Anyone ever hear of Hempcrete? Hempcrete is mad
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Hempcrete is made using the woody, balsa-like interior of the Cannabis sativa plant (the fiber for textiles comes from the outer portion of the stalk) combined with lime and water. Although it lacks the structural stability its name might suggest, hempcrete does provide natural insulation that is airtight yet breathable and flexible. Hempcrete is free from toxins, impervious to mold and pests, and virtually fireproof. In England, some insurers actually provide a discount for hempcrete because of its durability.
Although the illicit aspects of hemp may have held it back in this country, marijuana’s growing popularity could finally be helping hemp’s spread. “Some people thought hemp might help get marijuana accepted, but it’s going the other way around,” said Eric Steenstra, executive director of the Hemp Industries Association. “I don’t think you’d see quite the same excitement if we were building with flax or jute.”
To foster wider acceptability, Mr. Savage and his three-year-old business, Green Bui lt, which he runs out of his hemp-lined home office, is working toward developing a panelized system. Akin to drywall, it would be easier to market and install than poured hempcrete, he said. And, combining housing trends, he is developing a 400-square-foot “tiny house” made up of two or three circular, shippable hempcrete modules.
His only project so far has been turning his red brick farmhouse into a hempcrete laboratory, where many of the walls have been insulated with it, eliminating his need for air-conditioning.
Mr. Savage said his hemp rooms even smell different, though not the way most people might expect. “It has a freshness to it,” he said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/07/nyregion/c...lding.html