What is cork insulation, how is it made, its main varieties and technical characteristics, the pros and cons of the material, criteria for choosing quality products, an overview of manufacturers and a brief installation guide.
Advantages of cork insulation
The growing popularity of cork heat insulators is due to the large number of advantages of these materials. Let's consider them:
- Combination of light weight and strength … Cork slabs, panels, sheets and rolls are very lightweight yet have decent strength and resilience. The material is easy to transport and install with your own hands. In addition, such a heat insulator will not exert absolutely any pressure on structures, walls and other insulated surfaces.
- Excellent thermal insulation performance … With its subtlety, this material is able to reliably protect the room from the penetration of cold. A cork with a thickness of three millimeters is commensurate in thermal conductivity with 3.5 centimeters of mineral wool, 40 centimeters of facing bricks. In addition, it prevents condensation from forming on the walls, protecting them from destruction.
- Good anti-static properties … Cork insulation is a complete dielectric. No static electricity will accumulate on the surface of the material.
- Excellent ability to absorb sound waves … This makes cork insulation material versatile. After all, it not only prevents the penetration of cold into the building, but also reliably protects it from extraneous sounds and noises.
- Resistance to deformation … The cork easily restores its shape under mechanical stress, does not change the volume and geometry at high humidity.
- Ease of installation … There is no need to use special tools or equipment to install cork insulation. The material is easy to cut and fit. It is enough to have the usual fasteners and glue on hand. In addition, no personal protective equipment or assistants are required.
- Ability not to use additional decorative trim … If you are a fan of eco-style in the interior, then it is quite possible to use cork material as insulation and at the same time as a decorative coating. Cork looks great on walls and floors, has a soft texture that is pleasant to the touch, and always retains heat on the surface.
- Environmental friendliness of the material … Cork is essentially natural wood that has not been treated with any chemicals. It is absolutely safe to use.
Disadvantages of cork insulation
In general, it is difficult to highlight any significant disadvantages of this versatile material. We can only note a certain limitation in the use of cork insulation. So, it cannot be installed in industrial premises where metalworking takes place. This is due to the fact that metal shavings rather quickly penetrate and clog the pores in the heat insulator. After that, it loses its performance. You can also pay attention to the fact that the material is not able to reduce vibration noise that enters the room through various floors. And, of course, one of the main disadvantages of all natural insulation materials is the relatively high cost. The price of cork insulation is an order of magnitude higher than that of artificial counterparts.
Criteria for choosing cork insulation
If you are going to purchase cork material for insulation of walls, floors, ceilings or roofs, decide on the required amount of heat insulator and choose a reliable manufacturer. Portugal is the world leader in the production of cork insulation.
A quality product is securely packed. Inspect the packaging for damage. If there are none, proceed to inspect the material itself. The main characteristics of cork insulation that can be noted during visual inspection are surface smoothness, soft texture, firmness and elasticity. The structure of the slab, mat or roll material must be uniform, without any inclusions. Otherwise, the manufacturer has added waste to the raw material and it will not be durable. Try breaking off a piece of the cork. With a high-quality insulation, this is not so easy to do. In addition, it should not crumble.
Having opted for a particular product, ask the seller to present quality certificates for the product to make sure that you have the original branded material in front of you.
Price and manufacturers of cork insulation
Cork oak grows mainly in countries with a subtropical maritime climate. In Europe, these are the territories that are washed by the Mediterranean Sea.
Portugal is the leader among the producers of goods from the cork agglomerate. This country is represented on the insulation market by several brands at once:
- Amorim … The company, founded in the century before last and specializing in the manufacture of various products from cork oak. It is the world leader in cork production. Many brands use the company's manufacturing facilities to manufacture their products. The price of cork insulation from this company can be different depending on the thickness of the plates and modifications. On average, the cost of panels is from 600 rubles per square meter. Roll material costs from 1200 rubles per package.
- Wicanders … The company offers a wide range of cork insulation for wallpaper, as well as cork wall coverings that can be used as a heat insulator and decorative finish at the same time. The price per roll starts at 1300 rubles.
- Izora … This manufacturer produces both black and white cork agglomerate. As a rule, these are panels intended for laying on the floor, insulation of the roof, walls. The cost may vary depending on the thickness and density of the material. On average, the price per square meter of black agglomerate is 650 rubles, white - 450 rubles.
- Sedacor … The brand specializes in the production of technical cork, substrates, and finishing materials. Mainly offers roll and sheet cork. The price for rolled insulation starts at 135 rubles per square meter. A sheet heat insulator costs from 880 rubles per package (about 6 squares).
Brief instructions for the installation of cork insulation
It is not difficult to lay cork insulation on the floor or walls. You will need special glue for fixing. It can be a versatile acrylic, which is suitable for walls, and a contact for the floor. If you use a universal compound, then it is enough to lubricate one surface with it. When using a contact, be sure to lubricate both surfaces. We carry out the work in this order:
- We clean the work surface. The wall or floor must be perfectly level. We cover up cracks, cracks, irregularities, clean off the bumps.
- If there are leftovers of wallpaper, remove them.
- We prime the surface with a deep penetration compound.
- We fix the roll insulation on the walls in the same way as ordinary wallpaper.
- We grease the material with glue and fix the strips end-to-end.
- If you are laying slabs, then you should first apply the markings on the floor.
- We glue the first plate in the middle, the rest - perpendicular or parallel to the floor.
Remember, like other insulation materials, the cork cannot be glued to damp surfaces. The material simply won't fix. In addition, fungus may develop in a humid environment. Watch a video review of cork insulation:
Cork insulation is a modern eco-friendly material that has a number of advantages. It is lightweight, resilient, does not support combustion and provides reliable heat and sound insulation. It can be used to insulate walls, floors, roofs, frame structures and foundations.
