Thermacork

Thermacork expanded cork insulation panels are a sustainable and more energy efficient alternative to foam panels. Our cork insulation comes in aesthetically pleasing exterior façade panels that can withstand the elements with little upkeep. Thermacork panels are R-4 per inch, insulating incredibly well despite their mass. Their performance is especially outstanding during rapid changes in temperature from day to night, due to a phenomenon known as thermal delay.

Thermacork is manufactured in Portugal in a carbon negative process that is the definition of green production. The cork dust created by the manufacturing process is burned in a high temperature boiler that generates 90% of the energy needed to produce the cork panels. There are no materials used in the production of Thermacork other than the bark itself and steam.

Cork insulation primarily uses pruned oak branches that are insufficient for use in the wine industry. Wine stoppers cannot be made with the first peel of cork oak, which makes perfect insulation due to its high resin content. The use of first peel cork in Thermacork creates economic incentives to plant more cork oaks in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa. Thermacork also utilizes post-consumer cork that has been separated from other waste.

Cork oak farming is one of the most green industries there is. In Portugal it is illegal to cut down a cork oak tree, whose bark can be harvested 15-20 times over the course of its 200 year long life. Because cork is harvested by hand, the environmental impact of the industry is incredibly low. Though cork oak forests look dry and desolate, they actually house one of the most biodiverse eco systems in the world.