October 10th, 2011 . Posted in Cork Flooring, Earth Friendly, Eco | Comments Off
Tags: green flooring, insulation, leed certification
Environmentally-friendly builders have long sought to reduce energy use in residential homes, and the “passive house” design has won accolades for several years due to its radical design that allows for heat exchange and insulation while remaining occupant-friendly, with large windows, plenty of natural sunlight and fresh air. Government inertia, industry resistance and a slow economy have conspired to keep the design from wide implementation, especially in North America; fortunately, the design is slowly gaining market penetration Stateside.
The U.S. Green Building Council has recently awarded the 2011 LEED for Homes prizes, naming the most environmentally-friendly residential developments in the United States. Among the recipients is a 1500-square-foot home in Maine that uses the latest insulation technology and building materials to slash home energy use by a stunning 90%. The building blueprint will be replicated in a community of 39 other homes, leading to savings of thousands of kilowatt-hours of energy, as well as many thousands of gallons of heating fuel.
The advantage of LEED-certified homes is not limited to low energy use, but includes the use of environmentally friendly, sustainably sourced building materials, such as green flooring and non-toxic insulation. This ensures that the homes have a low negative impact on the environment through the entirety of their life cycle, and don’t present toxic waste disposal problems when they need to be demolished.
June 29th, 2010 . Posted in Cork Flooring | Comments Off
Tags: Cork Flooring, eco-cork flooring, flooring, green flooring
So, you’re having a baby! Preparing your little bundle of joy’s nursery is undoubtedly one of the most exciting activities that you will undertake prior to the birth. Parents who are expecting the arrival of a new baby have many options to weigh when designing a nursery, and the choice of a safe and eco-friendly flooring material may be one of the most important considerations.
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June 7th, 2010 . Posted in Cork Flooring | Comments Off
Spring is finally here and we know that for many of you that means spring cleaning. But why stop there? Go all the way with spring remodeling with help from FloorMall. Nothing can give a stuffy room a fresh start like a new set of high quality flooring. In this post we’ll go over a good choice for spring: cork.
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January 4th, 2010 . Posted in Cork Flooring | No Comments »
Tags: Cork Flooring, green flooring, natural cork flooring
Cork is a very interesting organic material because of the natural attributes that lend it to becoming great flooring. Recently, it has become very popular for use in flooring, largely because of the green movement. Cork used for flooring and a host of other applications actually comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. It’s a renewable resource because once the bark is stripped from the trees; this process can be repeated every nine years throughout the 150 plus life cycle of the tree. Harvesting cork from the oaks actually encourages growth in the tree. The bark is first stripped when the tree is 25 years old. Read the rest of this entry »
April 21st, 2009 . Posted in Cork Flooring, Earth Friendly, Eco | No Comments »
Tags: Eco, ecocork, flooring, green
Cork is a sort of “green-building” material. It’s environmentally friendly and can be renewed and utilized in the production of various products, the two most predominant being wine-stoppers and cork floor boards. Cork is produced and harvested through the bark of the cork oak tree. Globally, the main cork oak forests are located in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Southern France. The reason for this is due to the climate and types of soil produced within these areas. Currently, Portugal will produce fifty percent of the worlds raw cork material in a given calendar year.
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April 21st, 2009 . Posted in Cork Flooring, Earth Friendly, Eco | No Comments »
Tags: eco-cork, eco-friendly, ecological
When dealing with eco-friendly cork flooring, there are many benefits which can accompany it. The bark, from which this cork emerges, naturally produces a waxy substance known as suberin. This substance contributes to the corks ability to withstand rotting caused by mold and mildew, as well as its ability to insulate and its overall durability. It is because of these characteristics that cork flooring can be seen as a wise investment.
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April 21st, 2009 . Posted in Cork Flooring, Earth Friendly, Eco | No Comments »
Tags: cork, Earth Friendly, Eco, green
In today’s day and age we are constantly trying to figure out ways to become more environmentally friendly, or “green”. Many people utilize tactics such as recycling or using energy efficient light-bulbs. There are plenty of ways for an individual to become eco-friendly; helping to preserve our environment. Noting this change in consumer behavior, businesses and corporations alike have begun to practice alternative “Green” business ethics. This allows companies to still appear appealing to those consumers who are making the transaction to living a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
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April 21st, 2009 . Posted in Cork Tiles, Cork for Walls | No Comments »
Tags: cork, tiles, walls
When dealing with cork tiles it is important to have an understanding of the characteristics which they possess. The cork which is used in the production of such tiles/floor boards is harvested from Cork oak trees. These trees are grown until they are roughly twenty-five years of age and then they are allowed to enter into the harvest process. Once they reach their adolescent stage they are then ready to be stripped of their bark. The bark of these trees is gently peeled away from the trunk and branches and is then shipped to a factory where the bark was processed into wine-stoppers.
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April 21st, 2009 . Posted in Cork Flooring, Cork Tiles, Kids | No Comments »
Tags: bedroom, children, cork, flooring, Kids, rooms, safe, safety, tiles
When dealing with children, there are no fool-proof ways to maintain the pristine condition of various household investments. We’ve all heard the phrase “kids will be kids”, and this certainly stands to be true. With children around there’s always opportunity for something unexpected to take place. Whether intentional or accidental it’s always better to be prepared for such incidents. While there’s no sure way to “child-proof” your house, there are certain precautionary actions which, if utilized can help to decrease the chances of household wear and tear.
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