the story
Expanko cork planks are laminated flooring 3/8 inch thick with three layers: a thick bottom cushion of cork, a thicker middle layer of high-density fiberboard (HDF) and a top 'wear layer' of compressed cork. The HDF layer is milled with a tongue and groove edge so that the interlocking edges click together and remain intact without any glue or nails. The finish is factory applied matte polyurethane.
We can't say enough about this cork flooring. It's as easy to install as any laminate, but instead of walking on plastic you get to spring along on a natural surface that's warm to the touch, quiet and cushy. We sell two brands. Expanko Inc., brand, which comes with a factory finished matte polyurethane. It's durable and similar to a standard hardwood floor finish. We also import and sell our own cork planks VidaTM Cork. These come with UV finished hard wax oil which is spot repairable. Expanko delivery usually takes about one to two weeks with limited quantities stocked in our Seattle location; we have Vida CorkTM planks in stock for immediate shipping. Both brands work well in most rooms however they should not be installed in damp or steamy rooms and are not ideal for high traffic areas.
VALLAREX Cork Floating Floor from Expanko offers the beauty of cork with the ease and versatility of a glueless installation. Cork, a proven flooring since the 1920s and 30s, is natural, resilient, quiet, comfortable, durable, and easy to maintain. This intriguing product starts with the finest quality raw materials, hand harvested from the cork oak tree in the Mediterranean region of Europe. Expanko uses high-density fiberboard to add strength and durability to the core of the floor plank and has a cork underlayment as the bottom layer of the plank. VALLAREX can be installed in many residential installations as well as select commercial applications.
VALLAREX is offered in nine 12” x 36” patterns. The Amber and Cordovan patterns have stained color applied with the water-based matte polyurethane; all other patterns are natural cork shades finished with the same polyurethane. VALLAREX can be installed over many hard surfaces including concrete, plywood, vinyl and hardwood floors that are installed over plywood.
performance
Expanko is one of the highest density cork flooring products on the market (41 pounds per square inch, most competing products 32-42 psi). The cork has 3 coats of 100% polyurethane on the front (1 coat on the back to reduce curling).
Cork offers excellent acoustical insulation. A rating system called sound transmission class (STC) assigns a number that shows how effective an acoustical insulator it is. A rating of 25 means normal speech can be clearly understood across the barrier. An STC rating of 50 means loud speech is not audible across the barrier.
Our cork planks in conjunction with an 8-inch slab of concrete, offers an STC rating of 52. The same test done with cork tiles resulted in an STC of 54.
Next: Health