The Center for Green Building, LLC 3309 Fairfield Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06605
Phone: 203-382-0774         Fax: 203-382-0764         
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Natural Benefits of Cork

Most of  the benefits of  cork are derived from its specialized cellular  structure. Cork  has  a  honeycomb
cellular structure and each cubic centimeter contains roughly 40 million hexagonal cells. The cork tissue is
nearly 90% comprised of an air-like gas that makes the material very lightweight and low density.

Beauty
    Cork is a beautiful natural product and now with Globus Cork's proprietary colouring process, there
    are so many design options available. Nearly any design that can be done in ceramic  tiles  can  now
    be done in cork. Globus Cork is unique in its tile size and shape offerings. More than  20  sizes  are
    available as well as custom designs and colours.

Durability
    Cork flooring is a very durable choice. Its been popular for  use in  public  buildings  such  as  court
    houses, churches, banks and libraries. The softness and give of  the floor causes less of  a grinding
    action to occur  with normal foot  traffic  than on  harder  surfaces such as  hardwood floors.  Cork
    flooring has a very long life and can be repaired if  damaged. The oldest cork floor installation in the
    US is in a church near Chicago dating back to 1898.

Softness
    The air contained in the millions of  cork cells provides a cushioned feel underfoot. It is not  so  soft
    that it feels spongy, but it does provide noticeable relief for those who stand on their feet for many
    hours. Whether standing on your feet at work all day, working in your kitchen, or if  you have small
    children that play on the floor, you'll appreciate the soft quality of cork floors.

Sound & Vibration Reduction
    Cork reduces the transmission of sound, vibration, heat  and  thus  is  a  great  insulator. The  tiny
    cellular compartments seal air in each compartment insulating each from the other  with  a moisture
    resistant,  waxy-like  substance.  This  makes  cork  a  great  material  for   entertainment   rooms,
    recording studios and any other places where sound needs  to  be  reduced.  Cork  has  long  been
    used in commercial buildings between floors and on roofs under  heavy  machinery  for  sound  and
    vibration reduction. Cork reduces impact sound (IIC) as well as sound transmission (STC).

Thermal Insulation
    Cork reduces heat  loss  in  rooms  and  even  body  heat  loss  through  the  feet.  Cork  naturally
    maintains a comfortable median temperature, never getting very hot or very cool. Walk barefoot on
    a cork floor and the warmth is immediately apparent. In tests its been shown that  less heat is  lost
    through the feet with a cork floor than with hardwood, vinyl  or  ceramic  floors. Cork  is  a  natural
    thermal insulator because of the encapsulated cells containing mostly air.

Anti-Allergenic and Insect Resistant
    Bugs, mold, mites and even termites are repelled by cork due to a naturally occurring substance  in
    cork called Suberin. This waxy substance also prevents  cork  from  rotting  even  when  completely
    submerged under water for long periods of time.

Easy Installation
    Globus Cork tiles are pre-finished and pre-glued. This means that your  flooring installer  will spend
    far less time installing your  floor and if  you like to tackle home improvement projects, you  can  do
    this job yourself. Globus Cork tiles have a  micro  beveled  edge  that  allows  tiles  to  expand  and
    contract as all natural products do without the edges of a tile peaking above another.

Elasticity
    Cork cell membranes are very flexible allowing cork to be both compressible and elastic. When  cork
    is subjected to pressure or heavy weights, the air in the cells is compressed. An example would  be
    when a cork stopper is pressed into a bottle opening.  Once  the  pressure  is  released  (or  in  the
    example, the cork is removed from the bottle), cork returns to its original shape.  In  cork  flooring,
    this means that although its possible to make a dent in cork  with  a  heavy  object  or  high-heeled
    shoes, the cork will recover to its original shape, unlike hardwood floors.

Fire Resistant
    The natural waxy substance Suberin makes cork a natural fire inhibitor. Cork  is  fire  resistant  and
    also does not release any toxic gases on combustion.
Why Globus Cork?
  • Tiles are pre-finished with specialized high-
    grade cork finish

  • More than 20 patterns in various sized tiles

  • Tile edges are micro-beveled allowing for
    expansion and "peak" prevention

  • Custom colouring and custom cuts available
  • Rich textured appearance

  • Exclusive colours and unique colouring
    process gives vibrant & transparent colours

  • Green construction product: Colours, finish
    and adhesive are all water-based

  • More than 30 colours in 20 different sizes

  • Tiles are pre-glued saving labor, installation
    time or an easy D-I-Y project
Hardwood Flooring
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