Each of us dreams of turning his house into an island of warmth and coziness. Flooring helps us cope with this task. There are a great many of them: carpet, linoleum, parquet board, laminate. But at present cork floors are very popular, photos of which sometimes amaze our imagination.
How can we explain that they began to use real "folk love"? It turns out that everything is very simple. The floor made of natural cork is durable, environmentally friendly, hygienic, has a beautiful texture, pleasant to the touch. In other words, today it is the best finishing material in the world. Of course, the cork floor has pros and cons. But in numerous construction forums, those who already have experience of “communicating” with him argue that there is no better cover.
Cork flooring - what is it?
The secret to getting the material is quite simple. The cork tree has a feature: it "dumps" the bark. After the tree reaches the age of 30, its upper layer can be removed, while the plant does not do any harm. After the obtained raw material is ground, processed in a certain way, then it is heated in a special furnace and pressed under considerable pressure. Such a compressed mixture of air bubbles and cork is the basis for floor production. Its front side is usually decorated with natural veneer, vinyl or cork. Therefore, the cork floor has pros and cons, of course, but outwardly it is, of course, very beautiful and able to create a unique design.
Cork floor in a modern interior
Cork is an excellent material used to decorate a room, and not only floors, but also walls, ceilings. First of all, it is appreciated for its excellent sound and heat insulation properties. It is not affected by household chemicals, it perfectly absorbs odors.
The decorativeness of this floor covering, which has a natural yellow, brown, ocher color, is widely used to create interiors. You can pick up darker or lighter shades, the most unusual colors with interesting splashes to match the tone of the furniture. Cork flooring, the pros and cons of which can be taken into account when laying, will look great in any room.
Cork flooring - the perfect solution
If the usual flooring seems boring, you can always find where to buy a cork floor with the texture of various wood veneers: oak, pine or some exotic species, for example, with the pattern "American walnut", "rosewood" or "zebrano". You can lay a photofield or photoparket or similar material imitating sand, stone or pebbles.
Pros of Cork Coatings
So what are the pros and cons of cork flooring? Its main advantage is connected with the material.
• The porous structure is the biggest plus of this material. Each pore filled with air is airtight, so the cork is so flexible, resilient and light.
• Such a floor is warm to the touch, because it slowly absorbs the heat emanating from the human body, which cannot be said about marble, linoleum and other materials.
• Cork coating perfectly damps all noise, so the neighbors will never complain about you.
• Such material is resistant to deformation, and after rearranging furniture, dents from legs are quickly restored.
• Environmental friendliness is another advantage of cork. In addition, it has radiation protection.
• This floor does not slip, it is easy to care for, it does not accumulate dust and has an orthopedic effect on the spine while walking.
Of course, there are no ideal materials in nature, and cork flooring is no exception.
- It is capable of swelling under the influence of excess moisture.
- The material has poor tensile strength, i.e. afraid of cat claws and female stilettos.
- The cork is rough, therefore, it requires coating with various compounds.
- High-quality material has a high cost, even above the laminate and flooring. But when buying, first of all, you should be guided only by your opinion, given all the pros and cons.