Hempcrete? What?
Yes! Hemp concrete, aka hempcrete, is a technology used for building sustainable and eco-friendly homes.
This unique technology is nothing new. Hemp has been used for thousands of years – from ropes to clothing, to medicines and to soap. But hempcrete, as we know it today, was developed in the 1980s in France. It is used just like bricks, stacked one on top of another by hand. It is a mix of hemp hurd, ground limestone, and water.
It is much easier to build with because it is made of natural materials, therefore making it safer for the workers who handle the product.
Here’s another example of the hemp, lime and water mix being tamped down to make flooring:
Safest Way to Build
As I just mentioned, hempcrete is a superior building material because it is such a safe product to mix and handle. The materials are more lightweight which saves the labour workers’ backs! Water, plants and a mineral. That’s all that’s needed. You use the 3 ingredient mixture to make the blocks, then you can still use the hemp, lime, and water mix to use as insulation, or, you can use the fibres from the same plant as insulation. It doesn’t leach toxic fumes like what happens with spray foam or asbestos, for example. This is an especially important part since it attracts new home seekers wanting to live a healthier lifestyle and raise families.
Saves Your Precious Wallet!
Not only do you save on labour because it is such an easy material to work with, but you will save money in the long run for other reasons. This is because hempcrete is such a great insulator that you won’t need to crank the heat or A/C! The material also becomes stronger and denser with time, adding to its ability to insulate. It does this by capturing and sequestering CO2 from the air.
Bonus Environmental Reasons
If you needed any more convincing, hempcrete is carbon negative. Hemp itself requires far fewer resources to grow than growing trees or mixed concrete. It also helps to clean the air by absorbing massive amounts of CO2 from the air. The plant does this while it is growing, and even after it is turned into hempcrete, it still sequesters CO2. This in turn makes the hempcrete bricks even stronger than before.
Finally
There are plenty of reasons why you might want to choose hemp technology over traditional technology for building your house. It’s much easier and simpler to mix and form, than the traditional methods. Workers are not exposed to harmful chemicals while handling the materials. In the short run and long run, it is a cost-effective alternative to traditional building technologies and techniques. Saves you $$! You are saving $$ in your wallet while also saving the planet by living in a house that, per ton, sequesters around 250kg of CO2 in 100 years. How cool is that?!
