You’ve probably heard that cork is an environmentally friendly product, but may not be sure why. With this post, I’ll just quickly go over some of the attributes that make cork “green.”

First of all, cork is a renewable resource. A renewable resource is something that can be replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable to or faster than the rate of consumption by humans. This renewability is due to the way cork is harvested.

Cork actually makes up the bark of the cork oak tree. The bark is stripped from these trees without damaging them in anyway. Actually, harvesting cork from these oak trees actually encourages growth in the tree, while increasing the amount of oxygen it gives off. 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. There are plenty of other requirements that a resource has to meet before being qualified as renewable. In the case of flooring, once installed it must meet rigid air quality standards. Also, it must be largely recyclable, which is very true of cork due to how useful its natural properties are.

In my opinion, the one fact that often gets lost in this discussion are the benefits that cork will have in your home. You’re not sacrificing anything in the way of quality or price when you purchase cork flooring. Cork is naturally resistant to mold, moisture and termites—all things that are known to devastate hardwood flooring. It is also provides flooring that is pleasant and warm to walk on. Cork is a terrific green flooring option for your home and I hope that you’ll take a look at some of the products available.

Flooring is one of the most important parts of any house. A new set of flooring has the ability to change the entire look and feel of your home. It can also greatly increase the value of your home. With such a large purchase there are a lot of things to consider. There are literally thousands of different flooring options to choose from. One of the best ways to combat such a daunting task is to educate yourself of all of the variables available to you.

This is why FloorMall has taken the time to develop a giant network of sites and other resources, constructed specifically for providing our consumers with information so they can make educated flooring purchases. The flooring experts at FloorMall maintain outstanding blogs such as Flooring Now, which tracks trends in the flooring industry. The flooring industry is massive and there are new developments and products on almost a daily basis. This is why FloorMall’s network of blogs and informational sites are constantly updated.

FloorMall provides more than just information on different flooring products and trends. They also provide information on flooring manufacturers. It is very important to become acquainted with the company you’re purchasing flooring from. It’s important to know about their business practices and their history so you can determine whether or not you’d like to try their product. For information on flooring manufacturers you can visit FloorSupplier.com. Here you’ll get insights into dozens of different flooring companies.

FloorMall encourages everyone to visit their site and the rest of their network for up to date information on nearly every conceivable aspect of flooring.

Laminate flooring can be cared for by using a dry dust mop on the floor for every day cleaning. During those times when you feel that you need a good deeper clean, you can use a wet mop, one that is not really all that wet, to clean up sticky messes or to clean up mud from the floor. You don’t want to use that much water on the floor so you don’t have the water seeping down into the Laminate flooring and then the Laminate flooring is going to warp over time.

Laminate floor care is going to be similar to wood or any other type of flooring when it comes to moving furniture across the flooring. Laminate flooring can be scratched, dented and can be marked up when you are not careful in moving those heaviest of furniture pieces in your home. To prevent and care for your flooring, you want to pick up the furniture and move it from location to location.

Don’t drag the furniture across the flooring. Your Laminate flooring that has marks and cuts in it will need a little extra care to get that mark out, and sometimes if the cut is all that deep you can’t get it out no matter how much buffing you were to do on this area. The same goes for wood flooring, if the cut is too deep or the scratch is too deep, you are not going to be able to cover it up.

Laminate flooring is easy to care for because the seams in the flooring are actually very tight. You won’t find all types of cracks in the flooring for food, for water, or for dirt to get trapped in. Laminate flooring is a type that will not allow things down between the rows, when you care for it daily. Sweeping and dusting your flooring with a broom, a swiffer or a vacuum that is not hard on the floor is what you need to care for the Laminate flooring . You only want to mop your flooring when it is really sticky, when you spill something on the floor, but you don’t even need to wax Laminate flooring which is what makes it so popular!

The hardness and durability of bamboo flooring depends on a number of factors, and hardness and durability are two different things.

Hardness of bamboo flooring depends on a number of factors, including where the bamboo is grown, the species, and the age of the harvested stalks. Perhaps surprisingly, color also affects hardness; natural bamboo flooring (the blonde color) is generally harder than carbonized.

Hardness refers to the amount of force needed to dent the bamboo. There is a standardized scale for this, called the Janka scale. But durability is also affected by the finish, both its anti-scratch properties as well as its sheen. Dimensional stability should be factored into durability.

So, to address those issues, not necessarily in order:

Bamboo Flooring is relative dimensionally stable. For installations in the US, especially the western US, look for a company like us that kiln dries their bamboo to 8%-10% moisture. Most companies do not do this, and the result can be splitting or cracking.

Regardless of the planks you choose, be sure to acclimate them to your area for as long as possible. we recommends up to 72 hours for our planks, but most installations are done in as little as 36 hours with no serious issues. Allow additional time in particularly humid or dry conditions.

High Quality Oak FlooringSuperb Oak Floorboards in 3 Grades Direct From the Oak Specialists 
www.uk-Oak.co.uk

Bamboo FlooringSee online your bamboo flooring And get free samples and delivery. 
booookmark.com/bamboo_flooring

Per go Laminate SaleHuge savings on Per go Flooring Delivered throughout the UK… 
www.ClarkesDirectFlooring.co.uk/per

Anti-scratch is often confused with hardness, but it is different. A harder plank may scratch easily if the finish is junk and most bamboo sold by liquidators and the like has junk finish.

Klumpp finish is a popular brand and can be good or bad, depending on the application. Treffert is a newer finish, and we find it more suitable for bamboo flooring, as it is a little more resilient than Klumpp and tends to scratch much less. In addition, nearly all bamboo flooring sold in the US is semi-gloss, and when this scratches it can be very evident, especially on darker planks. So look for a satin finish, which shows scratches much less readily.

Finally hardness has to do with how a plank will stand up to things like high heels or dog claws. Bamboo grown in the eastern regions of China is best for flooring. The species here is nearly all Moso (also known as Mao) bamboo, and is at its peak when harvested at around 6 years. As I mentioned earlier, the natural bamboo planks are pretty hard, slightly harder than maple. Carbonized planks are softer, around the same hardness as walnut flooring. This is because the carbonization process involves “cooking” the bamboo, which weakens the fibers somewhat.

When shopping for Bamboo Flooring, especially on the internet or in discount hardware stores (Home Depot, Lowes, etc.) BEWARE of those that tell you all of their bamboo is harder than maple and will not scratch. With the information above, you’ll know that they do not know their product.

Finally, there are some things that indicate a quality plank, which you can use to judge samples.

1. Straight milling, on hydraulic and electronic equipment, if possible. Many of the cheaper brands of bamboo flooring are manufactured using hand presses and mills. This makes for inconsistency in construction and milling, and a plank which can fall apart over time.

2. Consistent use of quality materials with little or no filler. Companies that make long planks (like we Bamboo Flooring) must use higher quality stalks to begin with for the longer boards, so the shorter boards tend to have higher quality materials as well.

3. Crosswise layers in wide plank. Because a wide plank without crosswise construction can warp or cup, it is important to make sure that any wide plank bamboo flooring that you may purchase uses a middle crosswise layer. A few wide plank manufacturers use a cross-layer in their horizontal product, but we has found that a cross layer is also required in a vertical plank.

If you looked at many homes in your search for the perfect abode for you and your family, you probably noticed that a large percent of newly constructed homes have hard floors of some type. Many new homes have hardwood or wood laminate, linoleum, tiles, cork, or bamboo flooring; older homes often contain wall to wall carpeting, especially if they haven’t been renovated in the past ten years.

The problem with carpeting for allergy and asthma sufferers is that due to the materials’ permeability, any dust, pollution, toxins, or allergens can absorb into the fibres and be released later or on contact. Some studies have shown that carpets can help homes trap pollutants that have been out of common use for decades, in fact. Common allergens found in carpets include: dust mite droppings, animal fur and dander, lint, smoke particles, and sometimes pollen.

While it is possible to remove a portion of the allergens from a home with regular steam cleaning of the carpets, a better option in homes where residents have serious allergy or asthma problems is to install smooth floors that don’t trap allergens and irritants in the first place.

It is easiest to replace the flooring if your family hasn’t moved into the house yet. There will be less exposure to dust and allergens, as well as a quicker installation time if there is no furniture in your new home yet. For best results, particularly if you’re using a flooring material that you aren’t familiar with, hire a contractor. Some types of flooring are pretty commonly used in homes, like wood and wood laminate floors; while others are less common and might have unforeseen issues for a novice. Linoleum, and its cousin Marmoleum, in their roll form could cause problems for an installer who isn’t savvy to the techniques used to best install the product.