Cork underlay is fast becoming popular, however, for now, most of the population is still utilizing foam flooring for underlayment. The problem with foam is that it is not eco-friendly. Foam just like plastic, has petro-chemicals added. It is not easy to recycle and it certainly is not bio-degradable. Because foam underlay is not bio-degradable it will end up being part of a landfill somewhere to add to our land’s polution problems.

Cork Underlay – A preferred Choice

The origin of cork is the cork oak tree. The bark is removed from the tree and it does not cause damage the tree. In about 10 years the bark will grow back even thicker than before. Therefore, cork is measured as a renewable resource.

Cork underlay  is sustainable. Cork underlayment is installed under tiles, laminate flooring, carpeting, cork floor planks, hardwood and bamboo flooring. It can be installed with doing a nailed installation, floating installation, or a glued down installation.

Some benefits of using a cork underlayment include:

• Cork is resilient. There are millions of cells in a cork floor that trap air and enable cork to act as a cusion to compress and inflate like “micro-mini baloons”. Which proves extremely comfortable to weary feet. And because cork has elastic like characteristics, it allows cork underlay to compensate for minor flaws that are in the subfloor.

• Cork underlayment absorbs sound which helps in quieting the sound of heavy walking across the floor. This will become a sound barrier when comes to having multiple floors in a home.

• Cork underlay posesses thermal insulating qualities which traps heat in the winter and keeps your home warmer and reduces the air conditioning costs in the summer because it helps keep out the heat of the sun.

• A cork floor is resistant to both water and mildew. Being moisture resistant helps prolong the life of the flooring. Cork is water resistant not “proof”. So, a cork underlayment will not trap moisture between the flooring and the subsurface this is a positive feature, but since cork is not water-proof, a moisture barrier should be installed between a concrete subfloor and a regular floor, in particular if the installation is in the basement.

• Cork has has a unique quality that makes it anti-fungal and antibacterial. If you want a allergen-free home than combine a cork underlay with cork flooring or even a strand woven bamboo floor

Although cork underlayment is slightly more expensive than foam underlayment the many benefits of cork underlayment, not the least of which is that it is very a

Cork, being a renewable resource, is a smart choice to install. Although using cork underlay may be a little more expensive than traditional foam underlayment because of its benefits and because it is the eco-friendly choice, cork underlay is the wisest choice.