Cork Flooring Commercial Suitability

Due to the increasing interest in using natural, renewable building products, cork is once again becoming an accepted commercial flooring alternative. Cork flooring, installed throughout the US in the 1920s and 1930s, is well suited for high traffic, commercial installations. It provides a resilient flooring surface with unparalleled durability, easy maintenance and environmental sensitivity. Many installations installed in the 1920s and 1930s are still in use and looking beautiful today, decades after they were initially installed. Supplier has assisted in the renovation and restoration of some of these, including, the US Department of Commerce Building in Washington, D.C., St. Mary of the Lake Chapel near Chicago and Lafayette College in Easton, PA, all of which have been in use for over 70 years. With the proper maintenance and care an cork floor can be expected to last indefinitely.

The key to the durability of cork is its resilience. Because cork is resilient, it is resistant to excessive wear caused by foot traffic, since the material has the ability to "give" before damage occurs. Supplier further enhances their cork flooring with the application of LS Water-based Matte Polyurethane finish. This exclusive finish holds up exceptionally well even in heavily used installations. Maintenance of the polyurethane finished cork floor entails regular sweeping and damp mopping (same cycle time as any other hard surfaces). When wear of the polyurethane becomes evident, Supplier recommends re-coating the floor with two coats of Supplier LS, which can be applied overnight and be ready for traffic the next morning. The cycle time on re-coating is typically between 2 and 6 years. As with any flooring surface, regular maintenance will greatly increase the refinishing intervals and the overall life of the floor.

Although the initial cost of installing cork may be higher than that of alternative surfaces, this difference is quickly offset, as the replacement cycle is much longer than that of almost any other resilient product. The low level of maintenance required on a cork floor also becomes a substantial savings in cost.