We have all heard and talked about the eco-friendly benefits of using cork products throughout your home, specifically cork wall tiles and cork floor tiles. But with this invasion of new flooring and wall covering options, many wonder – how do we clean cork flooring damaging it? Really, cork floor maintenance is very simple and we will give you 15 ways today to keep your cork flooring and wall tiles looking factory fresh every day and keep the dust bunnies out of your house too!
1. If you spill it, clean it. And don’t wait too long either. Just like with carpet or any other porous floor covering, you need to clean up spills within a quick time frame whenever possible. It is true that cork has a moisture barrier, but that only goes so far. Don’t test the limits! Clean it up as soon as possible with a dry towel or paper towel.
2. Use area rugs in high traffic areas to keep the dirt from being ground into your flooring and to save your back from sweeping multiple tiles a day. At the very least, we recommend that you use small rugs or mats at entry ways to dust the dirt off your feet before entering from the outside. The garden lives outside, not in your flooring!
3. Be sure those mats do not have rubber or non-porous backing that can trap moisture under them and affect the life of your cork flooring. Try to find coverings that compliment both the beauty of your cork flooring and the life of it too! We suggest something that is well ventilated from top to bottom.
4. Do NOT use harsh chemicals when caring for cork floors. Damp mop your cork flooring often, but make sure that it doesn’t remain saturated with water or cleaning supplies for too long. Note, we said damp mopping. Be sure you do not use a saturated mop when cleaning cork floors. Gently wring out your mop before using it to clean. Check with our AmCork specialists upon purchase to see what products they recommend to keep your floors beautiful and clean.
5. With the cork tile installation, you worked from the inside of the room to the outside. When mopping, we recommend that you do the opposite – work from the outside in. This keeps you from mopping all the dirt you just picked up into the cracks and crevices along the wall.
6. In addition to regularly using a damp mop, run your vacuum on its floor setting often to keep the dirt and dust at bay. This is something you can easily do several times a week and most of the newer vacuums have a bare floor setting. I know I use mine on that setting more than any other and it works like a champ!
7. If you want to clean in silence or only need to tidy up a small area, sweeping works perfectly well too! Keep your dust pan handy and sweep, sweep, sweep! It’s so easy you could probably even convince your children to do it for you!
8. Wipe down cork wall tiles with a damp hand rag on an occasional basis. You should not need to clean the walls as often as your floors. You may want to alternate a damp rag with a light chemical solution cleaning every once in a while. But if you have used our cork wall tiles in your kitchen backsplash area and cook a lot of spaghetti sauce, this will be an important hint.
9. Use furniture pads under your furniture. This helps with not only keeping any possible indentation from heavy pieces to a minimum, but it also helps you move furniture a little easier to clean under and behind it – See? We are saving you time and energy already! Plus your allergies will thank you for a proper cleaning!
10. Use those handy duster wands for weekly clean up on your walls. Just run it across the cork wall tile surfaces and collect your bunnies! This works great in the wall corners and around the base boards too.
11. When selecting a cleaning solution, be sure to keep your mind on our planet and select something that has a low impact on our environment. The marketplace is beginning to have many eco-friendly cleaning products available without having to search for them. You selected this type of product for a reason. Don’t let it stop at your feet!
12. On occasion, you may need to buff your cork flooring to remove scuff marks and bring back its natural shine. Again, we highly recommend you speak with one of our AmCork specialists when purchasing your cork product about how and when you may need to do a full service cleaning like buffing.
13. Have four-legged friends? This may increase your cleaning a bit more. But it would be the same with wood or tile floors too. Just be sure to sweep on a regular basis to keep both your floors and your fur-babies happy!
14. Love your cork floors and cork wall tiles and they will love you in return for many, many years to come. In addition to avoiding harsh chemicals, avoid harsh cleaning tools as well. Never, ever use steel wool, scouring pads, or anything else with a harsh abrasive on it. Remember – love them and they will love you too!
15. And lastly, enjoy your gorgeous cork wall coverings and flooring! The more you appreciate what you have in your home and the benefits you are reaping from them, the more likely you are to want to keep them in good repair. Plus, all your friends will want to visit more often after you install our products, so you will want to keep it showroom fresh to show them off to your fan club!
Talk about promoting corkboards!! We love our social media friends and want to be friends with you too! Check us out on Facebook and Pinterest today. Pin our cork boards on your board or friend us for up-to-date information and news on cork flooring tiles and cork wall tiles you can use. This is also a great way for you to post pictures of your home or office renovations with our cork products or ask us questions. If you are wondering about our cork board materials, chances are, somebody else is too! We are excited to meet and hear from you!
I love libraries. I love the smell of books. I love seeing antique and collectible books held in air tight glass display cases. And I still love the hunt for a great first edition! In the advent of the digital readers through iPads and Kindles, as well as the direct shipping to your door of any book you ever wanted through Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Borders, and many more, the love of the library and of actual paper printed books seems to have gone to the wayside. But I wanted to tell you that the largest library in the United States LOVES cork! Only heightening our current love of libraries!
The Library of Congress as well as the Interior Library of the Department of Interior most notably use cork flooring in their designs. The list of cork benefits befitting such public places is obvious due to both the acoustical benefits of cork flooring, and also the hypo-allergenic properties as well. Cork is a natural insulator, both for soundproofing and temperature. A quieter reading room is a happier reading room. The Department of Interior goes into great detail about the art and architecture of its Interior Library. “The original floors of the Reading Room are a checkerboard pattern of light and dark brown cork with marble borders. The Balconies also have their original cork floors with marble borders and bands between sections. Within each section is a cork border and large cork tile.” The images show the beautiful checkerboard display throughout the library as well as the definitive green cork borders. In many of the New York City Public Libraries, conservators have tried to retain the original cork tile flooring from the turn of the century for floor sound insulation.
So, next time you are in your local library, whether your city is large or small, young or old, check out the flooring. You may just find the comfort under your feet holds a wealth of history and is a superb flooring choice. Cork flooring is extremely easy to maintain and will hold up in high traffic areas for many years to come. If you are searching for a cork soundproofing flooring solution on your next commercial or residential project, we highly recommend the use of cork floor tiles. You can also add to the enjoyment and beauty of the room by adding cork wall tiles. I am sure we will see sound dampening panels and floor sound insulation popping up in many public establishments in the next few years for further sound absorption and cleanliness.
Cork is bouncing back into the market at a feverish rate because of its many benefits, both to your health and to your home, as well as the environment. This type of
flooring is extremely beneficial for high traffic areas due to its hardy and enduring nature. The self-healing properties, which we will discuss later, make it a wonderful flooring and wall covering alternative to tile, carpet or hardwood.
And while there are many pros of cork flooring we will consider, we will also discuss the cons of cork today. Obviously, we are big proponents of cork throughout your home or office, but we want to be fair and give the full spectrum of information to our customers.
Cork is harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree,
quercus suber, which is found native in southwest Europe and northwest Africa. All of the cork distributed by Amcork is harvested from the cork oak trees of Portugal. The cork oak grows to approximately 66 feet in height, although it can become more stunted in its native environment. It also supports a diverse ecosystem. In Portugal, it is home to the Iberian Lynx, an endangered species. The tree’s bark is the only part of the tree to be harvested every 9 to 12 years. The cork tree itself is never felled. The trees live approximately 150-250 years, as the harvesting of the cork oak bark is highly regulated in order to maintain the renewable properties of the tree.
The naturally spongy nature of
cork tile flooring allows for it to not only cushion your footsteps, but also absorb heavy foot traffic without showing as much wear as carpet. Along with giving you a little spring in your step, our cork floor tile is also a proven insulator, both of sound and temperature, so your toes can quietly stay cozy as you make that midnight bathroom run on a cold winter’s eve.
From a commercial point of view, the acoustic insulation is a prime choice for cork flooring and cork wall tiles. Restaurants are starting to look to cork for its insulating properties allowing both the noise in the customer area to become absorbed, but also in the kitchens - dropped dishes and glasses have less chance to break with the spongy characteristics of cork!
Its hypoallergenic properties are also overwhelming, making cork advantageous for those who suffer from allergies. This is true for both the cork flooring planks and the wall tiles. Cork is innately resistant to mold, mildew, and even invasive microorganisms. This also makes cork a prime choice for commercial areas that need to remain sanitary such as hospitals, assisted living homes, doctors’ offices, and much more.
The rainbow selection of colors, patterns, and styles that are found in cork products can be vast, but choice is the name of the game, keeping it as a leading pro in the “pro/con” lists. This color spectrum comes from both man-made and natural designs. Decorators will find high end patterns and dramatic colors, while others looking for a clean palette can find a simple selection that blends seamlessly with an existing décor.
Now we would be remiss to you, our reader and customer, not to mention the few cons of cork, and I do mean few! Cork is naturally resistant to moisture, but if drinks or any liquid is spilled, you must pay close attention to cleaning it up in a timely manner to avoid the eventual absorption by the cork. Also, cork can be sensitive to light. The gorgeous coloring you selected for cork flooring panels may fade over time if it is installed in a room with full sunlight, though this is typically rare. There is also the cost to consider. While cork may be more expensive per square foot in the beginning with installation costs to consider as well, it will increase the value of your home over the long run. It’s naturally spongy nature can also be put to the test with heavy furniture and sharp objects. While cork is self-healing, we highly suggest that to increase the longevity of your cork flooring, that you use furniture pads to eliminate the possibility of permanent indentation. And, keep the knives away from the cork flooring as they may accidently gouge a piece upon impact.
Each room should be considered when thinking of installing cork flooring tiles or cork wall tiles. Consider the natural lighting in the room, the furniture to be installed, and how the room will be used in general. Overall, we feel that the pros of cork flooring installation in your home or office far outweigh the cons. The increased value of the property, your own health and the health of our planet surpass anything bad you may find about the product.
If you have any questions about your personal cork needs or cork flooring benefits and advantages, please send us your queries or call us toll free at 1-888-955-2675. We would love to talk with you. Until then, uncork your natural design talents and creativity, and let us help you reinvent your home or office and possibly even the way you live!
Much like cork, our relationship with our clients tend to weather on and pass the test of time as we nurture and try to enrich their lives and their living space. We are a family run business and we consider many of our clients to be part of our cork family.
The Dome of a Home, located on beautiful Pensacola Beach along the Gulf of Mexico in Northwest Florida, is a shining example of our products bringing eco-friendly options, warmth, and sophistication to upscale home décor. Owners, Mark and Val Sigler, wanted to use environmentally friendly products throughout the construction of their home whenever possible. They researched products they believed would promote conservation and serve a multi-purpose in the home. American Cork Products is proud to be one of the products they selected for their one of a kind home in paradise.
The Siglers wanted the warmth and comfort that cork floor tiles provide, while also taking advantage of its insulating properties. “Sound is a major consideration in the dome structure,” said Mark Sigler. “Cork absorbs sound by reducing impact noise.”
With their home being constructed in the heart of Pensacola Beach, a small barrier island, the Siglers were also interested in finding a product that would withstand the elements. Sigler continues, “Our cork flooring was flooded in some areas during Hurricane Ivan. Yet, there was no insane rush to remove the cork flooring because it is naturally anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and resistant to mold and mildew. We just let it dry out, and although a bit warped, we left it in place until we had the time and funds to replace it. Wet carpet has to be removed immediately because of the stench and the medium it provides for rampant mold and mildew growth. After seeing the product perform as touted, I am a huge fan of cork flooring. It is quiet, comfortable, and a perfect floor covering.”
AmCork worked directly with the Siglers in the decisions about style, color, and installation of the cork floor tiles. In the end, both sides were extremely pleased with the results! The house became a work of art, not only for its unique architecture, but also for the cork flooring planks which brought an organically dramatic feel into the home.
Guests of the home, previously on the vacation rental market, were also big fans of the cork tile flooring throughout the home. Greg and Melissa Williams, locals of Pensacola, FL, wanted to make their “stay vacation” a little more unique as they weren’t leaving their hometown. After a little exploration, they booked their vacation adventures to begin and end at the Dome of a Home. Says Melissa Williams, “We vacationed in the Dome of a Home for a week with our daughter who was 8 months old at the time. Needless to say, we were pretty picky about the flooring, as she was still in the crawling stage and on the floor all of the time. We loved the cork floor tiles for the warmth and ‘cushion’ they provided, while also being remarkably easy to clean and maintain for our baby."
We are thrilled to offer such a high quality product that can be appreciated for multiple reasons. We love offering a healthy alternative, not only for the people inside the homes and offices that use our cork tile flooring, but also to the environment.
We are excited to bring you news you can use from the front lines of the world of cork! We look forward to and appreciate your responses and questions! Our primary goal is to give you informative news and information about cork floor tiles and cork wall tiles, and the industry that produces them, while also delving into the eco-friendly world of cork and the beauty it will add to your home and office décor throughout this blog feed.
The benefits of cork within your home or office are overwhelming, which is why the industry has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few decades. Cork flooring tiles and cork wall tiles entertain all walks of life in that they are not only a green product, but they are hypo-allergenic too; and from a sensory point of view, they are dynamically beautiful, adding texture, and a unique style and color to any surface.
AmCork has been in the cork business for quite a long time and has seen many changes both within the cork harvesting industry in Portugal, as well as within the end-user’s decorating needs and styles. They know their business inside and out! At the end of the day, the beauty and enhanced lifestyle that comes from cork easily stands the test of time and will weather on (literally) for decades to come. This re-emerging commerce is finally coming into the spotlight and being recognized for all the aesthetic and clean benefits it provides.
Stay informed on the pros and cons of cork installation, the current cork board decoration ideas, the health benefits, and much, much more. We are excited to begin this adventure with you and look forward to a long relationship with all of our clients. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day!
We have launched our new e-commerce website!
All AmCork cork flooring and cork wall tiles can now be purchased online. We also offer
cork underlayment sheets, adhesives, finishes, and applicator kits for your cork flooring installation.
