the cork oak tree. The cork can be harvested after the tree is 25 years of age. And after that, the tree can be harvested every nine years for the rest of the lifetime. In addition, since each cork oak tree can live to be over two hundred years old, cork is a renewable resource, making it an excellent option for environmentally conscious consumers.

How Durable Is Cork?
When you think of cork, you may think immediately of wine corks or small cork plugs that are used to plug bottles of all shapes and sizes. You may have had the experience of a cork used in a wine bottle breaking off into your wine. If this has happened to you, you might be wondering if cork really is strong enough for a flooring option.

The answer is a resounding yes! In fact, cork is probably one of the strongest flooring options available on the market today! Cork is much less affected by impact and friction than hardwood, laminate or tile flooring. Therefore, cork can stand up to much more use and abuse than any other flooring type.

In fact, cork has an amazing resistant and is extremely resilient to pressure. If you stand on a cork floor with high heels, the floor will make an impression or a dent. However, when you remove the pressure, the floor will spring back to its original shape almost immediately, and leave no lasting mark or impression! This is handy if you plan to place any heavy furniture on your floor. With other types of flooring such as carpet, heavy furniture will leave a permanent mark when it is moved. However with cork, when you remove the furniture, the floor with look as good as new.

When you drop heavy items on tile floors, they are prone to cracking and breaking. However, with a cork floor, the item will not leave a mark. This is an excellent property if you have small children or are just clumsy!

What About Water?
Cork contains a natural substance called suberin. Suberin is a waxy type of substance that makes the cork impervious to liquids and the cork will not rot if it is exposed to water or liquid like a hardwood or laminate. This makes cork flooring a perfect choice for kitchens or bathroom areas. Cork is the best seal around which is evidenced by the use of cork to stop up wine bottles for centuries.
If you spill anything on a cork floor, you do not have to worry about staining or any other damage, you simply wipe it up, and the mess is gone. Unlike carpet or hardwood where you would have to worry about a permanent stain or discoloration of the floor.

What Other Properties Does Cork Have?
Cork is the perfect choice if you suffer from allergies or if you have an illness that requires your living environment to be very clean. Because cork is a natural barrier to insects, common problem insects such as termites and ants cannot get into the flooring and infest the house.
In addition, cork is naturally germ resistant which means that no allergens can hid in the floor such as with carpet. The floor will not absorb dust or allow any molds or fungi to grow. It is easy to clean and is not produced with any harsh chemicals, which makes it the perfect choice for people suffering with allergies or any major illness.

Can I Install It Myself?

If you are a do it yourselfer and you like home projects, than cork is definitely something that you can install over a weekend. Many manufactures are now producing cork-flooring tiles with a glue-less technology. You simply snap the tiles in place like a floating floor. This makes the installation easy and it does not require any special tools.

The Final Decision
Cork is the perfect choice for flooring if you need something that will stand up to use and abuse, be long lasting, is resistant to water and stains and be safe for the environment. An excellent value for your money, cork will last forever and is only half the price of many other popular flooring options.

Bamboo flooring reviews, generally supports the product. Bamboo has gained a reputation as a source of environmentally friendly materials and is renewable. Bamboo is classified as an herb and is the fastest growing in the ground. There are many different types of bamboo with the main species used in the production of bamboo flooring and plywood Moso will.

Bamboo Hardwood Flooring

Wood Floors

Moso bamboo can grow inches 47 strikes in 24 hours and grows to a height of 78.5 metres around 40-50 days. It takes only about three to five years to mature from 20 to 120 years taken hardwoods to mature. Because bamboo reviewers support it even more after the bamboo is harvested it is not necessary to plant. Bamboo roots grow new shoots for the next rainy season. In addition, unlike traditional hardwoods roomates harvested after 40 to 60 or so years, bamboo can be harvested in 3 to 5 years. On the other hand, the structure of the root has the ability to keep the soil in place to prevent soil erosion.

Bamboo hardwood flooring offers a variety of designs ranging from vertical, horizontal bamboo bamboo, bamboo carbonized and natural bamboo and grated. The Inspectors support the soil type soil because it is very friendly to the environment. Bamboo is the perfect solution to the problem of conservation of trees and forests. More and more people are opting for floors made of bamboo, because of their visual appeal. It is on par or perhaps even the finest hardwoods when it comes to looks and appearance. Add a warm and friendly atmosphere to the room and very pleasant to the eye. Bamboo plants are as dwarfs in comparison with large wooden trees, but appearances can be deceptive, because in the case of bamboo. Bamboo flooring can be just as strong, if not stronger than hardwood floors. Bamboo is resistant to water and humidity and is the ideal choice for flooring in the kitchen and dining room. However, one must be careful not to let water lying on the ground for an extended period of time. If water seeps into the ground floor of the wood and bamboo swell and debilitating.

However, the examiner also pointed out some of the less desirable characteristics. The soil is vulnerable to scratches and discoloration. Exposure to direct sunlight can cause discoloration on the surface of the ground, but it is not limited to just a bamboo flooring.

Perusing several cork flooring reviews will tell you it is increasingly used among home builders and homeowners. Cork flooring is known for its durability and cushioning effect on the feet. It is also great for reducing sound, something that multi-storey houses need. Cork flooring is also considerably warmer compared to tiles and other types of flooring. Those with children around the house will be gratified to take advantage of the non-allergenic and mold-resistant properties of cork flooring, while environment-conscious individuals choose cork for its environmental sustainability, having been produced from barks and not from the whole tree itself. Cork flooring is also available in myriad styles and colors, perfect for any room in the house.

Tips for Installation

Even amateurs can install their own cork floor themselves, as attested by most people who submit their cork flooring reviews. There are two ways of installing cork flooring, either by floating or glue down technique. As the term suggests, floating means no adhesive is utilized to lay down cork upon the subfloor though be sure to lay moisture barrier when you install cork over concrete. The glue down method is utilized only when the subfloor is clean and even. Though time-consuming, glued cork tiles are more stable and easier to replace as opposed to lifting the whole flooring to address any problem. However, compared to floating cork flooring, glued down tiles are inappropriate for installing over radiant heat.

Suitability for All Rooms

When you ask retailers and manufacturers, as well as conduct your own cork flooring reviews, you will come to realize that cork flooring is now installed in practically all rooms in the house. Apart from the Da Vinci brand, most cork flooring manufacturers even recommend installing cork flooring in bathrooms provided additional coats of polyurethane are applied. The brands APC, Jelinek, and Enviro Cork also recommend using their products in kitchens and all other living spaces. Apart from Enviro Cork, which recommends only the floating technique, most cork flooring brands can be installed by either method. Most warranties offered extend up to 25 years. And if you are the adventurous type, try the Jelinek mosaic cork tiles in some parts of the house to add charm and certain uniqueness to your abode.

Maintenance of Floor

Because of its durability, most cork flooring reviews recommend only regular sweeping with soft-bristled brooms to maintain its beautiful appearance. You can also vacuum your cork flooring, provided you do not use attachments that might cause a dent or scratch on the surface. As in any other wood floors, water is the cork floor's worst nemesis as discoloration and rotting can occur when water and other liquids are left unattended on the floor. Some manufacturers also have their own cork flooring cleaner that you can use. Keep in mind that excessive sunlight does cause discoloration so experts recommend the use of window treatments during the day to preserve the look of your floor for a long time. Consult a professional when your flooring appears dull and unattractive after several years of use, as most would need refinishing to restore to original appearance.