Cork Flooring (Floating Floor)
This information reflects our best understanding of product composition in 2020.
Cork flooring is seen as a green alternative to other types of flooring because it is made from the bark of quercus suber, or cork oak trees, which can be harvested without harming the tree. Cork is an acoustic and thermal insulator, and provides...
Cork flooring is seen as a green alternative to other types of flooring because it is made from the bark of quercus suber, or cork oak trees, which can be harvested without harming the tree. Cork is an acoustic and thermal insulator, and provides a soft and resilient surface for foot traffic. It is also often marketed as being naturally resistant to mold and pests. This Common Product (CP) covers cork floating floors. These generally consist of three layers: a cork wear layer, a rigid core of high density fiberboard (HDF) and a cork underlayment. The HDF core typically has a tongue and groove design that allows adjacent tiles to be attached to each other. Some products may have an additional PVC layer and/or a decorative layer that may contain PVC, and at least one product on the market has a PVC-free wood plastic composite (WPC) core as an alternative to HDF. Such products are beyond the scope of this CP. Cork flooring can either come finished with several coats of a polyurethane finish or wax. Unfinished tiles are also available and may be stained or decorated. These tiles are then coated on site with a polyurethane-based finish. Finishes applied on-site can contain isocyanates, which present respiratory hazards, along with VOCs that can present additional hazards. Manufacturers also recommend refinishing floors that show signs of wear after a period of time. This Common Product represents cork floating floors with a polyurethane-based factory finish. Any finishes applied on site could introduce additional hazards not included in this CP.