granular cork is a thermal insulator that can be used easily on walls, roof and substrates. The cork granulate can be used dry or mixed with lime or sodium silicate. if used dry it exercises the maximum insulating value with the minimum cost, if mixed it acquires the "lift" and forms the basis of further layers of the flooring. The main uses of cork granulate in the various parts of the housing envelope are listed below.
 
 

High-quality insulated substrates are made with granular cork. The cork can be mixed with natural hydraulic lime or with sodium silicate, in the first solution the lightened screed will be very load-bearing, in the second solution the thermal screed will be more insulating and on average load-bearing. The same subfloor screed can also be made in habitable or non-habitable attics.
The thermal screed, mixed with hydraulic lime or sodium silicate, can be paved or left exposed. Granular cork can also be spread loose without added binders.

With ground insulating cork an excellent insulation of the walls is made with blowing into the cavities or by applying a thermal cork and hydraulic lime plaster or with lime and cocciopesto cork.
 

GRANULATED INSULATING CORK FOR THE INSUFFLATION OF THE WALLS

Insufflation in the perimeter walls of an apartment building

The insufflation of the cork into the empty cavities of the walls is the easiest and cheapest use of the cork, because the loose granulate offers the maximum insulating power and because the insufflation of the walls is an undemanding, non-invasive and quick execution operation.

If the walls of your house have an internal cavity, it is possible and advantageous to perform the cork insufflation into the cavity and thus improve the insulating power of the walls and the thermal dispersions towards the outside. The operation can be carried out from outside or inside the house with the same final result.

To calculate the amount of cork you need 2 data: the development in square meters of the perimeter walls concerned and the internal width of the cavity. The width of the interspace can vary from a few centimeters up to a size of 15 or 20 centimeters. The data can be obtained from the project drawings or in the absence of these from an inspection hole that allows the insertion of the meter for an exact measurement. thermal insulation with blowing granular insulating cork

 


To calculate the number of cork bags needed, click on the photo on the right to activate the spreadsheet and enter the number of square meters and the cavity width in cm.

CORK GRAIN FOR SUBSTRATE INSULATION

Each flooring should be insulated with insulating material: our advice is to use cork in panels or ground granules. The use of granulated cork has the great advantage of adapting to uneven surfaces (while the panels need a planar support surface). We list the most frequent methods of use of cork granules:

Lightened screed with granular cork and hydraulic lime

The lightened screed is not really a "thermal screed" but it is a mixture where together with the sand and the binder also the granular cork is mixed in variable proportions: the greater the lime for the lighter screed, the more cork is used and the greater the insulating power of the screed. To obtain a very light, highly insulating screed, you can mix only cork and natural hydraulic lime NHL5 in a proportion of about 350kg / mc (to give greater hardness you can add a smaller part of white cement) how much lightened screed costs
 
 

 
Floor insulation with cork and sodium silicate

In order to obtain a greater insulating power, it is possible to mix the lightweight gramassetto with cork Sodionella silicate with sodium silicate, this agglomerate has a reduced specific weight equal to 300 kg per mc and a remarkable insulating power equal to 0.055 W / mK. Artimestieri offers 2 solutions: Suberglass-70 lighter and with greater insulating power and they are Suberglass-90 heavier and more compact. Both agglomerations are walkable and load-bearing  screed lightened with cork and sodium silicate

Floor insulation with dry loose granular cork

In many cases, the subfloors of the floors have empty spaces to be filled with insulating material: the cork granulate is the cornering of the subfloors and sub-roofs ideal for filling the underfloor spaces generally created by a load-bearing wooden structure. In these cases, the granulate is poured in a loose form until the empty spaces are completely filled. This type of insulation is very easy to perform, inexpensive, light and highly insulating loose thermal insulation

INSULATION OF WALLS WITH INSULATING THERMAL PLASTER

with granular cork a thermal plaster is obtained for a high insulation of the perimeter walls: we recommend mixing the GRAY VIDEOnulare cork 0-3 with NHL5 lime to obtain a natural thermal plaster with high thermal insulation power. The choice of using thermal cork plaster is advisable in the following situations:

    1.when the walls are new, not yet plastered
    2.when the walls were cleaned of the old damaged plaster
    3.when the irregular planarity of the walls does not allow the easy application of insulating panels

On the other hand, it is not appropriate to apply thermal plaster on already plastered walls because thermal plaster hardly clasps on smooth surfaces and because when the walls are already plastered, the coat with panels is more advantageous. We offer two versions of thermal plaster of lime and cork: Bioart-Thermal plaster of cork and premixed hydraulic lime, or a thermal plaster to mix on site.
 
Wall insulation with thermal cork, lime and cocciopesto plaster.

An extraordinary thermal plaster is obtained by mixing 0-3 mm with THERMAL INSULATION WITH CORK AND COCCIOPESTO cork grains with lime putty and red or yellow cocciopesto powder. The idea created by Artimestieri takes its cue from the ancient recipe for lime and cocciopesto plaster: the "novelty" consists in replacing the sand contained in the original recipe with the same volume of granulated cork.

Do you want to calculate how much material you need and how much does it cost to make a thermal plaster in cocciopesto and cork? Open the spreadsheet and enter the square meters of the walls to be plastered and the thickness of the plaster you want to create: we recommend a minimum thickness of 3 / 4cm

ROOF AND UNDER ROOF INSULATION WITH CORK AGGLOMERATE AND SODIUM SILICATE

With granular cork the roof can be insulated by preparing formworks for containing the granular. You can also mix the granulate with sodium silicate: the mixture is more stable and resistant and with a greater protection effect from summer heat. But the use of Suberglass-70 and Suberglass-90 is chosen very often for the insulation of the attics:

- for ease of execution

- for the walkability of the cork and sodium silicate screed

- for the adaptability of the thermal screed to uneven surfaces due to the presence of systems

    or because of the disparity of the surface.

Attic insulation with light insulating cork and sodium silicate screed.

Granular cork is particularly suitable for thermal insulation of attics, distributed dry or dry, or agglomerated with sodium silicate.

UNDER ROOF INSULATION WITH LIGHTENED SCREED
 

Distributed and dry leveled, it retains the greatest insulating power of cork. If mixed with sodium silicate it becomes walkable while remaining light and insulating. The mix is ​​advantageous in leveling uneven surfaces that do not lend themselves to laying rigid panels. Sodium silicate has further advantages:

-hardens and protects cork from possible attack by rodents

-.mineralises the cork surface and makes it practically fireproof

-increases the compressive strength of the insulating screed, allowing a possible overlap of a paving concrete layer

AN INNOVATIVE PROJECT FRUIT OF YEARS OF WORK

The production of our granular cork is the result of institutional and scientific synergies. In 2010 the Ri-cork project was awarded the "ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY INNOVATION AWARD 2010" promoted by Legambiente, the Lombardy Region and Confindustria.
In 2011, a research and development project started, promoted by the Environment Park technology center with the coordination of the Polytechnic of Turin, the project ended in 2013 with the development of the thermal screed, thermal plaster and thermal paint of cork.

 
We have thus promoted the separate collection of cork stoppers in many regions and many citizens, groups and associations participate enthusiastically in the initiative.

 
In 2016, we agreed to join the "ETHICAL" project promoted by Amorim Cork Italy: the initiative promotes a separate collection of cork in each city. Thanks to the collaboration of institutions, bodies and associations O.N.L.U.S. engaged in the front row in the collection and beneficiaries of the proceeds from the sale. Etico is a project of environmental sustainability, circular economy and social solidarity.

 
Artimestieri is currently engaged in the realization of an insulating panel made with recycled granular cork and natural non-toxic resins

FOR A QUICK DELIVERY

To purchase granular cork for thermal and acoustic insulation of the subfloor, the attic, for the walls: complete the trolley and in a few days the material will be delivered to your home.