Bark House® Fire Cherry Bark Wall Panels are sleek and smooth, ranging from deep reddish-brown to black grey with occasional brilliant bright red splashes. Lenticels (pores for the outer bark) are highly pronounced on the surface and exude the unmistakable cherry characteristic in our natural bark laminate panels. This bold and earthy texture provides a stunning feature for any interior space.
Our latest option for “Fire Cherry” bark is inspired by the Japanese art of Kabazaiku. This tedious process of scraping and polishing the surface of cherry bark was originally developed 200 years ago by samurai in the Akita Prefecture. Our technique exposes the brilliant red undertones of the bark and leaves it with a luxurious satin glow.
The cherry bark is sourced in the Appalachians with 100% grading and hand crafting at our Bark House shop in North Carolina.
Attaching to Gypsum or Drywall
To mount Bark House® bark laminate wall panels to gypsum board (or drywall), apply a typical trowel-able wall adhesive with a 3/16 notched trowel to the surface of the gypsum board or the back side of the panel being installed. Seat the laminate panels and use a few finish nails to pin them to the wall to hold them in place until the glue dries. If the panel is slightly bowed or does not completely compress, a minimal number of trim screws may be required.
Attaching to a Ceiling
Follow the installation guides for walls, with the exception of using trim screws instead of trim nails until the adhesive dries.
*Important Note about Single Surface Lamination* Any substrate that has a bark veneer or 3D wood
attachment has the capacity to warp or cup. We do not recommend that panels “float” as in cabinet door applications
without an additional back side lamination to balance it out. This may be achieved by laminating our bark treatment
to both sides or by laminating a separate finish wood veneer.
There is no concern with single surface lamination when panels are affixed to studs or wall surfaces per our
installation guide.
What are Fire Cherry Wall Coverings?
Bark House® Fire Cherry Wall Coverings are monolithic panels handcrafted with the bark of Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) tree. This thin bark has a reddish brown to charcoal gray outer covering punctuated with prominently raised lenticels. You may opt for us to polish the outer layer of the bark to reveal luminescent fiery-red tones and a smooth face of the bark surface called our Akita finish. Seams will be seen on each panel and between individual panels. All bark laminate panels were originally designed and created by Bark House cofounder, Marty McCurry.
How are laminate wall coverings priced?
Our Laminate Wall Coverings are priced by the square foot. The price will depend on the type of bark, the substrate material, and any finishes that you wish to add. Feathered edges are priced by the linear foot.
How are laminate wall coverings fabricated?
Each laminate order is custom fabricated, and every order is unique. We can fabricate panels ranging from 4’x8′ on 1/4″ on a birch plywood substrate, up to 5’x12′ on 1/2″ MDF substrate. We epoxy laminate the bark to your panels after our skilled craftsman carefully designs the piece. You may choose an FSC backer and specify a glue of your choice for an additional fee.
Can I use laminate wall coverings outside?
Bark House® laminate wall coverings are only recommended for interior use. If you have a unique exterior application in mind, please reach out to us to discuss potential solutions.
Will I see the seams on a Fire Cherry Panel?
Yes, we use multiple sheets to make one typical panel. Random sized rectangles of bark are glued up with the edges butted flush.
What species is Fire Cherry?
Bark House® uses the bark of the Pin Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) tree to create Fire Cherry Wall Coverings.
What is the texture of Fire Cherry?
Young pin cherry is a vibrant shiny brownish red on small trunks. On harvestable sized trees, that finish gives way to a lichen-encrusted scaly surface that becomes more of a charcoal gray to dark green. There can still be occasional hints of the underlying red. The most prominent feature is its large distinguishable lenticels that cherry is so recognized for.
What are bark lenticels?
A lenticel is an open pore that can be found on certain bark materials. The shape, color, size and prevalence of lenticels is one of the characteristics used for tree identification. It adds a distinctive quality to wall coverings. In nature, they control gas and water vapor exchange.
Do I need a finish on Fire Cherry?
No, but a low sheen lacquer finish enhances the features and gives an elegant glow to the surface. The highly polished surface of the Akita option needs no finish.
What is the Bark House Akita finish?
Akita finish takes its name from a Japanese region renowned for its polished cherry bark crafts. It is a painstaking process of scraping and polishing of the bark surface to reveal the lustrous inner red color.
Will the Fire Cherry panel look just like the sample that I received?
These products are derived from natural materials, so no two will be the same. If you have been inspired by a photo, let us know, and we will do our best to help you achieve a similar look.
How do I install laminate wall coverings?
As with all of our products, we provide detailed installation instructions. Our Laminate Wall Covering Installation guide is found here.
Can I Wrap the White Birch laminate around a Column?
We do not offer this option.
How do I clean my interior bark wall coverings?
We recommend that you use the brush attachment on your vacuum for occasional cleaning.
How much will it cost to ship my bark wall covering panels?
Bark Shingles are shipped in the most economical way possible for the size of your order. Most shipments will be done via Less Than Truckload (LTL) freight, and the cost will depend on your order size and shipping location. We are happy to provide you with a quote. Please email [email protected].
How do I get an estimate for laminate wall coverings?
To place an order for laminate wall coverings, our sales team will need:
- Type of bark laminate that you wish to order
- Substrate type
- Panel dimensions
- Finishes/Edge details
- Shipping address details
See the section above labeled “Product Options” which will walk you through this process.
Does Bark House offer a trade or volume discount?
Bark House® Laminate Wall Coverings and Panels are custom fabricated for each individual client. We are unable to offer discounts on these products due to the level of craftsmanship that is required for every order.
What is the minimum order needed to purchase laminate wall coverings?
We do not have a minimum order for Laminate Wall Coverings.
Why is there an added fee for small panel sizes?
A number of factors dictate a 20% upcharge for panels less than 3ft x 3ft including project set-up fees, cutting down larger sheets of bark material, and the degree of difficulty working with a smaller scale.
Why is there an added fee for panels over 4 ft wide?
The main factor impacting the cost of wider panels is due to the difficulty in reaching across a wider field of work and the increase of internal weaving that must occur for the natural look of bark to be achieved.
We store Bark House Fire Cherry Bark Laminates in a climate-controlled warehouse to prevent them from warping and wicking water.
If you need to store your Laminate Panels prior to installation we recommend that you:
- Keep your Laminate Panels in their crate lying flat to prevent warping
- Store your panels in a dry and secure location, not out in the elements, or under a tarp.
Failure to follow these guidelines can compromise your finished application
