A New York Times article explained another use for the hemp plant. Hempcrete is a building material used primarily for insulation but can be used to build walls if there is a weight bearing structure and it is made from hemp.
ADVANTAGES OF HEMP FOR BUILDING MATERIAL
From the article: “The most sustainable building material isn’t concrete or steel — it’s fast-growing hemp. Hemp structures date to Roman times. A hemp mortar bridge was constructed back in the 6th century, when France was still Gaul.
Now a wave of builders and botanists are working to renew this market. Mixing hemp’s woody fibers with lime produces a natural, light concrete that retains thermal mass and is highly insulating. No pests, no mold, good acoustics, low humidity, no pesticide. It grows from seed to harvest in about four months.”
As one can see, the material is versatile and has many advantages over traditional building materials, the most obvious is that it is sustainable and easy on the environment, not only as a building material but also as a plant.
FRANCE WAS THE FIRST TO USE HEMPCRETE
In modern construction, France was the first to use hempcrete as they looked for a substance that would help in the restoration of old structures. They developed it in the mid -1980’s to use for repair of the extensively damaged buildings that had been repaired using ordinary Portland cement. Using the Portland cement to replace the vapor-permeable earth and lime mortars and natural cements in historic buildings prevented the building fabric from ‘breathing’, thus causing the retention of moisture which damaged the timber frames.
HEMP IS A BREATHABLE INSULATION MATERIAL
One of the major considerations of using hemp as an insulation is its breathability. It captures moisture and air but is not a solid vapor barrier. In addition, it is eventually biodegradable and will return to the earth. However, it is also durable.
We can not be surprised to find that humans have been using hemp as a building material for centuries. An historic hemp house in Maisa village in the Nagano prefecture of Japan, was built in 1698 and is still in good condition.
WE WILL SEE MORE USES FOR HEMP AS A BUILDING MATERIAL.
As we continue to experiment with hemp, we will find more uses for its amazing versatility in the building industry.