Corksol UK has seen its first successful trial of its innovative new thermal insulation solution, TACTIC, as tested on residential properties built by North East housing provider, Thirteen Group.
The ground-breaking solution developed by West Yorkshire based Corksol UK through Teesside University aims to create an affordable solution to help reduce energy wastage and fuel poverty across the country.
The thermally enhanced cork-based coating is being funded through Innovate UK’s Sustainable Innovation Fund, whose aim is to help rebuild all sectors of the UK economy and create new opportunities following the pandemic.
With millions of hard-to-treat homes across the UK, caused by varying factors such as damp, lack of ventilation and thick stone walls, this innovative coating made from natural cork, has been tested over the last nine months in the laboratory at Teeside University, led by Dr Yongxin Pan. The application and thermal properties of the product are part of a live demonstration, supervised by Dr Sergio Rodriguez.
The 8mm cork coating is applied by a spray method in just a couple of days and is expected to deliver the same level of insulation as that of mineral wool, without losing interior space.
Joff Ward, Managing Director for Corksol said: “Those who know our company are well aware that we’re always on the hunt for better products with better performance. We’ve made it our mission to raise the bar for sustainable building materials, so finding the formula for this carbon negative solution was music to our ears.
“We’re also incredibly passionate about finding ways to help tackle fuel poverty in the UK. There should be no reason in this day and age that people living anywhere should struggle to keep their home warm in winter months, whether the property is bought or rented, house or flat. We want to make this product accessible to all, giving us the opportunity to futureproof as many homes as possible. This innovative solution could be the answer to insulating millions of homes to reducing energy bills and fuel poverty, increasing comfort and improving wellbeing in the future.
“There is a massive need for thin internal wall insulation. By redeveloping our existing cork product, we’ve been able to enhance its thermal performance, to protect homes from heat loss and damp.”
Helen Ivison, Asset Infrastructure Manager for Thirteen Group commented: “We’re delighted to be working with Corksol and Teesside University, to test this innovative product on one of our homes.
“We needed to find two properties which were like-for-like, with no previous wall insulation, so that the cork product could be applied to just one of the homes, allowing for monitoring to take place over a 12-month period.
“Smart meters have been installed in both homes, to read the energy usage, which is monitored remotely through sensors in the homes.
“Projects like this will give us essential insight into how we ensure Thirteen’s properties move towards our goal of being carbon neutral in the future.”
To find out more, please visit www.corksoluk.com / www.thirteengroup.co.uk
