[Ad] Why I chose cork flooring for my extension project

You’ve seen the first look at our new, light-filled extension project in south London, but today I’m taking a closer look at our beautiful cork flooring by Recork. We’ll be covering why I chose this sustainable, underused material, how it is normally installed and how it feels to live with on a day to day basis.

First, let’s go back to the initial vision for the new space. I wanted to create a flexible living space that felt calm and considered, combining natural materials and neutral tones to create a wholesome, tactile environment. I really try to design with all the senses in mind – not just sight – so in this case every material choice (including cork) ultimately came down to touch. I think if you design with feeling and emotions, then a space can take on a deeper meaning and better connect with you.

The white Dowsing & Reynolds toggle switches, for example, give a satisfying click when you turn them on and off, the ceiling lights are made of porcelain to give that handcrafted quality, while the tongue and groove joinery features push openers rather than handles to give a discrete look that still feels functional. The cork flooring, meanwhile, feels soft and warm to walk on in bare feet. Everything simply works together to create a cohesive, harmonious space that feels soothing to be in.

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I don’t think I really knew you could use cork as flooring before I came across British brand Recork. It seems to be something that was popular in mid-century or Scandinavian interiors in the Fifties and Sixties, but not much used since. I’ve seen it used on walls in offices to pin up inspiration and displays, but it wasn’t until I stayed at the Port Hotel in Eastbourne that I discovered the beauty of cork flooring. The neutral beige rooms are finished with wood panelling and honey-toned cork flooring to great effect in this designer seaside hotel. The rooms feel tonally pared back but rich and warm at the same time.

Then when I was considering flooring for our extension I came across Recork and fell in love with their branding and the Scandinavian look of their product. I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to use concrete or micro cement floors; they just felt too harsh and brutal for the look I was going for. I wanted something a bit softer. I considered engineered wood flooring, like we have in the rest of the house, but felt a little too standard for what I wanted to achieve (not to mention that we couldn’t get hold of the same flooring that we have elsewhere). I really wanted something that was a bit different from the norm. Any flooring needed to pair well with the existing side of the house, but be light enough to contribute to an airy feel in the new contemporary extension.

I was really drawn to the colour palette of Recork’s UNA range, and in particular the Scandi grey tones of some of their products. They have 8 tones in the UNA range, from dark Charred Oak to light Pale Sand, all with an extra matte finish. After ordering several samples and testing them against our existing wood flooring, I decided to go with UNA Dapple Grey. The slight grey tone takes some of the orange out of the natural cork, leaving a pale, almost white washed finish that feels light and calm.

The benefits of cork flooring
So apart from the tactile aesthetic, why else might you choose cork?

Firstly, cork is a thermal insulator and holds warmth longer than other materials such as timber or laminate. It can be used with underfloor heating and can help to create a feeling of comfort in a space. There’s certainly no drafts like with old floor boards. Even on a cold day, our floor has a lovely ambient temperature to walk on, and it doesn’t seem to get too hot in the sun either.

The cellular structure of cork – it’s made of lots of little cells that are filled with air – also makes it a good acoustic insulator. Cork can dull the sound of steps and absorb loud bangs, creating a more peaceful environment that feels calm and quiet. I can imagine it might be a good choice in a flat where you might hear noise from above or below. I have also noticed that with a two year old, it does lend the space a quieter feel – you don’t hear loud bangs if something gets dropped, and shouting and screaming doesn’t seem to be quite as harsh or echo-y!

Cork can also help improve air quality due to its exceptionally low levels of VOCs. It’s a natural material and Recork uses plant-based oils so you can be confident there will be no nasty off-gasing going into your room.

Perhaps most importantly, natural cork is an eco-friendly choice. Cork comes from the self-regenerative Quercus Suber oak tree, which can be harvested 15 times in its 200 year lifespan. The cork is harvested by expert descorticadores in Portugal, who pass their skills down from generation to generation. They use traditional axes to extract cork planks without damaging the tree itself. The process is closely governed by legal protections that dictate how old a tree must be and how big it should be.

Well-managed cork oak forests also act as carbon sinks, absorbing more carbon dioxide than they release. A cork oak that has been harvested actually retains three to five times more CO2 than one that hasn’t been harvested. Recork estimates that its UNA range has a low carbon footprint of just 0.108 kg CO2eq/m2. In fact, every square metre of Recork UNA flooring essentially removes up to 193 kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its lifetime.

I really believe in the connection between wellbeing and sustainability – that if you choose a product that’s good for your health, it will likely be good for the planet’s health too. So not only is cork flooring an ideal choice to support your wellbeing, it can better the planet.

Installing cork flooring
Recork’s UNA range is made of waste cork from bottle stopper production and early harvests. They use a plant-based oil to colour the cork and bring out the unique natural texture. The surface is then primed with a coating to allow the cork to flex and absorb impact. The cork comes as thin planks without a backing or anything; a little like laminate or wooden planks but lighter and shorter. The planks are glued directly to your sub-floor using a specialist adhesive.

Recork makes it clear that this is not a product that makes for an easy DIY. They recommend using one of their fully trained, professional Recork Accredited installers for peace of mind as it can be a bit of a tricky product to lay if you don’t have experience with it. This was definitely something we didn’t want to take on, so we got our builders to install the cork flooring. They had laid flooring like this before but still didn’t find it completely straightforward. They had to re-glue some bits because the dust from the build was making the adhesive less tacky and less effective. We learnt that you had to have a really good sub floor that was completely level and clean. This is perhaps something to do at the end of a project when dust is at a minimum, but still that can naturally be hard to avoid on a building site.

Because the planks are a natural product and made of agglomerated cork, you can expect a degree of variation between the different planks in each box. I remember we had this with our wood flooring as well. You just have to make sure your installer distributes the colour variations evenly throughout the space so it looks natural. I just think this adds to the character of the product, rather than everything being uniform and perfect.  That said, the grain is quite small compared to some cork flooring I’ve seen so the variations don’t look too strong or out of place.

Once glued to the floor, the cork planks are finished with an HFX extra matt surface finish to protect the cork surface from scratches and wear and tear. The more layers of coating, the better the protection, You can then apply top coats of the HFX-2C Extra Matt PUR surface coating whenever you feel the floor needs it. This can depend on how much traffic the space gets, but Recork suggests every 2-3 years for heavy commercial or public spaces, and every 5-10 years for residential homes.

Our builders also used a colour matched Bona GapMaster to go around the edges of the floor to fill any gaps between the flooring and the skirting boards.

In terms of everyday maintenance, we tend to mop spills up quickly to avoid the floor getting too wet (Recork doesn’t recommend their flooring for bathrooms by the way). I then tend to sweep up every few days and use a spray and mop (the same as I used for our wooden floor) to clean it. One bonus is that it is really easy to clean and I actually like that the grain tends to hide the dirt because it’s less easy to see. We have felt pads under all our furniture and haven’t had any scratches or dents yet – I think our wooden flooring is actually easier to mark.

I’m really happy with how Recork’s cork flooring turned out. It’s really set the calm tone for the space and added some subtle texture to the room. I’m glad I went with something a little bit different and from now on I’ll be singing the praises of cork to anyone I can get to listen! Any questions, just ask away…