Cork is a natural insulator, deriving from a Mediterranean tree: the cork oak. With its structure made up of millions of cells filled with still air, expanded cork is a very good thermal insulator (96% air). It is also effective in sound insulation.

The cork is available in slabs, tiles and rolls; for thermal insulation quality, a thickness of 20 to 100 mm is required. Granular cork can be poured into uninhabitable attic for insulation. Otherwise, it can provide thermal and sound insulation of floors, roofs and walls. Panels are more expensive than granules.

It is also the only green insulator that is completely water resistant. Thus, it may be used for the peripheral insulation of a house’s foundations. It is also rot proof and resistant to fire, and it does not release toxic fumes. Finally, it is not attacked by insects or rodents.

Cork is also used as a green floor covering. It is very warm and has antistatic virtues, which gives it a particularly comfortable aspect. It remains however mostly used as an undercoat of another floor covering. It is a very good thermal and sound insulator and it turns out to be also moisture resistant if the slabs were treated beforehand.

There are cork coverings of all colors, with motives, polished or varnished. The installation and the maintenance of the slabs are of the easiest.
The price of a cork covering remains reasonable: one can find good quality from around 10 Euros the square meter but the prices can quickly climb up to 50 Euros the square meter, sometimes even more.