Wall decoration with cork wallpaper: the nuances of using natural material

Cork wallpapers are increasingly becoming popular in the design of modern interiors. Not surprising, because they are based on natural material, which allows you to achieve the effect of rapprochement with nature.

“Cork” - this is what is commonly used in the name of bark of cork oak, the main feature and advantage of which is a rapidly recovering bark. They get it from 15-year-old trees, extracting from the trunk 1 time in 10 years, which is completely safe for the tree, moreover, it retains its properties for up to 200 years. A large-scale producer of cork - Portugal, less often produced in France, Italy, Spain, northern Africa.

Advantages and disadvantages of cork wallpaper

Cork wallpapers are not limited only to ecological properties. In addition to the naturalness of the material, such canvases have a number of other advantages:

• stunning aesthetics, this is a great option for interior lovers in eco-style;
• low thermal conductivity - the cork perfectly accumulates heat, while not blocking the cold from the outside;
• good sound insulation - the porosity of the material perfectly absorbs and scatters sound waves;

• regulation of the humidity level - the cork naturally regulates humidity, maintaining it at the optimal level for the human body;
• antistatic - the cork is electrically neutral, therefore it does not attract dust, always staying clean;
• fire safety - despite the “woody” origin, cork is completely non-combustible;

• durability - due to its porous structure, cork wallpapers are resistant to mechanical stress. In addition, they do not fade, do not lose color, even under the intense action of sunlight;
• safety for the human body - the cork has antibacterial properties, is hypoallergenic, prevents the appearance and development of mold and fungus, even in conditions of high humidity;
• ease of care - such wallpapers are easy to clean, do not deform when in contact with water and household chemicals.

But in addition to the advantages, it is necessary to indicate some of the disadvantages of cork wallpaper:

• price - the high cost of such paintings, perhaps their most important drawback. The highest price for a high quality Portuguese cork;
• odor absorption - the porous structure immediately absorbs and retains the smell for a long time. Therefore, in rooms where persistent odors may appear, cork wallpaper should be coated with wax or varnish;

• Difficulty with replacing - sticking other canvases on top of cork wallpaper They will have to be completely removed, which will be very difficult;
• such wallpapers cannot be repainted;
• pets - cork wallpapers and favorite pets - concepts incompatible with each other: the temptation to gnaw a cork or sharpen claws is very strong. Therefore, you will either have to refuse the cork, or place such coverage outside the animal access zone.

How to choose?

Cork wallpapers come in three types:

• on a paper basis - cork veneer is glued to the paper itself. The texture of this coating is very diverse and expressive, with a wide palette - from light beige to dark ocher.

• without basis (rolled) - produced by hot pressing of crushed bark. The thickness of such a sheet is 2-2.5 mm;

• self-adhesive wallpaper - something in between a cork roll and cork wallpaper. It is enough to simply remove the paper layer from the cork base, on which the adhesive composition is previously applied, after which the walls can be pasted. But keep in mind, such a finish is far from a guarantee of a durable and effective result.

Shades of sand, gold, brown and beige will add warmth to any room, making it conducive to rest and relaxation. This is what contributes to the frequent use of cork in country style homes or ethnic design.

Dirt resistance and mechanical strength of such wallpapers causes a high demand for them for decoration of commercial buildings with high traffic, halls, corridors, offices.

The use of cork wallpaper in the interior involves some restrictions on the choice of furniture. Even in combination with other coatings, cork creates a feeling of excess wood in the room. Therefore, in a room decorated with cork canvases, there should be as little wooden furniture as possible. Exquisite polished furniture in dark colors blends well with cork.

Tip: colored cork sheets are optimally combined with synthetic things.

Despite the interesting texture and natural color, a monotonous cork coating is quite boring. It’s better to refresh it with areas that are tastefully decorated with other materials.

Note: when combining various types of wallpaper, the main thing is that the difference is not noticeable. Therefore, in the case of cork canvases, it is necessary to select fairly thick varieties. If you can’t hide the difference in thickness, you can use decorative moldings or joining materials.

Sticking

Before proceeding with the gluing, the wallpaper needs to be expanded and allowed to lie down for some time in the room. It will be good to immediately cut them into strips and leave them under the press for several days. Although the structure of cork canvases is rather heterogeneous, they poorly hide wall defects, so its surface should be flat.

Cork wallpapers are “heavy” in structure and density, therefore they require high-quality reliable glue, for example, acrylic.

The main recommendations for gluing walls with cork wallpaper

• gluing the room is better to start from the corner. In general, angle processing in this case is not an easy task. With a sharp or inaccurate bend of the cork cloth, it can crack;
• gluing cork wallpaper is necessary only in the joint;
• sticking wallpaper with acrylic glue requires speed, so large pieces of cork canvases are best handled together.

The process of sticking cork wallpaper involves the following actions:

1. Spread a piece of wall with acrylic adhesive that is the same size as the glued piece of wallpaper. Spread the glue evenly with a comb.
2. Attach a piece of wallpaper to the surface so that there is no air inside, and press down.
3. Remove excess glue with a knife. Do not try to wash the glue with water, this will lead to a white coating on the wallpaper. Therefore, allow the excess to dry, and then carefully scrape or cut them off.