Welcome to a new article from Facades WorldToday we want to tell you about this new trend that is being used throughout the world to decorate walls. It is known as decorative cork walls, but not only serves to decorate but also serves as an insulator. If you want to know more about this boom, do not detach from the screen because we are starting right now!
Decorative cork walls: a natural and recyclable insulator
The cork comes from the tree called cork oak, which sheds its bark every nine or twelve years. It is a versatile and insulating material with a wide variety of decorative uses. It is also inexpensive, very easy to use and you can decorate it to your liking with varnish, spray paints or wallpaper. The decorative cork walls We say that they are sustainable because it is a natural material and its obtaining does not generate waste or cause prejudice to the tree. Being able to cover your walls with this material is a great alternative if you are looking for a different result beyond paint or wallpaper.
Contents
- Cork walls advantages - Sustainable material
- Not only used in bottles as caps
- Diversity of formats and more advantages
- Boost your decoration
- Prepare the surface
- Choose the adhesive
- How to apply it?
Cork walls advantages - Sustainable material
As we have already mentioned, cork comes from a tree called "cork oak" which loses its bark naturally and then the best ones are selected. Later they are boiled in water so that they acquire a flexible texture, can increase their thickness and get a more spongy body. Among the characteristics that make it an excellent thermal insulator we find that:
- Its alveolar structure makes it resistant to rain and high temperatures.
- As cork is internally shaped, with cells joined and practically empty, they transform this material into an acoustic insulator as it absorbs noise.
- Cork is recyclable and reusable, but best of all, if it is discarded it becomes biodegradable.
- It is an insulating material since it does not cool easily and it resists very well over time.
Not only used in bottles as caps
It is true that the majority use that is given to cork is to make bottles of wine and champagne, but it is not the only use. In the field of decoration and interior design It is used to make furniture, accessories and coverings. A well-known use is the one that occurs in floors, since it dampens the noise of the footsteps very well. But where it stands out the most is when we see cork wallsas it has a very strong decorative force.
Diversity of formats and more advantages
Among the advantages we have when covering a cork wall we find that we have many variants of formats, measurements and thicknesses. When we are going to cover a wall with this material, what we would have to look at is the thickness to be able to choose correctly if we are going to use it as an insulator or decoratively. The most normal thing is to get it in the form of plates, plates or rolls but also if we want we can find it in chipboard format.
Boost your decoration
Just using this material on a wall adds a decorative touch on its own. What we must bear in mind that when using this material we must accompany it with colors and simple finishes so as not to overload the decoration of the space. Remember that it has a great visual impact so it will enhance our environment. The most suggested use of this material results from using a cork wall and the rest leave them in neutral or white tones that alleviate the overall effect.
Prepare the surface
The process of installing a cork wall is not a very complicated process, you can even do it on your own without the need for a professional. For this option it is best to lean towards medium size plates that are easier to place. In the first instance we must prepare the wall, it is necessary that it does not have humidity problems. Then we must fill any cracks or holes that our wall may have. Finally remove any trace of dust or dirt. The second step is divide the wall into zones drawing a straight line both horizontally and vertically that can intersect in the center.
Choose the adhesive
Cork boards are usually glued with a special adhesive to achieve better adherence to them. Choosing the right adhesive is a very important step to avoid problems in the future. The basic thing is to see the thickness of our plates since if they are thin plates we can use an acrylic adhesive but in plates with a thickness of more than one centimeter we must use neoprene-based adhesives.
How to apply it?
- We apply a layer of glue both on the plates and on the wall and with the help of a spatula.
- After the adhesive is ready (10 to 15 minutes depending on the manufacturer) we place the first piece guiding us in the straight lines that we drew previously. We must be extremely careful since this type of adhesive does not allow us to rectify since it is instantly adhered.
- We must apply pressure, first with our hands and then with a roller that we may have in our home.
- Lay the cork boards from the center to the edges. Finally we will make the roof line by cutting the pieces previously to measure.
At Facades World We hope and hope that this new post is to your liking and helps you with ideas to use cork on your walls.
On the other hand, we would like to recommend you visit Architecture Planet, one of our collaborating websites in all the large amount of content that we offer you daily. A website with many architecture news and ideas to implement in the decoration of your homes ... Super recommended!
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