Cork Flooring

STYLISH FLOORS UN-CORKED

Many consider cork nature's perfect floor, and with good reason. Harvested from the bark of Mediterranean oak trees, collecting cork does not harm the trees, in fact, some of the contributing oaks surpass two hundred years in age. The cork flooring industry also uses waste cork from the wine industry, further reducing it's environmental footprint. But what good is an environmentally friendly floor if it doesn't look good?

Cork today is available in a wide array of styles and colors. From marbleized to wood grain, from light to dark, from formal to casual, all your needs can be met. Whether you are looking to update a country kitchen or an urban living room, cork can fit the bill. And it's easy to keep it looking good with a simple damp mopping. With a floor this good looking, you'll love standing on it!

Standing on it is easy on the body too. Ninety percent of corks tissue is gaseous, providing excellent insulating properties. This means that the floor will feel warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The gas cells also provide a pleasant cushion while standing on the floor. No sore feet or lower back while cooking in the kitchen! In addition, cork is also a sound insulator, meaning it is a very quiet floor to walk on. You'll love your cork floor so much, you'll want it to last a long, long time.

The amazing durability of cork will keep a smile on your face for years to come. Cork's resiliency means that it will bounce back, year after year, from almost all dents. It is also extremely resistant to moisture penetration due to it's tight cellular structure, making the product ideal for use in kitchens and baths. Finally, cork has naturally occurring wax called Suberin, which does not allow cork to rot, even when kept submerged in water for extensive periods of time. Suberin also repels termites, bugs and even mold! In addition, cork is flame retardant and does not release toxic gas during combustion. Put all these properties together, and it's easy to see why cork is the perfect flooring for our Florida climate!

ALL CORK IS NOT THE SAME!

Obviously, nothing can affect the quality of a cork flooring than the cork itself! Mediterranean oak trees grow their cork bark very thick and tight, providing the best insulating and durability properties of any cork available. Recently, Chinese cork has begun hitting the U.S. Market. The cork bark from these trees is much thinner and is intrinsically different. Chinese cork does not have the same insulating properties as Mediterranean cork.

95% of all residential cork flooring is a mechanically locking, fiberboard, floating product. This means the cork does not get glued to the floor, rather it locks to itself and simply sits on top of the sub-floor. With this type of construction, the quality of the fiberboard carrier is paramount. Some products may be made from low-grad MDF (medium density fiberboard), which can cause the joints to weaken over time and for gaps to form between the boards. You want a product using HDF (high density fiberboard) to ensure your floors integrity over the long haul.

Another factor to consider is the wear layer used. High quality products have a higher density wear layer (which do carry a higher cost) which increase the products wearability and decrease the damage done from scratching.

American Abbey Flooring proudly carries cork products from Natural Cork, the highest quality cork products on the market today. Stop by the 4100 sq. ft. showroom to see the cork display, or any of the hundreds of other quality flooring and window treatment products they carry. A local, family run business, American Abbey is dedicated to providing Jacksonville with the best flooring at the highest value, installed professionally.