Cork noise insulation, the whole truth about this material
Whatever the producers of soundproofing materials say, there is no universal means for completely cutting off all existing noises in your home. The only way to be in absolute silence is to move to a deep cellar, and there you can find vibrating noises from a nearby train. Cork noise insulation only partially can solve the problem of an unceasing buzz, coming from the street and talking on high tones from neighbors, slightly muffling them. The matter is that it is a thin enough pressed material from a fine crumb of a cork tree with a porous structure, thanks to which the material possesses excellent amortization qualities. For the most part, the plug perfectly saves from the impact sounds of , and more of your neighbors.
As an example, let's take a neighbor from below, who has an extremely strong voice. You decided to close it with a reliable shield of cork and laid the floors of this wonderful material, which, according to the promises of the sellers, reduces any noise by 20 decibels. However, you will hear the neighbor's voice almost as well, however, in a slightly muffled version. But your neighbor completely ceases to hear your step, and even you decide to jump with a rope, below there will be no discomfort from the trampling, except that the chandelier will tinkle. That is, your steps will be damped by 20 decibels. But what good is the cork then, and why should it be used, you ask. It's all about the way the material is used. Thin sound-absorbing cork wallpaper is a myth.
Noise isolation with a stopper, or how much you are willing to increase the thickness of the walls
Thirty millimeters of cork wood according to sound-insulating properties corresponds to 150 millimeters of reinforced concrete or 10 centimeters of a pine beam. In this case, as a rule, you are guaranteed a reduction in noise by 20-50 decibels. What happens, based on the foregoing on the mythical properties of cork, all this - just an advertising tricks? About decibel is likely, but about the correspondence between materials, everything is really like that. But remember, if the walls in a panel house are well protected from noise, where concrete slabs are used as the material. Neighbors can be heard perfectly, but if the walls were three times thicker, but with a layer of insulation, then the silence would undoubtedly reign in every apartment. So the noise isolation of the cork, if you use layers of one layer of this material( the thickness of which does not exceed 10.5 millimeters), the effect will be insignificant. But increase the thickness of the insulation, put on top an additional layer of insulation and decorative panels, for example, siding on the walls and laminate on the floor, and you immediately feel the result.
The only thing against which the noise insulation of a house with a cork tree is powerless is structural sounds, or, in other words, vibration.
The most effective way to soundproof your room will be to cover the cork of absolutely all surfaces. This is, of course, not about furniture, which, undoubtedly, would be an original design decision, but about walls, field and ceiling. At the same time, laying the plates of the material we are considering, we should take an example of laying a brick, that is, after laying one layer of insulation, the panels of the next layer should be stacked so that the center of one upper panel is at the junction point of the corners of the bottom four panels. In principle, with tight junctions, the effect will appear after the second layer of sound insulation. If we give the third layer, again with the displacement of the stacked plates in relation to the previous row, we can expect that not only shock, but also air noises will be almost not audible. Over the cork you can lay any coating, but it is better to leave it as it is, it is warm, very pleasantly softens the steps and extremely durable.
Cork sound insulation, its installation and maintenance
To lay cork on the walls and floor, much labor is not required. As a flooring, the cork can be laid in two ways, depending on which plates you purchased. There are those that are connected by the universal method "groove-spike".They can be laid on a concrete or wooden floor of your house, the main thing is that the surface is absolutely flat. The origin of mold is not affected by this material, but it is better to insure against condensation on the underside of the plates and put polyethylene under them. From above, as an additional guarantee against the penetration of dampness, we lay a 3-centimeter polypropylene substrate and begin to collect the mosaic from the cork slabs. Spread one row, followed by the second, which should be raised and put to the edge of the first at an angle of 30 degrees, making sure that the spikes hit the grooves. Lightly press, while lowering a row of plates, and now even, and most importantly, a strong connection is ready. Also we put all the other plates. Each next row is laid in relation to the previous one with a displacement of half-plates( the principle of brickwork).
To lay the cork on the floor and walls, as well as on the ceiling with glue, you need a quick-setting adhesive, preferably rubber, in order to just apply the coating sheet to the surface for complete adhesion. The principle of gluing the room is the same as in the case of a floating or paraglide coating, that is, with a displacement of half a plate. The cork sheets should be laid tightly, without gaps, by gluing the joints including .Thanks to the fact that the glue you choose is quick-drying and grasps instantly, the noise insulation of the ceiling is not more difficult than installing the plug on the walls. At the end of the work, you can leave the cork in its natural form, or, if it is a question of finishing the bathroom, toilet or kitchen, cover them with a special lacquer-sealant. Apply a protective layer followed by a soft, fine-pored roller, and all fire safety rules must be observed, since varnish varnish is fire hazardous. At the end of the work the room should be well ventilated within 24 hours, the full setting of the sealant takes place after 8-14 days. Then the surface can be safely wiped with a damp cloth. If the protective layer is broken, re-coating is possible without prior grinding.
