Which type of flooring is made from a renewable resource, is soft and warm underfoot, and has natural sound-deadening and insulation characteristics? Most American homeowners are not real familiar with all the benefits of cork floors. For instance, do you know that cork is antimicrobial, resistant to mold and mildew and is a naturally sustainable resource? Homeowners are rediscovering the beauty and richness only found in natural flooring materials such as Cork Flooring. Consumers have more exciting decorating choices than ever before.

With the help from today's manufacturing technology, cork flooring is now offered in many colorations in both planks and tile constructions. Cork floors can be glue-downed and/or floated over a wide variety of sub-floors, including wood, concrete slabs and some types of existing floors. Cork floors are also offered with a glueless interlocking system for faster, no-mess installations.

Although you can buy cork floors unfinished that require finishing at the jobsite, most cork floors come with a special vinyl finish layer to help protect the cork and make cleaning easier. The newest development is a non-toxic oil finish that can be walked on immediately and can still be refinished. The majority of cork planks and cork floor tiles have a specially designed, tongue-and-grooved, moisture-resistant inner core to secure the planks or tiles together. Cork floors are used both residentially as well as in many commercial applications where they have lasted under heavy traffic for many years.

It is important to remember that cork is a natural product and will fade in direct sunlight. Cork will generally yellow with age and cork floors will react to changes in relative humidity and heat. Wet mopping is never recommended and may cause the seams to swell.

The Carpet Shop is proud to be an authorized dealer for Natural Cork, which is headquartered in Augusta, Georgia. Natural Cork is the foremost supplier of cork flooring in North America, and is an industry leader in design excellence through a commitment to innovative product development. Natural Cork offers a wide variety of cork flooring options to meet diverse marketplace demands.