photo courtesy of Wicanders

Cork comes from the Cork Oak tree, found primarily in Portugal. Every nine years the bark loosens and the cork can be harvested without harm to the tree, making cork flooring a great choice for the environment, and your home.

Why is cork a good choice for my home?

Cork has design versatility, durability and environmental integrity, making it a growing choice among designers. It adds natural beauty and great performance to any residential or business environment and stands up to the toughest treatment. Its wear layer resists scuffs, stain, spills and indentations. It's also antistatic, hygienic, slip-resistant and very easy to maintain.

Advantages of cork flooring include:

Environmental Integrity: Cork is a renewable resource, made to last in any environment.

Beauty: The beauty and uniqueness of cork is provided by nature, and it never goes out of style.

Durability: Cork provides a strong, long-lasting surface that develops a fine patina with age; its natural beauty actually improves with time.

Comfort: Millions of tiny air cells give cork flooring a natural cushion you can feel.

Warmth and Quiet: Cork tiles have excellent natural thermal and acoustical insulation properties.

Maintenance: Vacuuming, damp mopping and occasional treatment with a non-wax finish will keep cork looking beautiful.

Resilience: Over 100 million prism-shaped air-filled cells per inch compress and recover with every step. This provides cork with a natural resilience that synthetic materials strive to imitate.

Hygienic: Cork does not trap dirt and funguses.

Resistance to Insects: Nearly 40 common species of insects (termites included) consider cork to be an impenetrable barrier.

Naturally Hypoallergenic: Cork produces no chemical or particulate irritants.

How do I decide on colour and style?

Coloured cork is now extremely versatile offering you endless possibilities. You can design a floor with a dramatically different look; yet retain all the benefits of a cork floor. The effect can be beautifully simple, with the whole floor washed in one colour, or it can become a design feature. Inlays can add a feeling of rich opulence, and borders and patterns can make your floor a work of art.

Cork flooring will provide you with a rich palette of textures, patterns and hues to choose from. Styles range from wide grain to the more traditional three-strip look with veneers that include teak, mahogany, cherry, oak, and maple enabling cork to resemble everything from bamboo to burled wood.

Our store has a wide range of catalogues and samples to choose from and we can help you design the best cork flooring solution for your home.

What do I need to know before buying?

• Cork is a natural product similar to wood, but unlike wood, it will not scratch or rot, and it can be compressed.
• Cork has a unique cellular structure of 15 million air-filled cells in every cubic inch, enabling it to return to 94% of its initial dimension within 24 hours.
• Construction of cork consists of three layers. The top layer is the cork with polyurethane coating and the aesthetic look you choose when you purchase. The middle layer is high-density fiber core and the bottom layer consists of flexible, low-density cork providing excellent acoustic insulation.
• Cork is suited to kitchens, family rooms, bedrooms (particularly for allergy and asthma sufferers), bathrooms, toilets, laundries, dining rooms, reception areas, foyers, bars, halls, church floors, classrooms and theatres.
• Cork tiles are a natural product so colour variation will occur. Check tiles carefully before purchasing.
• Different densities, granule sizes and baking times give varied appearances and shades.
• As a natural product, cork has a detectable odor (most people consider it pleasant). If you are sensitive to odors, order a sample before purchasing.
• Cork tiles will fade with exposure to U.V.
• Cork is resistant to moisture in doorways as long as the polyurethane surface is maintained. However, this flooring should not be used outside.
• Cork should not be laid on imperfect sub floors.

How can I ensure value for money?

Our collection is a range of cork solutions that we feel represent the most value for quality and price. You can be sure you're buying quality for value when you choose from this range.

If you need further help, come on in. Our salespeople can explain the relative merits of different cork tile brands and help you choose the best cork tiles for your home.