Cork Flooring ~ From WE Cork

General Information | 12" x 12" Tile Flooring | 4" x 36" Plank Tile Flooring

Floating Floor | Installation | Samples, Shipping & Warranties

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Cork, an alternative to wood as a material for flooring, is a renewable and sustainable resource. The Cork Oak grows in the forests of Mediterranean countries, primarily in Portugal and Spain. Its bark, which is harvested every 9 years without harm to the tree, regenerates itself after each harvest, so no trees are cut down. After the cork for wine bottles are removed from the bark, the remaining material is ground up, bound with urethane binders and molded to obtain the desired density under pressure and heat. Thinner material is then cut for tiles or floating floor planks. WE Cork flooring is manufactured and finished in Portugal.

Floor tiles of cork were introduced to the world market in 1889. Many millions of square feet have been installed in this country, and numerous cork tile floors that have been in use for more than 50 years still exist in good condition.

CORK'S CHARACTERISTICS  INCLUDE  THE  FOLLOWING:
Resiliency and Durability: Due to its cellular structure, cork flooring is remarkably resistant to wear and has a wonderful, comfortable underfoot feel. When subjected to pressure, the gas in its cells is compressed and volume reduces considerably. When released from pressure, it recovers very rapidly to its original shape, flexing and absorbing shock. Marks left by furniture will leave a minimal residual indentation, less noticeable than on wood, carpet or vinyl floors.

Thermal and acoustic insulation: Due to the shape and air-filled nature of the cellular structure (90% of the tissue is gaseous matter), cork floors have wonderful insulating properties, thermal as well as acoustic. They reduce impact noise, a great aspect for applications such as multi-level housing, office spaces, museums and places of worship.
Impermeability: Suberin, the inherent substance of cork, renders cork impervious to both liquid and gases. As a result it is resistant to degradation by moisture. Suberin is also a natural insect repellent, resistant to more than 38 species of insects, including termites. Cork is also anti-microbial and fights the development of mildew.

Hypoallergenic: Our cork floor is both pure and hypoallergenic, contributing to air quality. Cork does not absorb dust and consequently does not contribute to allergies. It also does not shed micro fibers or outgas. The flooring contains no polyvinyl chlorides, and the U.V.-cured acrylic finish contains no volatile organic compounds.

Easy to Maintain: The usual maintenance is sweeping and mopping, similar to hardwood. A damp mop with mild wood flooring detergent or white vinegar and water can be used, but avoid using excessive water. Varnished tiles can be maintained with a liquid polish and buffed. If the finish does become worn, the floor can be sanded and refinished, although care should be taken to remove only the finish and not wear away at the cork itself. If possible, particularly with the floating floor, it is best to add additional coats of water-based polyurethane over the years instead of refinishing. Wax tiles can be treated with a good quality paste wax and buffed with an electric buffing machine. For heavy cleaning, remove old dirt and wax and reapply wax.

A  FEW  NOTABLE  CORK  INSTALLATIONS:

• The First Congregational Church in Chicago, Illinois in 1890
• The Mayo Clinic and Plummer Building - 30,000 square feet in 1912 and the 1940s.
• In 1978 and 1979 they installed 70,000 square feet of WE Cork material in a new addition
• Fallingwater in western Pennsylvania in 1937
• The Library of Congress

WE CORK  FLOORING  CAN  ALSO  BE  FOUND  HERE:

• Dayton Arts Institute, Ohio: 40,000 sq. ft.
• UCLA Law Library, California: 58,000 sq. ft.
• Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York City
• Bain Capital, Boston
• Sutherby's Books, New York City

12" x 12" TILE FLOORING:

Tiles come in 6 different shades, all of which are solid throughout, so they can be sanded down and refinished. Tiles can be laid in a single color or combined in different shades to produce different design effects. Because cork is a natural product, there will be some shade variations among tiles. Tiles are 3/16"x12"x12" and they come packaged in cartons of 36 square feet. The six shades come in a variety of finishes, including unfinished, waxed, and Greenshield urethane finish. Unfinished cork can be stained, waxed with butcher's or paste wax, or coated with water-based polyurethane by the installer at the site. Oil- and solvent-based products are not recommended. The darker shades are not stained, but rather the result of baking the cork. Please note that the exact color cannot be controlled due to cork's natural qualities.

Avant Garde Floating Floor

GROUP I: CORK FLOORING TILE COLORS & PATTERNS Please click on any image below to see bigger images
Light Shade with Greenshield	Dark Shade with Greenshield
Leopard Shade with Greenshield	Medium Shade with Greenshield
Madrid with Greenshield

4" x 36" PLANK TILE FLOORING:
The 4" planks come in 2 different shades, the Light or Medium shade, with a waxed or varnish-matte finish. Like the square tiles, they are solid cork and can be sanded down and refinished. Each plank is 4" x 36" x 3/16", and they come in cartons of 48 square feet.


FLOATING FLOOR:
The Floating Floor Planks and Timeless Floating Floor collections come prefinished in 24 styles. Each plank is 11-7/8" x 36-9/16" x 7/16". 7 styles are available as 17.5" x 24" x 7/16" planks. Planks come packaged in cartons of 17.44 or 12.9 square feet.

The floating floor planks are made in 3 layers:

People choose the floating floor option for the following reasons:

GROUP II: CORK FLOATING FLOOR COLORS & PATTERNS Please click on any image below to see bigger images
Classic	Madrid	Porto
Nairobi	Monte Carlo	Olive Barcelona
Madrid Saddle	Monte Carlo Saddle	Sardinia
Canyon	Moss Tuscany	Zurich
	Sable Gibraltar

GROUP III: Timeless Floating Floor Collection
Baroque Castle	Baroque Earth
Baroque Sable	Baroque Sienna
Renaissance Castle	Renaissance Earth
Renaissance Sable	Romance Cabernet
Romance Castle	Romance Earth

INSTALLATION:
Installation instructions are available for each product.

The 12" Square Tiles and 4" Planks can be installed at or above grade, over either concrete or underlayment-grade wood. The sub floor must be clean, smooth and level because imperfections will telegraph through the tile. Two installation methods are used: the contact adhesive process(where adhesive is applied to both the ground and tile) and the direct pressure process (where the floor is coated with adhesive and then the tiles are placed down with pressure). The installer should work from several boxes in order to vary tiles with natural shade differences. Unfinished tiles can be stained and/or finished with either wax or polyurethane. For commercial applications or some demanding residential installations (such as kitchens and bathrooms), an additional coat of water-based polyurethane over the pre-finished tiles or floating floor planks could be appropriate. For most installations, however, an additional coat of finish is not necessary.

The Floating Floor Planks require a floor that is as level and structurally sound as possible, but they are more forgiving and can be applied with little sub-floor preparation at any grade over existing floor covering. A layer of 6-mil polyethylene should be laid between the planks and concrete as a moisture barrier. Floating floors are easier and faster to install, which may reduce installation costs. The planks are simply clicked together without glue at the tongue and groove.
Because cork is a wood product, it is subject to the normal behavior of expansion and contraction, but these changes are less noticeable than those that occur with wood flooring. Through temperature and humidity control, proper acclimatization, and following the guidelines for recommended expansion space expansion and contraction can be kept to minimal levels.

Additional technical assistance for installation is available.


SAMPLES, SHIPPING & WARRANTIES:
Please call or e-mail us if you are interested in receiving samples or other additional information.

Most orders ship direct from our distributor in Augusta, Maine. Orders are usually received within a few days. We are happy to provide you with a more specific shipping quote and lead-time for your project.

Other thickness, finishes and patterns are available on a special order basis for orders of 2,000 square feet or more, with a 3 month lead time.

Our Cork Provider, WE Cork is a local company located in Stratham, NH that has been working with cork for 5 generations. They are committed to providing high quality, sustainable resources and strive for complete customer satisfaction and availability of inventory.

WE Cork carries a 10-year residential or commercial warranty.

*Prices are per square foot

Underlayment Rolls: Please call for pricing.

*Please note that although WE Cork does its best to differentiate between shades of brown, exact shades in color cannot be controlled due to cork's natural qualities.*

Please contact us for lead-time and pricing.

For further information, we encourage you to visit WE Cork's web page at www.wecork.com