Best Flooring For Allergies – Cork flooring – Help reduce allergies with Cork

Cork flooring is one of the most beautiful and comfortable floor material options available. But did you know it’s also hypo-allergenic. So if you have allergies tied to mold and mildew, cork will be the option to take to reduce your suffering. Suberin is one of the major components in cork’s chemical composition. This waxy substance is huge in making cork flooring waterproof and a repellent to mould, mildew and mites. Cork flooring will reduce allergies and keep your home beautiful.

Cork is a natural material derived from the cork oak tree. It has a history of use dating back for thousands of years, and as with so many natural products, it is proving to have a wide range of applications in the modern world. Simply put, cork is the outermost layer of bark of the cork oak tree that grow in the Mediterranean region. It is harvested when the tree reaches 20 years, and then every 9 years after that. The productive life of the tree averages about 150 years.

Cork is composed of dead cells that accumulate on the outer bark of the cork oak tree. Because of its honeycomb-like structure, cork consists largely of ‘zero’ space; its density is one-fourth that of water. Unlike a honeycomb, though, cork consists of irregularly shaped and spaced cells that average 14 sides. With 625 million of these empty cells per cubic inch, cork is like a many layered microscopic Bubble Wrap, making it an effective cushioning material. The large expanse of dead-air space makes cork an effective insulation against both temperature and noise. Furthermore, it is fire retardant; flames will only char the surface, and no toxic fumes are generated. In addition to being flexible, cork is highly resilient. After being crushed under a pressure cork will regain 90% of its original size in 24 hours. Cork absorbs neither dust nor moisture, and it resists both rot and insects. Highly resistant to wear, it is used for polishing diamonds.

Cork tree forests cover the surface of almost 5.4 million acres in seven Mediterranean countries including Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Tunisia and France. The cork forest performs a valuable ecological function by providing soil conservation, water table recharge, and run-off control, while also safeguarding against climate change and desertification. The cork oak landscapes help lessen greenhouse gases because the trees store large amounts of carbon. The Andalusian forests in Spain stow more than 150 million tons of carbon dioxide, and cork oak trees are responsible for nearly 11 percent of this total. Cork oak trees amass carbon in order to regenerate their bark, and a harvested tree absorbs up to five times more carbon than a non-harvested tree.

Cork flooring offers a wide range of benefits, making it one of the more popular flooring choices available today. Allergies will be reduced and your home will be a comfort instead of a potential enemy. Add that cork is sustainable and this puts cork at the top of the ‘Renewable Resources’ list. In your home it will last for decades and you’ll feel good knowing not a single tree was felled to give you that opportunity. Best Flooring For Allergies is cork floor.