Soundproofing decisions rarely come down to a single number. The choice between cork, mineral wool and synthetic foam involves performance, durability, fire response, indoor air quality and end-of-life behaviour.
Cork delivers strong impact noise reduction at low thickness, holds its dimensional stability for the life of the building, and contains no added formaldehyde, no halogenated flame retardants and no isocyanates. Mineral wool offers excellent absorption above 500 Hz at a low cost per square metre, but settles over time in vertical applications and produces airborne fibres during installation. Synthetic foams are easy to cut and install but suffer from off-gassing and dimensional drift under temperature cycling.
Across a 50-year building life, cork's lifecycle cost is competitive even where its purchase price is higher, because it does not need replacement and contributes to a healthier indoor environment from day one.
Specifying for your project?
Request a sample kit of our cork grades to test density, granulometry and performance in your specific application.
Request a sample