What is spray cork?

Spray cork is a final coating applied mainly on the envelope of the buildings.

Current demand within the building sector requires the more and more environmentally eco-efficient materials. It is also the case in ecological insulation materials such as cork. For its great virtues and characteristics, it is considered as one of the eco-efficient materials more implemented nowadays.

If cork is applied through mechanical means, that is to say with an aerographic spray gun with an air compressor, we can talk about projected cork. The use of spray cork is aimed both at façade renovation and in new modular buildings.

Applying projected cork

Applying spray cork, the building improves its sustainability levels, because it is a renewable or a biosphere recycled material, such as wood, animal or vegetal fibres, natural paintings and varnishes, with low levels in industrial processing. VIPEQ® spray cork is an ecological product which addresses current demands on environment protection and conservation.

Spain and Portugal represent 80% of global natural cork production. Our granulate provider is AMORIM CORK COMPOSITES, the first cork producer in a global scale. This supply agreement enables us to guarantee the quality of all our consignments.

Cork which comes from cork oak tree cortex (Querqus Suber L) is a very complex material. Cork is a vegetal tissue formed by cells with regular 14 polyhedron faces. The different nature of cellulose cells, of suberin, of wax and of lignin are combined to act as a membrane with great endurance and resistance. Cork is light weighted and floats, 98% of its mass is air. It is elastic; recovers 95% of its original form when there is no pressure over it. It is due to its very flexible membranes. It shows a low conductivity, both on hear as on sound or vibrations. It is a waterproof material. Suberin and ceroids cover its cells and enable to preserve without any alteration cork insulation properties. Its resistance against humidity enable the material to endure without deteriorating. And last, it shows a heat resistance 30 folds higher than concrete.

VIPEQ F08, VIPEQ F09 and VIPEQ F10 emulsions contain a high percentage of cork granulate of low density which combined with different acrylic resins and additives lead to spray cork.

VIPEQ® spray cork products

These are our spray cork products, if you want to know more about them, click on the images.

null

VIPEQ F08

Projected cork thermo-acoustic insulation with rough finish

null

VIPEQ F09

Projected cork thermo-acoustic insulation with smooth texture

null

VIPEQ F10

Projected cork coating in thin layer which guarantees waterproof and ecological deck insulation

Characteristics and advantages of spray cork

VIPEQ’s® spray cork offers a series of advantages and characteristics that make it unique.

It regulates our home temperature

Projected cork works as a thermal corrective reducing thermal bridges in façades, walls and arches. It can also be applied in singular external elements, such as cornices, mouldings, arches, balconies’ ledges and slab structures.

Acoustic improvement

Acoustic improvement, minimizes impact, external and air sounds. Sound absorption coefficient (of acoustical materials) according to NP EN ISO 354.

It avoids microfisures

Its high flexibility enables to absorb structural tensions avoiding the occurrence of micro-cracks.

It absorbs impact sound

Projected cork is an impact sound absorber, the problem is also known as ‘drum’ effect and it is caused by the rain. Its high waterproofing power offers also an extra advantage to face this circumstance.

It avoids condensations

Projected cork is very permeable to water steam and therefore it avoids condensations.

It guarantees durability

It has an excellent endurance, guaranteed for 10 years, and it does not require maintenance.

Spray cork uses are multiple and versatile

The different cork emulsions spray from VIPEQ® have total adhesion on most materials (mortar, metal, wood, PVC, expanded polyethylene, fiber cement …) and are suitable as:

Façade coatings

Saving energy and improving energy consumption.

Acoustic-reverberation absorbent

Union bridge between ceramic and mortar

Anti-condensation in plate decks (dew effect)

Humidity and condensation protection in buildings

Protection and sealing air conditioning ducts

Waterproofing - in its F10 version - of all types of roofing (asphalt, sheet metal, fiber cement, etc.), providing in the same application a thermal correction and decorative finish.

Reduction of thermal bridge in pillars and slabs

Promoting adherence in anti-slipping floors (wood, metal, ceramics)

Façade renovation

Thermal protection of tanks and silos/bunkers

Rehabilitation and waterproofing - in its F10 version - of ceramic roofs, asphalt cloth, fiber cement, sheet metal

Providing cold-hot barrier in industrial metal doors

Thermal corrector for the preparation of camper vehicles

Thermal corrector

Coating and decks renovation

Sealing cracks

Thermal corrector in concrete prefabs

Thermal corrector in building Wood houses or domos

Thermal corrector in the nautical industry

Examples of spray cork uses

Projected cork façade coating

Many façades are nowadays deteriorated due to the time lapse, humidity makes paint fall due to not being able to ventilate and avoid the environmental humidity excess. Until recently, solutions offered were limited to paint periodically, but this option did not solve the humidity problem neither was a thermal improvement for the building. Buildings coated in VIPEQ®F08 or VIPEQ®F09 succeed in correcting thermal deficiencies creating a healthier indoor environment.

Revestimiento de fachadas con corcho proyectadoOriginal state

Revestimiento de fachadas con corcho proyectadoAfter renovation with projected cork

Deck and ceilings insulation / Fibre-concrete encapsulation

Encapsulamiento de microcemento

A lot of housing and industrial buildings require coating insulation. In a significant part of them, fibre-concrete boards have been used as roof coatings. To produce fibre-concrete, originally asbestos was used as a reinforcement fibre, but when asbestos related problems were acknowledge, its use was being gradually reduced. From the 1990s on, asbestos was being substituted by other kind of fibres, such as cellulose fibres, glass fibres or vinyl fibres. Demolition of those fibre-cement elements containing asbestos is really dangerous and is to be strictly controlled. Although the fibre-cement is not a friable material, if asbestos microfibers are inhaled pleural cancer risk rises enormously. This demolition process is really expensive and an alternative is VIPEQ spray cork encapsulation, which enables to extend the coating lifespan.

Projected cork adheres perfectly over any kind of surface, such as corrugated sheet, without requiring any previous treatment but it to be clean, dry, dust and grease free. If there were leakages, these should be treated prior to the cork projection.

Projected cork reaction to fire

A real case example

On December 31st 2013 there was a fire on the roof of Euskadi Etorbidea 5, in Pasajes (Basque Country) and the flames extended through the roof deck to the adjacent building. The following house in line was a bit higher and the blind wall facing the fire had, as the rest of the building, red projected cork VIPEQ®F08 as coating. As it can be seen in a regional police video filmed with a drone, VIPEQ®F08 prevented fire expansion and it suffered just a slight material alteration, a mere smoke blackening.

In this case VIPEQ®F08 was applied over fibre-concrete, a material which at high temperatures bursts and suffers deformations or cracks. Even though, VIPEQ®F08 spray cork avoided the fibre-concrete to be damaged.

VIPEQ®F08 is not to be considered merely as a thermal insulating product, but as a passive fire protection product.