Cork soundproofing of walls in the apartment

Varieties

The cork is produced in the form:

agglomerate - white and black;
roll material;
dense slabs.

White agglomerate

This type of insulation is used for interior work and does not require finishing; it is obtained from the bark from the branches of a tree. Under the influence of high temperature, the crushed material is pressed using glue. Plates have:

fire resistance class M3;
high density up to 130 kg / m3;
minimum percentage of moisture;
and high sound absorption coefficient.

Due to its low weight and thickness, white agglomerate is suitable for interior insulation, interior decoration and as a sound insulation material.

Black agglomerate

Black cork insulation is used for interior work, it is produced in the form of slabs. It consists of compressed granules. They are heated and partially charred, which gives the material a dark color.

Black agglomerate is intended for insulation of roofs, walls, suspended ceilings, floors, and also as a sound insulation material. The panels do not absorb moisture, they are resistant to the formation of harmful bacteria and mold. Material properties:

density from 95 to 130 kg / m3;
thermal conductivity -0.040 W / mk;
low vapor permeability;

Roll option

It comes in a variety of grain sizes and thicknesses. On average, the roll length is 25 square meters. m., it is used as a substrate for parquet, laminate and as a heater for walls.

Roll cork is not used for underfloor heating. The material has high thermal insulating properties and therefore the heat from the source will warm up the floor, and not the floor and air in the room.

Tile

This is a thicker type of material, used for external and internal work during the installation of the roof, for insulation of the foundation and external walls. Used for suburban residential buildings and high-rise buildings.

Tiles can be single-layer or two-layer. The latter option is produced with painting, toning or varnished. Two-layer tiles do not need finishing and can be used in the interior of an apartment or house.

Specifications

Cork insulation can have a different shape, which determines its technical characteristics. There are the following averaged indicators:

Soundproofing. The sound absorption coefficient varies from 17 to 22 decibels. For walls, cork insulation is used as a full-fledged sound insulator. It is often installed in music studios.
Thermal conductivity. The coefficient is 0.04 W / m. The indicator is almost the same as that of mineral wool. But the thickness of the material is significantly less.
Moisture absorption. Cork insulation does not absorb water, so it does not affect the technical performance of the material. Its structural cells are not destroyed even in boiling water.
Resistant to fire. According to the official classification, the material has a fire resistance class M3. It is difficult to set it on fire, it does not spread flames well and emits a minimum of hot particles and smoke. During combustion, no harmful elements are produced.
Density. It is quite high near the cork and reaches 200-230 kg / m3.
Biological resistance. The material does not deteriorate by rodents, it is not a favorable breeding ground for mold, fungi and bacteria.
Strength. A roll cork can withstand a maximum compression of 2.5 kgf / cm2. The tensile strength is 0.94 kg / cm2.
Environmental Safety. Cork insulation for walls consists entirely of natural raw materials, therefore it is hypoallergenic.
Chemical resistance.The cork is completely inert, so it does not react with many types of chemicals used in construction.
Operational period. The material almost does not decompose, therefore it is durable. Manufacturers usually give a guarantee for at least 50 years.

Is it possible to insulate outside

Cork cover is also used for facades, as it has the following advantages:

helps to keep warm;
reduces noise level;
does not collapse under the influence of temperature drops and atmospheric precipitation;
has a service life of about 25 years.

For the finishing of facades, a liquid cork is used, which is applied to the surface in several layers using a spray gun. The material has a large color palette and is not demanding to care for.

Pros and cons

The cork material is created from natural raw materials. This is pressed oak bark. It is processed and pressed. Now there are cork slabs and soundproofing rolls. Sound insulation is used for walls, ceilings and floors because the material dampens sounds:

Application as a finishing coat. Creation of appearance, giving the room comfort and security, warmth.
Environmental friendliness. Cork soundproofing does not contain elements harmful to health and impregnation.
Suitable for sound absorption and insulation of an apartment or house.
It is water-repellent, but when exposed to large amounts of water, it can swell and lose its properties.

It is a soft material. It can be damaged with a sharp object. Therefore, covering the floor with it or making wall decor you need to be careful.
Material cost. Compared to the rest of the soundproofing market, the price is too high.

Despite some drawbacks, cork is used to insulate rooms to achieve silence.

Is it possible to insulate in the corridor

The cork in the form of slabs or rolls is suitable for internal insulation of the corridor in the apartment. It can be used for those walls that border a staircase or staircase. Thanks to its high sound insulation performance, you can also reduce the noise level from neighbors.

The cork cover has a soft structure that is not resistant to mechanical damage. Therefore, it should not be glued to the lower parts of the walls without additional finishing if there is a small child or animals in the house.

Reviews for cork panels

In the reviews, the advantages of cork sound insulation correspond to those given earlier. The disadvantages of cork are as follows:

Slow recovery of structure after crushing.
Under the pressure of heavy furniture, dents are left.
Some thin cork coverings do not give a special effect, although their appearance is spectacular, and also have the property of good thermal insulation.
Direct exposure to sunlight will burn out the surface.
The glued tiles cannot be moved after a short time.
High prices compared to other materials. This type of coverage is not available to the majority of users. It is even more expensive than parquet.

How is cork insulation installed?

It is difficult to fix incorrectly glued cork insulation, as it will crumble when peeled off.

Before starting work, you need to check the base, if necessary, level it. This will provide a more convenient gluing of the boards or roll cork. Then you need to apply a primer to the surface.

Roll material is glued in the same way as for ordinary wallpaper:

First, a vertical line is applied on the wall, along which the first sheet is aligned.
Then the roll is cut into pieces of the required length.
On the back side, glue is applied and applied to the wall, then gently leveled.
4. When installing the slabs, it is necessary to make markings on the wall. To do this, you need to draw vertical and horizontal lines. You need to glue the plates in rows parallel to the floor. It is better to start work from the bottom of the wall.

The cork adhesive is the one recommended by the manufacturer. You can also use an all-purpose acrylic adhesive.

Insulation made from natural material does not emit toxic substances into the room. Therefore, it can be used even for children's rooms. The only drawback of cork insulation is its high price. But do not skimp on high-quality sound and heat insulation.

Classification of balsa wood products

Modern manufacturers offer us many options. Wall decoration with cork is allowed in the form:

wallpaper;
panels (tiles);
rolls;
liquid cork coating.

Now we will consider each of these products in more detail.

Cork wallpaper on the walls

Back in the 18th century, artisans-builders began to use the bark of cork oak in their work. Their first attempts were inept, the material was used infrequently. It was much more readily used as bottle caps, fishing floats, or shoe soles. The reason for this was the high cost and the inability to get quality goods in the required quantity. But thanks to progress and new technologies, cork wallpaper for walls is widely used by developers. They have become thinner, more comfortable and more varied in appearance. No wallpaper backing required.

Covering one wall with cork wallpaper

The basis of this product is paper. It is on this that a thin, only 1 mm thick, agglomerated layer of cork veneer is applied. The glue is used as standard, as for heavy paper-backed wallpaper. It is better to work with a spatula or trowel. The canvases are joined end-to-end. No insulation is required under the wallpaper. Their service life is 10 years.

The modern construction industry offers the consumer the following types of wallpaper:

in the form of a canvas;
in the form of rolls;
self-adhesive, this variety appeared relatively recently, but has already occupied its niche and found admirers. The presence of the adhesive makes it easier to install the coating.

Wallpaper can contain various inclusions, complementing the interior of the room with a specific effect. Some designers also paste over furniture with them.

Cork Wall Panels

This type of cladding has dimensions of 300 x 300 or 600 x 600 mm, thickness is 3 mm. Cork wall tiles are made of granular cork, which is pressed under high pressure and temperature. During production, the addition of colored granules is allowed, which improves the aesthetics of the finished product.

Cork tiles will help to make the interior of the house unique and inimitable. The combination of color shades, some simplicity of the basis will make it possible to highlight separate zones, play with space or show your creative abilities to any person.

Wall cladding with cork panels

Cork wall panels have good heat and sound insulation characteristics, as well as all cork products. Consumer reviews emphasize the named qualities of the material. The service life reaches 10-30 years.

The advantage of cork panels is such qualities as the ability to keep warm in winter and cool the room in hot summer. During their installation, small defects may be present on the surface.

The disadvantage of cork panels is that they are easily damaged by mechanical damage. Hard or sharp objects will not add beauty to the coating if they accidentally leave marks of dents or cuts on the surface. Having decided to glue such panels in the children's room, try to protect them from damage. The inquisitive minds of our children push them to feats and experiments. After all, the surface is soft and so pliable that you just want to cut a tiny piece on it or press it down with something.

Also, it will not be superfluous to carefully consider the interior of the room.Let the cork unfold in all its glory and skillfully complement the design of the space. Will create harmony with the surrounding environment, and does not look like a heavy canvas. It is easy to care for cork panels, they are not afraid of wet cleaning and do not create any particular difficulties during operation.

Cork wall coverings

The manufacturing technology of this material is more complicated, since it is produced in one-piece 2-millimeter layers with a width of 500 mm.

Roll of cork

Roll-up soundproofing is highly appreciated by consumers. The bottom is a backing made of compressed granular cork, and the top is a decorative layer made from a thin cut of cork called veneer.

The wall cork, made in the form of a roll, is covered with wax. Roll-up soundproofing is widespread and is suitable as a substrate for coatings made of wood, laminate, natural stone or ceramics. The service life is 20 years.

Cork rolls presented to our customers are produced in Portugal, Spain and other countries. These products are intended for decorative cladding of interior walls in a wide variety of premises. They are good for:

private housing construction;
apartment buildings;
offices;
industrial premises;
decorating the outer surface of furniture.

Look great in corridors, dressing rooms, winter gardens, lounges, fireplace rooms.

Usually rolls are produced in standard sizes 10000x500 mm or 10000x480 mm, with a thickness of 2 mm. The density of the material is 320 kg / m3, the coating is wax or without it.

Remember to handle the cork carefully. You will not have the opportunity to re-glue the incorrectly laid canvas - the material will crumble.

Therefore, before laying, you should outline the surface, lay out the necessary elements on it and only after a perfect match proceed to gluing the cork cover.

Liquid cork wall coverings

This type of material is a mixture of crumb and acrylic binder. The coatings are applied to the walls with a trowel or spray.

Liquid cork

They differ in the following qualities:

cope well with the role of insulation in rooms;
excellently proved themselves as a sound-insulating pad;
universal for facing facades, interior walls, ceilings;
good for insulating attics and basements, waterproofing roofs and terraces;
are used for underfloor heating.

This coating is applied to the interior and exterior surfaces of the building. The linear dimensions do not change even with significant fluctuations in humidity and temperature. If you need a backing for wallpaper, then this type of finish can come in handy as well as possible.

Application of liquid cork outside the building

Let's dwell on the technical characteristics of the Suber Plast liquid cork coating:

At the same time, work on finishing with a liquid cork coating does not create inconveniences, does not require special preparatory measures - simply by spraying it on the surface, you get the final result.

Warming and soundproofing the apartment inside with cork panels: tips

Having opted for cork sound insulation, you need to take into account the advice from experienced craftsmen:

To decorate the walls with panels, you need to determine the goals: noise, thermal insulation of the panel 4 mm thick (you need to buy moisture-resistant panels for the bathroom). For wall decor, choose a thickness of 2 mm with a pattern.
There are veneer panels and chips. Veneer is more expensive than crumbs. The best option is a combined veneer panel plus crumb.
The sizes of the slabs are different: for a large room, 1m2 slabs are chosen, for small rooms 60x60 cm.

After making the choice of panels, it is necessary to determine if glue is needed. Much depends on the humidity of the room and temperature changes. You should not take glue that breaks down at low temperatures to a country house (seasonal residence).For bathrooms, you need to choose moisture resistant products.

Latex-acrylic products are used to cover the surface of the panel and walls Acrylic glue is universal, it is applied to the wall.

Installation of panels is carried out in strict sequence.

The wall must be cleaned of cobwebs and dust. Cover with a primer.
In the center of the wall, you need to put a mark and, starting from it, draw horizontal and vertical lines.
Place the panel in the corner and draw parallels (for evenness).
Depending on the weight, the glue is applied only to the wall or also to the panel.
After applying the glue solution, wait 1-2 minutes, after which the panel is applied to the surface and pressed.

Average drying of adhesive solution 24 hours.

Cork sound insulation, despite the cost, is the most suitable for a child's room. It has many positive aspects and is an environmentally friendly material. The service life of the soundproofing and insulation of the room is 40 years. Installation is carried out in accordance with the instructions supplied by the masters. If you follow the advice, a room with a cork will become not only quiet, warm, but also cozy and beautiful.

Ceiling soundproofing

The soundproofing layer on the ceiling serves to get rid of the stomping of neighbors living above.

A common method is to create a false ceiling, for which you will have to sacrifice the volume of the room. A thin cork covering will not create sound insulation; it is advisable to use it together with other materials. When using a multi-layer structure of different density, the sound protection effect is increased. If only cork plates are used, their thickness should be at least 3 cm.

Coating installation procedure:

The ceiling is leveled. It is not recommended to use gypsum fillers.
The surface is degreased, and a primer is applied, which can be an aqueous solution of glue or a special primer based on cement.
The surface of the ceiling is divided into 4 identical sections, its center is located.
The central tile is applied and outlined. Then the places for the rest are marked.
Adhesive is evenly applied to both surfaces, after which the tile is attached to the ceiling. After finishing work, you should walk over the plates with a roller, thus ensuring a secure fit.

Cork ceiling

Benefits

According to reviews, cork insulation for walls and floors has a huge number of advantages in comparison with synthetic counterparts. The material is characterized by the absence of emission of harmful substances. It can recover its shape in the shortest time after bending, twisting or compression.

Cork insulation under the wallpaper has a high degree of elasticity. Even many years after installation, it will not lose its original performance.

The undeniable advantages of cork include:

the absence of the decay process over the years;
no electrification and accumulation of static electricity;
the presence of natural antiseptic properties;
resistance to insects and rodents.

It is important to note that any kind of cork does not undergo destruction due to the negative and strong effects of ultraviolet rays, since the material does not pass them through.

In the event of an accidental fire, the insulation will not release harmful substances such as chlorine, cyanide and phenol into the air. To minimize flammability, the manufacturer subjects the products to processing with a flame retardant.

Reviews of cork insulation show that it has:

low rates of thermal conductivity;
increased soundproofing qualities;
long operational period;
safety.

It is also important to note that a technical plug can retain its original properties even when used at negative temperatures.In addition, the insulation is resistant to the influence of alkaline environments.

The cork has no significant drawbacks. Users only note a few weaknesses:

The material has a rather big cost. Considering the excellent performance and the absence of synthetic additives, the price of the material is quite justified. It is also worth noting its long operational life, which eliminates the need for periodic replacement.
Insulation, which is characterized by low density - from 95 kg / m³ to 130 kg / m - transmits vibration waves well. Accordingly, it cannot be used as a barrier that prevents noise and vibration from entering the object. To protect against them, experts recommend considering cork insulation, the density of which starts at least 130 kg / m³.
The insulating backing of the walls can deteriorate if this type of finish is used at objects of targeted industrial purpose and when metal cutting or other types of processing are performed in the premises. This is due to the fact that metal shavings can impair the thermal insulation properties of the material. Its pores will become clogged with particulate matter. In this case, long-term operation will provoke a violation of the structure of the plug.

The material will protect against noise if the user meets the basic condition, that is, it provides a high frequency range of 1.5 kHz.

Plugs of cork:

High strength with low weight;
The heat-saving qualities are comparable to a thick layer of another type of heat insulator;
Soundproofing capabilities;
Elasticity, the ability to regain its shape under mechanical stress;
Ease of installation;
High decorative qualities;
Environmental Safety.

It is customary to refer to the disadvantages only the price.

No significant drawbacks of the material are noted by any of the specialists, which makes the cork a successful and universal choice for warming, soundproofing the floor and the substrate for the floor covering (laminate).

Do-it-yourself soundproofing of walls

And so, you are sick and tired of the noise and screams coming from the neighboring quartile. You simply do not have the strength and desire to argue with them about this. So, it's time to do the soundproofing of the walls of the apartment with your own hands. There is nothing to hide, of course, this is a laborious process, but there is nothing difficult in performing work of this nature.

The first step is to start by preparing the walls. Remove the old wallpaper and carefully examine the wall across the entire plane. Each crack, any hole in the wall, even a hole from a long-dropped nail reduces the sound insulation of the room, and, therefore, all errors of this type of wall should be putty. Even with such simple actions, you will at least slightly, but reduce the level of noise entering the room from the outside.

Having finished with covering up holes and cracks, we proceed to the next type of work, an incoming set of measures related to soundproofing walls. These works will be related to the soundproofing of the sockets. Do not be surprised, because it is in the place of the outlet that the wall has the smallest thickness, respectively, the sound insulation in this place is the weakest.

Just before you start disassembling the sockets, it is better to secure yourself and turn off the electricity in order to avoid electric shock. After removing the outlet and disconnecting the wires from it, fill the hole in the wall with some material. For this, you can use foam, fiberglass, foam and other similar materials. On top, coat everything with a building mixture (such as gypsum), it is desirable that it has a quick setting and drying period.

Having done these simple work, which helps to increase the sound insulation of the walls, you should turn your attention to heating pipes and various other systems passing through walls and ceilings. Sometimes, with small changes in pressure in the pipes, a water hammer occurs, which causes vibration of the pipes.And if the pipes are not fixed tightly in the wall, then a characteristic noise appears, plus everything, the hole in the wall through which the works pass through, which is an additional source of noise. It is good to use polyurethane foam or some elastic consistency sealant to strengthen the pipes and seal the hole. So that during the heating season, with a possible thermal expansion, the sealing of the hole around the pipes that you carried out is not disturbed.

We can safely say that you have finished with the first, preparatory stage of soundproofing the walls with your own hands. Yes, perhaps, for those who live in houses of old buildings where the cross-section, that is, the thickness of the walls is large, such work will be enough to increase sound insulation. But, and if you live in a panel house, where you sneeze at the first entrance, and wish you health in the last one, then you can only dream of silence. But if you agree to build up (thicken) the wall, you will not overclock too much. Because most of them have such "large-sized" apartments that even a slight reduction in the internal space of the room becomes noticeable. But if you decide to make the soundproofing of the apartment, you like it or not, but nevertheless a few centimeters of living space will have to be sacrificed in order to gain, if I may say so, peace of mind, peace of mind from external sound stimuli.

The correct selection of materials influences getting a good effect of soundproofing walls with your own hands. Without understanding the question of materials suitable for sound insulation, you can pile up a wall as thick as a rampart, but there is no sense. And if you apply a "head" to the solution of the problem, then you can get by with small losses of living space and at the same time achieve the best result in sound insulation. Based on this conclusion, it is necessary to dwell a little on the consideration of materials suitable for soundproofing work.

Maxforte is an excellent sound insulating material with excellent properties. Maxforte -Standard is produced in rolls and can be used for ceilings, walls and floors. The thickness of the material is 12 millimeters, excellent soundproofing properties up to 65 dB. Maxforte - Ecoplite, the name itself suggests that it is an environmentally friendly material.

More details

Thermozvukoizol (TZI) is an effective sound-insulating material that produces sound and vibration insulation, and also serves as a heat-insulating material. Meets all the requirements of sanitary and fire control.

The thickness of the material ranges from 10 to 14 millimeters.

More details

Soundproof - can be used in rooms with high humidity, for example, a bathroom. It will serve both for soundproofing and waterproofing the floor.

Sound absorbing effect 28 dB,

Material thickness 4 mm.

More details

There is also a huge amount of sound and noise-absorbing materials such as:

Noisy;
Softboard;
Texound 70;
Fonstar.

To list all the materials will take a lot of time. We've only touched on the best of the best.

Fastening soundproofing to a wall is done in exactly the same way as fastening a plasterboard. First, a metal profile is attached, but the fasteners must use a special noise-absorbing, also, special gaskets are placed under the profile to reduce the noise transmission. Afterwards, a soundproof material is laid inside the metal structure.

And the whole structure is covered with plasterboard.

When using specially designed slabs for noise insulation, you must first glue the slabs to the prepared wall.

And then install a drywall frame, or use another facing material.

Now the work on soundproofing the walls with your own hands has been completed in full.It remains only to paint or glue the wallpaper.

Soundproofing walls with a cork, how not to go over the thickness?

It is a big misconception that cork is used only for floors, it is also perfect for vertical structures. The walls for mounting the material should be flat, the height difference should not be more than 1-2 millimeters. Before gluing, they must be primed for better adhesion with the adhesive. The glue should be taken with a rubber, quick-setting, then the slab will not have to be held for a long time by the canopy.

The best thermal and sound insulation is achieved with a 3 cm layer of material. It makes no sense to make it thicker, in terms of price-quality ratio, plasterboard construction with mineral wool or other insulating material wins here. The cork cover must be multi-layered. It is better to use more layers of less thickness than one thick one. We glue the sheets in a checkerboard pattern to make an uneven mesh. It is necessary to coat with glue not only the surface of the wall, but also the joints of the plates themselves. The result is a one-piece finish.

Glue the next layer so that the joint of the first layer slabs falls on the center of the cork slab of the new layer. Using this method, we obtain the highest insulation efficiency. The two inner layers can be made of white agglomerate cork, and the top sheet can be selected with a veneer covering. The surface can be left on or treated with a special varnish. After such treatment, the panels can be washed, and if the varnish layer is destroyed, they can be recoated. If you plan to glue wallpaper or paint walls, then the agglomerate sheets must be carefully primed and a layer of putty must be applied. Only after that we glue the wallpaper or paint the walls.

Is it possible to do in the children's room

The children's room has always been a special place in the apartment. This is a separate world of the child, where he develops, rests, studies the unidentified. Spending time in a room, parents take care of what surrounds him, what he breathes.

Construction materials are one of the factors. Containing elements in finishing materials should not be harmful to health. Silence is also important, which gives peace to the child. Excessive sounds wake up, irritate the baby.

Cork material is chosen for soundproofing the room. It is created from natural raw materials, processed with harmless drugs. Distinctive properties:

harmless to the body;
soft (the child will not cripple himself);
does not cause allergies;
the material does not accumulate electrical discharge and therefore does not collect dust.
plasticine, water-repellent, does not stick to it;
the material is insulation - the room is always warm;
long service life - does not rot, does not deform, mold does not appear on it.

For the walls in the nursery, you can choose sound insulation, which will also be the decor.

A look from the outside: what does the manufacturer offer?

Cork is available in rolls or sheets. Roll coating is relatively thin, its thickness can reach several millimeters. Sheets are found in different thicknesses: from millimeter to thick, 3-5 cm plates. Thin cork is used for decorative purposes, it has a presentable look. Dense cork panels, called agglomerate, are divided into two types: white agglomerate - it can be used in the decoration of uncoated rooms, and black agglomerate, its manufacturing technology is somewhat different, and it is laid with the obligatory condition of isolation from water and air.

A very interesting novelty is cork spraying. It is not available in retail, but some firms offer this service. The coating is a spray applied solution in two layers. The first layer is needed for adhesion to the surface, and the second is directly cork. The total thickness of the layers reaches three centimeters.It is recommended to be used for exterior decoration of building facades and for rooms with high traffic of people (hall, conference hall, corridor, etc.). When purchasing cork insulation, pay attention to the manufacturer.

A quality cork should not have Chinese roots, the best manufacturer is Portugal. When buying a thin coating, look "into the light". If you can see the rays of the sun breaking through, it is better not to take such material, it will definitely not cope with the declared properties.

Technical cork in rolls and sheets

Technical cork is presented in the form of sheets (mats) and rolls... Thinner material is produced in rolls, thicker cork agglomerate - in the form of sheets. The area of application for each type of coating is different.

Technical cork in rolls it is used as a substrate for the arrangement of a floating floor, laminate and panel parquet. It is also used as a heat and sound insulating material when arranging a screed to create a warm floor.

Used in residential premises, offices. The coating thickness ranges from 2 to 6 mm. Roll size: 10,000 x 1,000 mm.

Cork sheet roll covering is an excellent material for sound insulation. Ceilings, floors, walls can be protected from street noise.

If you have a good home theater, powerful speaker system, cover the walls with sheet cork. The noise level coming from your apartment will be much lower. The natural cork agglomerate (technical cork) coating is suitable even for recording studios.