Left, a building prior to having VIPEQ product applied and right, the building after VIPEQ has been applied
PRINCE GEORGE – Gordon Bliss has a new, green alternative to typical building siding – cork – that is new to northern BC, but not to other parts of Canada and the United States.
His Thermal Corkshield North Ltd. company offers siding produced by VIPEQ of Spain that has been used for decades, and has been used on buildings in this region since he started the company in 2018.
Gordon Bliss of Thermal Corkshield North Ltd.
“It is 100 per cent green, and it’s fire retardant – cork won’t burn,” Bliss states, adding it’s also water-resistant and is a thermal barrier. “It comes in 27 different colours, and while paint fades over time, cork doesn’t and it maintains its colour for 15-20 years.”
Cork is grown in Portugal, Spain and some African countries.
“It’s a bark that comes off a tree, and is harvested every 8-9 years,” Bliss states. “The tree lasts about 500 years, so it’s renewable and sustainable. It’s an industry over there, and it’s quite an art to take the bark off the tree, because if they nick the tree they’ll kill it. The trees last a long time and they’re very valuable.”
Bliss discovered cork when as a homebuilder, he was looking to finish off a house that had concrete walls.
“When I got close to completion I wasn’t sure how I was going to finish the wall. . .maybe Hardie plank, or stucco,” he recalls. “Through the grapevine I was talking to someone from Saskatchewan who used cork and said it was a fantastic product, so I used it and was very pleased with how it turned out.
“We spray it over top of wood siding, concrete and stucco on older homes,” he adds. “Instead of ripping off the siding and throwing it away, we come onto the site prep it and save it. They’re not having to take it to the landfill and adding pollution.
“It’s also a thermal barrier, which means it would be good for some of the older houses in Canada. And it is an acoustic insulator, up to 47 percent.”
Thermal Corkshield BC measures homes prior to ordering the product from Ontario, and mixes and sprays the cork mixture, which includes dye, onto homes for completion.
Bliss is also excited about another product Thermal Corkshield BC is offering from VIPEQ – Quartz stone that is waterproof and is sprayed over living space.
“It is a non-slip product and comes in 20 different colours, which means no more painting decks year after year,” he notes.
Bliss wants people to join his team in offering the products to the public throughout Northern B.C. and the Okanagan.
“I am looking for people to come onside and work with us and learn the business,” he says.
“We are looking for energetic people who are interested in being their own boss and working with a great environmentally friendly product.”