Acoustics6 min read

Designing acoustic panels with natural cork

Composition, density and surface treatment choices for panels that perform and look the part.

DS

Dimas & Silva Editorial

Portuguese cork · since 1987

Acoustic panels are where cork's performance and visual character meet. A panel built from coarse granulates bonded with a natural elastomer reads as warm and tactile in a room, while delivering an NRC between 0.55 and 0.85 depending on thickness and mounting.

For open-plan offices, restaurants and lecture halls, the most effective configurations layer a 25 to 40 mm cork core against a backing air gap of 25 mm or more. The air cavity extends absorption into lower frequencies without adding mass to the wall.

Surface treatment matters. A lightly sanded face preserves the open cells that drive absorption. A sealed lacquered face turns the panel into a reflector — beautiful, but acoustically inert. Specify by intent.

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