By Megan Salzano
Cork and bamboo flooring options are the go-to eco-friendly options for consumers who deem sustainability an important part of their buying decision. Both categories fit well into the overall green story, and manufacturers agree they should be marketed as such. However, the product categories have also undergone a recent evolution with new technologies allowing for on-trend visuals and sizes sure to captivate consumers.
Following are recent product introductions that boast trending design features.
Amorim
Amorim’s Wise marks the first generation of flooring with an Amorim identity. Wise features a rigid core made of cork and recycled materials. The product was launched in a collection of 62 cork and wood visuals. It is PVC-free with all the benefits of a low thickness waterproof solution. The reinforced dimensional stability means it requires minimum subfloor preparation. Wise can be installed in both residential and commercial spaces alike.
Bamboo Hardwoods
The Symphony collection is a rigid core SPC with a strand-woven bamboo wear layer. It measures 5 inches wide, 72 inches long and 1⁄4 of an inch thick and features a 1.2mm wear layer. It can be glued down or installed as a floating floor. It is water resistant and withstands up to 72 hours of topical water spills.
Cali Bamboo
Nine new floors are now available in the company’s Eco-Engineered bamboo flooring collection. The new floors are the company’s first wide-plank engineered flooring styles with click-lock milling, ideal for gluedown or floating installations. Planks measure 72 7⁄8 inches long, 5 5⁄16 inches wide and 9⁄16 of an inch thick. The new styles feature an extra thick wear layer of fossilized bamboo over a sustainable core of cross-constructed eucalyptus. Planks are protected by a 13-coat durability sealing system, shielding them from pet claws, high heels and other forms of wear and tear.
USFloors
Natural Bamboo’s Muse Strand is ideal for homes located in a wide range of climates. The engineered locking construction pro- vides extreme dimensional stability. Muse Strand’s design features distressed and chiseled surfaces, hand-sculpted scraping and wire-brushed enhanced grains and fashion-forward stains and washes. The 5-inch and 5 1⁄2-inch planks are designed to add tailored sophistication while the 2 1⁄2-inch strip conveys a retro look.
Torlys
CorkWood Designer is designed to emphasize the true essence and beauty of hardwood. The line, which is FSC certified, features extra-long and wide planks in contemporary, on-trend colors. It includes a 3mm top layer, a polyurethane finish said to be equivalent to top-rated AC4 laminate, sealed edges for increased water resistance and CorkPlus attached underlayment with Microban antimicrobial protection.
WE Cork
The Timeless collection is a glueless floating floor system with traditional and unique shades and patterns. It is available in tiles or planks with a micro-bevel profile and comes with Unilin locking system. Timeless tiles and planks are finished with Greenshield and are suitable for light commercial or residential use. Tiles measure 24 x 17 1⁄2 x 7⁄16. Planks measure 35 1⁄2 x 7 1⁄2 x 7⁄16.
Wellmade Performance Flooring
Wellmade HDPC waterproof bamboo couples the performance virtues of rigid core flooring technology with real bamboo wear layer veneers. The product features Wellmade’s HDPC waterproof technology, a moisture protection system that seals out both topical and sub-surface moisture while boasting a 100% waterproof HDPC core. With attached pad, the bamboo flooring is 8.3mm thick x 7.48 inches wide x 72.83 inches long and features the Uniclic locking system. Colors range from traditional carbonized to multi-color and character-driven glazing options.
