Started in 1945, Expanko has specialized in cork flooring since its inception. Dedicated to “innovative, environmentally friendly products which are durable, comfortable and easy to maintain,” Expanko manufactures the most expansive and innovative collection of cork flooring in the industry. The company offers a broad selection of patterns and colors, setting the benchmark for cork flooring products.
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Cork—
Expanko’s traditional cork flooring continues a long tradition of using cork throughout the world. From floats to champagne stoppers, cork has been used since 3000 B.C. The bark of the Cork Oak Tree, cork began being used as flooring material in the early 1900s. As a flooring material, cork is durable, functional, and environmentally friendly. It has been used in many architectural masterpieces, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Grown primarily in the Mediterranean region, cork spans approximately 5.4 million acres. Because harvesting only uses a portion of a mature tree’s bark, the material is sustainable: “During each harvest, no more than 50% of the bark is removed, allowing the tree to protect itself using its natural defenses.” Expanko’s cork flooring offers the widest range of styles in the industry, from the basic Light, Medium, and Dark varieties to specialty tiles such as Thin Mosaic, which uses narrow lines of differently colored cork, and Lagos, which combines variegated chips to effect a mottled pattern. Expanko also offers the Contemporary Tile and Artistico Collection, which play with color, pattern, and texture. Strada, for example, is a cork with layers resembling sedimentary rock. And Listra is a bold choice, combining high-contrast cork colors in dramatic lines.
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Reztec—
Expanko also manufactures a line of rubber flooring called Reztec. Constructed using a unique blend of recycled tires, post-industrial waste rubber, and virgin rubber, Reztec is designed for high-traffic areas. Available in more than twenty colors, Reztec has a speckled design similar to terrazzo. In neutrals, Reztec offers a resilient, environmentally friendly alternative that looks elegant and subtle. In bright hues, Reztec suits contract venues such as schools, colleges, and hospitals. In predominantly black patterns, the material works in modern spaces such as creative offices. Poppy offers unexpected flecks of deep orange against neutral beiges, browns, and golds. Pinball is a bright red tile with splashes of primary colors. Velocity combines gray and black in a kinetic pattern reminiscent of tarmac.
Expanko’s line of cork flooring has won numerous design awards, including New York House Magazine’s Innovative Green Design Awards (IGDA) competition, which honors “the greenest materials, most sustainable methods of manufacturing, highest energy efficiency, greatest innovation, minimal carbon footprint, and best-looking design in each category.” The company is committed to cork. Expanko combines traditional harvesting methods with new methods of production in its quest to retain “the historical properties of cork flooring and to continue to lead the industry in this direction.”
