Green Flooring - Cork August 4, 2008
Green Flooring Solutions – Types of green flooring
Trying to determine whether a particular product is “green” can be a daunting experience. It is important to work with a retailer who is knowledgeable about green flooring products. These dealers can help identify products that are certified as environmentally friendly, assist in ensuring the installation meets environmental standards and provide information about the various green programs that are available. These can often lead to tax benefits and even better financing of your new home or floor.
Each flooring type has green solutions. Products discussed here include cork, bamboo, carpet, stone, hardwood, linoleum, and ceramic tile.
Cork
Cork represents a special kind of renewable resource because it is a harvested resource (only the bark is harvested from the tree). Cork floors are made from the waste cork that makes wine stoppers. A law in the 1930’s called “The 9 Year Law” was passed to keep cork from being harvested any sooner than every 9 years. The tree has to reach 60 cm in circumference before it can be harvested. The first harvest from a cork tree can only occur at age 25.
Benefits of Cork:
- Renewable resource
- Recycled product
- Never harvested before it’s mature
- Tree is not destroyed or damaged when harvested
- Maximum benefits are achieved by using water-based finishes and adhesives
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Thank you for your post Shannon!
Cork bottle stoppers are the main production of Amorim (the world leader in cork oak manufacturing and the people behind ReCORK America), yet any remaining materials from the stopper production process are incorporated into other high-value applications such as Wicanders flooring.
Wicanders cork oak floors represent a generations-old balance between environmental conservation, creation of wealth, and social development that benefits millions of people worldwide. Their manufacturing process is practically waste-free. Pieces of cork oak that cannot be incorporated into products are used as biomass and are converted into fuel as an energy source. Therefore, there is no waste and no cork oak residue– nothing is discarded, everything is transformed.
For more info, please visit our blog http://www.wicanderscorkoakblog.com
Thanks a lot!