Cork flooring is certainly worth investigating and learning more about. The cork has its origin in the bark of an oak tree, botanically known as quercus suber. Cork is grown only in the areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Portugal is one of the most important cork producing countries in the world. It produces 50% of the world’s cork population and Spain 25%, dividing the rest between Algeria, France, Morocco, Tunisia and Italy. Cork was used for fishing boats in ancient Egypt as early as 2500 BC. c.; in the year 400 a. C., the cork was used as stoppers for containers and as soles for shoes. Alexander the Great was a famous cork user, and a piece of cork saved him from drowning as he crossed a turbulent river.
Cork is the only tree that can actually regenerate after each harvest, even after two-thirds of the cork has been removed from the tree. The cork oaks have to mature to an age of 20 years before they are harvestable. After the cork is harvested, that is, during the debarking process, a thin layer of protective inner bark remains, giving the core of the tree its unique ability to survive. Specially designed axes are used for the peeling process.
The first bark taken from the cork oak is called virgin bark. Greyish in color, the rind is suitable for grinding into various tiny sizes. This is ideal for cork insulation and composition cork flooring. Cork has also become very popular when making different decorative elements. In addition to its remarkable insulating qualities, cork is a natural product with unique qualities that no other natural material can match. There are actually 200 million fully enclosed air cells in one cubic inch of cork. Each air cell measures 1/1000″ in diameter. That’s why cork flooring is remarkably quiet and has incredible insulating qualities. It’s definitely worth considering for any type of flooring project.