Can Cork Be An Answer For Green Building Needs?
Cork is both recyclable and renewable, as it is the only tree that regenerates its bark, while harvesting that bark causes the tree no harm, cork is something of a dark horse when it comes to the environment. Unbeknown to many, Cork has been sneaking its way into our buildings for many years now; In the checkerboard flooring of the Library of Congress.
Even NASA has been wise to cork’s light-weight and insulation capacity, using it as an insulator for their space shuttles. Recently we have seen a growing curiosity over cork as an external cladding material for buildings. cork is extremely waterproof, resistant to abrasion, and acts as a fire retardant and an acoustic insulator. None of the harvested bark goes to waste in the process apart from the dust produced along the way.
