Introducing Wicanders Wise – Authentic Cork Flooring

Cork – From Wine to Flooring – Portugal’s finest comes to Canada

The team at Timeless is thrilled to announce the launch of an incredible new collection of hard-surface flooring made from authentic, natural cork.

This new line was spurred by recent visits to international flooring shows, where we encountered Amorim, the world’s leading grower and manufacturer of cork products, headquartered in Portugal, and founded in 1870. Amorim has a division called Wicanders, which was there proudly promoting their premium brand of cork flooring, Wicanders Wise, which has thoroughly impressed us in every way.

What Makes Cork Flooring Unique

Unlike hardwood flooring, which requires felling and harvesting the entire tree, cork flooring only takes the outer bark, which then regrows. And since the cork used for wine bottling is produced first, the flooring products made from the remaining cork are very affordable, while still retaining cork’s unique benefits:

• Silence: Cork has a natural air-filled cell structure that cuts noise in half. At Wicanders, their offices are located under the Amorim factory floor, which contains cork. They say it is so silent in their offices, it almost “hurts your ears!”
• Thermal Insulation: Cork flooring doesn’t feel at all cold to the feet. While other hard surface floors draw warmth off the skin, cork gives it right back.
• Indoor Air Quality: Cork flooring is natural, hypoallergenic, and will not off-gas chemicals. It naturally resists molds.
• Walking Comfort: Cork flooring feels spongy (Amorim sells cork to Birkenstock for their comfy sandals), so it’s extremely easy on feet and joints.
• Impact Resistance: Our cork flooring includes a commercial-grade finish to resist wear.

About Timeless’ Cork Collections

Our Wicanders Wise Cork collections has been specified and designed for Canadian buyers – and include a range of floor styles, ranging from traditional cork tiles to planks.

You may expect that these floors will cost more than our Luxury Vinyl, Engineered Wood and Laminate, but this is not the case. The reason is that although extremely high quality, the cork is actually a by-product of cork used for wine bottles, allowing us to offer these floors at very reasonable prices.

Is Cork Flooring Sustainable?

Cork flooring isn’t just carbon neutral; it is carbon negative. The cork itself absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere: Over a year, 1 ton of cork takes in 72 tons of carbon dioxide, on or off the tree. It is also harvested without cutting down the trees. And since Cork flooring is a by-product of wine corks, it naturally reduces waste.

Wicanders takes the sustainability of their cork floors even further: Their floors’ finish is made from recycled water bottles, and no PVC. The floors themselves are fully recyclable, with the cork being recoverable. Further, 65% of their factory operations are powered by the remnant cork itself, with the balance made up in solar power.

Wicanders also plants over 1 million trees per year, and receives scores of carbon credits that it does not use, and will not sell on principle.

But when you further consider the care needed to grow and harvest trees in the cork business, sustainability takes on a whole new meaning.

How is Cork Grown and Harvested

A cork oak tree can only be harvested every 9 years after maturing, which takes 42 years. So as you can imagine, forest management is done meticulously. The cork is removed by hand with a cutting tool that does not damage the tree, and the employees who handle this work have done so for generations, learning the technique. A good cork tree will give 200 years of useful service, so long-range sustainability is literally a requirement of doing business.

The trees can be grown in many places, but will only produce cork in regions with precise environmental conditions.

At 22,000 hectares, Amorim’s cork orchard is the largest in the world, located in Portugal.

A Bit of History on Amorim’s Wicanders

Our team was thrilled to visit the Wicanders factory, offices, and even the founders’ home in Portugal recently. (Never have we seen such a vast collection of wine, and we were absolutely thrilled when our hosts allowed us to choose which bottle we wanted to taste!)

We learned that Amorim’s founder was an incredible entrepreneur. Although wine was a natural fit for cork in the wine region where he got his start (because cork is the only material that allows wine to age without affecting its taste) the founder believed in its versatility and global potential. He travelled the world seeking new applications for it, creating new business divisions along the way. Now 150 years later, the company is present in five continents, in over 30 countries, and is publicly traded on the Lisbon stock exchange.

And while 75% of Amorim’s business (4.5B annually) is sold to bottlers for wine and spirits (which is 4.5 Billion annually), the company has built global relationships that demonstrate the versatility of cork. Some of their key customers include NASA, SpaceX, Mercedes, Birkenstock, and Nike…on products ranging from rocket ships, cars and playgrounds to toys, shoes, surfboards, floors, and even soccer pitches. 

Wicanders cork flooring is also recognized as a premium flooring brand globally.

Raise a Glass, to Cork

At Timeless, we are thrilled to introduce a product line that is so remarkable – in its quality, but also in its sustainability. And since this product line offers such versatility, you’ll want to keep an eye on it. While it will no doubt be ever-changing in style, we know it will be Timeless in its excellence.