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Cork Info

Product packaging made of cork

14 Jun 2022 By Aron AR

Innovative cork material is used in packaging design and more. This is how the story of this ideal material for sustainable packaging designs began. Cork materials come mainly from the Mediterranean region. The cork oak, from which the cork is obtained, is native to south-western Europe and north-western Africa and is one of the most common tree species in Portugal.

Portugal produces 61%, then Spain almost 30% and Italy less than 10%. No trees are damaged during cork extraction. When uncorking, the outer layer is removed. After extraction, the cork oak simply produces a new layer of bark. This process can be repeated every 9 years. Just as we collect wool from sheep, the trees will be uncorked and will produce it for 150 years.

What makes cork an amazing natural raw material, ideal for ecological packaging?

Cork has unique properties and textures. It’s a natural plant tissue – like a hive of microscopic cells surrounded by gas and covered with polymer and wax. These elements give it rigidity, impermeability and resilience, making it an excellent choice for sustainable packaging design.

Our current technology has not been able to mimic this in the lab. Just a tiny piece of cork, similar to a sugar cube, contains about 60 million of these air-filled cells, making it a unique material like layers and layers of microscopic bubble wrap.

Cork is a very effective insulating material with excellent shock absorbing properties. Because of this, it has an excellent property of protecting the contents, making it a very suitable packaging material. It is fireproof and does not produce toxic gases. A non-slip surface can be created by simply cutting the surface. Its high flexibility and impermeability is one of cork’s best-known characteristics.

However, cork is not wood as it is dead tissue, it is indifferent to the substance meaning no taste or smell is released. This great hygienic value is appreciated in many creative industries. Using cork for sustainable packaging design can be an ideal solution for many types of products.

Cork is a raw material, 100% reusable, 100% recyclable, 100% natural, eco-friendly option, packaging design idea that stands out on the shelf. The possibilities are endless, and what we don’t often hear about materials, the recycling process never ends. Now it’s time for innovation.

From the original cork to wine bottles, we can now see the cork packaging used Bottle design, food packaging, wine labeling, cosmetic packaging and more. In a world where eco-friendly packaging solutions are increasingly in demand, this versatile material is the perfect option. A packaging made of cork, a purely natural material, also sends a strong message to the target group.

Cork is now being transformed into unique designs ranging from furniture to tableware to lighting products. There are countless uses for cork. Cork material might be an unconventional approach, but it’s 100% eco-friendly. It offers creative freedom to product designers, packaging designers, and innovators in general. You can use this material for food packaging, wine labels or boxes. Despite this, it easily attracts customers’ attention.

Cork Info

Warming the truck with a cork

06 Jun 2022 By Aron AR

Cork is a durable, breathable, insect-resistant, fire-resistant, mold-resistant and renewable raw material. So why not use it as vehicle insulation as well? The same question was asked by a German couple of travelers 3 years ago and decided to implement their idea. She described the whole process on her blog https://nebendemweg.de/

Cork as an insulating material was first used in historic wooden hulls of ships. Until now, cork material has been used in motorhomes and vans, but it was not the main insulation material, so the idea of a pair from Germany is pioneering. They used contact adhesive to make the cork withstand all vibrations from the vehicle.

The cork panels on the truck floor will withstand even walking in dirty shoes after multiple layers of paint have been applied. Cork insulation remains breathable so there is no risk of thermal condensation.

The decisive factor in selecting the appropriate type of cork was the cork’s thermal conductivity. Depending on the variant, it is from 0.04 to 0.06 W / (m • K). This unit means Watts per meter and Kelvin. A lower value therefore means worse thermal conductivity and therefore better insulation. plastics with a thickness of at least 20 mm are used for insulation in the construction of expedition vehicles.

The choice fell on a 25mm technical cork. The boards and gluing are best done by two people, which is a much faster and more convenient solution than working alone. Before actually starting work, we recommend several adhesion tests on a given substrate. The glue sticks to the walls so well that the pieces of cork can only be removed with a chisel.

https://cork-shop.co.uk/product/cork-sheets/cork-sheet-25-mm-coarse-grained/

By far the most time-consuming job is measuring and fitting the cork boards. The table saw was most practical for long straight cuts or bevels. The recesses were cut with a fine metal saw blade. The fit or rework went well with sandpaper and a cutting knife.

The application of the cut panels is best for four hands. It is no longer possible to slide or slide the cork as soon as the glue sticks. This is first applied to the cork board and the wall with a 4mm velor roller. At a processing temperature of 15 to 27 ° C, the glue dries until it is no longer white, but transparent.

As with laying cork as flooring, freshly glued panels still need to be hit with a white rubber mallet (black leaves stains). With contact adhesives, the adhesive strength is no greater the more adhesive is applied, but depends on the pressure. It was also important to fit and install the cork panels at a similar temperature. The cork can be painted, however two coats of paint were needed before the color evenly covered the cork. The bostik sealing plug can be used for the joints between the panels. This mass is much easier to break into cracks.

https://cork-shop.co.uk/product/expansion-joints/dilatation-spray-cork-bostik/

Further travelers from Germany describe that during their trip to Asia Minor, there were no problems with cork insulation. From an internal temperature above 40 ° C to -11 ° C during a winter excursion, neither the heat nor the cold hurt the binding of the cork boards. The different bumps did not have any effect on the durability of the adhered cork. In terms of cleaning, the cork surfaces are easy to maintain.

Especially on the walls, where there is still paint under the cork paint, the dirt was easy to wipe off. Only where the varnish is applied to the bare cork it is better to use three coats of varnish instead of two. The insulation reliably protected against the cold from the outside. In practice, cork stood out as promised with its resilience, resistance to mold and pests, good heat and sound insulation, sustainability and a good indoor climate.

Cork Info

A unique cork palace in Poland

02 May 2022 By Aron AR

In Moja Wola (formerly Kuźnica Sośniewska, a settlement in the district of Ostrów, in the Greater Poland Voivodeship in the commune of Sośnie, located on the edge of the village of Sośnie, about 25 km south-west of Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland) there is a wooden palace on a bog iron foundation built for the Duke of Brunswick. of Oleśnica Wilhelm. The architecture of the palace refers to the Swiss style, but this is not what distinguishes it from other buildings of this type. The façades of the palace are covered with cork oak bark, which is unique on a European scale. It is one of the two buildings on our continent where such an unusual facade has been used. In our store you can also find a cork similar to a cork from this unique palace:

https://cork-shop.co.uk/product/cork-wall/wall-cork-virgin-25mm/

The palace was built in 1852. From year to year, its technical condition is deteriorating and it begins to raise concerns about the future of the building. It is said that there are only two such palaces in Europe, although all sources mention only a Polish palace and a few small pavilions, e.g. in the Roman Barbarini or on the Peacock Island in Berlin. So there is a high probability that the Polish monument is unique.

The oak bark covering the walls of the Palace in Moje Wola was specially imported from Portugal. Located in the English-style park, the palace, thanks to the unusual facade material, becomes an element of the surrounding landscape, and the whole creates an amazing atmosphere. Initially, the palace facilities were part of the Międzybórz estate, from 1886 they were the center of the property of Baron Daniel von Diergardt’s My Wola, and from 1891 his widow, Agnes von Diergardt.

After the war – like many monuments – it was nationalized, and its wooden walls housed the first female technical school in Poland, which educated foresters. They were transferred in 1975 to Stary Sącz. Until 1992, it remained in the hands of the State Forests, then it became the property of the commune, and then it was sold to a private owner. The palace and the surrounding park have been entered into the register of immovable monuments in the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

Since another private owner is unable to do anything about the precious palace, lovers of culture and monuments have gathered to save the precious building. You can follow the progress of the work of this Facebook group at the address below:

Let’s save the Palace in My Wola.

https://www.facebook.com/ratujmymojawole

Cork Info

Wood stove with natural cork casing

01 Apr 2022 By Aron AR

Wood stove with natural cork casing – Natura is an award-winning wood-burning stove designed by Portuguese design studio Inngage.

https://www.inngage.pt/project/natura/

The structure gives a unique character thanks to the cork outer layer.

Natura is a wood stove designed for Fogo Montanha.

https://www.fogo-montanha.com/

Its projectants design it to give an industrial product a more natural feel. The idea of using cork as the main cladding material arose from the desire to give the user a tactile experience. Thus it gives a better sense of heat.

Following the philosophy of simple construction, the stove body is from steel. Cork profiles are laid on and fixed to its structure. These profiles are separated from the steel structure. It prevents the cork from darkening over time.

Wood stove with natural cork casing manufactured from modular cork profiles, it resembles vintage radiators. At the same time this material reinforces safety by allowing users to safely touch and feel the wood stove. It makes this equipment suitable for any room in the home.

Nature as a research project is over two years old. The relationship between the cork and the combustion chamber has been studied and improved. That ensures proper air circulation, ease of installation. This ensures also user safety when interacting with the wood stove through rigorous use tests.

Cork Info

House of natural cork in Barcelona

02 Mar 2022 By Aron AR

Architect Elisabetta Quarta Colosso from Spanish studio El Fil Verd designed a single-family house covered with natural cork panels on the edge of Barcelona’s Garraf Park. The cork is here not only energy-saving and insulating. It was also used to best fit the building into the natural surroundings. The house was built for a retired couple who dreamed of living in nature in a house with low energy consumption.

Design of house of natural cork in Barcelona constraints included a steeply sloping plot facing north and a limited customer budget. With this in mind, the architect saw the project as an opportunity to demonstrate that it was possible to construct passive, bioclimatically designed buildings at an affordable cost.

Town planning regulations allowed for the development of up to three levels. Instead, the architect decided to shape the house as one cubature on two floors to better fit it into the surroundings. The building opens to the north to the Montserrat mountain and has a beautiful view of the park.

On the other hand, the facades facing the street and the neighbors are intentionally devoid of openings. This ensures privacy for residents. The living area and one bedroom are on the ground floor. On the first floor there is a second bedroom and a large terrace with a solarium and a garden. Each room in the house allows you to contemplate the forest from a different perspective.

To achieve an ultra-energy-efficient building, the architect conducted a detailed study of the local climate and topography of the site,. She applied a series of bioclimatic design strategies that take into account both cold winters and hot summers. One of these strategies involves building orientation. It is positioned along the North-South axis to maximize solar radiation in winter and promote effective natural ventilation in summer.

To heat the house of natural cork in Barcelona, the south façade, in its glazed part, acts as a solar heater. This is due to the greenhouse effect. Solar radiation, which has a reduced angle in these months, penetrates inside and turns into heat, increasing the temperature of the apartment.

The Trombe-Mitchell walls on the façade on the south side act as hot chambers. When they which reach high temperatures during the day and transfer them by convection and radiation to the interior. On the northern side, the openings have been minimized so that they do not adversely affect the heat balance.

Cork Info

Cork Mats for Turntables

14 Feb 2022 By Aron AR

Not many people know, but cork is a useful material even in such a narrow field as the production of turntables, or more precisely, gramophone mats. A gramophone mat protects records from scratching and improves listening comfort. The most popular gramophone mats are most often rubber mats and those made of cork. Cork mats for turntables tend to be slightly softer in terms of sound, while rubber mats have a more damping effect on playback. If the air is dry in the room, it may be profitable to switch to a rubber or cork mat to minimize static effects. A cork mat is often used because it absorbs vibrations generated by the motor and produces less static electricity than felt mats.

An interesting fact is that turntables also use a rubber cork material as a mat. Both cork and rubbercork work best on metal plates. One thing to remember when adding a rubber turntable mat or a cork mat to your turntable is that you will have to reset the turntable VTA as these mats are almost always thicker than the felt mat they are replacing.

Cork mats seem to be a bit softer in terms of sound. Probably the cork makes the biggest difference in sound of all disc mats. This mostly inexpensive option is great for creating a smooth contact between the plate and platter, making it incredibly easy to separate the disc after use. An additional advantage of cork mats is that they are a very grateful material for printing all kinds of patterns on it. The Internet is full of unique mats for lovers of analog audio. And if you don’t find anything for yourself, you can make such a pattern yourself and put it on the mat.

Cork Info

Cars covered with corks

27 Jan 2022 By Aron AR

Bottle corks are used in truly unusual areas. One of them, which has been used in at least several places around the world, is the use of cork stoppers for cars covered with corks. The first of the cars we found on the internet is the BMW Isetta. Its American buyer Daune Sanders spent almost a year gluing 1,900 cork stoppers to the surface of his small car.

Another vehicle of cars covered with corks was noticed in Los Angleles, and its owners also boasted about their new acquisition on the web. The third example that we can come across when looking for information about similar ideas of car owners comes from France. Claude Penin, a retired former cyclist and lover of good wines, combined his two passions through unusual work with cork stoppers.

He has been recycling cork plugs for five years. Initially, his passion was covering bicycles with corks. But when a friend gave him a used Renault, he could not pass up the opportunity and the vehicle ended up completely covered with wine corks. Thanks to his work in the area, he is known as “Papa Bouchon“.

In Texas, and more precisely in Houston, an American, Jan Elftman, covered her car with wine corks in the 90s. She collected corks during her studies while working as a waitress. The idea for such a decoration was born when she and a friend from Houston went to the Artistic Cars parade (https://www.artcarexperience.com/), which took place in the area. She used about 10,000 to cover the car. traffic jams. But as the artist emphasizes – it was not just about making the car more comfortable or safe. Elftman wanted to create a work that people would come into contact with in places where art is not usually communicated.

We have not found a similar example anywhere else. But it may inspire you to create a car that no one will pass by indifferently, of course, using corks from our store:

https://cork-shop.co.uk/category/bottles-stoppers/

Cork Info

Expanded cork guitar

27 Jan 2022 By Aron AR

The world’s first cork electric guitar was developed in Viana do Castelo by designer João Rodrigues. The main material used to manufacture this guitar is expanded cork, which is usually used as a coating and thermal insulation in buildings. The remaining 25% of this unique guitar is reclaimed wood used for the shoulder and middle of the body. It makes the instrument lighter and greener.

“When I started the project, I searched the entire internet and couldn’t find anywhere in the world that anyone had built a cork guitar. There was one in Portugal, but it was natural cork,” says Jose Rodrigues. It took two years to build the guitar. It was created as part of the master’s thesis. The artist spent the first year on academic research and the next designing and manufacturing an instrument whose mass is 75% expanded cork. The project started in 2019 with a brand launched by Joao Rodrigues and his colleague. The company Mai’Land Guitars already offers such a guitar for 1000 euros and several cases made of expanded cork.

Mai’Land Guitars guitar was officially presented by Alto Minho on November 12, 2019 at a concert at the Viana do Castelo Cultural Center as part of the program of the 8th National Meeting of Design Students (ENED) to be held in the capital this year , with the theme “Design, Industry and Crafts”.

All products created by João have a stylish design, minimal finish, strong Portuguese trait and use cork. Currently the designer/musician is already developing a new guitar while improving the craftsmanship of this beautiful first model. Another novelty in 2020 was the instrument case made of natural cork sheets (90%) and wood, giving a solid and light structure. All wood used for the guitar or case is recycled.

Cork Info

Spray cork – application

27 Jan 2022 By Aron AR

As building science advances, we try to use the latest technologies to find the right solutions. Sometimes this technology can mix old and new ways, and it doesn’t have to be toxic. A spray cork – application is an excellent example of an innovative and proven solution for building exterior cladding, thermal insulation and waterproofing using old, natural building materials.

Spray cork – application is an alternative to paint or stucco with a mixture of 80% cork granules and 20% water based paint available in many color variations. The spray cork looks very much like stucco. Its surface is structured and feels soft. It is very similar to the paint, only denser. It comes in as many colors as any color, and you can tint it too.

You can use a spray cork on almost any surface that you paint with traditional paint. You can spray it directly on all kinds of exterior walls of your house. The cork structure also creates a nice non-slip surface, making it perfect for patios and walkways. Cork does not feel as hot as masonry and stone, making it ideal for pool decking. As an alternative to spray foam, you can also use a spray plug in the recesses of the inner walls to seal air holes.

Unlike closed-cell foam, spray cork is breathable and allows moisture vapor to pass through, allowing it to dry faster. This application method can also protect wooden walls from mold and rot by acting as a protective binder on the wood. The spray cork can also be applied directly to interior walls if you like this interior style.

Cork is a highly renewable resource, typically sourced from government-protected forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council – the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in Portugal. Tree bark is harvested every nine years for 150-250 years. Gathering cork does not harm the trees. Additionally, the granules used in aerosol corks are typically waste by-products of the cork stopper industry.

The spray cork is a mixture of 80% cork granules and 20% water-based paint, applied with a spray gun and compressed air. Because spray cork contains 80% cork, it reduces the release of microplastics from paint degradation. Compare this to other elastomer paints that use more synthetic compounds instead.

The sprayed cork closes gaps and air leaks very well and a tight building is a big step towards a thermally efficient building. A spray cork can be applied to any properly prepared surface – stucco, steel, aluminum, wood, brick, vinyl, clapboard and others. You can use it on a variety of surfaces.

Debris and dust rarely stick to the cork surface and when they do occur the surface can be washed off. After ten years, like any paint, the finish can fade in the sun and may need to be reapplied. A spray cork has seemingly endless benefits. As a renewable raw material and building material, it is an attractive choice for a wide range of applications. It is used in many applications as it adheres to wood, metal, plastic and concrete and is used both inside and outside buildings. Works in any climate; It is resistant to UV rays, atmospheric agents and hail, high and low temperatures, abrasion, fungi and mold.

It’s even fireproof, meets European E-class standards and doesn’t emit any toxic fumes when smoldering. Cork can increase the fire resistance of a building’s exterior in fire-prone regions. The sprayed cork contributes to the thermal insulation of the structure, seals air gaps in the building and absorbs sound. Attaching a spray cork to the outside of a building is an easy way to easily insulate an existing finished structure. The spray cork repels water (making it difficult for the masonry to absorb water) while remaining breathable, allowing steam to penetrate. When the walls are worn you can spray them with a spray cork, saving labor and money and reducing construction waste. It won’t crack and is more flexible than paint and stucco. It is hypoallergenic and self-cleaning as sediment and dust do not stick to its surface as easily.

Cork Info

Lambourde insulation board

30 Nov 2021 By Aron AR

Lambourde insulation board is a quick application system designed for low thickness insulation and building renovation. It is used for mechanical fastening to the floor or wall, providing: perfect thermal and acoustic insulation under wood or plasterboard finish. The material is 100% natural. It has unparalleled thermal and acoustic properties. The material is easy to install thanks to flush-mounted slats and provides mechanical stability.

Lambourde insulation board works in a very wide temperature range, from -180 ° C to 120 ° C. At very high temperatures, it does not emit any toxic substances such as carbon dioxide. The overall product density is approximately 110 kg / m3. The fire reaction class is marked with the letter E in the European specification. The sound absorption capacity can be as high as 59 dB when using this product. Thanks to the Portuguese solution, the strips embedded in the cork allow you to install both plasterboard and OSB boards.

After assembly, the lambourde board will be resistant to many chemicals, insects and rodents. It can be used in walls, floors and ceilings. It is also used to prevent cold from escaping from chambers where low temperature is required. Sometimes you can also find the application of vibration isolation of machines and devices. This cork is suitable for both construction from scratch as well as renovation and reconstruction.