Design & Lifestyle...

As a home design material, cork seems a little funky. I always thought of cork as sort of flighty, a little soft, and possibly non-durable. I've also seen some pretty hideous cork applications commercially - cork is more common in commercial structures.

However, I recently saw a house where the owner decided to use cork flooring in the kitchen, panty, and entryway; and it actually looked good. So I decided to look at some cork options online to see what's available.

Basics about cork as a home material:

Natural cork is a smart eco-option, no matter how you feel about it's aesthetics. It's not actual interior tree, it's all bark. According to Healthy Home Plans, "Cork oak forests cover approximately 5.4 million acres amongst the seven primary cork producing countries; (30% Portugal, 21% in Algeria, 20% in Spain, 16% in Morocco, 5% in France and 4% each in Italy and Tunisia." Once it's harvested there's also almost no waste produced, which is another eco-perk.

Lastly, according to most companies selling natural cork, and some various reviews, it's durable. It doesn't look durable to me, but most reviews note that it is when cared for properly. One nice extra perk about cork is that it's naturally resistant to moisture, which of course reduces mold issues.

Some cons of cork include the adhesives and finishes typically used with cork can release volatile organic compounds (VOC's) into your home. You can use low toxic supplies though, it's a little more of a chore to find them, but it's possible. I think the look of cork is a con, but of course that’s going to vary per your personal tastes.

Uses:

You can use natural cork for many home applications; from walls to flooring to ceilings, and even moldings. You can use it in the bathroom because of it's anti-moisture qualities. Natural cork is also an affordable material.

Now, I haven't messed around with cork too much, so if you're interested you can learn more at the following places:

• Natural Cork Flooring at Eco-Products
• Green Building Supplies
• Green Home Guide