Materials

Vinyl Composition Tile is the stuff you see in the grocery store. The tiles are generally 12" x 12" x 1/8" format. This is not a natural material, but it relatively inexpensive. Available in hundreds of colors, it is the most affordable of all at $1 -$2 a square foot (without inlay). Like its more natural cousins, the design possibilities for VCT are without limit.

This material is great for contemporary installations, particularly as a substitute for hardwood. It's also a very traditional material that is frequently used in historic restorations. In Japan and elsewhere, cork is also used for its acoustic properties. Even when it is on your floor, it is reducing sound transmission and absorbing vibration. Cork can also act as insulation from both heat and cold. It is also a sustainable material. In other words, this year's trees are busy making next year's cork. Typically, cork flooring comes as a 12" x 12" tile 3/16" thick. It comes in a variety of hues, from a honey tone to a very dark coffee color. Unfinished materials can also be color stained. The material can either be pre-finished or unfinished, but the unfinished material must be varnished on site. Regardless of color, the finishes can be high-gloss, waxed, satin or mat. Take a look at our gallery, if you haven't already, to get an idea of the possibilities. They're endless. A few things you should consider about cork: It does not do well in direct sunlight or moist environments like basements. It is a tricky material to install on a concrete slab. In this type of condition we strongly recommend extensive moisture testing, a two-layer moisture barrier and a plywood underlayment.

This material has been around for over 150 years. Consisting entirely of ingredients such as ground cork, wood flour, linseed oil, resins, pigments, and jute, this all natural flooring material is every bit as sustainable as cork. Linoleum comes in an infinite variety of colors ranging from the bold to the subtle. Possibly because nothing has changed about the way that Linoleum is manufactured, it is a material that evokes memory. It is timeless, historic and contemporary. Owing to the fact that Linoleum comes mostly from Scotland, it comes to us in a metric size that measures 13" x 13". We follow the same installation guidelines for Linoleum that we apply to Cork.

Have fun figuring out the applications and origins of this one. It looks like linoleum with one huge difference. You can actually specify custom colors and multicolored marbling.