Cork ETICS

External insulation with expanded cork (ICB) boards: a natural closed-cell insulant, water-repellent and rot-proof, bonded and anchored to the wall, base-coated with mesh and finished with mineral render. Unlike fibrous insulants it neither fears water nor distorts with humidity: it is dimensionally stable, breathable and of renewable plant origin, suited even to the plinth and the most exposed zones. It is the most durable and robust bio choice.

Cork ETICS is an external insulation system in which the insulant is a board of expanded cork (ICB), made from the bark of the cork oak expanded and bound by its own resin, with no glues. The laying follows the system's logic — bonding, anchoring, reinforced base coat, finish — but the material brings two rare qualities: water resistance and dimensional stability.

Cork's closed cells, impregnated with suberin, repel water: the board does not absorb moisture, does not rot and is not attacked by mould or insects. This is why cork is used even where fibrous insulants fear getting wet — the plinth, splash zones, risky details — staying efficient over time.

Cork is dimensionally stable: it does not swell with humidity nor shrink, so the base coat above cracks less at the joints. It also stays vapour-open, letting the wall «breathe», and gives good acoustic insulation thanks to its cellular structure. The finish must remain mineral and breathable so its quality is not lost.

Heavier and stiffer than synthetic boards, cork needs suitable adhesives and anchors and a careful reinforced base coat. It is a combustible material (class E): on façades, especially on tall buildings, the fire rules must be met with non-combustible bands and details. Otherwise it follows the system's rules: corner beads, drips, mesh embedded in the outer third.