Importance of Flooring & Underlayment in Construction
In construction, flooring and underlayment are important components of each new build, whether it's a custom home or a commercial property. They impact the experience people have with the building in more ways than one. They determine how comfortable it feels to walk though, but also impact the temperature, noise, and even the health of the individuals who live, work, or play within it.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) states that, "Building a home is a complex activity. A professional builder is familiar with the construction standards, proper materials, the process from start to finish, new technologies, and has a deep understanding of the minor details and various tools essential to constructing a quality home." Whether residential or commercial construction, you are ultimately responsible for the big picture as the Builder.
Cork is the Natural Choice for Construction
Cork's unique physical properties give it distinct advantages over other materials, as outlined in our Sustainable Design with Cork blog article. This is true for exterior applications and for interior use, such as flooring. For example, see our Cork Flooring vs Carpet Comparison blog article, in which we contrast cork with synthetic carpets that fall short of being environmentally friendly and can raise health concerns.
Cork flooring provides Builders with a flooring option that both looks beautiful and performs according to specifications. Buildings with other floor surfaces can also use cork underlayment to add some of cork's key benefits.
Benefits of Cork Flooring for Builders
Thanks to it's cellular structure and naturally healthy properties, the benefits of cork include how it's:
- Quiet & Acoustic - reducing sound transfer and echo
- Warm & Insulating - regulating room temperature
- Environmentally Friendly - renewable and sustainable (see sustainability below)
- Soft & Comfortable - like walking on air, thanks to over 2 million enclosed air cells/square inch
- Hypoallergenic & Anti-Fungal - helping those with allergies and sensitives
Our cork is produced mostly in Portugal, and entirely in the Mediterranean region, where the world's best quality cork is grown.
Sustainability of Cork Flooring
It can't be understated that cork has THE best sustainability story. It is a 100% rapidly-renewable and sustainable resource that is made from cork oak tree bark. Trees are never cut down and can live for over 200 years. And while the bark is regenerating over a period of nine years, the cork trees absorb up to five times as much CO2 as normal!
GreenGuard Gold Certification
Our products are healthier because they emit low chemical emissions, contributing to cleaner indoor air for the families, residents, and workers that occupy your buildings.
Cork flooring and underlayment are tested and certified. Many are GreenGuard or GreenGuard Gold Certified, and/or CARB 3 compliant for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Our natural resin urethane binders and water based finishes ensure a green, optimally performing, healthy environment.
Specify WECORK in SpecLink by RIB!
WECORK is now in SpecLink, the most trusted commercial construction specification software! No other specification software helps you work smarter, and collaboration features for remote teams allow you to create specs up to 70% faster.
Commercial Grade Cork Flooring
In addition to cork underlayment, Classic glue-down cork tiles have also been commercially installed for decades. High traffic locations vary from the Library of Congress to Sierra Nevada Brewing. See our blog article on The Unbeatable Value of Cork Tile Flooring for more information. Floating cork floors have also been engineered to be fade, scratch, and water resistant with an AC5 and 33 class commercial rating. Available in plank and tile format, this Serenity Collection features visuals of hardwood, tile or cork printed on a cork substrate. For more information, see our blog article entitled, New Commercial Grade Cork Flooring. These floors offer a wide variety of patterns and designs for construction with cork flooring.
Additional Resources
- Brochure: See all of our flooring collections.
- Blog: For helpful articles on flooring topics and more read our blog.
- Get Downloads, FAQs, and Videos.