Cork flooring is an environmentally-friendly flooring option that provides a number of benefits over other types of flooring. It is a great acoustic and thermal insulator, rot, pest, and fire-resistant, anti-allergenic and easy to install. Cork flooring comes in a variety of styles and can be manufactured in a few different ways. One of the manufacturing processes cuts the cork into squares, much like traditional ceramic tiles.
Cork tiles have all of the same benefits as traditional cork planks, but allow for a little more versatility. Cork tiles consist of a few different layers that combine to form the tile. Generally these layers are:
Underlay – Sometimes installed separately as panels, the cork underlay provides thermal and acoustic insulation from the flooring substrate underneath the tiles.
Stability Core – Within the center of the tile is the stable core, which is generally made of medium or high-density fiberboard. This provides the structural stability for the cork tile, and also serves as an anchor. The edges of the stable core extend slightly past the edges of the rest of the tile, and are milled in such a way that they interlock with adjacent tiles to form a tight seam.
Cork Core – Occasionally omitted, the cork core provides a little bit of extra comfort and elasticity to the feel of the floor, as well as additional insulation from heat and sound.
Top Layer – Cork veneer or processed cork forms the top layer, which is often dyed by the manufacturer using proprietary methods to achieve different colorations and patterns.
Finish – Usually cork tiles are finished by the manufacturer using a UV hardened varnish, but can be finished during installation using special oils or other sealants. Most recently, a new non-toxic oil which dries quickly and allows for repeated refinishing has been developed and is rising in popularity.
Cork tiles are manufactured to be analogous to their ceramic counterparts. They are colored and patterned much like traditional ceramic tiles, and so they are intended to be used in a similar manner. Cork tiles can be laid out in colorful patterns, or a single base color can be used to achieve a look that is much like tile floors, without the disadvantages such as the need for grout or the large differences in temperature between feet and the floor.
While cork floors have a number of benefits over their counterparts, there are a few drawbacks. Sharp objects can easily damage the tiles, and excessive water or strong cleaners might result in damage to the flooring as well. Additionally, sunlight can cause cork to fade in color over time, discoloring portions of the floor that receive large amounts of direct sunlight. For these reasons, cork is best suited to areas of low or medium traffic that are generally free of water and large amounts of direct sunlight. This makes cork flooring ideal for a nursery, basement or study, but generally rooms like the kitchen and bathroom should be avoided.