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What Is Cork Flooring And Why Use It In The Home |
By:
Adrian Fletcher |
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What Is Cork Flooring And Why Use It In The Home
Adrian Fletcher
Many people discount cork as a viable material to use when flooring their homes. Maybe they think that cork flooring will be the same as the cork used to make a bulletin or reminder board. You know, the one where you stick pins into it to affix a piece of paper. This is a flimsy material that is specially designed for that purpose. However cork flooring is very different from this in the way it is prepared and is much more durable. This article will cover the uses of cork flooring in your home.
Cork flooring is a durable material that has excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties. Thus it can be used in any room in the house. It has these three qualities because of the structure of cork.
Cork comes from the cork oak tree that grows in Southern Europe and parts of North Africa. The material used for flooring is the bark of the tree. It takes about 10 years before the bark can be used. It is simply peeled off the tree. The bark is a densely packed structure with millions of tiny air pockets in between. This is the reason for it's strength and insulation properties.
Another feature of cork that is very noticeable is the spring back affect of the material. When you walk on cork flooring it will give a bit. When you move away the cork springs back to the original shape. This is a nice sensation that appeals to many people for their flooring.
Cork flooring is good in rooms that are likely to be heavily used, such as the bathroom or kitchen. Apart from keeping heat and sound in the room, it will also feel good for bare feet. If you are to use cork flooring in the bathroom or kitchen it needs to be treated with a finish of acrylic that seals the material from any moisture that is liable to form in these rooms. Moisture is particularly devastating to cork.
Other rooms that it can be used in include bedrooms, dining and lounge. In these rooms the top coat is often a wax that will protect the cork from any cracking or general wear and tear.
The texture of cork is a unique feature of the material. It's ability to soundproof rooms makes it ideal in high density housing, like apartment blocks or big city housing.
Cork flooring, like many modern types of flooring is quite versatile. It can come in a wide variety of colors and shapes. It can be bought as tiling or traditional flooring. It is easy to install, having a snap lock type connection from one tile or board to another. It can be fitted as a floating floor above the original structure of the house or attached to the structure or an underlay by glue.
Keeping cork flooring clean and in good condition is fairly easy. It requires little maintenance and can be cleaned using a dry mop or a duster. Avoid cleaning with liquid or any abrasive cleans that may remove the surface seal that protects the cork form moisture.
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Article Source: http://www.statssheet.com/articles/article78801.html |
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