WECORK has been in the cork flooring industry for 50 years! Cork is what we love and what we do. So how do we sum up the top reasons for choosing cork flooring in 2025? Read on to find out.
1. New Flooring Patterns
Our portfolio continually evolves according to the needs and trends. In addition to our tried-and-true cork flooring patterns, here are some of our latest additions from 2024 and 2025. More to come this year!
2. Choice of Floor Systems and Formats
Glue-down or floating floor systems are available in tile, plank, or roll formats. Glue-down cork flooring is especially effective for full bathrooms, and floating floors have versatility for use in all other rooms including basements.
3. Commercial Grade Durability
Digitally printed cork flooring with a patented hot coating is also available in our Serenity Collection for spaces requiring commercial-grade durability. These fade, water, and scratch resistant floors are available with cork, hardwood, or tile visuals digitally printed on a cork substrate! Our brand new color is Red Oak (shown above) and other relatively new options include:
4. Healthy Household
Are you tired of all the plastics and chemicals? Are you looking to avoid the potentially harmful off-gassing with some other flooring options? Cork is a safe and natural flooring material that is also antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal! That makes cork flooring a healthy option you can feel good about bringing into your home! See Cork vs Carpet Comparison for an example of how this is not always the case.
5. Increased Comfort with Age
Hate to say it, but we’re not getting any younger! In fact, the U.S. has a rapidly aging population according to the Rural Health Information Hub.
“Between 2020 and 2030 alone, the time the last of the baby boom cohorts reach age 65, the number of older adults is projected to increase by almost 18 million. This means by 2030, 1 in 5 Americans is projected to be 65 years old and over.”
An increasing population of retirees and seniors demands products, including flooring, that caters to their needs. Fortunately, cork flooring is a soft, comfortable, and forgiving surface that is optimal for aging joints, knees, hips and feet.
6. Trending in Design
Strike a pose - cork floors are in vogue! The practical and aesthetic reasons for this are captured by WPL Interior Design in The Resurgence of Cork in Modern Decor:
“Cork is more than just a stopper for your wine bottle. Instead, think of it as nature’s cushion, perfect for the floors of any modern home. Its honeycomb-like structure contributes to its lightweight, impermeable makeup, allowing it to compress and spring back to its original shape. Cork has waterproof qualities that make it ideal for kitchen and bathroom floors. Beyond its durability, cork is easy to install and maintain and resists everyday scuffs from shoes and furniture.
“Setting practicality aside, cork is a versatile choice for designs. For example, cork can mimic the rich look of hardwood with various earth-toned shades, stains, and shapes. Paired with its textured appearance, cork can introduce natural elegance into minimalist bathrooms with two-toned cork floors and warm Mid-century palettes. These qualities alone make cork a stunning, eco-friendly alternative for any interior.”
Realtor.com also comments on nature-inspired designs in their article on Trends, Design Innovations, and Economic Outlook for 2025:
“Biophilic elements are continuing to influence home design. Expect homes to incorporate natural materials, larger windows for increased natural light, and open spaces that connect indoor and outdoor areas.”
7. Energy Efficiency
Cork has a cellular structure comprised mostly of enclosed air cells - over 2 Million per cubic inch! This makes cork flooring a thermal insulator, helping regulate room temperature. Practically speaking, HVAC units don’t have to work as hard to keep rooms cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It’s reassuring to know that whatever happens with the economy, energy efficiency translates to reduced energy bills!
8. Peace & Quiet
Thanks again to cork’s cellular structure, cork flooring also has acoustic benefits. It’s an acoustic insulator that helps prevent sound transfer between floors, and it also helps to reduce room echo. As a result, cork flooring helps you enjoy the sounds you want to hear and create a buffer from the sound you’d like to avoid, like noisy kids playing upstairs!
9. Sustainability
There is no better sustainability story than cork in flooring. The natural cork material used for cork flooring comes from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber), not from the tree itself. Unlike hardwood flooring, trees are not cut down in the production of cork flooring. Cork oak trees reach a ripe old age, sometimes over 250 years!
Fun facts: The oldest productive cork tree in the world is currently 242 years old, and is known as the “Whistler” due to the sounds of all the birds that perch on its branches. It also holds the Guinness Book record for being the largest cork oak in the world. Tree of the year also notes that this cork oak tree has already been stripped more than twenty times since it was planted in 1783.
For more information, see our article on Sustainable Cork Material for Design.
10. Carbon Reduction
Our choices as a consumer impact our climate, and you can feel great about choosing cork flooring. You may know that cork forests are carbon sinks, but did you know that when the bark of the cork trees is harvested the trees are up to 5x more carbon-negative while their bark regenerates over nine years? This is illustrated in the sustainability infographic above.
Easier Than Ever to Find Your Cork Flooring!
Our brand new website gives you control as you search for the cork flooring that's right for you. As you browse all of our cork flooring options, simply check boxes to dynamically filter the results based on criteria that you choose. This includes color, visuals, system, format and more.
When you see an option you like, click the “SEE THIS IN MY ROOM” button to upload a picture of the room you’re in right now (or use our stock photos). Our visualizer will give you an instant idea of how cork will transform your space. You can then rotate floors, compare different floors side by side, plus download and share your renderings. Enjoy your search!