Cork is a natural material made from the stripped bark of cork oak trees, and it’s growing in popularity as a flooring option. Cork still isn’t quite as mainstream as wood, vinyl, tiling, or carpeting, so many people fail to consider it. However, there are plenty of reasons to do so.
Pliable and Practical
Cork flooring is incredibly durable since it resists cracks and is impermeable to gases and liquids. It’s also quite flexible, which means that indentations caused by furniture will quickly bounce back. If you don’t like the way a room is arranged, just change it around without worrying about sunken marks!
Additionally, cork is practical in the long run since its colour penetrates the whole way through. This means that it won’t change as it becomes worn down, unlike wood and vinyl, substantially extending its life. Its millions of air-filled chambers will even act as barriers against both sound and heat-loss.
Sanitary and Safe
Cork is also resistant to mould and termites, so you won’t have to worry about your flooring damaging either the health of your house or its inhabitants. Cork is actually anti-microbial, meaning that it either kills off microorganisms or stops them from growing.
It’s also safer under more threatening situations. Incredibly resistant to fire, cork will only ever ignite or melt if subjected to extraordinarily high temperatures. Even if it does combust, cork only releases a very small amount of smoke, as well as far fewer toxic chemicals than vinyl.
Comfy and Cool
Okay, cork is practical, but you’re probably more concerned with how it looks and feels than how it reacts to fire. Well, good news – cork is also pretty cool. Essentially, people tend to use it because of its ability to provide a natural look which is reminiscent of wood but doesn’t involve tearing down trees.
It’s also lovely to walk on. The fact that cork has a slight give to it means that each footfall is pleasantly cushioned, and it tends to stay far warmer than other types of flooring.
Taking the benefits into account, it isn’t hard to see why cork is becoming the next big thing in interior design.
