Cork is a highly useful material, and its many exceptional qualities are well-known. Along with being both lightweight and sturdy, cork is also good for the environment. What you might be wondering about, though, is how cork reacts to heat. Is cork a good insulator of heat? Can you use it to provide a thermal break? Can it help you save money? Fortunately, we have the answers to these questions. Here is a brief introduction to cork’s heat insulation properties.
What is a thermal insulator?
To answer this, it’s important to understand how heat moves. Heat can move from one place to another in three different ways: conduction, convection, and radiation. While convection involves transfer through fluids and radiation involves transfer through waves in space, conduction is transfer that happens when solid objects come into contact with each other.
We must also understand that heat never sits still—its tendency is to move. Also, if there is no interference, then the tendency of heat is to move in the direction of cold. Thus, the heat in a cup of hot coffee naturally moves toward the cooler surface of the coffee cup.
A thermal insulator stops heat from transferring through conduction. For example, the paper sleeve on your coffee cup is a thermal insulator that prevents the heat of the coffee from being transferred to the surface of the cup and burning your hand. The thermos container you use to keep your drinks warm works by using the same principle.
What makes a good thermal insulator?
Different materials react to heat in different ways. For example, metal conducts heat very efficiently. That’s why you’ll find metal in toasters, radiators, and other appliances that need to heat up very quickly. On the other hand, gases such as air conduct heat very poorly. That’s why substances that contain air are excellent thermal insulators. If you want to insulate your windows, for example, you use two panes of glass with a barrier of air in between.
Why is cork a good insulator of heat?
So, is cork a good insulator of heat? In fact, cork is a very good thermal insulator. The reason has to do with the composition of cork. Cork is made up of countless tiny cells that are filled with air. The air serves to effectively block most heat from getting through a layer of cork.
To understand why cork is a good insulator of heat, you just have to look at where cork comes from. Cork begins life as bark, protecting the trees it shields from fire and harsh temperatures. That’s one of the reasons why cork is one of the most effective heat insulators around.
How can better thermal insulation help your building?
When the temperature is cold outside, then the tendency of the heat inside your building is to move outside. The heat will leak out through uninsulated attics, through gaps in windows, through your front door, and through any other means it can find. As a result, you’ll find that it is much harder to keep your building warm. You may have to run the furnace for long, expensive hours in order to prevent your rooms from getting chilly. As your furnace use goes up, so do your heating bills. Eventually, you may find that it’s expensive to have a poorly insulated building.
Insulating your building can help you control the temperature inside. When your building has been effectively insulated, the heat that your furnace generates won’t leak outside. Instead, it will stay inside and keep you and the other occupants comfortable. It will also keep your utility bills from getting out of control. For many people, this is more than enough of a reason to invest in better insulation.
Where can I find cork insulation?
If you want to use cork in your building, then you are probably wondering how you can find it. The answer is to get in touch with ThermalCork Solutions. We can provide you with a custom cork spray coating that will be perfectly suited to the unique needs of your home or business. Once your new cork coating is in place, you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits of a well-insulated building.
If you have any questions about the qualities of cork, then it’s time to speak with a professional. That’s when you should call ThermalCork Solutions. We take pride in offering only the best cork coating products to our customers, so they can keep their property safe. In particular, our cork spray offers an effective coating for your building, allowing you to protect your investment from potential damage. Whatever your project’s needs might be, our company will work to meet them. If you have any questions, then give us a call today at (402) 900-0720. Our team is ready to speak with you!