Is Cork the Future of Flooring?
Cork flooring has been around for over one hundred years. But you rarely see it in peoples homes. While we offer dozens of varieties of cork from different manufacturers, we sell very little. Shaw, the most prominent flooring manufacturer in North America has been using cork as the core of multiple different product lines for years. But even they don’t put much emphasis on cork flooring. This could lead you to believe that cork flooring has some issues but after a quick survey of the office, I found out that a lot of our staff, especially sales people have cork in their own homes.
Speaking with one of our tenured salesmen and former installer, he said that cork is the warmest and most comfortable type of flooring. In fact, he has put cork floors in his home, and the homes of countless family and friends. I questioned why we don’t sell more cork then. He had two answers. The first is that it is expensive. Cork is a wood product and is priced in that mid to high tier hardwood price. Secondly, he mentioned that no one really pushes it. When people come is asking for cork, of course we show them. But most people don’t think of cork flooring when they planning a new flooring project.
The reality is, cork has a lot to offer. Cork flooring is durable and easy to repair. With proper maintenance, cork flooring has lasted over ninety years and counting in certain spaces. Cork is the warmest hard surface available and even rivals carpet in that category. Also, cork flooring is just as water resistant as laminate flooring and hardwood. Cork provides an unmatched level of sound reduction for any hard surface. The features and benefits of cork are extremely impressive. One of the best things about cork is that it is truly sustainable. The tree bark from which cork is made fully grows back in roughly ten years. This makes cork the most sustainable option for flooring. Most people think of workout rooms or yoga studios for cork. We believe cork can be used just about anywhere to create a quiet, comfortable, and beautiful floor.
Like all flooring, cork has some downsides. I mentioned before that is fairly expensive, we do offer cheaper options that feature a wood core, but they sacrifice quality. Another downside is the potential humidity issues with cork. At the end of the day, cork is wood flooring. That means that if the humidity in a space is not in the 35%-50% range, cork could warp. This makes it just as tricky as owning hardwood floors in our dry Edmonton climate. Lastly, durability is probably the biggest concern of cork. Cork is softer than hardwood. It is easier to gouge than most floor coverings so it may not be ideal for high-risk areas.
A display of Opus cork flooring in our showroom
Interested in cork? Stop by The Carpet Studio to view dozens of cork flooring options! From realistic look wood and stone tiles, to authentic cork patterns, we have all types of cork for all types of spaces.