Cork floors are not some kind of new phenomenon. This renewable resource has been around for thousands of years. It’s long been revered for its beauty and strength. But with the ever-growing push toward an eco-friendly world, cork floors have enjoyed a new spike in popularity in recent years.

What exactly is cork flooring made from? Cork floors are made by using the bark of a cork oak tree. Once this tree is 25 years old, or older, it’s ready to have its bark harvested for the first time. Once it gets harvested the first time, the bark can then be re-harvested every nine years (with the average cork oak tree living for up to 200 years. This means that for decades and decades, one tree and supply a large amount of cork, without having any kind of negative impact on the environment.

Cork is a porous substance that looks an awful lot like a honeycomb if viewed under a microscope. Every square centimeter of cork is made up of 40 million cells, with air and a gaseous mixtures filling these cells and the spaces around them. This allows cork flooring to become elastic (as well as a great soundproofer).

There is, of course, another benefit to the makeup of cork – it’s extremely durable. In fact, cork is one of the most durable floors on the market. Many places (including high-traffic historic public places) have had the same cork flooring for more than a century.

Cork has a gorgeous natural look, that serves to complement its incomparable durability. This makes cork flooring an ideal choice for nearly any room or space. If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, you can rest assured that cork flooring can be installed with the floating no-glue method, which makes it (literally) and snap to install your new flooring.

Click here to view our entire line of Cork Flooring.