Cork is a material used in construction since ancient times, especially in Mediterranean civilizations such as Greece and Rome, where it was used to seal, waterproof, and insulate environments thanks to its natural heat-insulating and water-repellent properties.
Between 1500 and 1800 its use remained limited and limited to rural contexts, while it was only from the end of the nineteenth century, with the development of industry, that it found a more systematic application as an insulator, also thanks to the birth of agglomerated cork. In the 1930s, expanded cork, a completely natural product, became popular. After a period of decline due to the introduction of cheaper synthetic insulators, cork is now being revalued in the green building sector for its eco-friendly, renewable, and harmful emissions-free qualities.
Among the existing types, blond cork contains chemical adhesives, while expanded cork is completely natural, thanks to suberin, a resin present in the material itself. Coming from the bark of the cork oak, grown mainly in Portugal, Spain and Sardinia, cork is harvested sustainably every 9-12 years, without cutting down the tree, thus contributing to environmental protection and the reduction of CO₂.
