ALL FLOORS DESIGN CENTRE

Laying laminate flooring is a fairly demanding project and you'll need some decent DIY skills for it. It all depends on the size of your room of course, but you should finish the job in less than a day. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when laying laminate flooring.

Laminate flooring is quickly becoming the preferred flooring option of many homeowners. This type of flooring is relatively inexpensive and comes in wood like options that are visually appealing. In order to further limit the costs associated with this flooring, many homeowners are turning to self- installation.

Installing this flooring can be tricky, but if you are aware of tips on laying this flooring the process will be much simpler and effective. Paying a professional to lay this flooring can be costly, but installing it on your own requires only a small time commitment and a little knowledge.

When you compare all the different types of flooring that are available, some are going to leap out at you more than others. For instance carpet is a popular choice, as is laminate flooring. Hardwood flooring is highly desirable but costs more and may not be within your budget.

But what would you say about cork flooring? You’ve probably heard of it but you may not have seriously considered having it in your home before. If you are thinking of changing the flooring in one or more rooms in your home, now is the time to find out more about it.

The advantages of cork flooring

When people think about cork the first thing that comes to mind – perhaps understandably – is the backing on drinks coasters! This is certainly normally made from cork, and it might put you off the idea of installing it as your new flooring. But in truth the cork you will lay down on the floor is a lot different from the cork on those coasters.

For starters cork flooring is actually highly resistant to mold and mildew. This is why you often see cork boards to stand on when you get out of the shower. Cork can provide an excellent flooring choice in bathrooms and in kitchens, as well as other areas of the home. It also dampens down sound levels in a way that laminate and hardwood flooring do not, which is something else to think about.

Another thing that might make you consider cork flooring in more depth is its ability to withstand pretty much everything you throw at it. Cork is incredibly durable and this alone is one reason why many people opt for it.

The disadvantages of cork flooring

While cork can withstand a lot of damage, it does depend on the type of damage caused. If you have a child who decides they’ll pick a chunk out of your cork floor one day, that chunk will notice and you’ll have to try and replace it.

Another major disadvantage is that you won’t be able to mop it. Cork flooring typically has a protective coating but it doesn’t react well to water or spillages. If you do spill anything you should mop it up immediately to restrict the amount of damage done. Even though cork floors can be refinished it isn’t an easy job and you shouldn’t be doing it all the time either.

Is cork flooring the one for you?

Clearly you have to think carefully before you decide to have a cork floor installed in your home. In some circumstances it may not be ideal at all, such as if you have kids or maybe even pets that might scratch it. Just imagine a dog of any size running across it and trying to turn by digging their claws into it. Not good!

So think about your situation and what you want from your floor before you decide whether cork will be the right choice for you.

If you are looking for a different kind of flooring among the many choices you have out there today, look into cork flooring, one of the best alternatives you can choose that is also environmentally sustainable. Cork is not only great for the environment, but it also has features that many individuals enjoy for their homes. Before investing in cork flooring, read on to learn more about this great alternative.

What is Cork Flooring?

Cork flooring is created from the bark of trees, which is removed from the trees approximately once per decade, which causes no damage to the tree. This is different from hard wood floors, which destroy the entire tree to make the product. Many people in the green building industry love cork flooring because it utilizes what the tree is producing without damaging the tree whatsoever. To actually create the cork product, the bark is removed from the trees and then chopped into very tiny pieces and molded into cork tiles or boards that come in a variety of colors and thicknesses so the consumer has a variety of choices. The cork is baked in high temperature ovens while it is being created, and manufacturers have learned that the longer they keep the cork slabs in the oven, the darker it becomes.

Pros

When people hear about the way a cork floor is produced, they are fearful that their floors will look like wine corks, boards, or coasters, when actually it looks nothing like those products. Since the manufacturers are able to grind the pieces of the tree bark into very tiny pieces, the boards do not resemble cork at all and look like high quality wood flooring. Some companies have been able to create wonderful looking designs and colors to fit any homeowner. Because cork is able to be easily altered by using stains or paints, people are able to find things that fit in easily with their homes without looking out-of-place.

Another benefit people should know before choosing flooring is that cork is a very sound and damage resistant material. Because of the makeup of bark, it has a lot of bubbles in the boards so that the noise is very insulated. It actually can absorb much of the sound of people walking and can make your home much quieter than it would be if you had hard wood floors. Additionally, cork is very easy to clean and install, and it lasts a long time and is harder to damage than wood floors.

Cons

There are a couple of problems some users have found with cork floors. Because it is a fairly soft material, if you have extremely heavy furniture the cork can actually leave indentations in the floors that do not come out. This is a problem for some individuals, although some creative homeowners have used padded furniture movers to create a barrier between the furniture and the floor to avoid permanent damage. Another con of cork floors is that if there is a water leak, the cork may be permanently damaged. You will want to avoid installing cork as your flooring of choice in areas that are prone to flood or drainage issues.

Whether you are looking for a great alternative for your home, or you are a supporter of the green materials movement, cork flooring can be a great flooring option for you. Besides all of the other benefits, cork is approximately the same in cost as hardwood flooring so to do the right thing for the environment you do not have to make a huge investment. To see if cork flooring is for you, you may want to read customer reviews and testimonials online to see if it would be right for your home.