The Cork is soft renewable natural material. It looks like wood, but it is a kind of  tree bark. Cork qualities make it suitable for use in floors, and it is easier than ever to find, buy, and install. This material is different enough from traditional hardwood flooring, however, you should know more about it before deciding to use one.

Cork is the bark of the evergreen oak tree Quercus suber, which is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa, which means almost all cork used in the United States must be imported. Most imported cork comes from the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar. Cork is also produced in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, and France.

While it can be grown in warmer parts of this country, it has only been successfully planted in California, where its need for direct sunlight and resistance to drought are not problems. Cork oak trees grow to be 40 to 65 feet tall, with thick layers of bark. Like other oak trees, it produces acorns as seeds. And unlike many trees that die when their bark is removed, the cork oak just grows more.

The bark can first be harvested when the tree is about 25 years old, and after that every 10 years or so. Cork oak trees live for 150 to 250 years. Because each tree has a different shape, cork harvesting is traditionally done by hand.

Once harvested, cork is durable yet light and nonflammable. The cells of the bark are filled with air; they can withstand high pressures without rupturing, and will return to their previous shape. Cork has been used for insulation, packing material, and veneer, among other things. The cork we use in bulletin boards and wine bottle stoppers is the same cork used in flooring.