Quartet® 1' x 1' Frameless Cork Panels

Comments about Quartet® 1' x 1' Frameless Cork Panels:

This product got a lot of undeserved negative flack by people who didn't understand how to properly mount it. This is raw cork and it's better suited towards people who have a knack for thinking outside the box, and want to make their own custom board. I will admit, this product is marketed wrong. It's NOT a finished product you can't just hang up. It requires a little prep work, and trust me, it's easy…

Here's what you need to do... Cork is naturally dusty and crumbly, so you need to make a backing for it using glue that will soak into the cork a little. All finished/framed cork boards have backings… The backing aids in supporting the board and helps keep the cork from falling apart. (Note: If you need to cut it to size, do this first.) I simply glued plain 8.5X11 copy paper to one side of each tile. This can be done with just about any type of glue, wood glue being the best choice. Running a bead will work, but spreading it out thin over a large area is better. After it dries, you're ready to hang it. The included adhesive pads will stick to plain copy paper very well if you want to use them.

So why should you buy this over a finished/framed board? Well for me, this board is superior because it's thicker than most finished boards and thumb tacks can be inserted easier. I also like the look of the big chunks of cork and its dark color. Papers and other items contrast well with it. And being unfinished, it allows me a lot of flexibility for customizing. I'll be buying another pack soon.

Comments about Quartet® 1' x 1' Frameless Cork Panels:

I would give these zero stars if I could. I had intended to use these as a bulletin board behind my desk. I wish I had read the reviews before buying in store. No wonder they were on clearance. The included mounting tabs are a joke - you can't get the waxed paper off without removing all the adhesive. The tiles themselves are too thin to take the full length of a push pin. I wish I could return this.

Comments about Quartet® 1' x 1' Frameless Cork Panels:

I should have read the reviews before I bought this in the store!! I purchased these for our office as an relatively inexpensive solution to avoid having the staff make hundreds of holes in the walls hanging papers. My primary complaint is the THICKNESS of the tile. I can always find an alternate way to hang if the included adhesive squares do not do the job, but if you can't stick a push pin in without making a hole in the drywall behind it, then it is simply too thin unless you don't plan on hanging anything on it. I tried doubling up the cork tiles just to get an adequate thickness, but then could not get them to stay on the wall since they were heavier. My solution has been to use industrial adhesive to stick each cork tile to foam board, then mount the foam board to the wall. Way too much time & effort for what I thought was a simple frameless corkboard. They might be OK for other uses, like to cut up & use as coasters, or for a craft project.

Comments about Quartet® 1' x 1' Frameless Cork Panels:

The idea of an easy to install, no screws or drilling necessary, cork tile system is fantastic, but this product is not ready for the market. I never had the opportunity to hang the cork tiles. The issue is the adhesive blocks / product provided by the manufacturer.

With enough effort, only one side of the adhesive blocks is removable, while the other side is not. I followed the instructions. I removed one side of the adhesive blocks and placed / stuck the tiny blocks on all four corners of the tile/s. The next step would have been to remove the remaining paper from the other side of the adhesive block, and hang the product. However, that never happened. I play classical guitar, and tried to use my hand with longer nails to remove the remaining paper component of the adhesive blocks. Not only is the remaining paper component of the adhesive block impossible to remove, but as you try to remove the paper, the side which was already stuck to the tile began to come off. And it was like this for every single piece of the adhesive blocks/product provided by the manufacturer.

For those whom did not have any issues removing the paper form the adhesive products, or still are considering bringing this product into your home, I challenge you with the following questions:

How long will the adhesive products provided by the manufacturer hold the tile/s in place?

Is there a specific type of wall setting (paper, paint etc.) that would work best with the adhesive product?

Will weather play an affect in the overall performance of this product? As in, lack of central heating/air, poor ventilation into a room, etc.

As stated before, the idea is wonderful, but until the issue is fixed by the manufacturer, I would never recommend this product to my friends. Once the company figures out how to provide a superior, "easy to remove from both sides" adhesive product, and, is able to fulfill its original commitment, perhaps then the product would be worth looking into. Granted, that this is one experience, and one packaged product purchased by one customer. Ultimately, I only wish that others do not waste their time and energy as I did.

Happy shopping!

-JF

Comments about Quartet® 1' x 1' Frameless Cork Panels:

see above - the truth is All There !