When suffering from knee or pain in any joint walking can be a chore or worse, difficult to perform. Now amplify it with a hard surface unable to give any cushion, such as a hardwood floor or a stone floor. Every time you set your foot down on such a floor, it adds to the pain. For those who suffer from joint pain a solution would be to walk on a softer surface, one that acts as a cushion and absorbs the shock of every step. One such surface is comprised of cork. Available now is the glue down tile design. This type of cork-based flooring is not too soft nor too hard. It is firm yet slack enough to absorb footsteps so you do not feel the jar of each step. This material has quickly become a favorite must have for use in gyms and also in physical therapy clinics. What makes cork flooring so great? What makes it an ideal element for a variety of purposes? The comfort factor and the versatility of cork flooring are found in the essential construction of cork. Cork is the bark off the cork oak tree that is stripped and subjected to sophisticated procedures to make cork flooring. Technological advances have allowed for several more innovative processes that help to greatly enhance the comfort factor. Manufacturing cork glue down tile is performed carefully, first by peeling the base cork off the tree in sheets. These sheets of cork are pulverized into smaller pieces. The tiny nodules are then blended with non-toxic adhesive. Once the mixture is well coated with glue, batches are then pressed together under high pressure. This causes all the little bits to adhere to one another, producing cork tile. What’s really great about cork tile is that it is nearly impossible to produce two tiles that look exactly identical. Because the mix is randomly placed, when pressed together, they form a variety of colors and designs, which adds to their versatility. However, in addition to its looks, there are a few other interesting qualities of cork that makes it well-liked as a flooring material. Cork itself is constructed in a ‘honeycomb’ like formation. A lot of air is trapped within its chambers. This trapped air does two things. The first is that it gives cork a cushiony feel, caused by the compression and releases of air every time you step on it. This ‘give’ helps to cushion the impact when you are walking on cork’s surface, unlike hard floors, which do not have any ‘give’ and hence do not cushion the impact. The second is that these air filled chambers also helps to give cork its insulating properties, which is great. In the winter the floor does not get too cold and in the summer it does not get too warm. This means you do not need to raise or lower your thermostat too much, which can go a long way in reducing your power bills. Because of their shock absorbing qualities, Cork glue down tiles offer you a truly comfortable surface to walk on all day long. Go to iCork Floor and take our pick from among different types of cork floors that are available
Related Articles -
Cork glue down tiles, cork floors,
|