Professional Cork Flooring in Portsmouth
Cork flooring is one of the most sustainable types of flooring our customers can buy. Cork is a special type of wood that grows on a species of oak tree that’s native to the Iberian peninsula. It makes up the tree’s outer layer. The remarkable thing about cork is that it can be harvested from the tree without damage. Cork is taken from the tree about every nine years or so. After that, the cork is simply processed and ready to be installed. Our professionals install cork very much like we install other types of wood. Indeed, we find that installing cork is far easier than installing hardwood. Cork can be laid down in engineered tiles that can snap together or can be laid down in panels. Engineered means that the top cork layer is laid over several layers that are bonded together under high heat and pressure. This makes them very strong and resilient. We recommend that the cork panels or tiles be left in the room where they’re going to be installed for about 72 hours. This gives the cork time to acclimate to the room. Panels and tiles made of cork can create floating floors or can be glued down. With floating floors, the cork is placed on top of a subfloor but not secured to it. The floor beneath it needs to be a hard surface like hardwood, ceramic tiles or resilient flooring. Cork should never be laid over carpeting. Cork tiles can also be glued to the floor. We believe that gluing down the tiles is more environmentally friendly, since there’s no off-gassing. After the cork floor is laid, it is sealed with polyurethane like any other wood to protect it from dirt and stains. After it’s sealed, the floor should be left alone for a couple of days while the sealant cures. Another great thing about our cork flooring is that the tiles can come in a wealth of colors. They range from pure white to blues, grays, greens, reds and an amazing palette of browns. This makes it easy to install the floor in a variety of patterns that complement the decor of any room. Cork is also naturally fire resistant and even resists water somewhat, though it does expand and contract a bit according to the humidity in the room. Though it shouldn’t be cleaned with a soaking wet mop, customers shouldn’t be afraid of having cork installed in their kitchens! We at the B & C Floor Store LLC are pleased to offer our customers in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire area the beauty, durability and comfort of cork floors. For more information about our cork floors, feel free to visit our showroom or give us a call at (603) 436-9686.
