What Is It? Cork is the bark of the cork oak (Quercus suber L), a noble tree with very special characteristics that grows in Mediterranean regions such as Spain, Italy, France, Morocco, Algeria and, most particularly, in Portugal. The cork oak is an astonishing tree, very long-lived and with an enormous capacity for regeneration. It can live on average 150 to 200 years, despite its bark being stripped around 16 times during its lifetime. Typically, virgin cork is not removed from saplings until the 25th year, and reproduction cork (the first cycle) may not be extracted for another 9-12 years. Unlike hardwood flooring, produced from felled trees, cork flooring comes from the bark of the tree only. The bark is harvested, and then grows back with no harm to the tree itself. Cork flooring is made by grinding the bark into small pieces, which are coated with a non-toxic resin binder. It’s manufactured as tiles or planks in various thicknesses. Surprisingly, cork flooring doesn’t resemble the bulletin board material at all. Because it’s processed from tiny pieces, manufacturers can achieve an amazing array of patterns and textures.
The Benefits One of the greatest benefits of cork flooring is the environmental impact – because it’s made from bark, the cork trees are simply peeled instead of cut down. Because of its unique cellular structure, cork flooring is extremely  resilient and quiet. Fifty percent of  the volume of material is air, which ;acts as a natural shock and sound absorber. The air pockets in cork also make it a great insulator – cork floors stay warm even when installed over cold concrete floors.
The Whistler Tree shown in the above photo (which got its name from the birds who nested in it) is the world's oldest currently producing cork oak tree and was planted in 1783 in the Alentejo region of Portugal near the town of Åguas de Moura. Cork trees are harvested by hand every nine years and this one yielded one ton of raw cork in 1991, enough for over 100,000 wine bottle corks versus the typical yield of 4,000 corks.	Things To Remember As you might suspect, softness is a legitimate concern with cork flooring. You can prevent problems by using furniture pads beneath table or furniture legs. In addition, as with any wood floor, excessive water can be damaging. Cork should not be used in basements or bathrooms that might have seepage or flooding problems. Easy Installation Thanks to the very simple CLIC revolutionary system you can install your own floating plank flooring in no time! CLIC uses an ingenious form of tongue & groove to “click” the planks together without the use of glue. Because you don't need glue anymore, CLIC is much easier and cleaner to work with and there is no waiting time, so your floors can be walked on immediately after installation.