If you only think of bulletin boards when you think of cork, think again. Cork can be used to create beautiful floors and comes in many different colors and designs to suit any decor. Cork floors come in many textures and patterns as well, including such beautiful ones as marble or wood grain patterns.

Since cork insulates so well, it is a great flooring material. The natural tendency of cork is to keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter, so your energy bills will be lower. Cork insulates better than laminate or wood flooring, and in additional to insulating temperature, it insulates sound, reducing noise levels in the home. This may be especially important on upper levels.

The natural softness of cork is much easier on the feet than most of the traditional material used for flooring. This makes it ideal for a kitchen, where one tends to stand a lot. Another ideal feature for a kitchen is that dropped objects such as plates and glasses will not break as easily. And, a final argument for cork floors in the kitchen is that cork is a fire retardant material.

If you are environmentally conscious, you will be glad to know that cork comes form the bark of the cork oak tree, and so the tree does not have to be cut down. The bark is stripped starts to grow back and then is ready to be stripped again in nine or so years. This is an ideal solution to the problem of deforestation. Most trees used for this purpose are ground in Spain and Portugal.

Cork flooring can either be nailed or glued in place. The flooring can be put over wood or concrete; the most important thing is that the underfloor is completely dry. A sealer applied to the underfloor will help to control the moisture. Easiest of all to install are the peel and stick cork tiles.

To install most cork, just spread adhesive on the sub floor with a roller. After the tiles are laid, they blend in together so that seams are invisible. A razor can be used to cut tiles around the edges. Then a heavy roller (they can be rented at a tool rental store) is used to press the cork down, and then the flooring is urethane for protection.

To keep the cork floor looking good, sweep up dust and debris frequently and mop lightly with a damp mop periodically. If the floor starts to look dull after a few years, the finish can be sanded and a new urethane coating applied. Adding more coats of urethane, sanding between coats, will add more protection and will also make the floor more moisture resistant.