Armaflex AF vs. cork

Reading time 3 minutes

Updated - January 2, 2025

Armaflex AF or cork, this is the question that arises for those who convert a van into a motorhome and want to insulate it for winter.

Below, both variants will be compared in terms of health and insulation properties, but also in terms of costs and workload.

And a little tip to start with: insulation, it doesn't weigh anything! Unfortunately, it does - so it's best to add up the weight of everything you intend to install beforehand to avoid disappointment from the outset. Nothing is more annoying than finding out on the scales that you are overloaded!

Pro and con

Anyone who considers the alternative of cork usually primarily fears that, as we read from time to time, Armaflex emits substances that are harmful to health. This fear is justified with regard to some variants of Armaflex.
Armaflex AF, on the other hand, is closed-pored and does not emit any unpleasant odors, neither for the nose nor for your health.

Cork is a comparatively much more expensive insulation method if you want to use it to insulate a panel van all around. If you can afford it financially, cork is definitely recommended.

The insulating capacity of Armaflex AF as sheet material is 0.033 W/(m · K), while pressed cork granulate has 0.038 – 0.040 W/(m · K), i.e. it insulates slightly worse. A structure as described below should be on par with Armaflex AF insulation of 19 mm in terms of thermal technology.

Cost comparison

In total, for cork insulation using the procedure described below, you can expect a cost factor that is five times higher at a good 100 euros per square meter of area, compared to Armaflex AF at around 20 euros.
If you calculate around 600 euros for a complete L4H3 structure in full insulation with Armaflex AF, you will end up with around 3,000 euros if you use cork without exception.

If you are not so blessed with money, we recommend that you at least insulate the floor of the vehicle with cork. This offers a number of advantages in terms of weight and labor savings, at “only” about four times the cost. If you glue the cork strips and panels with special contact adhesive, the cork version is significantly more complex.

Construction with Armaflex AF and / or cork in comparison

With the Armaflex AF variant, you usually glue wooden strips to the raised profiles of the floor and line them with Armaflex AF in between. If necessary, you can build a second layer, offset by 90°, to achieve perfect floor insulation, even for regions with extreme sub-zero temperatures. The existing floor is placed on this second layer of slats and screwed together.
Depending on the rigidity of the base plate used, the spacing between the strips of the upper batten layer must be chosen to be quite narrow in order to avoid mechanical pressure on the Armaflex AF when walking on it.

With cork panels, the recesses can be filled to size without any battens, simply by cutting cork strips of around 3 mm thick, slightly increasing in width from bottom to top, and thus filling the recesses. It's a decent puzzle piece, but functional.
As soon as these recesses have all been worked flush with cork strips to form a flat surface, a layer now follows Industrial cork panels of 20 mm thickness.
For example, a final 3 mm thick carpet layer (140 x 550 cm) with a rubberized backing acts as a final layer Corcoleum.

Processing

In general, large, straight surfaces are not laid in the blink of an eye, but in a comparatively short time. Cut-outs for wheel arches, pillars and door stop sides can be tricky.

Clean work, making templates, etc. take time and prolong the work. However, if you take the necessary time, you will benefit from a clean work result.

Armaflex

Armaflex should be cut with an extremely sharp and thin knife WITHOUT applying any pressure and with several passes if you want to avoid tears or fraying.

A cutter knife is ideal as it is thinner than a conventional carpet knife and can be used to cut curves easily.

For more complex, precisely fitting shapes, cut shapes made of relatively stiff but thin cardboard are useful. Thin, because you can press roughly cut shapes onto the edges of the exact shape, mark them with a thumbnail and cut them to size accordingly.
Stiff, so that you can trace the shape with the cutter knife without running the risk of cutting the cardboard at the same time.

Cork

Cork should be cut in the same way as Armaflex for thinner sheets.

Thicker panels are better cut with a jigsaw in conjunction with a very fine metal saw blade.
It is important that the saw blade itself determines the feed speed. If the feed rate is too fast, the cut will tear out.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it is a question of money whether you choose exclusive Armaflex AF insulation, a combination of cork floor and Armaflex AF wall and ceiling insulation, or pure Armaflex AF insulation.

The insulation properties are basically comparable and therefore not a compelling argument for or against.

If you prefer the homely cork character but do not have the necessary financial means, you can stick the cork carpet onto the floor panel insulated with Armaflex AF. This means that the look and feel of cork is guaranteed, and solid insulation is also achieved with relatively little work.