Cork is actually the organic material that makes up the bark of the cork oak tree. Cork is a renewable resource because the bark is stripped from these trees without damaging them in any way. Actually, harvesting cork from these oak trees actually encourages growth. Bark is initially harvested when the tree is 25 years old. After that, harvesting takes place every nine years. This can go on for quite a while because cork oak trees usually live to be over 150 years old. It is true that cork is a naturally suited organic material for use in flooring, and one that is also good for the environment. But it really is important to know who is producing the cork flooring.

APC Cork is one of the leading providers of cork in North America. Their products have become very popular in the commercial and residential sectors. APC Cork is a great place to start for any purchases concerning cork flooring.

One of the primary concerns that cork purchasers have surrounds the issue of durability. This seems to have stemmed from people having mental images of old cork boards that have been exposed to endless pricks from pins and from noticing that often entire chunks of the cork board are missing. Women worry that their first step on their new cork flooring wearing their favorite black heels will result in their shoe now permanently embedded in their kitchen cork floor. In reality, this is not going to be the case. Cork is dense in nature and APC Cork is manufactured to withstand commercial grade usage. It is still advised to cover any sharp furniture feet so as not to leave a permanent indentation. While even the mention of this might spark concern, think about the last time you moved your couch in your carpeted living room – most likely, if you did not have protective covers on the couch’s feet, you probably found that your carpet had an indentation from where the couch used to be. So, this is not just a concern limited to cork flooring. This brings us to the discussion of pets and their wear and tear potential. Most cork flooring products are shipped to the end consumer after an acrylic matte varnish has been applied. What will end up happening if your pets have claws is their claws might leave slight abrasions in this coated surface. Your options include refinishing the floor, you live with the tarnished surface, or you prohibit your clawed pets from walking on the floor. It is important to note though that because cork is comprised of air cells and it has a greater ability for compressions, it will not be as badly bruised as say hardwood.

Another concern that shoppers often have relates to fading and color changes. This again is not a concern that is limited to cork, as hardwoods, laminate and even some area rugs will fade after time, and at an accelerated rate when exposed to direct sun. The short answer is that yes, exposure to sunlight will cause color changes to occur. One practical way to combat this problem is to install window treatments that restrict direct sunlight and also to periodically rearrange furniture thereby creating more even fading of the surface.

Adding to the stated benefits of cork, it is also resistant to moisture, which makes it ideal either as the top visible layer of flooring, or as an underlayment.

If using as the final flooring application, you may want to invest in trim to place around your new beautiful APC cork. This will serve two important purposes. For one, trim will give your room a nice, clean, professional and put-together look. Trim will also serve as a protector of the edges of your flooring, thereby eliminating concerns of pulling up any edges. (However, with proper sealants and adhesives, this should not be a concern.) APC Cork has numerous trim options to choose from. The trim that they offer is a wood material so it will not perfectly match in color to your cork; however, selecting a complementary tone will add style and pizzazz to the space. Trim is also a great tool for joining two different types of flooring, say where your cork butts up to carpet or hardwood.

To continue this discussion, we turn to some additional uses of cork. While APC cork flooring offers absolutely beautiful cork options that range in color and style from sophisticated to rustic to traditional, cork is also a great application tool where it is never even seen. Here we are referring to using cork as an underlayment to other types of flooring materials. For example, because cork is such a great sound reducer, when placed under other flooring materials, it makes a perfect addition to museums, multi-floor buildings and residences, and for churches and temples. Many times cork is selected for installment under ceramic tiles as its compression ratio makes it such that grout and tile will not crack when installed over it. This thereby gives you the option of adorning your museum with lovely ceramic stone, but while providing a temperature and sound barrier that you would otherwise not have without the cork. In addition, while cork is a great protector of what lies above it, it will also help protect what lies below it. For example, when tile is applied over cork, this protects from further cracking of the subfloor. The cork is in effect acting as a protecting barrier between the two layers, which in the long-term will save you money from repairs to the visible floor and to the flooring underneath. While most of this discussion has surrounded cork’s application under tile or ceramic, it serves the same benefits when applied under hardwood.

Within the company’s line of products, home owners and building owners are certain to find something that suits all styles and needs. For example, APC Cork offers three distinct lines of cork flooring: the Assortment; the Olympian Collection; and the Gem Collection. The Gem Collection is exactly as it sounds – the cork displays a gem looking quality with styles including Jade, Amber, Lapis, Pearl, Moonstone, Opal, Pyrite, Rose Quartz, Smoke Quartz, Topaz, Spectrolite and a few others here left unnamed. The Olympian Collection takes after famous olympians such as Atlas, Gaia, Zeus, Iris, Nemesis, Bellona and Eros, just to name a few. This line of cork has a regal quality and is best experienced by first-hand viewing. Lastly, the Assortment Collection is just as it sounds – an assortment of styles including selections such as Apollo White, Hera, Odysseus Crème, Titan Natural, Jupiter, Mars Polar and a handful of others. So, while these three lines might have very distinct characteristics from one another, they are broad enough to suit the needs of many. It is important to note that the range of color available for cork is vast and includes greens, crèmes, ambers, whites, dark browns, blacks, blues and everything in-between. This is worth mentioning because if at first glance you don’t see something that is appealing, keep looking. Cork production is obviously not limited to the original color of the tree, for if that were the case, all cork flooring would be a brown at least of some sort. APC Cork is providing a needed service to consumers across North America and as we enter into this new era of environmentally conscious consuming, they are certain to continue offering their unique and stylish products for all to enjoy.