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Cork tile is ideal as a wall covering material. It’s perfect for floors too. It looks appealing, is durable,and is reasonably priced and environmentally friendly. Also as a result of its unique cellular structure, it is warm and comfortable to walk on too. Construction of Cork Tile The bark of the cork oak tree is used for manufacturing cork tile. This bark is thick and spongy and is peeled off in sheets using only hand tools. This harvesting is done carefully so that the trees are not injured or damaged in any way. After the bark is removed, the tree is left to regenerate and it grows back a new layer of bark. The tree is ready for harvesting again after another 8 to 9 years. Because the tree is not injured or killed and because it is capable of re-growing new bark, cork is essentially a renewable and ecologicallyfriendly resource. The bark that is peeled off is first used to produce cork stoppers for wine. Thesestoppers are punched off the bark as is. Then the remaining bark is ground up into granules. An approximate amount of adhesive is mixed together with the granules before being pressed into sheets. The sheets are then cut into tiles of the desired shape and size. This is the basic process of production. To make the tiles look different, the granules are heated. This process caramelizes the natural sugars that are in the tiles and imparts a darker color. Another process includes blending together different proportions of darker shades of granules with tan colored and natural colored granules. Maintaining Cork Floor When properly cared for, cork flooring will look good for a very long time. Regular maintenance includes simple weekly vacuuming or sweeping followed by mopping with a slightly damp mop. Abrasive cleaners, waxes or oils are best to be avoided as they will scratch the floor and cause the surface to look dull. In addition to regular cleaning, it is good to check the wear and tear of the cork surface every few months. Take special care with high traffic areas to ensure that they are not worn down excessively. Particular care needs to be taken when you are moving heavy objects such as your sofa, dining table or refrigerator over flooring made of cork. Dragging it along will scuff the surface irreparably. The best way to move heavy objects is to lift it up from the old location and place it down gently in the new location. If it is impossible to lift, place a thick cardboard or a mat under the object and then drag it along slowly and gently. Typically, a cork floor needs to be re-varnished once every two years or so depending on the volume of traffic. You could may choose to re-varnish only high traffic areas that may have worn more it or you could re-varnish whole floor. When the time comes to re-varnish your flooring, make sure to purchase the appropriate kit. These kits should be easily available from any distributor that sells cork floors. The kit should include everything you need for the job, from applicator and polyurethane, to the urethane protector and touch-up stain. Cork is one of the best materials for use as wall coverings as well as for flooring in your home. Your best resource for Cork Floor and Cork Tile is iCork Floor.
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