Anyone who’s spent more than 5 minutes in a completely empty room will be able to tell you that adding  fabric to a few of the surfaces is a great way to reduce the hollow, echoing quality that is created by the unblocked sound. This lends itself to fabric curtains and wall-to-wall carpeting as a solution, and for many people, that’s all that is required. This, however, can be a rather ugly solution, and at the very least is very difficult to clean – at worst, it’s impossible to clean. There is another solution, though, one that many people aren’t aware is even an option. You can still go ahead and replace the flooring, but instead of using carpeting, you can cover things up with cork flooring, which is a truly excellent sound-reduction solution. Because of its extremely porous nature, it is excellent at diffusing sound and eliminating echoes.

Remember when you’re considering the installation of cork flooring to check out the other articles on our site about the pros and cons of cork flooring, as they are many and various. Also important to note is that it’s not necessary to re-finish all the floors in your home using cork flooring – maybe you only need it in the new baby’s nursery or in your home office (or both, for that matter – they DO go hand in hand).

Many people favor hardwood flooring in the home, but that may just be because they haven’t yet experienced the difference that a cork floor can make. There are numerous environmental benefits, as discussed in our initial guide to cork flooring, not to mention the obvious sound insulation properties of cork. In addition to sound insulation, it also provides some level of temperature insulation. These are all good selling points that your real estate agent should be aware of, and know how to highlight when showing your home.

Another thing to consider when deciding whether or not to make this big purchase is the possibility of only completing a couple of rooms using cork flooring, and finishing or leaving the rest in hardwood. For example, a study or home office with cork flooring would be a perfect location, since you definitely want to dampen exterior noises in these rooms, as well as minimize internal ones. On the other hand, a home theater room probably may not benefit from a cork floor, although, of course, a skilled theater installation technician would be able to overcome this issue easily – and depending on who you live with, there might very well be benefits to minimizing the sound of gunfire and explosions that come out of your brand new THX-certified speaker system.

No matter whether you choose to do just a few rooms or your entire home in cork flooring, you can be sure that it will benefit your home’s resale value, since there are very  few homes on the market that offer such benefits – at least for now!

A couple of years back we thought we would get new engineered hard wood floors in the loft. Before our flooring was a concrete floor one, it wasn’t awful per se but we had small kids and youngsters often fall a great deal, so for issues of safety and because we did want the house to look more put together we thought we would search for additional floor options. The furniture we owned was fairly child friendly and neutral and since it was a small loft the kitchen was attached within the dinning/living room area. After a couple of months of going back and forth with various possible choices we chose to get engineered hardwood everywhere in the first floor. As it was such a tiny place we didn’t want to give up the visual space by separating the kitchen from the dinning/living with some other floors. And since we will at some point exchange all the kid friendly home furnishings with quality pieces we decided to go all out and have nice floors.

Should you be wondering about changing your flooring in the house and you really are worried about coordinating you interior décor to the new floors, you ought to take into account some things. If you have young kids and you haven’t acquired your dream home furnishings I would personally say opt for the high end floors simply because no matter what type of flooring you are getting as long as you clean it properly and take care of them will last for many years. If you’re already set in your dream interior decoration system I am going to still suggest buying the high quality flooring, because not only will they enhance and play up your home furniture highlights but they will also boost your home’s value. With flooring, as with a number of other construction materials, you absolutely get what you pay for.

It’s one of the few truly environmentally friendly flooring options because cork harvesting doesn’t require trees to be cut down. Cork bark is simply trimmed back, which does not harm the trees or cork forests as a whole. It’s also important to note that the cork in cork flooring is a recycled product, usually the wastage from the cork stopper industry. As well cork uses natural water-based solvent-free dyes to add pigment and no VOCs gas off from the adhesives used to lay the tile.

Cork is also a good choice for those with health concerns. Cork contains a substance called suberin that makes it mold, mildew and pest resistant as well as fire retardant. In addition to the non-toxic dyes and adhesives used in the manufacturing and installation process, it is considered hypoallergenic in its own right and a wise choice for people with allergies, asthma, respiratory illness or other chronic conditions.

Cork tile is also extremely durable and comfortable underfoot due to its natural elastic properties. It also provides a nonslip surface and insulation, keeping heat in during the winter and out during the summer. Cork also provides sound insulation, dampening echos and keeping noise within the room.

With all this going for it, it’s wonderful to also know that cork floor tile has recently expanded its offerings in terms of color. Cork floor tiles are available in a range of wood-like hues as well as solid color choices from subtle to bold. Cork tiles boast a slight texture that lends it unique visual appeal. Here are the questions to examine when determining if cork is the perfect flooring option for you:

The Room: The same elastic quality that makes cork so comfortable underfoot also means it can dent under heavy furniture. So be sure to consider the type of furniture that will be in use in a room with a cork floor. To minimize this denting, you can place coasters under the legs of tables and couches that will help to spread the weight over a larger area.

Moisture: Water can damage cork by being absorbed causing the cork tiles to swell. Cork is not a good option in bathrooms and should not be wet mopped to clean. Spills should be cleaned promptly with a damp rag – this should be enough to prevent stains from setting in.

Potential Color Changes: Be aware that cork can sometimes discolor over time when exposed to lots of sunlight. Be sure to consider your natural light sources when you’re looking to install a cork tiled floor.

Cost: Cork tends to be a more expensive option over carpet, ceramic or linoleum tile. But when you consider the health benefits, this tends to help justify the extra expense when the choice is between carpeting and cork; while the heat and noise-insulating factors and high durability may sway the decision toward cork over linoleum.

My interests online are wide-ranging, and I love to contribute to my friend’s blogs to help encourage and maintain a vibrant and active online community, and I love hearing from my readers and other bloggers who are active in the same subject areas as me! My top interests are higher education and having fun – I work hard and I play hard!! ^_^ But I also love:
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