Cork Floors, an Environmentally Friendly Floor Option
Renewable and resilient
Cork floors were originally made from scrap left over from wine-cork manufacturing, but because of rising demand, many floors are now made with cork harvested specifically for flooring. It comes in tiles or click-together planks, in shades of brown, as well as other colors and patterns. Some products have wood backing covered by a veneer of cork.
The source material is the outer bark of the cork oak (Quercus suber), a tree indigenous to Spain and Portugal. It’s a renewable resource. Workers strip off the outer bark, which grows back and can be harvested again in about ten years. The resource is not unlimited, however. It’s grown commercially primarily in Portugal and a few other Mediterranean countries.
Cork is resilient, which makes the flooring comfortable to stand on and easy on dropped dishes. But it can dent–especially if you have heavy furniture or friends with stiletto heels. Among its other virtues are fire- and stain-resistance and the ability to absorb sound. But like wood and bamboo, it can fade if exposed to direct sunlight. And while it doesn’t soak up moisture (think about your wine bottle), it’s not impervious to water. If your family members tend to splash in the tub, it may not be the best option for your bathroom.
Watch gogreentube’s video of Martha Stewart discussing her cork floor.
Top Tips
At home
- Keep it tidy. If you want your floor to last a long time, you’ll need to be a diligent housekeeper. Dry-mop and vacuum regularly to keep it free of grit that can scratch the finish. Wash it with a damp mop occasionally. Clean up any liquid spills immediately.
- Use pads under heavy furniture.
When shopping, look for
- Healthy materials. Choose flooring made without added urea formaldehyde in either the top or bottom layers of the floor. For glued-down cork floors, use low- or zero-VOC adhesives or choose a floating floor product-planks that click together and require no glues.
- Flooring that is prefinished. To avoid using finishing chemicals in the home, prefinished products are best. But check with the supplier about whether an additional topcoat should be applied after installation.
- Good wood. If your floor has a wood backing make sure it is veneer is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as sustainably harvested.
- Durability. This kind of flooring comes in a broad range of prices. To avoid wasting time, money, and materials, buy a quality product with a warranty of at least 10 years.
Avoid
- Vinyl. Some cork flooring comes with a vinyl top coating or vinyl backing.
Benefits…
…to your health
Cork floors can make a nice addition to a healthy home–if you shop carefully for products without urea formaldehyde or high-VOC adhesives.
…to the Earth
Cork is a renewable resource made from bark. Harvesting it doesn’t kill trees. It does take a lot of energy to transport it to the United States, however, since it’s commercially grown mainly in Portugal and Spain.
Common Mistakes
Corking the heater. Cork is a good insulator, and will block heat coming from an in-floor radiant heating system.
Getting Started
- Getting a look at your options should be easy: The material is widely available at flooring dealers and home improvement stores.
- Ask any potential installer the following questions:
- How much expertise does the flooring contractor have installing these floors?
- Ask for references, but also try to visit a few homes where the contractor has installed the same type of flooring that you’ve chosen. Check the quality of the installation as well as how well the material has held up.
- If any adhesives, stains, sealants, mortar, or grout will be used during the installation, ask about low- or zero-VOC options. If you meet resistance to using low-VOC products, consider shopping around for a contractor who has experience with healthy home practices.
- For general advice on what questions to ask contractors and other tradespeople, see our “What to Ask Your Contractor” article.
April 14th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
I have been researching cork and using it with infloor radiant heating. A number of companies say that cork CAN be used with infloor heating. Some suggest using a water system rather than electric infloor heating. According to the manufacturers that I have contacted, the cork does NOT block the heat.
You may want to check this out to see if things have improved in the last few years.
May 10th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
can you recycle these floors when you are done using them?
May 10th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought that cork flooring was no longer an eco-friendly alternative because growing the trees has proven to be difficult on the soil and environment.
May 10th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Cork floors are so beautiful! I never really noticed how nice they can get with the carving and staining, I would totally do that in my next house.
May 10th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
Are cork floors fairly durable or are they difficult to take care of in high traffic areas?
December 11th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
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