Cork flooring, pros & cons
Cork is a renewable resource, harvested from trees without killing them. Although it comes from far away (mostly Portugal), its carbon footprint from transportation is quite reasonable given that it is light-weight and can be made very thin - so a lot packs into a shipping container. Cork flooring is hypoallergenic, warm underfoot, makes controlling dust & dustmites easy and if you choose the right cork flooring tiles and install it with the right products, it doesn't off-gas toxins into our homes either - contributing to better and healthier interior air quality - making it one of the most sensible, affordable and agreeable Eco-friendly flooring choices available.
The Edelweiss House is a slab-on-grade concrete floor covered with 1/8 thick pre-finished cork tiles from Lusimat, installed with a Zero VOC GreenForce adhesive from Bostik. We thank them both for taking part in this project, helping us reach our target of LEED Platinum while creating a healthy and beautiful interior living space.
For more home building inspiration, check out our newest concept house, the LEED V4 Platinum Wakefield House with solar air heated floors. And For more DIY Green Home Building Videos suscribe to our YouTube channel to see the the Edelweiss House being built from the ground up.
As I read this I am curious as to the heating load loss on your cement pads thermal mass by putting this product down
Hi Lee,
I think you are asking if the cork insulates it and reduces the heat transfer, right? It would in a minor way, but the insulation value of 3/16ths of an inch of cork is next to nothing compared to the 8 inches of insulation underneath (R32), so it really wasn't a concern for us.