Is Cork Heat Resistant?

Photo credit: Peter Gay Plastering

Cork is a powerful natural material that possesses a number of useful qualities. Some of the most common questions relate to its insulative qualities. To make things clear, we’ll answer whether cork is heat resistant and if it’s a good insulator too.

Cork’s natural heat resistance

The short answer is yes, cork is heat resistant. The long and more interesting answer is about why that’s the case. Cork originates from hot climates in the Mediterranean, where it protects trees from harsh, hot temperatures.

Today, cork is still predominantly grown in countries like Spain and Portugal. But it wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t naturally heat resistant. You can think of it like natural selection – materials that aren’t heat resistant will have died off, so they will no longer be found in these hot climates.

Of course, it’s not just a nice story that backs up cork’s heat resistance. Scientific studies have shown that cork is thermally stable up to 200°C. So, we don’t think it will have any issues with the 20-30°C temperatures of a British summer.

Don’t forget fire resistance!

While we’re on the topic of heat, it’s also worth mentioning that cork is highly resistant to fire too. It burns slowly without a flame, meaning that a fire won’t spread due to cork burning. When it does burn, no toxic gases are emitted, so it really does minimise the harm and damage of a fire.

So, it will come as no surprise that our SprayCork coating has a Euro-class B safety rating for fire resistance!

Is cork a good insulator?

We’ve explained why cork is heat resistant. But that doesn’t necessarily tell you whether it’s a good insulator. Thankfully, the answer is yes for this one too.

Cork’s unique honeycomb structure comprises countless pockets of air within the material itself. That gives it a long list of natural qualities, including durability, flexibility, sound insulation and – you guessed it – thermal insulation.

Again, research has been done to back this up. When used as an internal wall coating, a sprayed cork solution has been proven to reduce heat loss by 30%. That’s a significant amount of heat staying in your home through the winter, which means some big savings on your energy bills.

Put cork to the test

Is cork heat resistant and a good insulator? The answer to both is a resounding “yes”. At CorkSol, we pass on the natural qualities of cork to customers across the UK with our innovative SprayCork coating.

Used to coat both interior and exterior walls, it provides an insulative barrier that stops heat, sound and water passing through your walls. That’s all topped off with a 25-year guarantee, so you can enjoy those benefits long into the future.

To find out more or arrange a quote, simply contact our team on 01484 442420 or email [email protected].