Cork Siding Review after 8 years

[@simplylifeau]

Thanks for sharing your experience, seems like a great product keen to use in the future as a healthy natural option…👍

[@Bill_CBR]

The house I grew up (1960's) in had cork flooring. Naturally it was made differently to serve a different purpose, but your video brought that memory back to me. Thanks for that. 🙂

[@aaronbradt713]

Never heard of corck siding. That is good information you talked about.

[@katydesign-ideas4sustainab179]

Thanks for the review. Thinking of using it so this is very helpful. Especially to protect the corner as we have tons of squirrels.

[@edbouhl3100]

I’ve JUST started thinking about it as a retrofit material in conjunction with stucco to add increased fire resistance to a wood frame house.

[@arajalali]

Very interesting. This video reminds me I have to go back watch your older videos prior to when I subscribed to your channel. In terms of price, how does cork compare to styrofoam for thermal insulation?

[@SanchoSanto]

I've seen youtube videos on people who spray a thin layer of colored cork to the outside of the home. This will fill in the gaps between plates and give a more traditional painted home look. Have you considered this option?

[@amandajane-buildingbetter]

I've seen a product like that in the UK or europe, where they mix cork with lime and spray it on. But I haven't seen any options like that in the U.S. Would love to try it!

[@user-wq6hr9xi2n]

Great video, thanks for sharing! Can i ask how did you attach the boards to the wall? Strongly considering this for my house

[@amandajane-buildingbetter]

Sure! In the ship lap part of the cork, we used a screw with a wide head, like a truss head screw. The company we ordered from actually sold them.Then, in the face of the cork, we just used exterior deck screws. Since we didn't have any sheathing on the walls, we had to aim for the studs.

[@castlecodersltd]

Could you not clad the cork in something that would protect it? I'm just trying to think how practical it would be to use that material here in the UK, without cladding it. Really enjoyed the video. Thank you 😊 😊

[@amandajane-buildingbetter]

Yes you certainly can. You can attach strapping on top of the cork, anchoring to the studs behind, and then clad over it with a siding or similar. You'd basically just be using the Rainscreen method there.

[@castlecodersltd]

@@amandajane-buildingbetter thanks. Very helpful 👍

[@greggstankewicz4309]

Hi-sorry if I missed this information in the video-where approximately are you located? Just trying to get an idea of your climate. Thank you!

[@amandajane-buildingbetter]

Good question. I dont' think I mention that. I'm in North Carolina, Climate zone 4.

[@greggstankewicz4309]

Thank you-we are diy’ing a small “sleep shed” in upstate NY. I’m looking at TimberHP’s wood fiber exterior insulation but really like the labor-saving of insulation and exterior cladding in one. The main downside of the cork seems to be durability, compared to wood siding. Where did you purchase the cork?

[@amandajane-buildingbetter]

The only thing I've found affecting the durability is animals. I have seen more woodpeckers on the cork since I made this video. I'm assuming they hear bugs or something behind the cork? So, maybe in a more urban environment (I'm surrounded by trees), it wouldn't be such an issue? But yeah, it is convenient to have the cork also be the siding. I wouldn't suggest painting the cork, but maybe a natural oil coat like linseed may help? Worth talking to the reps about to see what feedback they have. I bought it from EcoSupply. They supply cork for the eastern US.

[@paulmlemay]

How did you attach the cork to the studs? Nails? Glue? Thank you. I am just about to convert my shed into a yoga studio and cork insulation looks good

[@amandajane-buildingbetter]

We used screws with a wide flat head, almost like a truss head screw. They came from the supplier. Those were used in the ship lap where they would be hidden. On the face of the cork, we just used regular exterior screws, like deck screws. They sunk into the cork and effectively are hidden.

[@jmackinjersey1]

My main question is how did you seal the seams? It is not an air tight seal, so there is going to be a lot of air transfer, especially since, for some strange reason, you did not use any sheeting on the outside of the stud walls to help with the structure as well as slow energy/air transfer.

[@amandajane-buildingbetter]

Thanks for the comment! We left off the sheathing and did the old-fashioned diagonal bracing inlaid in the studs to reduce the amount of manufactured materials on the project. Then we installed a smart vapor open air barrier weather wrap from 475 (mento 1000) with all edges and seams taped and sealed. So it is an air-tight structure. We did wind up using a locally made, plywood with soy-based resin under the floor (the Roost is raised on piers 9 feet off the ground) and taped those seams as well. So, the cork siding is really just a cladding adding protection to the walls and extra insulation.

[@markturner5207]

Sorry Amanda, it just doesn’t look good.