Green Interior Design: Beautiful Cork Floor Options
You might have heard that cork is an option for flooring, and you might have even heard it's eco-friendly. It's eco-friendly because it is actually just the bark of a Phellodendron or Cork Tree so the bark can be harvested renewable and quickly while the tree remains alive for hundreds of years, producing that gorgeous clean oxygen.
In addition to their eco-friendly content, they are a good option for many reasons, they are quiet, durable, and easily cleaned. Also cork is naturally resistance to temperature extremes, fire and fungi. I also love that it's not as cold as tile.
About the design...Since it's inception into the market, the designs have come a long way - a 1970's style brown is no longer your only option. Here are my favorites I've seen floating on the interwebs.
Up First - Cubis Agua from the Natural Cork line By US Floors. Look at those colors!
Here's the Eco-Specifications:
LEED® QualificationsIndoor Environmental Quality/4.3 Low-Emitting Materials/Flooring Systems: 1 point, Materials & Resources/4 Recycled Content: 1 to 2 points, Materials & Resources/6 Rapidly Renewable Materials: 1 point
Certifications: GreenGuard Children and Schools Certified, complies with Calif Resource Board 2 (CARB2)Safe — for everyone, including the chemically sensitive; learn how to test a non-toxic product for tolerance
Non-toxic — made from all-natural materials; will not pollute indoor air quality or off-gas harmful chemicals
aaaannnnd - they offer a Lifetime warranty — limited to finish and structure in a residence; commercial warranty is limited for five years light/medium commercial
Second runner up are these greige cork planks in Twilight by Greenclaimed from Calibamboo.
Here's the Eco-Specifications:
Sourcing - these guys are using recycled wine bottle corks for their material, which is so cool. Eco friendly material and extending the life cycle all in one product.
Indoor Air QualitySuper E0, No added urea formaldehyde
LEED PointsEQc4.4 | MRc4 | MRc6
I also like that these wood-style planks offer a modern style and are easy click-lock floating floors.
With the Bronze medal is Heritage Mill's Slate Plank flooring. Also replicating a wood look and style with a beautifully rich and classic color. It's also easy to install floating plank, and the planks are a keeping with the modern, wide plank width.
Here's the Eco-Specifications:
Heritage mill boasts hypo-allergenic, biodegradable, can be refinished and last for generations.
We only utilize trees that have been grown and harvested responsibly. Our domestic species are sourced from forests within 500 miles of our plant which reduces gas emissions.
Heritage Mill Floors are certified to meet or exceed Indoor Air Quality Standards set forth by Floor Score including all requirements for school and office installations.
They are also CARB Phase II compliant meeting the strictest U.S. guidelines for formaldehyde emissions.
An honorable mention goes to.... Gems Engineered cork tiles in Pearl by APC Cork. The COLOR! How unique.
Here's the Eco-Specifications:
APC Cork will ensure that the supply of raw material does not come from controversial sources such as: 1) Forests operated illegally or in violation of civil and traditional rights 2) High Conservation Value Forests threatened by management activities 3) Forests in the process of conversion to plantations or non-forest use 4) Forests where trees are genetically modified