Read Our HDS Blog!
Shop our Great Deals store with products from Overstock and Amazon. Find great discounts and deals!
SHOP NOW!
Post your own stories, how-to articles, decorating feats, new products you like or home decorating or design tips. Best of all it's FREE to join. Sign-up NOW!
How To Sell Your House
Even In Today's Gloomy
Real Estate Market and
Start a New Business!
Learn More...
FREE Home Decorating Ebook!
Cork Makes the Perfect Kitchen Floor
With all of the discussion about sustainability these days, more and more homeowners are looking for ways to add a green element into their remodeling efforts. So as you are thinking about replacing the old, laminate floor in your kitchen, consider using cork as your flooring material. Not only is it comfortable to stand on, but it is planet friendly as well.
While every type of flooring offers different advantages, cork flooring is particularly well suited for use in the kitchen. Cork comes from the evergreen oak tree, and it is actually the outer bark of the tree. A cork tree is first harvested when it is somewhere between fifteen and twenty years old. The tree can regenerate this cork layer about thirteen times during its one and a half century life span, so after its first harvest a cork tree is harvested about once per decade
When the outer cork layer is harvested an experienced cork stripper removes it by hand. The bark is slit and carefully peeled away from the tree, and then it is left to cure in the open air for six months, which improves the quality of the cork.
After the curing process is complete, the cork bark is evaluated for size and quality. The premium grade cork is used to make over 13 billion cork stoppers a year for the wine industry. The remaining cork, referred to as blocker waste, is ground up and used to make cork and rubber compounds used in construction, flooring, gaskets and home décor.
Cork floors are warm and natural, and they are great for any floor where you find yourself standing a lot. This is one of the reasons that they make an excellent kitchen floor. They are also natural insulators, so while they help your home stay warm or cool, and they also insulate against noise.
Cork is a self-healing surface, so if you drop a knife and it slits the cork, as soon as you remove the knife, the slit will seal itself back up. Cork is naturally fire resistant, and it has anti microbial properties, which repel mildew, mold and even insects. Another great feature of cork flooring is that it is a sustainable product since it is harvested from trees without killing them, so it is also good for the planet.
While all of this probably sounds too good to be true, there are a couple of things that you want to consider before jumping in and installing a new cork floor in the kitchen. While cork floors are resilient, they are covered with a finish that can be scratched by your pet's claws. So keeping your pet's nails trimmed will help keep your cork floor from being marred by any scratches in the finish coat.
Another thing that you need to consider when placing cork flooring in your kitchen is that it may gradually discolor or fade when it is exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time. So consider the sun exposure in your room as well when you are thinking about installing cork flooring.
If you are looking for a sustainable alternative to hardwood, tile or linoleum for your kitchen, a cork floor may just fit the bill. It comes in a wide variety of colors, and it is durable and requires little maintenance. It is comfortable to stand on and can hold up to your busy household's daily activities.
This article was written by Alyssa Davis of Metal-Wall-Art.com who specializes in creating uniquely stylish interiors with wall art hangings and metal fish wall art .
Save the Planet with Salvage in your Remodel
Architectural salvage yards have been around for many years, and for builders creating structures where historic touches are required, classic building components can often be had from an architectural salvage yard. To understand it better, architectural salvage is to building design what a vintage shop is to clothing, and with sustainability and green building being in the limelight these days, salvage yards are experiencing a huge increase in popularity.
As you are working on the design for your remodel, consider including salvaged material wherever it makes sense. You may wish to use some intricately carved molding to add a refined detail to your room, or you may choose to install vintage hardware in your kitchen. You may wish to design your bathroom around an old claw foot tub, or you may wish to add some interest to a backsplash with vintage tile.
Not only can decorating add individuality and personality to your space, but it can also help keep your remodeling costs well within your budget. If you shop around you may even be able to pick up some of your supplies for free, or you may be able to trade materials that you are removing from your house during your remodel for the salvage that you want to include in your redesign. Some salvage items or fixtures, unlike buying a new item or fixture, may actually be increasing in value as you use them in your home. In some cases your salvage can actually be an investment.
Another great side benefit of using salvaged materials in your remodel is that you are helping the planet by not adding to landfills. Not only are you keeping old materials out of landfills, but you are also not driving up the demand for new materials all of which require energy to create. By using fixtures and materials that already exist, you are seriously reducing the carbon footprint of your remodeling project.
As you are saving money and helping the environment you are also adding personality to your space. While you can certainly fill a space with new materials and have it look crisp and new, you can fill that same space with reclaimed materials and while the space will look new, the materials themselves will have a lustrous patina that can only be developed over time. So in using refurbished materials in your project, you can create a truly one of a kind space.
When you are looking for places in your area to find quality salvaged building materials start with a quick search online. You can search the online classifieds for local projects that simply want their salvage hauled away. You can find all kinds of materials from molding to doors to fixtures that are simply free for the taking. You may also want to check some of the online recycling directories that list local resources for finding salvaged goods.
Most areas have several architectural salvage yards where you can find almost anything in the world. Serious designers scour these dealers' selections on a regular basis to find individual pieces to enhance projects that they have under way. You may simply wish to join them and find something for your project as well.
You may also want to check recycling centers where contractors and homeowners can drop off unused or salvaged materials for recycling. Some of these recycle centers are also connected with community charities.
So for your next remodel, see where you can work some reclaimed materials into your design and add a little green to your project.
Professional designer Jessica Ackerman, writes for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, and is an authority on decorating with iron scroll wall art and home decor accents .