Floors: cork, this unknown |The press

When it comes to choosing a floor covering, whether for the kitchen, the bedroom, the basement or the living room, there is something to take care.Ceramic?Rock?Frank wood, exotic wood?Vinyl?Bamboo?Floating floors?Usted, preverted, laminated?Help!

If ecological concerns are added to the equation, the thing can become singularly complex...or simplify all the more, since all the materials that come too far, contain volatile organic compounds (VOC), toxic glues, non -renewable or non -recyclable, etc. are eliminated..Exit therefore vinyl, exotic woods, many floating parquets, carpet...

Among the materials that remain on the list of possibilities, one then offers itself as obvious: Liège.

No, it is not used to make traffic jams and display tables!In fact, its insulating and acoustic properties as well as its flexibility and its elasticity make it useful, even essential, in all kinds of areas, from fishing for automotive industry to shoe, aerospace and, of course, Construction and interior decoration.

Who does not remember having seen, in a basement, walls covered with thick chocolate brown cork panels?If this use has never been lost (musicians and sound technicians, particularly, always appreciate the acoustic properties of cork), there are now floor coverings that compete in elegance and resistance with more common materials.As a bonus, they have unique natural properties and leave an almost zero ecological imprint.

This is the reason why Ecohabitation has chosen cork as a ground cover in its Edelweiss house, the first LEED V4 certified model construction (leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, version 4) in Canada.

Himself leed approved architect, Antonin Labossière, of the Labossière Rayside firm, is doubly well placed to appreciate the countless qualities of the cork."I installed at home, in the kitchen and the dining room, seven years ago, then in the basement four years ago.»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

"It's an extraordinary material!"In the kitchen, cork is infinitely more comfortable than ceramics or even hardwood: it is always at the right temperature, fresh in summer and hot in winter, and its flexible and soft texture is very pleasant under the feet.»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

"When you stay up for a long time, if you have back or joint problems, it really makes a difference, adds M.Labossière and then it's so easy to install that I am not manual for two cents, I installed it without any difficulty.»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

He adds that cork, in addition to being naturally hypoallergenic and antimicrobial, is rot-proof and antifungal, which makes it the ideal coating in the basement, where humidity is often problematic.

Dans ce cas, le liège, généralement vendu en feuilles carrées ou rectangulaires (en «tuiles»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»») d'environ 5 mm d'épaisseur, se colle directement sur le béton à l'aide d'un adhésif sans COV, lequel joue aussi le rôle de coupe-vapeur.There are also prefects ready to install.

For an apartment, where soundproofing is of a certain importance, one may prefer a floating parquet of cork mounted on a panel of high density fibers (HDF).This is at least what Cristina Anjos, of the firm Lusimat, advises specializing in the import and transformation of Portuguese cork for more than 25 years.She explains that, to give the cork coating enough resistance to scratches, shocks and wear, it is made to undergo various transformations which make it more dense, which reduces its soundproofing factor.The floating prosecution, placed on a membrane also of cork, but with low density, ensures soundproofing in accordance with the requirements of buildings with multiple housing while offering the unique finish of this wood.According to the suppliers and the type of material chosen, the price of a cork floor covering can vary from $ 4 to 8 square, installation in addition.

If we opt for a floating parquet, we must ensure that his soul (the support on which the cork is glued) is made of high density fibers (HDF), more resistant to swelling and deformation in case of'Water infiltration that the MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), and that it is without VOCs.Cristina Anjos also points out that lusimat panels are manufactured in Europe, where environmental standards are more severe, and that they have an almost zero velocity rate.

But Antonin Labossière remains skeptical: "HDF, even if it is more water resistant than MDF, remains a permeable material.In case of water damage, it is sure that it will hide and inflate.People tell themselves that, as it doesn't cost you, they can replace it, but I don't think like that.»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»

For his part, he does not hesitate to recommend the cork leaf placed directly on the ground, even in a condominium, unless the inhabitants of the place have, for example, a large Danes or a predilection for the stilettos, whichrisk of damaging the finish in the long run.

Anyway, you should expect to have to reserve the prosecution every five years approximately, according to Josef Hozer, Duro Design, also importer, producer and distributor of cork covers.It is a simple and quick operation because it does not require sanding and the varnish, water -based, dry in two or three hours.

What is cork?

Liège is actually the bark of the oak -cork (Quercus Super), a tree that only grows around the Mediterranean - in France, Algeria, Tunisia, but mainly in Spain and Portugal.

Her harvest, if it is well done, does not damage the tree, which can live up to 200 years.

We start to take the bark when the tree reaches the age of 25 or 30. Le premier prélèvement, qu'on appelle «démasclage»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»», donne un liège très dur (le liège «mâle»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»), dépourvu d'élasticité et impossible à travailler autrement que par trituration.The pellet obtained by this process, mixed with resins (preferably natural), can be used to make coverings for floors and walls, insulating materials, etc..

On ne procède à un nouvel écorçage (la «levée»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»» du liège) que neuf ans après le démasclage.We then obtain a second generation cork, a little finer than the male, but not yet specific to the manufacture of traffic jams. C'est à compter des écorçages suivants (réalisés à intervalles de 9 ou 10 ans) que le liège, dit alors «femelle»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»», acquiert la structure régulière souhaitée pour la fabrication de bouchons.As in the case of male cork or that of second generation, the falls and other debris that this production leaves are reduced into granules, pressed or otherwise transformed for the manufacture of coatings, insulation and various materials.Nothing is lost, but everything is created!