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What is a cork? |
Cork is actually made of water-resistant cells that separate the outer bark from the delicate interior bark. It has a unique set of properties not found in any other naturally existing material. It is lightweight, rot resistant, fire resistant, termite resistant, impermeable to gas and liquid, soft and buoyant. It's these properties that make it ideal for stopping wine bottles and tile flooring. Cork is produced by a species of oak tree that thrives on sandy soil in the climate found around the west Mediterranean and the Portuguese coast. It is possible to strip the thick outer bark from a mature tree approximately once every decade. |