ACOUSTICAL SOUND CONTROL, CORK UNDERLAYMENT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS on QuietCORK™
Q.What should a good underlayment provide?
A. Sound-deadening to quiet impact noises and airborne sounds, and resilience for comfort underfoot.
Q. What gives cork its sound-deadening and natural resiliency properties?
A.Sound-deadening: 200 million cork cells per cubic inch – each a dead air space – impede transmission of sound and therefore serves as an effective noise barrier.
Resiliency: This unique physical composition of cork gives it excellent compressibility and recoverability. It easily conforms to slight variations in the surface of the floor and provides a compliant base for the finished floor.
Q. What kind of cork makes the best underlayment?
A. Pure, natural composition cork in a low 10 to 12 lb. density provides maximum sound-deadening, resiliency and durability characteristics. QuietCORK™ is specially formulated in 11.5 lb. low density produced from a mix of 1mm to 4mm cork grains to maximize underlayment needs and requirements.
Q. Does cork absorb water if it gets wet?
A. One of the main characteristics of cork is that it does not absorb water and other liquids. Wine corks and other cork stoppers have been used for centuries precisely because cork was found not to absorb liquids. It is for this same reason that cork remains buoyant and is therefore used for floatation products such as level gauge floats, fishing floats, buoys, and life jackets.
Q. Can cork develop mold if it gets wet or is used in a moist environment?
A. Cork does not support the growth of molds and mildew. Besides cork’s superb technical specifications, this is one of the main reasons why cork is extensively used for insulation purposes in refrigeration rooms and chambers, cork floor coverings in both residential and commercial settings, and cork underlayment for acoustical sound control. It is also for this reason that cork is used in the shoe industry as insoles and for orthopedic purposes. QuietCORK™ underlayment, much like other cork building products and shoe components, is specifically formulated using a polyurethane binder further enhancing corks natural resistance to molds and mildew.
Q. What about sound-deadening requirements?
A. QuietCORK™ in 6mm thickness substantially exceeds sound-deadening requirements (impact noise) for “floors separating living units” in condominiums, apartment and office buildings. QuietCORK™ even in 2.5mm thickness will meet the established standards as called for by building codes and regulatory associations when used with appropriate floor/ceiling assembly system.
Q. Are there other benefits besides sound control to using QuietCORK™
A. QuietCORK™ is a low weight material which also provides thermal insulation and is easily and economically applied. Furthermore it provides stress crack protection for ceramic tiles, hardwood floorings and other floor coverings.
Q. When and where does one use QuietCORK™
A. QuietCORK™ should be used in any structure requiring noise control from floor to floor and/or room to room such as condominiums, hospitals, schools, hotels, and office buildings. QuietCORK™ is also highly beneficial in single or multi-level homes due to it’s acoustic and thermal insulating properties. QuietCORK™ provides an outstanding sound barrier beneath hardwood, ceramic, marble or stone flooring.
Q. What about environmental concerns?
A. QuietCORK™ is a non-toxic, natural, environmentally friendly and renewable resource.
Q. Is QuietCORK™ available in both rolls and sheets?
A. Yes. Contact Jelinek Cork Group for details on sizes, thicknesses, and prices
QuietCORK™ materials have been tested for their acoustical properties. See Testing Results. Certified copies of all testing results may be obtained by request from Jelinek Cork Group.