|
When someone says flooring, the first thought in most of our minds is wood. After all, wood has been the standard for centuries. In innumerable buildings, world-wide,be it a palace, church, or industrial building, you will find that the builders have installed at least one floor made of planks of wood, hewed from every possible specie of tree. In recent decades though, other products have come to the fore as concerns about centuries of irresponsible deforestationhave prompted technological advancements in the production of floors. These environmental concerns have also led to some purely natural discoveries. The material that is wowing the industry is exactly that, purely natural.And we at Forna are proud to presentcork, ‘the ultimate’ in the age of Green for flooring materials. Cork as a building product is truly outstanding. This is a completely sustainable and renewable resource. It is the bark that is actually harvested from the cork oak tree, a process done by skilled artisans without harming the tree at all. As a flooring material cork’s nature-endowed characteristics carry over and presents itself as an anti-microbial, insect and water-resistant, and hypo-allergenic solution. Cork also is an exceptional sound and impact absorber, thermal barrier, and remains resilient under foot. There is no other natural, renewable material that can boast such amarvelous list of assets. Over the centuries, the extensive practice of using cork as the creation of wine bottle stoppers,prompted the stopper to take the name “cork.”Chinese cork oaks – QuercusVeriabilis. The Chinese or Asian Cork Oak is a variant of the European Cork Oak. Asian cork is still found in the natural or wild cork forests throughout China. The Asian Cork Oak has a slower growth cycle. The cork produced from the Asian oak is denser than but not as spongy as the more common European commercial cork. Forna Cork Flooring’s cork source is from this Asian cousin. The cork oak, be it European or Asian, has the natural ability to shed its bark. Scientists believe this ability developed as a natural deviation in response to wild fires. It’s believed that the cork’s ability to shed damaged bark enables the tree survive the fire and to reestablish itself as the dominant species as it will not have to regrow new trees in an area that has been ravaged by fire.The Asian Cork Oak is a slower growing tree and is able to withstand being peeled every 12-15 years. On average, a cork tree is harvested 12 times during its lifespan. The Asian Cork Oak produces 9-11 harvests during the same period. Environmental issues aside, Forna Cork Flooringparticipates in today’s flooring market with two distinct types of floors and an array of rich colors. The flooring can be ordered as glue-down cork tile, or as click-together floating planks. The resilience of cork wood allows it to be installed almost anywhere be it over a uniform plywood sub-floor, smooth concrete, and even over a reasonably flat existing floor. Cork floor Natural environment is an excellent flooring alternative for those who actively support the green movement. Take a look at the cork glue down tile options you can find at icorkfloor.
Related Articles -
Cork floor Natural environment, cork glue down tile,
|
