Cortica tiles are completely water-resistant.

Finished cork tiles for residential and commercial applications
Cork Concepts specializes in Cortica high-density ¼''-thick agglomerated cork floor modules with waterborne polyurethane in natural, colored, and metallic finishes. All finishes are completely water-resistant and suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry areas in single- or multifamily homes. Commercial applications include banks, corporate offices, retail spaces, and schools. The natural cork tiles are biodegradable, nonallergenic, sound and thermal insulating, and nontoxic.

Cork is a renewable resource that is harvested every nine years from the cork oak tree. All of the cork harvested for Cortica is gathered from waste generated from the production of wine stoppers.

Cortica’s color is integral with the waterborne polyurethane finish—the tiles are not baked to the point that the cells begin to lose their natural thermal and acoustic benefits. Tiles leave the manufacturer with three coats of preapplied finish, while an additional one to two clear coats are applied after installation. The urethane finish is the same coating used on hardwood flooring and is suitable for commercial installations.

The tiles will fade if installed in areas that receive direct or intense sunlight. Cortica color offerings have more protection from fading than the neutrals, due to the pigments in the urethane. While some cork tiles grow after being removed from the cartons, Cortina tiles do not since they are allowed to stabilize for a longer period of time prior to installation, and the tiles’ beveled edges eliminate the visual differences created by the natural air cells in the cork. No chemicals are needed to clean the tiles; just hot water for routine cleaning or lemon juice and hot water or mineral spirits for a grease or oil-based spot. Renewable Sources, Portland, Ore. www.corkconcepts.com   [ Reader Service October 2005 # 210 ]

Hardwood flooring that avoids straight edges
Ouila, part of Richard-Marshall Fine Flooring’s Olde Boards European collection, is 100 percent “curved,” handcrafted hardwood flooring. Absent of any straight lines, the flooring was originally designed for a high-profile client of Los Angeles designer Dalton Robertson, and has been well received in the custom-home market, according to the manufacturer. Ouila is produced at the company’s 104,000-square-foot Los Angeles manufacturing facility. The boards are not finished with polyurethane. Instead, Chinese tung oil is hand-rubbed into the wood to bring out its natural luster and sheen. The woods, including walnut, quartered oak, maple, cherry, pecan, and pine, are purchased from growers committed to replanting their trees, and no rain forest woods are used in the production of the product. In addition to high-end homes, the flooring has been installed in commercial projects such as hotels and country clubs. Richard-Marshall Fine Flooring, Hawthorne, Calif. www.oldeboards.com [ Reader Service October 2005 # 211 ]

Resilient vinyl with a gemlike surface
LonBead resilient vinyl flooring, from Lonseal Flooring, features a luminescent embossed surface available in eight colorways that change according to the viewer’s angle.

The skid-resistant surface features subtle hints of iridescent hues with minute flakes and fibers embedded into the sphere of each bead.

LonBead is the latest addition to Lonseal’s GreenAir Collection of low-VOC-emitting resilient vinyl products, and features up to 20 percent reused-materials content.

Lonseal has earned GreenGuard Environmental Institute’s GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certification for several vinyl flooring products, and will continue to be monitored by GreenGuard on an ongoing basis. Lonseal Flooring, Carson, Calif. www.lonseal.com [ Reader Service October 2005 # 212 ]

Safety flooring without the sparkle
Altro Maxis Suprema slip-resistant sheet floor has the safety and hygiene benefits of Altro’s other products without the allover sparkle usually associated with safety flooring. Instead, the flooring has a transparent finish that creates an impression of depth. Available in 12 contemporary colors, the product incorporates Altro EasyClean Maxis technology that improves dirt and stain-resistance, color retention, and cleanability, as well as AltroSan integral bacteriostat, which helps prevent the spread of bacteria. Altro, Mississauga, Ontario. www.altrofloors.com [ Reader Service October 2005 # 213 ]