A Greener And More Efficient Option For Your Home
Have you been considering cork tiles, or have you just been looking for a way to make your home more efficient and stylish? If so, you’ll want to check out cork wall materials.
They’re better for the environment, and they’re easier on your wallet because they help with your energy bills. If that doesn’t entice you to give them a try, maybe our in-depth guide will.
It’s Eco-Friendly
With green lifestyles becoming all the rage, you might be happy to hear that cork wall tiles are safer for the environment than just about anything else.
This is for two main reasons. Cork is a long-lasting material, and it’s resistant to a lot of the things that damage materials such as wood and vinyl. However, one characteristic of cork sets it apart from all other building materials. It doesn’t require trees to be cut down.
Traditionally, wood would be used in one form or another to create the walls in your home. That requires quite a few trees to be cut down and killed, and it takes a long time for those trees to be regrown. Sometimes, they aren’t regrown at all.
Cork is a unique type of tree bark. It comes from a special type of oak tree that grows in Portugal and Spain. When the bark is removed, the tree doesn’t die like other tree varieties would. It just starts growing another layer of cork around the area that was stripped.
Since cork oaks don’t die when they’re stripped of their useful bark, using cork wall tiles decreases your impact on the environment considerably.
It Dampens Sound
Due to cork’s spongy and dense nature, it makes an excellent noise dampener. It won’t completely soundproof the rooms you install it in, but it will help considerably.
The density and sponginess of cork board tiles dampens noise by forcing it to work its way through the many pores in the cork before it can reach your ears. It’s so effective that it can make a nearby train sound like a muffled growling instead of the clanging metallic sounds most people have to put up with.
This makes it a wonderful choice for the walls in your bedroom, living room, and any offices or quiet spaces you might have in your home. However, you can easily put cork throughout your entire house. There aren’t any downsides to using it.
It’s A Great Insulator
Cork wall tiles are exceptional sources of insulation. You have to remember that cork is actually the bark of a very special tree. Its entire purpose is to work as a natural insulator.
That means that cork will naturally maintain the temperature of any room that it’s installed in, and it will make your thermostat, air conditioner, and heater have to work less. It traps the hot or cold air in your home.
You’ll notice a drastic drop in the price of your energy bills once you install cork wall tiles or flooring because of its insulating traits.
It’s Hypoallergenic
Have you ever wondered why wine makers use cork stoppers to bottle their wine? Well, that’s because it’s naturally hypoallergenic.
It prevents mold and mildew from growing on it because it has a cellular structure. That makes it a great choice for bathrooms and kitchens because you won’t have to worry about a little water causing ridiculous amounts of damage, and it will make it easier to breathe in those rooms.
It also doesn’t hold in things like pet hair, dust, pollen, and other common allergens like other building materials do. Cork tiles can still get those things on their surfaces, but it’s a lot easier to clean them than it is to fully clean drywall or carpet.
Bonus Benefits
Cork isn’t just a practical building material. It has several benefits that simply make it more fun to use.
While the following benefits won’t lower your energy bill or help you breathe easily, they will add a lot of style to your home.
It Has A Natural Vibe
Living in a house that’s made up of nothing but boring white walls can be depressing. Cork adds a natural flair to your house. That doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice bold and exciting colors to use cork tiles, though.
You can buy cork in just about any pattern and color that you can imagine. It’s simply more textured and natural looking than other materials when it’s painted.
It Makes More Than Just A Wall
This benefit isn’t necessary, but it is nice if you plan on installing cork in an office or a teen’s room. It functions the same way as those cork boards your local grocery store uses to pin up advertisements or lost pet signs. It’s made out of the same material.
This obviously isn’t something that you want to do all around your house, but it adds a bit of functionality to what would otherwise just be a way to separate areas of your house.
It Doesn’t Clash With Other Wall Materials
If you mix wood with brick, plaster, vinyl, or any other building material, you can easily make your house look tacky and unappealing. So, you typically have to use the same material for every wall in a specific room, and you might even have to use it in every room to create a uniform appearance.
Cork isn’t like that. You can mismatch your wall materials with cork, and the cork will simply add a bit of style to an otherwise uniform and boring room. It enhances the appearance of other materials very well.
Cork flooring also enhances a room’s appearance. So, if you just want to replace your flooring at the moment, you can experience the benefits it brings without having to replace all of your walls.
Final Thoughts
Cork wall tiles aren’t just a fad. They’re eco-friendly, and they can help you save a lot of money on your energy bills. Besides that, they’re more stylish than other materials, and they can breathe new life into any boring old room.
If you’ve been on the fence about cork tiles, now is the time to try them.
