How are Cork Flooring Tiles made?
Making cork tiles is not a very arduous task, though the whole process from growth to formation of tiles is rather time consuming. After the cork is pruned (on usually 9 or 10 year cycles), it is collected and laid in the sun to air dry. The selective shavings are then ground up to varying degrees and sorted into different categories (mainly by size of pieces). Depending on the mixture, the pieces are either intermixed or left alone as large chunks. Some of the floor tiles being made (typically made from small to medium particles) are solid throughout the tile (also called conglomerate), meaning the center and the topical surface of the tile are identical in make-up. Others consist of the same base, but are veneered with various cork pieces, typically that exhibit distinct characteristics. These distinct characteristics are unique, and tend to be much rarer (and thus more expensive) than the conglomerates.
