I think it would be worth mentioning the pricing. I just went to Hempitecture's site and was pleasantly surprised: I was able to click on the option to get a quote, and it provided pricing per square foot after selecting the product and amount I wanted. I didn't have to wait for someone to email me and I didn't need to provide my personal info -- I could just explore -- which is a much better experience than most big companies offer. And, by the way, the price is actually quite competitive with mineral wool at $1.20 / sf for 16 oc 3.5" stud bays at 1500 sf (plus shipping). They're onto something here!
Hey thanks! We worked hard to build that shopping experience. At one point it was gated behind entering email and phone number address, but we figured we'd make that open. We're almost always within arms length of mineral wool!
@@hempitecture Kudos for that! While in my case is merely curiosity for what future tech may bring us, I'm sick of almost magical solutions being promoted without adressing costs and current times feasability. Making a discovery is one thing. Managing to bring it to market in a competitive segment (not just for dedicated fans) is where the real work is.
@@cheeseymcsmeg4802 There is a new Scottish hemp insulation batt factory set up last year: Indinature. Better to buy there. It's quite widely available now.
Awesome! However I have some questions: what about rodents and insects? Water absorption on the sides and backside not just the treated top side. Also fire rating on the other sides.
@@RogierYouhello I’m Dashawn Hutchinson the production manager here at Hempitecture. This product is moisture absorbing and bug/pesticide resistant. With our new large scale fire retardant system all products will be class A and fully fire resistant ( Q1 of 2024 )
Very cool! I'm glad to see hemp getting more traction. There's no silver bullet to our many, many problems, but hemp actually address a lot of them and I hope that we see an expansion of its use across many sectors of the economy here in the short to mid term.
Thanks for the video though it does border on infomercial. I’d like to know more about fire resistance, ie, how many minutes can it withstand the flame, especially compared to mineral wool. Using a cigarette lighter may not be the best fire source since it’s low pressure device, a torch may be a better option. Also, with plastic binders I wonder what sort of toxic gasses are given off when it burns. Lastly, as mentioned elsewhere, I’d be interested to learn what sort of critters could take up residence in the batt-it looks like it would make a handsome mouse nest.
Does fire usually have to burn through drywall for quite a while before gas from insulation becomes a factor? By the time burning insulation gasses happen any occupants are already dead from other smoke and heat?
If they could turn the hemp mixture into a fibrous pulp and then spray it out in layers of 1in / 2.5cm it would be much more versatile to construct different widths and thicknesses. Plus, making it a pulp allows for the water / solution to be the glue and you wouldn't need the polyester. Also, from that baseline they can / could offer different variations of that. I could see this product evolving into sidings and even possibly roof tiles that are almost completely circular / regenerative.
Hempitecture, the company featured in this video, sells that product in addition to this HempWool. It was their first product and if you go to their website they have the binder and hull offered for just such an application.
BELINDA!!! Another fantastic video! Thank you. As someone who’s been around unique industrial equipment, it still amazes me to see what you are showing here. Who designed and built the equipment to separate, fluff, poof, and squish the hemp wool? That alone is a video series!
Thanks for the detailed video! I saw also other companies in Europe producing hempwool, like Hempflex. It would be great to have a benchmark of different brands and how their processes make them different. Thanks!
Hemp is one of our natural miracles that has so many uses. I can't wait until it becomes standardized across all the product lines to replace so many things that need to be reduced or phased out.
Just watched your video from a few years ago and I to was disappointed with the fire test. Nice to see that problem being solved. Using hemp as an insulation sounds very promising. Very interesting.
Hemp is only the tip of the iceberg on that one. What about medicine? Well, really almost any science was arbitrarily suppressed at some point, for hundreds of years
It was way more than arbitrary panic. It was a literal conspiracy to push tobacco and oil that used peoples already deep seated racism and classism to vote against their own interests
@@RockitFX1lots of other fingers in that pie - DuPont's patents on plastics from petrochemicals, petrochemicals as feedstock for organic chemicals, keeping biofuels out of the automotive market, as well as anew prohibition as a political and religious football.
Why not using hemp dust as a heat source to reduce gas consumption? It might have been thought, I just want to know the restriction that might stop this usage of the hemp dust.
Probably some alkaline carbonate, the fire resistance will worsen over time if there' water exposure and the product being mostly cellulose will likely run into rot issues in moist environments.
@@yarharyarI'm starting to lean toward TimberHP products once I get enough money to replace the degraded fiberglass insulation in my attic and utility room.
Being hemp my first concern was it would biodegrade but was blown away by the longevity. It would definitely be interesting to see how hemp as a sustainable alternative grows.
I like the idea of a renewable insulation using hemp but… 1. It blackened to a very light flame, and even that required a “spray” to achieve; will that spray be effective after 40+ years in application, & I’d have doubts that for significant heat/flame that it wouldn’t burn. Rockwool on the other hand def won’t burn 2. U said water resistant, but will it grow mold? That would be my biggest fear. Rockwool def won’t I prob sound like a hater but I really don’t want to be becuz it would be amazing to have an organic renewable insulation that met the holy grail of high r value, water resistant and zero mold growth, and fully resistant to combustion but I just have my doubts hemp will get there.
Thanks for bringing up these great points because those are the right questions to ask. When we "inoculate" the fibers with fire retardant/fungicide, it's intended to last for the life of the building (100 years), to test that in a shortened timeframe we can "weatherize" sample material and then expose it to the ASTM E84 test (fire) and ASTM C1338 test (mold). Insulation longevity also has a lot to do with assembling walls properly!
Great to see cannabis being given the attention it deserves. There's a reason it was included in almost every pharmacopeia throughout history and found a place in almost every culture's garden and field. Although not ideal, the inclusion of plastic doesn't worry me IF it can be reclaimed at end-of-life and recycled into another product. There isn't a way for micro plastics to be released into the environment if used in a closed cavity insulation system. I would have concerns with combustion though - although there are probably far more plastics in the average home than the amount used in this insulation. All in all, looks like a great product with a lot of potential. Thanks for the video.
How likely is this type of insulation to have issues with some type of pest infestation, or mold growth compared to the other traditional insulation materials?
I like how approach this by leaning into expecting problems to arise -If we find the best hemp and preconditioning -adapt the manufacturing hardware and necessary additives We are creating an increasingly important product, while sequesteing carbon and waste plastic Win win win!
Thanks for the vid. Am wondering... do you have any videos explaining how insulation differs in different climates, and insulation systems. If not, could you make such a video?
Graet information, nice to see this innovation. Also interesting to consider breeding hemp to create better fibers for insulation. I'm not sure if that is possible, but hemp is a tough plant, and if production could be expanded maybe insultion production could be greater to build the market
Belinda great research, thank you for the post. The FIRE resistance -- it is Important to know what chemical was applied to archive the fire resistance. Many of the applied chemicals used to achieve fire resistance, then off gas and are harmful to humans.
I think the biggest issue is it is organic and will break down. This makes it environmentally friendly, but not a long term building material. Fiberglass and Rockwool should last a very long time. Rats and mice probably would love this stuff as well as fire. The only way to solve these problems would be to load it with chemicals which would defeat the propose. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Hi Belinda, talking about eco friendly materials I couldn’t find any video of yours regarding the glass foam. I’d like to know your opinion specially about vapour permeability. Thanks
I’d like to know if they’re working with Goodwill or other companies that landfill and export large amounts of old and worn out fast fashion clothing to make it part of the fiber filler.
...And how do the sound insulation properties compare with SONOpan or Rock Wool. One application could be to use it as a filler in a sound insulation panel - inside a printed canvas frame.
I´m building a cabin for myself in Europe. I've spent some time in Canada so I build the cabin in a north American construction style. I'd like to insulate my project with hemp but the problem here in Europe is price. Hemp is 3 times more expensive than rockwool, so I'll use the old style insulation.
Hemp growing in Europe (and the UK) is illegal without a licence, and in the UK and most of Europe it is not easy to get approved. France is the big producer of licenced Hemp, so I guess we might see a similar product appear there at some time.
Could this product be developed for applications beyond simple stud/sheet insulation? More complex shapes such as found in plumbing? Residential construction needs are important but the industrial market is not to be underestimated. Also the machine at 3:20 really gave me medieval torture device vibes! 🤣
At what cost? Spreading microplastics everywhere and into our bodies. I think we're better off bringing food production closer to the people eating it, not by government mandate but in adaptation to this century of collapse
Hmm then the question shifts to whether Hempitecture pays enough per pound to bother shearing wool from lambs? Or if there's a cheaper process to separate wool from the carcass?
@@flinx Well, thank you!!! Lambs & wool don't work like that! All sheep must be shorn. Or they turn into a huge fluffball! Now they just throw away, some mild uses, the wool as it isn't quality enough to compete in the wool to spin into yarn marketplace. So, yearly.
Hemp wool can only be the Holy Grail if it's sinsemilla. Sorry, someone had to say that. Fascinating and promising stuff. Hemp is pretty amazing- the most comfortable pants I've ever had are hemp. Nice reporting as usual. Thanks. Y un feliz año nuevo from windy Vienna, Scott
Hay bale and stucco are very cheap, well insulated, last for a century, no bugs, no smells, self built, easy to expand alter, redesign. It doesn't get better than that and have infinite designabilty. Add solar and face the mothership (common nickname) south you'll have a multi generational home. Add a roof with water collection design and you'll pay a short mortgage, no electricty bill, no water bill, and almost no food costs if you start a garden. Or you can go for the insane stick and brick US standard for hundreds of thousands and spend most of your life paying for it in a suburb. I'd rather build my home myself and learn multiple skills. I'd finish sooner and not be profiting banks and lying corporations. 😅
Hallo Belinda! Like your videos! But.. Testing fire resistance with a lighter? Really Belinda? Anyway how did they achieve the fire resistence? No because fire retardants are not that healthy.
I wonder if you insulated your van with hempwool and drove into Mexico and their k9 search at customs found the material. Perhaps they may impound the van or worse
Yes but cost more than what? Hemp wool? And as Belinda was pointing out mineral wool is super unsustainable. Its basically rock candyfloss made at 3000 degrees by burning unbelievable amounts of fossil fuel.
@@andreas5287 🫤… that’s true. That’s a lot of energy, which explains the price. As time passes I am confident the free market will adjust the availability and prices therefore giving those constructing and planning homes and projects more insulating options.
@@andreas5287do you think the hemp is grown without fossil fuel? It is not. Rock wool is made using waste byproducts, the energy it saves over the course of the life of the house will offset the energy used in its production. Rock wool will not burn, is virtually waterproof, has phenomenal sound deadening qualities. Hemp is a wonderful fiber that has many uses but I will stick with rock wool thanks.
How about air infiltration? I've tried increasing the insulation in my house but it doesn't seem to make as much difference as I had hoped. I suspect that eliminating air infiltration might be more important.
Not really, I've been in insulation since 1966. It's made from an organic plant same as cellulose. It absorbs moisture. Enen if the insu;lation is treated to be mold and fungus resistant, sheetrock isn't. Because of that fiberglass and foam out perform these plant based insulations in keeping mold and mildew off sheetrock and outta your lungs.A tricky thing too, you can't have two vapor barriers, and enough ventilation to extract all the moisture accumulating behind exterior walls.
Do you mind testing the fire resistance yourself with a similar torch to the one you initially used as opposed to the little grill starter in the clip you featured in this video? I really like the idea of a product like this, but I would like to see more independent testing and not just people who have a vested interest in the sales of hemp.
Right now that's the hardest part. Hemp vs. antihemp. You see so much propaganda about how hemp is actually harder on the environment, contributes more to global warming. Basically both sides are just saying the opposite. Who can you believe? And does it matter since nobody is gonna sell it to you? Maybe in 25 years competition will begin
I wonder how this product holds up against insects and animals. Do they try to eat the hemp fibers? Or has it been processed to the point that they dont find it appealing.
youtube.com/@BelindaCarr thank you for your work as always... One question. Some years ago you have used rock wool to make some affordable sound absorption panels. If you were to make them again and knowing what you know now (new products, new knowledge, etc.) in terms of material's acoustic properties, health safety, fire safety and so on - would you choose another material for your panels? :) There seems to be quite some concern regarding using rock wool as the material of choice in any indoor installations... Best wishes, from Norway.
After watching Sandi Brock's videos where her canadian wool is basically garbaged was hopeful for this to be used to make a blown in product, sadly, no. Really want alternative to cellulose and would love wool at much lower price.
When hemp is organic and locally grown in a sustainable fashion then it is actually a "green" and sustainable product. Otherwise, it is just one more cellulose-based industrial product and not superior to proven insulations like basalt-based stone which has been around for over 140 years of proven use. I love hemp material personally, as they are historically proven to work well. Sadly now they are being overtly industrialized for both speed and profit, thus rendering them to be no better than other materials of similar context and makeup. All in all, in most case a stone wool is going to be superior by comparison to most (not all) of these products...or... a "wood wool" material if choosing a plant base insulation...
But is it really sustainable?? I am from Alberta, Canada. We have a similar hemp fibre processing plant here but there is not enough farmers/growers to supply it. This is the key issue with industrial hemp. If you must ship and import to make your product, this is not sustainable.
Exactly! Plastic is the most environmentally friendly building material there is because it permanently sequesters carbon. Hemp based products biodegrade which makes them a poor choice of material for building permanent structures.
Considering we unknowingly intake up to a credit card's worth of micro plastics in a week which can lead to cancer, birth defects, auto-immune responses and other lovely things; no, plastic is not good in any form.
@@TheICFArchitect if the plastic is made from oil then that carbon was already sequestered underground. However using plastic to bind hemp together sequesters carbon the plants pulled out of the atmosphere.
Yes thank about hemp in paper alone it takes years for Trees to grow to cut then it take half million dollar skitters and cutters to cut trees down 15-20years of growth. Hemp plants are grown in 75-90days tops soooomuch better
Cool stuff but, admittedly, the inclusion of plastic feels like a bit of an own goal. While it has its uses, I would imagine the buyer of this product is already paying a premium for the inclusion of hemp and the sustainability aspect. I would imagine people who would do so are also looking to minimize things like plastic as well. I think as an intermediary product to something fully sustainable without plastic this is good but I wish it didn't have any plastic at all.
Hemp based products make poor building materials because they biodegrade. Plastic building materials are much better environmental choice because they permanently sequester carbon for the life of the building.
Totally agree with the idea of exploring composites, as we do with everything else in material sciences. Even some plastic basef products as mentioned. After all, by far the dumbest thing we do with petroleum is burning it. That's what we need to stop doing.
I'm sure HempWool will find a niche, I personally would prefer it not be in my walls. You do keep moving the flame around, and that's not how fires start. Fires start from point of ignition sources like a malfunctioning receptacle. I don't always like how the term sustainable is used. I mean, why isn't rockwool or fiberglass sustainable? Do people not believe we can achieve low or zero CO2 emitting power? I'm sure we can overcome these hurtles. At the end of life of rockwool and fiberglass insulation, just recycle it. A lot of rockwool is made up of mineral waste, so might as well use it in people's homes as insulation rather than just dumping it. We could get the energy needs of slagwood down even further if we locate the factories close to steel mills. The slag is already molten hot. I'm sure HempWool will find its way into pillows and chairs if it can be used as carpet pad.
Thanks for your feedback, Robert! The issue with Rockwool is that it's not produced in the same factory as its creation. If it were (as you mentioned), it's energy footprint would drop drastically.
Well, it depends of where it is the factory. I know for many of them right in the site. The problem I see is that some of them produce quite a lot imissions of hard particells in the air, and you can see no adequate filters installed on factory cheemnes.🧐🤔😠
Hempwool is organic and absorbs moisture where fiberglass doesn't. That said, a moisture retention promotes growth of mold and mildew on your sheetrock. Inhaling mold and mildew causes lung and breathing problems. Lots of things they don't tell you, and I have been in insulation since 1966. Do you research.
I see that moisture retention allow temperature drop relativelly fast and you have to heat it up with inner temperatures to evaporate the moisture... Heating more to keep your fake eco friendly insulatuon dry... Yea that's a win for Greta&Ursula🤣🤣🤣
Maybe they could invest in plant based plastics if it’s absolutely needed. Continuing to find uses for petro plastics is crazy. Let’s just move on already.
I'm not convinced by the fire demonstration. Sheep wool is self extinguishing. Hemp wool is not. I imagine using hemp wool as a matrix to hold concrete would make bulletproof, fireproof, lightweight insulated walls.
Carbon negative is a claim that needs careful accounting. Most foam board products use MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) which has large associated GHG emissions. Sheep's wool may offer some biogenic uptake but if its source from far distances that can be negated. Locally harvested, plant wool we expect will show the deepest carbon offset and we look forward to demonstrating this in our LCA.
I think it would be worth mentioning the pricing. I just went to Hempitecture's site and was pleasantly surprised: I was able to click on the option to get a quote, and it provided pricing per square foot after selecting the product and amount I wanted. I didn't have to wait for someone to email me and I didn't need to provide my personal info -- I could just explore -- which is a much better experience than most big companies offer. And, by the way, the price is actually quite competitive with mineral wool at $1.20 / sf for 16 oc 3.5" stud bays at 1500 sf (plus shipping). They're onto something here!
Hey thanks! We worked hard to build that shopping experience. At one point it was gated behind entering email and phone number address, but we figured we'd make that open. We're almost always within arms length of mineral wool!
@@hempitecture Kudos for that!
While in my case is merely curiosity for what future tech may bring us, I'm sick of almost magical solutions being promoted without adressing costs and current times feasability. Making a discovery is one thing. Managing to bring it to market in a competitive segment (not just for dedicated fans) is where the real work is.
@@hempitectureDo you ship to the UK? I've been looking for some affordable and reliable insulation like yours for my dogs house
@@cheeseymcsmeg4802 There is a new Scottish hemp insulation batt factory set up last year: Indinature. Better to buy there. It's quite widely available now.
Ya, it’s lit tho. I wanna make a hemp cooler
Very interesting! I have never heard of hempwool. Thanks!
legend.
Awesome! However I have some questions: what about rodents and insects? Water absorption on the sides and backside not just the treated top side. Also fire rating on the other sides.
Just because you've got a sexy voice doesn't mean you can go around not knowing stuff.
Fancy seeing you here, chocolate man.
@@RogierYouhello I’m Dashawn Hutchinson the production manager here at Hempitecture. This product is moisture absorbing and bug/pesticide resistant. With our new large scale fire retardant system all products will be class A and fully fire resistant ( Q1 of 2024 )
Very cool! I'm glad to see hemp getting more traction. There's no silver bullet to our many, many problems, but hemp actually address a lot of them and I hope that we see an expansion of its use across many sectors of the economy here in the short to mid term.
Great video thanks! The product is very competitive, the market needs to open.
Thanks Belinda! Another professional and very informative video - so glad they have solved the fire issue - hemp has so much promise!!!
Thank you for the update about the company and the product. So happy to see them growing.
Thanks for the video though it does border on infomercial. I’d like to know more about fire resistance, ie, how many minutes can it withstand the flame, especially compared to mineral wool. Using a cigarette lighter may not be the best fire source since it’s low pressure device, a torch may be a better option. Also, with plastic binders I wonder what sort of toxic gasses are given off when it burns. Lastly, as mentioned elsewhere, I’d be interested to learn what sort of critters could take up residence in the batt-it looks like it would make a handsome mouse nest.
Does fire usually have to burn through drywall for quite a while before gas from insulation becomes a factor? By the time burning insulation gasses happen any occupants are already dead from other smoke and heat?
it doesn't border on informercial. she is shilling :(
I don't think the plastic is the issue. It's the fire retardant spray. I'm interested in knowing what those chemicals are. PFAs?
@@kevinm.6015 But for a good cause. She is believable!
another great video on hemp-products that can so much improve our lives. Thank you, Belinda!
If they could turn the hemp mixture into a fibrous pulp and then spray it out in layers of 1in / 2.5cm it would be much more versatile to construct different widths and thicknesses. Plus, making it a pulp allows for the water / solution to be the glue and you wouldn't need the polyester. Also, from that baseline they can / could offer different variations of that. I could see this product evolving into sidings and even possibly roof tiles that are almost completely circular / regenerative.
I’ve seen that…I think the company is ISO out of Belgium, and I think there is a company in PA doing it, too…
@@rickreynolds3604 Thanks, I'll have to look them up :)
Hempitecture, the company featured in this video, sells that product in addition to this HempWool. It was their first product and if you go to their website they have the binder and hull offered for just such an application.
@@steve7814 Thanks, I'll check out their website.
Thanks!
Thank you!!
Belinda, another boots-on-the-ground, factual informative video 🥇 thank you
BELINDA!!! Another fantastic video! Thank you. As someone who’s been around unique industrial equipment, it still amazes me to see what you are showing here. Who designed and built the equipment to separate, fluff, poof, and squish the hemp wool? That alone is a video series!
So true! The @hempitecture team really!
Thanks for the detailed video! I saw also other companies in Europe producing hempwool, like Hempflex. It would be great to have a benchmark of different brands and how their processes make them different. Thanks!
Hemp is an amazing plant, so useful, so much can be made from it.
Hemp is one of our natural miracles that has so many uses. I can't wait until it becomes standardized across all the product lines to replace so many things that need to be reduced or phased out.
Only issue is farming it without permaculture
Excellent and comprehensive analysis as per usual.
Wonderful company and great product. Two thumbs up 👍👍
Thank you, working hard to be your favorite insulation!
Just watched your video from a few years ago and I to was disappointed with the fire test. Nice to see that problem being solved. Using hemp as an insulation sounds very promising. Very interesting.
I really like your videos. Hempwool seems like an interesting new option I would consider.
Now imagine how far ahead we'd be if people weren't so stupid about banning things based on arbitrary moral panic.
Reefer Madness! 😱
Hemp is only the tip of the iceberg on that one. What about medicine? Well, really almost any science was arbitrarily suppressed at some point, for hundreds of years
It was way more than arbitrary panic. It was a literal conspiracy to push tobacco and oil that used peoples already deep seated racism and classism to vote against their own interests
@@RockitFX1lots of other fingers in that pie - DuPont's patents on plastics from petrochemicals, petrochemicals as feedstock for organic chemicals, keeping biofuels out of the automotive market, as well as anew prohibition as a political and religious football.
Arbitrary moral panic? Gaslighting much?
Very cool indeed. Thanks for the excellent information as always.
Thank you!
Excellent,and succinct,another enjoyable educative ,positive video😌
Good content. Looks like they need to start their own hemp growing enterprise so they can control the quality.
This is incredibly informative. Thank you!
Why not using hemp dust as a heat source to reduce gas consumption? It might have been thought, I just want to know the restriction that might stop this usage of the hemp dust.
I wish they said which fire-resistance product is used. I would love to see a comparison of HempWool, sheep wool, and wood fiber insulation.
It's proprietary spray they developed with a university, but I believe it's salt-based?
@@BelindaCarrSalt-based fire retardant sounds pretty interesting.
Probably some alkaline carbonate, the fire resistance will worsen over time if there' water exposure and the product being mostly cellulose will likely run into rot issues in moist environments.
@@yarharyarI'm starting to lean toward TimberHP products once I get enough money to replace the degraded fiberglass insulation in my attic and utility room.
Now you've captured my attention
Being hemp my first concern was it would biodegrade but was blown away by the longevity. It would definitely be interesting to see how hemp as a sustainable alternative grows.
I like the idea of a renewable insulation using hemp but…
1. It blackened to a very light flame, and even that required a “spray” to achieve; will that spray be effective after 40+ years in application, & I’d have doubts that for significant heat/flame that it wouldn’t burn. Rockwool on the other hand def won’t burn
2. U said water resistant, but will it grow mold? That would be my biggest fear. Rockwool def won’t
I prob sound like a hater but I really don’t want to be becuz it would be amazing to have an organic renewable insulation that met the holy grail of high r value, water resistant and zero mold growth, and fully resistant to combustion but I just have my doubts hemp will get there.
Thanks for bringing up these great points because those are the right questions to ask. When we "inoculate" the fibers with fire retardant/fungicide, it's intended to last for the life of the building (100 years), to test that in a shortened timeframe we can "weatherize" sample material and then expose it to the ASTM E84 test (fire) and ASTM C1338 test (mold). Insulation longevity also has a lot to do with assembling walls properly!
Great to see cannabis being given the attention it deserves. There's a reason it was included in almost every pharmacopeia throughout history and found a place in almost every culture's garden and field.
Although not ideal, the inclusion of plastic doesn't worry me IF it can be reclaimed at end-of-life and recycled into another product. There isn't a way for micro plastics to be released into the environment if used in a closed cavity insulation system. I would have concerns with combustion though - although there are probably far more plastics in the average home than the amount used in this insulation.
All in all, looks like a great product with a lot of potential.
Thanks for the video.
How likely is this type of insulation to have issues with some type of pest infestation, or mold growth compared to the other traditional insulation materials?
HempWool is biodegradable and compostable. It is not a good choice of material for this application.
It's 8% polyester (plastic) I wouldn't compost it
I like how approach this by leaning into expecting problems to arise
-If we find the best hemp and preconditioning
-adapt the manufacturing hardware and necessary additives
We are creating an increasingly important product, while sequesteing carbon and waste plastic
Win win win!
Thanks for the vid.
Am wondering... do you have any videos explaining how insulation differs in different climates, and insulation systems. If not, could you make such a video?
Graet information, nice to see this innovation. Also interesting to consider breeding hemp to create better fibers for insulation. I'm not sure if that is possible, but hemp is a tough plant, and if production could be expanded maybe insultion production could be greater to build the market
There is a supplier of similar hemp fibre insulation set up in the UK in 2023/24 IndiNature. So check that out if you are in the UK.
Belinda great research, thank you for the post. The FIRE resistance -- it is Important to know what chemical was applied to archive the fire resistance. Many of the applied chemicals used to achieve fire resistance, then off gas and are harmful to humans.
Very cool. I love videos like this.
I think the biggest issue is it is organic and will break down. This makes it environmentally friendly, but not a long term building material. Fiberglass and Rockwool should last a very long time. Rats and mice probably would love this stuff as well as fire. The only way to solve these problems would be to load it with chemicals which would defeat the propose. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Wonder what the outcome would be if you blended the hemp wool with rockwool ?
You'd get flammable rockwool.
As someone who has to remove fiberglass insulation as part of water damage mitigation, I am in favor of hemp wool.
I salute their intention.
Hi Belinda, talking about eco friendly materials I couldn’t find any video of yours regarding the glass foam. I’d like to know your opinion specially about vapour permeability. Thanks
When will the fire resistant version be available? It isn't available on their website.
I’d like to know if they’re working with Goodwill or other companies that landfill and export large amounts of old and worn out fast fashion clothing to make it part of the fiber filler.
...And how do the sound insulation properties compare with SONOpan or Rock Wool. One application could be to use it as a filler in a sound insulation panel - inside a printed canvas frame.
I would be happy if everyting could be insulated to the max
I´m building a cabin for myself in Europe. I've spent some time in Canada so I build the cabin in a north American construction style. I'd like to insulate my project with hemp but the problem here in Europe is price. Hemp is 3 times more expensive than rockwool, so I'll use the old style insulation.
Hemp growing in Europe (and the UK) is illegal without a licence, and in the UK and most of Europe it is not easy to get approved. France is the big producer of licenced Hemp, so I guess we might see a similar product appear there at some time.
Thank you for sharing.
Great video, Belinda-thanks! Do any of y’all know what the fire retardant is made of?
Thanks! I believe it's a salt-based fire retardant. I saw a lot of white salt deposits on the ground, near the sprayer.
@@BelindaCarr Cool, Belinda! So non-toxic? Thx!
Could this product be developed for applications beyond simple stud/sheet insulation? More complex shapes such as found in plumbing? Residential construction needs are important but the industrial market is not to be underestimated.
Also the machine at 3:20 really gave me medieval torture device vibes! 🤣
Pipe and ductwork insulation? Absolutely. Automobile parts? Possibly!
Single use plastic is pretty much the only option in food packaging - all other options are much more energy intensive.
At what cost? Spreading microplastics everywhere and into our bodies. I think we're better off bringing food production closer to the people eating it, not by government mandate but in adaptation to this century of collapse
The wool from lambs grown for meat is currently mostly just thrown out. Staple not long enough to spin...
Hmm then the question shifts to whether Hempitecture pays enough per pound to bother shearing wool from lambs? Or if there's a cheaper process to separate wool from the carcass?
@@flinx Well, thank you!!!
Lambs & wool don't work like that! All sheep must be shorn. Or they turn into a huge fluffball!
Now they just throw away, some mild uses, the wool as it isn't quality enough to compete in the wool to spin into yarn marketplace.
So, yearly.
carbon footprint and availability of straw are even better
What about flammability and mold resistance?
Hemp wool can only be the Holy Grail if it's sinsemilla. Sorry, someone had to say that.
Fascinating and promising stuff. Hemp is pretty amazing- the most comfortable pants I've ever had are hemp.
Nice reporting as usual. Thanks. Y un feliz año nuevo from windy Vienna, Scott
So you are condemning low PCP hemp as not a Holy Grail. So your holy grail is 'high resin content" hemp ?
Ok, how about addressing the insect problem especially termites.
🙋♂️THANKS BELINDA 🙏WE HOPE FOR A GREAT FUTURE FOR HEMPWOOL,…AND WE APPRECIATE DASHAWN AND HIS COMPANY’s PERSEVERANCE 🤗💚💚💚
Yes I like see like OSB panels made from it cause hemp is one of the toughest materials ever
What temperature does it resist?
How does the cost compare?
Hay bale and stucco are very cheap, well insulated, last for a century, no bugs, no smells, self built, easy to expand alter, redesign. It doesn't get better than that and have infinite designabilty. Add solar and face the mothership (common nickname) south you'll have a multi generational home. Add a roof with water collection design and you'll pay a short mortgage, no electricty bill, no water bill, and almost no food costs if you start a garden.
Or you can go for the insane stick and brick US standard for hundreds of thousands and spend most of your life paying for it in a suburb. I'd rather build my home myself and learn multiple skills. I'd finish sooner and not be profiting banks and lying corporations. 😅
I love it!
Hallo Belinda! Like your videos!
But..
Testing fire resistance with a lighter? Really Belinda?
Anyway how did they achieve the fire resistence? No because fire retardants are not that healthy.
I wonder if you insulated your van with hempwool and drove into Mexico and their k9 search at customs found the material. Perhaps they may impound the van or worse
I placed in rock wool in my room addition and even though it cost more it was worth it.
Huh?
@@andreas5287 mineral wool, It is a very resilient and fire retardant material and excellent on dampening sound .
Yes but cost more than what? Hemp wool? And as Belinda was pointing out mineral wool is super unsustainable. Its basically rock candyfloss made at 3000 degrees by burning unbelievable amounts of fossil fuel.
@@andreas5287 🫤… that’s true. That’s a lot of energy, which explains the price.
As time passes I am confident the free market will adjust the availability and prices therefore giving those constructing and planning homes and projects more insulating options.
@@andreas5287do you think the hemp is grown without fossil fuel? It is not. Rock wool is made using waste byproducts, the energy it saves over the course of the life of the house will offset the energy used in its production. Rock wool will not burn, is virtually waterproof, has phenomenal sound deadening qualities. Hemp is a wonderful fiber that has many uses but I will stick with rock wool thanks.
How about air infiltration? I've tried increasing the insulation in my house but it doesn't seem to make as much difference as I had hoped. I suspect that eliminating air infiltration might be more important.
You shouldn't eliminate all air infiltration. some air infiltration is needed to disperse moisture, smells and waste gasses.
Used of shredded clothing?
Not really, I've been in insulation since 1966. It's made from an organic plant same as cellulose. It absorbs moisture. Enen if the insu;lation is treated to be mold and fungus resistant, sheetrock isn't. Because of that fiberglass and foam out perform these plant based insulations in keeping mold and mildew off sheetrock and outta your lungs.A tricky thing too, you can't have two vapor barriers, and enough ventilation to extract all the moisture accumulating behind exterior walls.
Thank you.
Do you mind testing the fire resistance yourself with a similar torch to the one you initially used as opposed to the little grill starter in the clip you featured in this video? I really like the idea of a product like this, but I would like to see more independent testing and not just people who have a vested interest in the sales of hemp.
Right now that's the hardest part. Hemp vs. antihemp. You see so much propaganda about how hemp is actually harder on the environment, contributes more to global warming. Basically both sides are just saying the opposite. Who can you believe? And does it matter since nobody is gonna sell it to you? Maybe in 25 years competition will begin
still no acoustical rating ?
I wonder how this product holds up against insects and animals. Do they try to eat the hemp fibers? Or has it been processed to the point that they dont find it appealing.
youtube.com/@BelindaCarr thank you for your work as always... One question. Some years ago you have used rock wool to make some affordable sound absorption panels. If you were to make them again and knowing what you know now (new products, new knowledge, etc.) in terms of material's acoustic properties, health safety, fire safety and so on - would you choose another material for your panels? :) There seems to be quite some concern regarding using rock wool as the material of choice in any indoor installations... Best wishes, from Norway.
5:15 Hopefully it can be converted to sustainable heating instead of natural gas soon
Dropped ceiling panels for retrofit
i'm not sure it's reasonable to say that hemp wool insulation will last 100 years...has hemp wool insulation been around that long? long term studies?
After watching Sandi Brock's videos where her canadian wool is basically garbaged was hopeful for this to be used to make a blown in product, sadly, no. Really want alternative to cellulose and would love wool at much lower price.
How much does it cost?
They have a buy direct marketplace with transparent pricing
buy.hempitecture.com/
*Betteridge's Law of Headlines* says no.
Pros/Cons?
I used this in a large custom residential project. I will not use anything else at this point.
That's what we like to hear! :)
When hemp is organic and locally grown in a sustainable fashion then it is actually a "green" and sustainable product. Otherwise, it is just one more cellulose-based industrial product and not superior to proven insulations like basalt-based stone which has been around for over 140 years of proven use. I love hemp material personally, as they are historically proven to work well. Sadly now they are being overtly industrialized for both speed and profit, thus rendering them to be no better than other materials of similar context and makeup. All in all, in most case a stone wool is going to be superior by comparison to most (not all) of these products...or... a "wood wool" material if choosing a plant base insulation...
But is it really sustainable?? I am from Alberta, Canada. We have a similar hemp fibre processing plant here but there is not enough farmers/growers to supply it. This is the key issue with industrial hemp. If you must ship and import to make your product, this is not sustainable.
I’ve been screaming from the rooftops for years… PLASTIC IS NOT BAD, one time use plastic is
Exactly! Plastic is the most environmentally friendly building material there is because it permanently sequesters carbon. Hemp based products biodegrade which makes them a poor choice of material for building permanent structures.
I live next door, and had to buy more insulation but that's ok, freedom of speech is built into human rights.
Considering we unknowingly intake up to a credit card's worth of micro plastics in a week which can lead to cancer, birth defects, auto-immune responses and other lovely things; no, plastic is not good in any form.
@@truetech4158 thank you for your dedication to liberty
@@TheICFArchitect if the plastic is made from oil then that carbon was already sequestered underground. However using plastic to bind hemp together sequesters carbon the plants pulled out of the atmosphere.
Yes thank about hemp in paper alone it takes years for Trees to grow to cut then it take half million dollar skitters and cutters to cut trees down 15-20years of growth. Hemp plants are grown in 75-90days tops soooomuch better
R-value?
Seems like it could rot in humid climates, no?
Can I smoke the hemp? 🤔
dope!
Cool stuff but, admittedly, the inclusion of plastic feels like a bit of an own goal.
While it has its uses, I would imagine the buyer of this product is already paying a premium for the inclusion of hemp and the sustainability aspect. I would imagine people who would do so are also looking to minimize things like plastic as well.
I think as an intermediary product to something fully sustainable without plastic this is good but I wish it didn't have any plastic at all.
Hemp based products make poor building materials because they biodegrade. Plastic building materials are much better environmental choice because they permanently sequester carbon for the life of the building.
Totally agree with the idea of exploring composites, as we do with everything else in material sciences. Even some plastic basef products as mentioned. After all, by far the dumbest thing we do with petroleum is burning it. That's what we need to stop doing.
I'm sure HempWool will find a niche, I personally would prefer it not be in my walls. You do keep moving the flame around, and that's not how fires start. Fires start from point of ignition sources like a malfunctioning receptacle. I don't always like how the term sustainable is used. I mean, why isn't rockwool or fiberglass sustainable? Do people not believe we can achieve low or zero CO2 emitting power? I'm sure we can overcome these hurtles. At the end of life of rockwool and fiberglass insulation, just recycle it. A lot of rockwool is made up of mineral waste, so might as well use it in people's homes as insulation rather than just dumping it. We could get the energy needs of slagwood down even further if we locate the factories close to steel mills. The slag is already molten hot. I'm sure HempWool will find its way into pillows and chairs if it can be used as carpet pad.
Thanks for your feedback, Robert! The issue with Rockwool is that it's not produced in the same factory as its creation. If it were (as you mentioned), it's energy footprint would drop drastically.
Well, it depends of where it is the factory. I know for many of them right in the site.
The problem I see is that some of them produce quite a lot imissions of hard particells in the air, and you can see no adequate filters installed on factory cheemnes.🧐🤔😠
Hempwool is organic and absorbs moisture where fiberglass doesn't. That said, a moisture retention promotes growth of mold and mildew on your sheetrock. Inhaling mold and mildew causes lung and breathing problems. Lots of things they don't tell you, and I have been in insulation since 1966. Do you research.
I see that moisture retention allow temperature drop relativelly fast and you have to heat it up with inner temperatures to evaporate the moisture... Heating more to keep your fake eco friendly insulatuon dry... Yea that's a win for Greta&Ursula🤣🤣🤣
Maybe they could invest in plant based plastics if it’s absolutely needed.
Continuing to find uses for petro plastics is crazy. Let’s just move on already.
Farming anything without permaculture techniques is HORRIBLE
I'm not convinced by the fire demonstration. Sheep wool is self extinguishing. Hemp wool is not.
I imagine using hemp wool as a matrix to hold concrete would make bulletproof, fireproof, lightweight insulated walls.
All of the "wool" insulation products are carbon negative, often by a factor of 100. I believe the same is true of the foam board products.
Carbon negative is a claim that needs careful accounting. Most foam board products use MDI (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) which has large associated GHG emissions. Sheep's wool may offer some biogenic uptake but if its source from far distances that can be negated. Locally harvested, plant wool we expect will show the deepest carbon offset and we look forward to demonstrating this in our LCA.
Rockwool only.
Suppression? Who and how was hemp insulation suppressed?
By the cotton industry way back in the '30s or thereabouts. Read up on it.
@@Firedog-ny3cq Ah, yes, because what happened 90 years ago has such a big impact today.
@@LTVoyager the anti-hemp laws passed 90 years ago weren't loosened until very recent decades.