Earth and humanity, co-existing now has become a very sensitive subject. As humans we are being shown daily what our impact on our environment can do, both positive and negative. If you are looking to go with a positive ‘green’ impact, cork flooring is one very good option to look into since building or renovating houses will always be deeply rooted in to the way people live. With the Internet, it is actually easier to learn about cleaner and more sustainable materials and alternatives. Something like changing your non-eco-friendly materials for a flooring with a ‘green certificate’ like cork will have a big impact in the long run. Or if cork just isn’t the flooring surface you want to go with, use cork underlayment to make the floor of your choice function more efficiently.
What Exactly Are the Recycling and Biodegradation Processes?
When an item of whatever sort comes to the end of its lifespan, we tend to throw it away. This however is not always the best way of doing things as some of our garbage can and is harmfaul to the natural environment. This is where recycling comes into action. Recycling is the process of taking old unneeded or unwanted objects and re-shaping them into new fully functioning items. Not only will recycling help reduce throwing away good reusable materials but will also reduce the need to produce new ones. This makes a positive circle: lower material consumption overall which means lower energy usage which means lower air and water pollution and so on.
Even so, sometimes a material just cannot be recycled. This might be because of its basic components, or even that there is not a recycling center in the area. This is where biodegradation comes into action. This is a process that takes place when products are thrown away and usually buried into the ground. What we want is that said objects should break down into elemants that do not harm the environment. In fact, technology has become advanced enough that engineers have taken it one step further. Some biodegradable products now can provide the earth with nutrients once they have completely broken down.
For a better understanding of why we need to be eco-friendly here are the length of times that some products take to biodegrade:
• Paper towel – 2-4 weeks
• Newspaper – 6 weeks
• Plastic bags – 10-20 years
• Tin cans – 50 years
• Plastic bottle – 100 years
• Aluminum cans – 200 years
• Glass bottles – undetermined
Switching to Cork Tiles as an Eco-Friendly Solution
If you have set your mind on building or renovating your home floor space, you might want to take cork tiles into consideration. Cork tiles are made out of an extremely durable and sustainable material. Using this product will not detract from its competition in terms of looks. In fact, cork flooring tiles have been made to mimic a diversity of patterns and designs. In some areas, cork flooring will even outperform the rest. For example, cork floors do not favor any toxic adhesives in their creation process. Cork itself is eco-friendly and a highly sustainable resource, as cork is only taken from the bark of the cork oak tree. Cork bark is highly regenerable, so no tree is cut down for its source material. Knowing where it came from should give you peace of mind. These tiles also win in the warmth department. You can walk on cork flooring barefoot without the sensation of touching ice. Another great characteristic of cork is its sound insulation. Cork absorbs and disperses sound waves, so your floor will be quiet when stepped upon and help keep invasive noises out.
Want to understand corks durability and resistance, take a look into the fact that many different industries incorporate cork flooring into their businesses. For example, physical therapy centers and gyms swear by cork as their flooring of choice. Even lots of hospitals choose it. Why? Because cork is a slip-resistant surface that is softer to the touch, yet it can be made extra durable to withstand high traffic volumes. Think about the number of people that walk into those institutions. If cork flooring, with the proper care, can hold up against hundreds or thousands of people a year, it can surely withstand a lifetime of use in a personal household environment.
Choosing Cork Underlayment for Your Floors
One of the best places to use cork underlayment is as a part of your sub floor. If you want to go with a well-known traditional flooring such as hardwood or stone tiles, put in cork underlayment. Doing so will bring you all of cork’s great benefits on top of the look of the of the floor you want. Cork underlayment is fire and shock resistant as well as being anti-bacterial. And under another floor will help cork underlayment will be a great support material as well. Shop around, you will find that cork underlayment also comes in varying thicknesses that do wonders for sound and thermal insulation as well as provide a certain amount in comfort factor.
The thicker the cork underlayment the higher your insulation ability and the better your support. By this we mean that cork has an elastic ability to compress and depress with pressure. It has a certain amount of give that is not seen in other hardwoods or stone flooring. This results in a great feeling when walking on it and also a healthier one for your feet and joints. Another great characteristic is that most boring insects, like termites dislike cork. This means a better chance of avoiding pest infection. Placing your top floor on a cork underlayment will also help to assure a straight surface. When installed correctly bulges and other warping is either eliminated or minimized on the external surface.
