Cork flooring is a natural product made from is the bark of cork oak tree. With a millions of air cells per cubic inch. This bark can only be harvested if the cork oak tree is at least 25 years old. This harvesting of the bark process can be repeated every 9 – 12 years, and is done by hand. The older the tree is the better quality of cork it can produce, as the bark becomes smoother every time it re-grows after the harvest. Cork flooring is actually made from the cultivated waste of the cork wine-stopper manufacturing process so it is a recycled product. After the planks/slabs of cork bark are harvested, they are then sorted and stacked for about 6 months. Exposure to air, sun, rain and wind triggers chemical shifts resulting improvements in cork’s quality.
The next stage is to clean, boil and strip the rough outer surface. This makes it easier to convert the cork into a variety of forms, meant for different uses. Bottle stopper “corks” are then punched from the best material in the slabs. The remaining scraps are then ground into small granules, mixed with a non-toxic resin binder, molded into large blocks and baked in specialized ovens – making use of every scrap of cork bark. This process enables production of cork underlayment, cork planks, cork tiles and cork sheets in various thicknesses – in both unfinished and pre-finished types. The varied colors of cork flooring do not depend on stains or dyes, baking the cork the longer that it bakes, the darker it becomes. Also, unfinished cork can be painted or stained as well. Stains for custom colors are applied just prior to the application of acrylic finish. The final finish, protects the cork flooring surface from moisture, harmful chemicals, dirt and other damaging elements.