Coach's Grill Ville

Archive for August, 2009

Some home owners have already found out that there’s a new kind of flooring that is more suitable to their lifestyles and have decided to change their existing ones. Since cork flooring was introduced to the market, many people have found out that it is an excellent solution for any room in the house.

Cork flooring is made from the bark of cork oak tree. Cork oak tree should not be confused with the cork tree. Since the bark of the cork tree is not thick enough for production, manufacturers of cork flooring use a very good alternative, the cork oak tree which is native to northwest Africa and southwest Europe. At least fifty percent of all cork production comes from Portugal, the top producer of cork. For those home owners who are in the transition of going green, they have nothing to worry about using cork flooring, as the production of cork does not harm the environment. The harvesting of cork is simple; the bark is stripped off the cork oak tree once every ten years after it matures. This does not harm the tree and allows it to continue growing. It also has no effect on the surrounding habitat. The harvesting of the bark can be repeated up to two hundred years.

What gives cork flooring a characteristic that cannot be found in other kinds of flooring is the natural substance in cork called suberin. This substance helps displace water and is also good in keeping moisture from seeping into the flooring. Cork flooring is also a natural insect repellent. On the contrary to what other people might think, cork flooring is not edible to rodents and insects.