Silver Birch

Silver Birch Cork Glue-Down Flooring

The look of narrow strip hardwood, often mistaken for bamboo, in a thick 5/16 in (8 mm) natural cork tile.

Silver Birch runs light caramels and warm honey shades through a traditional cork ribbon pattern, peppered with darker browns for depth. The narrow strips read like fine hardwood or bamboo, but the surface underfoot is pure cork: light, airy, and restful. It is a calm, tranquil look that fits almost any taste.

Each tile is 12 in x 24 in (305 mm x 610 mm) and a full 5/16 in (8 mm) of natural cork through its entire thickness: cork wear surface, cork core, cork backing. The square-edged, straight-cut design installs seamlessly, so the finished floor reads as one large continuous unit rather than a grid of tiles. Because the tile is 100 percent low-density, sound-absorbing cork, no separate underlayment is required.

Glue it down on a clean, level subfloor or on at-or-above-grade concrete, and it is rated for real work: domestic class 23 and commercial class 32, which covers busy hallways, kitchens, and light commercial spaces. Cork's natural suberin resists mold, mildew, and moisture, and the anti-static surface repels dust and small particles, making this a well-being alternative to carpet for allergy sufferers. Used indoors, cork floors have been known to last up to 50 years; the source cork oaks can live up to 250 years while renewing harvestable bark on a typical nine-year cycle.

Why this floor

• Full-thickness natural cork: an 8 mm cork wear layer over a cork core and cork backing, so no separate underlayment is needed.
• Quiet by construction: impact sound reduction of 22 dB (tested at 6 mm), and 3 mm to 12 mm of cork can mute sound by 10 to 20 decibels.
• Rated commercial class 32 and domestic class 23, suitable for high-traffic areas such as hallways and light commercial spaces.
• Square-edge, straight-cut 12 in x 24 in (305 mm x 610 mm) tiles install seamlessly for a single-unit finished look.
• Natural suberin in the cork is anti-microbial, combating mold, mildew, insects, and liquid invasion; the anti-static surface repels dust and hair.
• Made with formaldehyde-free adhesives and no VOC emissions.
• Backed by a 10-year residential wear warranty, joint integrity warranty, and lifetime structural warranty.

Important product note

Polyurethane is required after installation. As with all glue-down cork tiles, plan for two coats of Loba 2K water-based polyurethane across the finished floor (kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, entrance ways, and commercial spaces alike) to seal the seams and protect the surface. Only floating Fusion products skip this step.