By Gary Keeble LEED AP, marketing manager, USFloors
Cork is one of the hottest trends in flooring. Media is talking about it in print, on TV and in the blogosphere. Interior designers love it for its unique looks and unmatched sustainability. HGTV’s design goddess, Candice Olson even espouses the virtues of cork flooring on the home page of realcorkfloors.com.

As a secret shopper of cork floors, I’ve been bombarded with misinformation about cork flooring. I’ve been told everything from cork is going extinct to cork flooring soaks up water like a sponge (see below as to why both are false). Cork flooring is a higher margin product with a dedicated and determined consumer.

Point is, when she comes asking for cork flooring, you need to know the difference between facts and myths. Here are just a few of the more common:

Fact or myth: Because of all the corks used in wine bottles, cork is going extinct.
Myth. Cork is not going extinct. Cork is harvested from the outer bark of the cork oak tree once every nine years for 250 to 300 years. A cork oak tree is never cut down for a harvest, making it one of the most sustainable flooring materials available.

Fact or myth: Cork soaks up water like a sponge.
Myth. If cork absorbed water, the cork bobber on the end of your fishing line would sink, not float. A good rule of thumb is you can install cork flooring anywhere you would install a traditional hardwood floor. Even a bathroom is OK—as long as it’s not a kid’s bathroom where water is prone to be splashed out of the tub—and you use bath mats.

Fact or myth: All cork is created equal.
Myth. Portuguese cork flooring offers a superior grade of cork unmatched by regions outside the Mediterranean. Portugal has been nurturing cork oak forests for centuries. The expert craftsmanship of the cork harvest is a unique part of Portugal’s heritage and history.

Fact or myth: Cork flooring can be used in any room in the home.
Fact. Cork flooring works well in any room in the house. Cork’s comfort underfoot makes it a great choice for kitchens and rooms where a lot of standing is required. Cork’s warmth and insulation properties even make it great for the bedroom on cold winter mornings.

All in all, cork flooring is one of the most dynamic, sustainable, and stylish flooring options available. Being able to discern myth from fact will make you an expert in the eyes of the consumer and will go a long way to helping you close the sale on a higher margin product.