As seen on Dwell.com and Apartment Therapy cork mosaic tiles may seem like the new thing but cork as flooring has been around since the 1920s. Cork flooring keeps coming back because it acts as a natural insulator, is extremely resilient, reduces noise, and keeps our backs a little less achy due to its buoyancy. But most recently cork tiles have been touted for their sustainability as a green flooring material.
Cork comes from the thick outer bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber). Mainly produced in Portugal the removal of the cork layer is a delicate operation and has been a way of life from before the 13th century. The largest harvest of cork is for the manufacture of wine corks. The first two harvests of cork from the cork tree are not suitable for wine cork production but are necessary to reach the cork that is, rather than being wasted the excess material from these first two harvests is used to create cork flooring and cork mosaic tiles. The cork tree will continue to prosper and will be harvested every 9 years for wine cork production until its maturity at about 150 years. Many countries like Portugal enforce laws that require the replanting of cork trees and have contributed greatly to deforestation.
It’s almost like the perfect material! I think my favorite part would be waking into the kitchen in the morning and my feet not freezing. So the benefits are great but what does it really look like installed…
