Are you building a new home or commercial building? Are you thinking about upgrading your current roof? If you said yes to either question, it’s time to consider including spray cork roof coating in your plans. While sprayed cork has only recently enjoyed widespread use in the U.S., Europeans have been relying on it for decades. This is due to its superior energy efficiency, fire resistance, and acoustic insulation.

Overview of Spray Cork Roof Coatings

You’re undoubtedly familiar with the use of cork for wine stoppers and coasters. But this natural substance also makes an excellent building material. Cork comes from the cork oak tree. Some cork is used in slab form, while the remainder can be ground down into granules and blended with other materials for versatile applications. Spray cork roof coatings consist of 80% cork granules and 20% resin, enabling the natural material to adhere firmly to any roof.

Suitable Applications for Spray Cork Roof Coatings

One of the reasons why spray cork roof coatings are rapidly growing in popularity in the U.S. is their versatility. Cork has a high friction coefficient, thanks to the micro-suction cups that allow it to securely adhere to surfaces. For practical purposes, this means cork roof coatings can be safely and securely applied to a wide range of roofing materials, including the following:

  • Metal
  • Ceramic
  • Concrete
  • Fiberglass
  • Shingles

Fire Resistance for Roofs

Structural fires can be devastating, and they are of particular concern for building owners located in wildfire-prone areas like California and Arizona. The best strategy for warding off the flames is a proactive one. That involves choosing materials that offer superior fire resistance. Spray cork is both heat-resistant and fire-resistant.

Cork evolved to protect cork oak trees in the wild from devastating fires. As a result, it’s non-combustible. Plus, it will not release incandescent particles. You can harness this same ability for your own building by applying a spray cork roof coating. Cork is also an ideal material for exterior and interior wall coatings to further enhance the fire resistance of your building.

Energy Efficiency for 21st-Century Buildings

As industrialization and the activities of modern living fuel climate change, home and business owners increasingly look for energy-efficient solutions that enable them to lessen their carbon footprint. And for many people, the financial incentives of improving the energy efficiency of a building are worth the cost of the upgrade.

The search for greater energy efficiency has led many building owners to choose spray cork roof coatings. Cork is highly energy efficient because of its emission values. The emission values of standard building materials range from 0.82 and 0.9. In comparison, the emission values of sprayed cork range from 0.55 to 0.59. This substantial difference is why spray cork coatings are better able to block heat transfer. Furthermore, cork is an excellent insulator because it’s such a poor conductor of heat.

Aesthetic Appeal of Spray Cork Roof Coatings

Another unique characteristic of certain formulations of spray cork is that they are able to stabilize temperatures independent of color. Color is significant because it affects the absorption of the sun’s rays. Light colors reflect the sun to a greater degree than dark colors. That’s why homeowners in warm climates often choose light roof coatings.

The majority of sprayed cork options have a temperature stabilization that is affected by the material’s color. Lightly colored cork roofs tend to stabilize temperatures between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius, whereas darkly colored cork roofs tend to have a temperature between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius. ThermaShield’s spray cork roof coatings are uniquely formulated to maintain a stable temperature between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, regardless of the color of the material. This means that building owners can select whatever color they wish without having to worry about any negative effects on energy efficiency.

Acoustic Insulation for Homes and Businesses

There are many conveniences of urban living, but peace and quiet generally aren’t among them. Homeowners and business owners who want to reduce external noise pollution will be happy to know that spray cork roof coatings act as highly effective acoustic insulators. This makes the material particularly well-suited to buildings located near airports, industrial sites, and urban centers.

Depending on the specific combination of materials used and the installation technique, a spray cork roof coating is capable of reducing noise by eight to 12 decibels. You can further enhance this effect by applying it to the exterior of all walls. In fact, you can double the decibel reduction by applying sprayed cork to the interior of the building as well.

Environmental Sustainability for Eco-Conscious Homeowners

You’ve already read that sprayed cork is an environmentally friendly building material because it improves energy efficiency, and consequently reduces your impact on the environment. But did you know that cork is also environmentally sustainable? Unlike many other building materials, cork is naturally sourced from sustainable forests. In fact, the harvesting of cork never kills or even harms the cork oak tree. Plus, regularly harvested trees are known to live longer than those that are left alone.

The majority of cork oak forests are located in the Mediterranean region of Europe. For generations, the people there have treated the cork oaks with reverence, instilling excellent forestry skills and technical knowledge in the new generations of harvesters. All cork is harvested by hand by these specially trained professionals.

A cork oak tree can be harvested for the first time when it reaches maturity at about 25 years of age. After that point, harvesting can take place again at intervals of eight to nine years. Harvested cork oak trees can live for well over 200 years. Even better, with each cork harvest, the tree releases substantial quantities of oxygen into the environment.

Learn More about Spray Cork Roof Coatings

To learn more about spray cork roof coatings for your home or commercial building, contact ThermaShield today. We distribute our product throughout the United States and provide application services in Tucson and Phoenix, as well as select areas of Texas and California. Call (520) 600-8722 or get in touch online to find out if you are eligible for a no-obligation estimate, available in participating areas.