Cork flooring is one of the most resilient and durable floor coverings available today.

Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree which grows in the western Mediterranean. The cork bark is formed from layers of extremely strong and flexible cell walls that are waterproof and airtight. The cork tree produces this bark to provide protection from droughts, fires, temperature fluctuations and other damaging environmental conditions.

This tree has a life span of 200 - 500 years. The first stripping takes place when the tree is 25 years old, thereafter, stripping is repeated every nine years. At no time during the life of the tree is more that 50% of the bark removed. Harvesting of cork is not harmful to the tree.

During the cork manufacturing process, all material is either used for a finished product, or to generate energy used in the fabricating process. Very little, if any material is wasted. This makes cork one of the most environmentally sensitive products available.

This unique natural raw material with its lightweight, flexible honeycomb structure, is impermeable to liquids and gas, which makes it an ideal material for a myriad of household products. The properties of cork are derived naturally from the structure and chemical composition of the inner cells. Each cubic centimeter of cork contains between 30 and 40 million cells. It is this exceptional cellular structure that gives cork its essential characteristics.

• The density of cork is extremely low since more than 50% of it is air, giving the material wonderful insulating properties, thermal as well as acoustic.
• When cork is subjected to pressure, the air is compressed and its volume decreases considerably. Once released from pressure, cork recovers rapidly to its original shape.
• Cork is remarkably resistant to wear and it is less affected by impact and friction than other hard surface materials.
• The presence of a natural waxy substance makes cork impervious to both liquids and gas. As a result it does not rot.
• Cork does not absorb dust and consequently does not cause allergies.
• A natural fire retardant, cork does not spread flames, and does not release toxic gases during combustion.

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