Shade Variation

Like hardwoods and other naturally occurring flooring materials, cork contains shade variations. The shade variations are caused mainly by the baking process. Once dried, the cork bark is ground and placed into molds which are then baked in an oven. Once baked, the blocks of cork cut into tiles.

The cork tiles that are cut from the outside of the mold, will differ in color to the tiles cut from the center and bottom. Cork is classified according to light, medium and dark shades. Medium cork contains the most shade variation, and dark cork shows the least variation. Although this shading is a natural result of the baking process, some cork flooring products are treated with stains in order to achieve color variation. The most appealing cork products are the ones that are naturally shaded as result of baking. Some manufacturers will blend two shades of cork tiles in order to achieve medium shading, however these products tend to be of a lower grade.

Note that cork floors will fade when subjected to direct sunlight or heat. The original color can be attained by refinishing the floor.