@@FreekHoekstra - Absolutely no one wants to legalize hemp, to make a building material that is susceptible to water damage. This is a gimmick. Taxable marijuana is infinitely more valuable, and that is where virtually _all_ hemp production will go. I wish people would just admit they want to get stoned all day. I fully support it, in fact. Just _please_ stop acting like you're saving the damn planet! Stoners are annoying enough already.
A shipping has no intended use as a kiln or oven. They used no no thermal reflective material or refractory material & so I assume the fuel consumption is atrocious. You probably do more good for the environment if you care to buy a quality efficient industrial oven or kiln. Not a Hodge podge shipping container repurposed. Why do you think over 1/2 the worlds air pollution is produced in china & India. For the very reason of repurposed material for forging &/or low expected agreed standards. Good intentions don't always lead to good things;) Mind I don't care to much but for those that supposedly do are all hypocrite's because you lack the basic savvy. Tired of hippies/hipsters playing a industry & engineering. save the world mob can't help them self's much less the world. the posturing of it
I appreciate the manufactures honesty about the potential and limitations of the product- if you could replace all interior cabinetry, flooring, and furniture with this product you’d still save a lot of old growth forests and illegal logging!
It isn’t structural unfortunately it’s just decorative. What is better for saving old growth logging is cross laminated timber. The wood is sitka spruce grown sustainably on tree farms, not taken from forests, and it is very strong light and environmentally friendly. It has a better strength to weight than concrete and even some steel.
@@BigCroca If you'd learn to read, they said cabinetry, floors, etc. They didn't say build the cabins structure out of it. Combine the sustainable lumber farms with hemp wood for the best of both words. Hemp wood grows much quicker and is great for non structural uses.
Illegal logging will always be economically more competitive than any alternative. Eliminating it requires a politically integrated society with respect for laws. One can hope, but it is helpful to hope for what matters, not to hope in vain.
You do realize that $240/4x8 sheet is OUTRAGEOUS and no one will ever use it for construction purposes at that price. Imagine a pre-cut stud of this material costing ~$24..... building an entire home would likely be 8 to 10 times the cost. BUT hey, it's your money.... we just build it.
Don't forget hemp clothes, one thing which isn't hard to find today and is awesome. The antimicrobial properties of wool with the moisture-handling properties of synthetic, and excellent durability. It's recognized as the all-around best for BJJ kimonos which is one of the most extreme environments you'll find for fabric! Obviously it's high-end only for applications like flooring currently, but for many applications there's no reason it can't be cheap. It is a weed after all!
Audiophiles would appreciate speaker boxes and record player bases made with high density HempWood. Hemp was/is the choice of rope makers. It has long and strong fibres/fibers. I like your work.
I don't know about speakers. Sure some will, but MDF is chosen for speakers specifically because of its damping property, so the sound is very controlled and not dominated by cabin resonance, there was a research paper published by Visaton i think around 1987, not sure, where it won against any wood or engineered wood-based material. However same paper also suggested that concrete-bitumen laminates or glass laminates would be good too, though not so practical. I do think hempwood laminate including some sort of damping element could just be it, more research needed. As to record player plinth, density is for sure an advantage. There are separate damper elements in the construction, predominantly feet but also platter+motor can be suspended, but high plinth mass helps the dampers be more efficient. However high stiffness isn't strictly an advantage. One of the best plinth materials being natural rubber, which is more than twice as heavy as hardwood, but also inherently damping.
Never clicked on a new video so fast! Fantastic information here! We need to make hemp PROCESSING cheaper by scaling those facilities. This really is an excellent solution (environmentally friendly, high quality, and POTENTIALLY lower cost). Just an excellent review of the product! Thank you.
I was thinking the same thing because you couldn't get the humidity down enough in Florida where I live to use this, like 50 percent humidity is not ever a thing here. That would mold so fast here, Plastic chairs mold here in a years so this wouldn't last 6 months. Also palmetto bugs love eating press board and without the toxic chemical they would love eating this stuff much more.
@@benholroyd5221 No solid wood is fine but press board and chip board quickly swell and rot here when exposed to air. Also we have palmetto bugs which love to eat anything that is edible but the prefer engineered wood.
I just discovered your videos, and honestly, your logical conclusions and general presentation are absolute top quality. Such a fresh breath of air for RUclips. Thank you!!
An other interesting use of hemp. Hemp has being used in Europe for ever as fabric, and wall covering as it never was "black listed." I installed some in France before I came in the US.
Yes and if you make a cord of hemp then weave it, you can get a very useful industrial cloth. Sacks can be made from it. You can also make safety nets from hemp rope.
It's also great for small animal cages. My rats can't have or use alot of materials because of toxins in them, dust residue, or they are highly sensitive to it. However, hemp materials (fabrics, woods, toys, ropes, etc) are cheaper to buy for them and they are soooo much safer! I use hemp for my rats cages all the time because it's sooo much better for them than other products.
Hempwood takes less time to make, it's stronger, it's less likely to catch fire, and it looks cool. Definitely something to consider when looking for building materials.
Belinda is my favorite architect, and also the most practical one, and also the most cutting edge one. I don't know how she does it all but she's great!
I am *very* excited by this. I especially love how it pulls in so much carbon while growing. And it's pretty. I hope prices come down. I would love to replace some of my floors with their product.
We strive to provide a hardwood alternative that makes sense for our customers to use. We are not trying to save the world; we are just trying to make it a little bit better!
Every piece of wood and I do mean EVERY piece is processed to sterilize it from insects and fungi. I have a mobile sawmill and I spray every board for my customers as well. If not the wood will be streaked with fungus and insects.
This video was absolutely thoughtful and fantastic. My wife and I recently purchased this product as T&G flooring for the ADU we are constructing. The guys that delivered the product to our home were very helpful, knowledgable and totally committed to the product itself. They made the suggestion that after I DIY the floor, to have a pro do the finishing. I think we'll heed that advice to maximize the life of the product and the enjoyment of this fabulously cool option to traditional wood flooring. Cheers and thanks from Brian in Denver.
@@Arterexius I’m sure they can solve this with natural oils instead of plastics. Look at the leafs of water lilies for example. They are completely water repellent. Nature is beautiful. God put us on a plain with everything we need in nature 🙏🏻
@@marcelvdfvandamme5927 You can't solve it with oils alone, let alone natural oils. Because although oil is Aquaphobic, it can still be washed off and natural oils are the least resistant oils. Textures like the surface of the water lily could of course do it, but there's no chance in oils. And if you want it professionally done or done in an affordable manner, it's polycarbonate, as mimicking the texture of the waterlily on the floor boards, while accounting for the increased wear that those boards would be subjected to? Let's just say it wouldn't be cheap.
@marcelvdfvandamme5927 oils could/would eventually evaporate, rub or wash away. Waxing is the only "resistance" not "proof" that can be done an once again with consistent ribbing the wax will wear away. Ultimately the floor owner will have to take responsibility for water "resisting" their floor.
As a woodworker this is really interesting, but I am curious about material motion over the year in comparison to standard wood. Not that I think it will be worse or better, I just need to know how to accommodate for it.
@@xTatsuran I can see why that might be the case, but especially for the riftsawn product, there is a defined grain direction, which means that I suspect there will be seasonal swelling perpendicular to that direction, the same as with hardwood. This is especially of concern when you are considering the warning that the materials are not water resistant.
@@GeahkBurchill ooh I bet that would eat your edge alive, but it also looks a bit like burl in the flat sawn orientation... I bet it would be interesting
Several Points : ▪ While I did own inferior t-shirts "made from Hemp", they were no-name. The brand name jeans I'm wearing (right now) are made of hemp and durable. ▪ I have advocated, loudly, for Hemp for Years after Sailing with Hemp Rigging versus other materials. (Yes, I have tried Marijuana, it does not appeal to me.) ▪ I am quite excited about the Hemp Lumber and 4'x8' sheets because I want durable materials for the various Cabinets I must build. Pine is soft. Plywood has VOC's. Hardwoods have desirable properties but because several of the cabinets will be painted, it is a real crime to paint such beautiful wood that has grown for a century and was killed to hold things. ▪ I do admire the look of the Hemp Lumber shown here but painting at least some of my cabinets will be win/win to protect them from humidity and not have that look dominate my living spaces. I won't feel guilty about painting them. ▪ To wrap up those last 2, natural grain colors definitely add definition and warmth to a space but color is a great way to use the light of the space so go ahead and paint that 150 day old Hemp. ♧
With that level of water susceptibility, you'd need a polycarbonate seal, aka a plastic. If you want to use a purely natural polycarbonate, you gotta go sticky, aka using the natural resin found in fir and pine trees.
If it's completely manufactured from stalk to wood, why couldn't the specs be adjusted to make it slightly less dense so that it's more usable for other applications? While this particular recipe sounds fantastic for particular uses, this seems like only the first step in a plethora of potential uses for hemp. I'm on board with this!
This Hempwood stuff looks pretty nice to my eyes... kind of like an exotic grain wood actually, especially the 'Rift' cut stuff. Looking at the website, I found a size that I can use, (for a loudspeaker front baffle) but it was listed as being sold in a 4' long length. So... I asked them if they would consider cutting the boards in half to make a smaller package for less shipping cost. They said 'no problem' and got right back to me. Seems that although they are the manufacturer, they still are willing to customize for a small customer; That's nice. BTW, I enjoy your videos a lot and I appreciate your unique take on construction topics, Belinda. Good luck with the home remodel/updating.
I worked in hemp fields back in France when I was 15. The tasks was simply to find female shoots and remove it. I heard that those who broke in to smoke it, suffered from severe headache.
I love how thorough you are and are so easy to follow on any complex topic. excellent video. i want to build my own tiny home and this sounds like the way to go.
I have been looking at hemp as a material for a while now and see great benefits with hemp in several areas. Interesting information review, thank you. Btw In Sweden, we always use a vapor barrier when wooden floors are laid on a concrete slab (floating floor). So there is no difference between hemp wood and other wood. /Siggi
I really love these analyses- thorough stress-tests that actually challenge the usefulness of a material and compare them properly without the shenanigans I usually see. Pity about water though- given how much I spill on my floors and furniture, that is.
She didn't make a proper comparison with Oak though. She left out Tannic Acid, a major component in Oakwood furniture and flooring, as the high concentrations of Tannic Acid in Oakwood, makes it highly resistent to moisture, rot, fungi and insect damage.
Thanks for introducing us to this product! I'm curious how it stacks up against bamboo though. One site I visited called it a draw. What are your thoughts?
I have been trying to get bamboo flooring and it all has to come from China. The bonus here is that it's domestic. You save all that transportation fuel.
They both will be mainstays in the new building industry that will form when people realize they must change the way they build houses and also change the type of materials used, to promote less energy wasteful materials for a more carbon friendly house. But then we might see more underground homes to save energy costs because electricity will be more expensive.
You rock Belinda! You are the first youtuber I've seen do affiliate marketing for construction materials and i think that's a genius idea. Thanks for quality content.
If it grows super fast and easy to grow, it seems the opportunity is there to make more products. Heck, bamboo is one of those fast woods as well, isn’t it? Hope this takes off and becomes more available - even if mixed with other woods.
Infinite thanks to you for putting me on to this company and product! In my spare time, I've been researching how to build a house using eco-friendly materials ONLY, which at first seemed almost impossible. Your channel has given me much insight and I appreciate you immeasurably!!!! :)
One has to admit that this is an engineered wood that requires a lot of work before end use. It’s a low productivity wood product because it requires a lot of work after crop. But it is indeed an eco wise product, since it uses the trashiest part of the plant. They use to make ropes and clothes with that. It was a plant very popular among the farmers, because the market was huge.
I would argue its potentially less eco due to the carbon footprint from the needed materials to process into lumber including baking, soy glue production, etc.
@@kingdarkem why do you have to convert it into lumber? There are many uses for hamp without wood flooring. Just cause one use is expensive, labor intensive doesn't mean product is bad. Don't throw baby with a water. Also, with time and more companies involved technology will improve, gets cheaper and more eco-friendly. Improvements need time and incentives.
Ok this youtube nuking my reply comments is getting old. Green is not always clean. While the company maybe eco friendly. Suppliers and trucking is not eco friendly and could leave a bigger foot print. Sure the more people who do it the cheaper it gets but the more trucking, factories, and heavy machinery gets used. Sure dont have to be wood flooring. But everything has a foot print.
Belina, thank you for bringing this natural material to us which is so eco-friendly. I am going to renovate my home and will explore more if it can be used here in the UK. Huge thank you.
Hempwood is horrible for flooring and furniture. Might as well use untreated MDF and see what happens. Spoiler alert: You'll need new floors and new furniture in just 2 weeks. Not exactly ecofriendly
Thanks for making this content. I replaced water damaged wood and restored my first 1965 trailer. I should get a sample pack and see how hemp wood holds screws.
Cost of a product can to first order be related to the CO2 released to generate the product. More costly products to first order are less environmentally friendly. This takes into account the entire supply chain required to produce the product.
@8:44 "They don't call this the Tesla roadster of building materials that's going to solve homelessness" - excellent burn! Love it. Thank you for making such great content!
I see you already covered the story about hemp isolation, a thing that's being made in the Netherlands since a few years now (or rather, again as laws changed). For people who wish to know, yes, you will see huge fields covered in the famous plants, but no they do not contain any THC as Belinda already stated. It does smell rather awful though.
Belinda, thank's for this important video. Your video highlights some critical issues that need to be addressed if hemp is to go mainstream. Thanks for the great work!
I agree. To me it just becomes a fancy alternative to MDF and HDF and will require equal amounts of polycarbonate sealants to become a realistic wood for cheap furniture, thus defeating their environmental purpose
You are still using the same preventative measures for our HempWood that you would use for wood flooring. As long as you treat it like so, your flooring will stay in good condition.
It's strange how I'm more excited by products that don't make wild claims. They must appeal to the cynic in me. Nice cynical comment about the shipping container too ;)
I've never really like the engineered wood flooring. Their inability to cope with moisture makes it just a matter of time before they come apart like OSB. Hemp's primary uses prior to the ban were rope and fabric. They do well at that.
Yeah, given the restrictions and cost (seems like glorified particleboard to me), I'm wondering how this makes sense compared to bamboo. Pretty though, and that might be worth it to some.
@@wiezyczkowata It might! But the x6 by 6' limit of the material (as it stands) would be a deal breaker in my shop. Tops and seats would have to be laid up just to get the width required to make a table or chair. It can't get wet so something with slats like a garden bench or picnic table are out. While one could design a furniture product around these limitations domestic hardwoods are half the price and come in dimensions I can use.
What HEMP can and should of been doing in building, food, cosmetics, medicine,textile,plastic.. all these industries is phenomenonal!! 🥳 love watching the demand quickly rise for these nontoxic industries. Thank you for the information.
She also conveniently left out Tannic Acid, one of the major contributors that make oak wood so preferable as it is the high concentrations of Tannic Acid that makes oak wood resistent to moisture, rot, fungi and insects. Knowing about Tannic Acid and what it makes Oak wood capable of, she really just made a greater case for using oakwood than using hempwood for furniture
Ms. Carr, I only discovered your RUclips channel a few days ago and I am already a fan. Keep up the good work and thank you for this video. It spotlights a domestic company and their products that I hope are smashing successes.
What happens when the house floods due to broken pipes or rain floodwater and the water persists for more than 1 hour? Is the flooring ruined? Can it be protected further? I live in the tropics. The humidity is currently 77%. Does that mean that hemp wood is a non-starter?
In my opinion based on European build standards, If any house would have broken pipes or floodwater indoor all the houses would be ruined. I think you should build your house better to prevent from broken pipes or rain floodwater. Are broken pipes common in the US? Here in Finland water and sewerage pipes are replaced every 45-50 years.
@@ristoreipas21 "Are broken pipes common in the US?" Having a toilet, sink or washer supply line fail is not uncommon. When they do, they can spill water until someone is home to notice.
I was also excited by prospects for Hemp years ago. However I noticed some very difficult challenges for farmers. Have they tried soaking the Hemp Wood with Vegetable oil to help retard moisture? Seems like the Hemp Wood must have some usefulness with so much going for it. How about table tops? But there are a number of other uses for Hemp to consider. Thank you for sharing helpful and informative videos!
"...[you] noticed some very difficult challenges for farmers." ?? Hemp grows everywhere, all 50 States and Canada, it has no need for pesticides and little use for fertilizer. Which part of "150 days" sounds difficult?
@@arcanondrum6543 The: "Are you sure you aren't running a weed operation here?" part probably. There are still many prejudices against hemp, especially within the authorities ...
If the hemp wood is held together with resin, is it as heavy (or heavier) as other traditional plywoods, particle board, or chip boards? One of the drawbacks of particle board is that it is very heavy with all the glue that is needed to hold the particles together when compared to real wood boards.
Any type of wood that is glued together by any means, is susceptible to water damage and will swell. As a cabinet maker, I would probably not use Hempwood for anything else than hidden parts or sofa structural pieces, as it is good for replacing the common fir and pine wood used there. It is however high maintenance and is thus not easy to use for other furniture pieces and I can neither see a lot of usage of it in floors, due to that high maintenance. The majority of the population will not obsess so hard about wood and proper treatment of woods as cabinet makers, carpenters, architects, designers and enthusiasts will and thus it will require some serious effort to seal it properly, in order to be used in common household furniture. These sealants would most likely be a polycarbonate seal to make it properly watertight and able to resist common cleaning agents and thus its entire purpose to be eco friendly, would be defeated, as all manmade polycarbonates are plastics. Your use of oakwood as a comparison doesn't seem entirely thought through either. You left out something very important about Oakwood, that sets it aside from many other woods. And that is its high concentration of Tannic Acid, which makes oak wood highly resistent to fungi, insects and also rot. Since rot is caused by high levels of moisture (aka water and air), oak is also fairly resistent to water damage and will at most start to curve and bend after long exposure, but it will not swell. This is something any woodworker can easily fix, but we cannot fix delamination in woods like Hempwood. Burning oak also takes a bit of effort and keeping a torch to its surface is not a great way of setting fire to Oak (only if its super old and haven't been treated properly in decades). Your comparison would have made more sense using fir or pine instead, as they are not only more common, but also more susceptible. They're no hardwoods, no, but if it has to be a hardwood, use Beech then. Using oak just didn't make any actual sense.
Wouldn't treating it with an oil work fairly well? Like using lemon oil on traditional woodwork? I agree it wouldn't be a great choice for kitchen or bathroom, but why wouldn't it work for a table? People interested in eco-friendly products like this are usually willing to put in a bit more work caring for them.
Trees need 50 years to grow to harvest size. Hemp needs one year. That isn't enough to determine which is a better use of resources. Growing hemp means soil is tilled every year. Hemp fields are fertilized every year. Trees are planted once every 50 years and no fertilizer is used. Also, which is a higher yield of fiber over a 50 year span? One section (640 acres) of forest products or one section of hemp fields? Now consider the energy and labor to grow, harvest and process those crops and it might be more economical to grow wood.
I'm not sure that you necessarily have to till or fertilize. There is new soil health technologies kindof discouraging that attitude in farming. Plus, it's a weed. It's more than happy in poor soil.
Pretty sure both are being harvested and planted constantly, not just every 50 years there is one big tree chopping party. But yes would like a thorough breakdown of the resource usage and impact.
The facts comparing hemp to regular trees was :O and very happy to know there is hope in re-forestation, it might not be the best thing ever but it will help while we wait a whole generation for 1 tree to grow, we need our oxygen one way or another
Hardwood has a very specific definition. This is in no way, shape or form a "hardwood" = it's not actually a wood at all - just compressed fibers exactly like bamboo.
That's the only reason I clicked on this video since as a woodworker I know that's wrong. I know it doesn't matter much but it's still frustrating when people take terms that are very specific and apply them to things that aren't specific. The term hardwood floor has always been frustrating to me
Belinda, I just love all of your videos. I really enjoy your thorough and engaging delivery, and speaking as a person who absolutely loves the details, your presentations are always rewarding to watch. I might try to incorporate the HempWood into a dining table along with a coordinating decorative chair rail in the dining room. Due to it's durability and striking pattern / grain, I think that would be an interesting application and provide a manageable opportunity to explore working with a new product. Thank you for sharing your passion for construction + design methods, ideas, and products with everyone!
For hemp to be hardwood alternative, all you have to do is eco friendy compress it under extreme pressures. Then it can compete with hardwoods straight from lumber mill. Edit: Just dont spill water on it. Or it is ruined.
@@bitchn_betty 2 1/2" solid Select Red Oak is around $3.25 sf Why would you want to apply an oak veneer to plywood or OSB except for those prefinished floors (like Bruce) I would guess that the compacted hemp won't cleanly machine the tongue and groove required for solid flooring, or you can't really drive cleats or staples through the tongue without breaking it.
We make panels for accent walls and tables. Because HempWood originates from a block form, which is 5.5 x 5x5 x 7". Due to the limitations of equipment and size capacity, is the reason for HempWood panels. The panels use PureBond plywood.
Im glad to hear about this product, I especially like that it can be refinished. I have bamboo floors which were installed prior to buying the house, I did like the floors until I realized I couldnt refinish these floors and they scratch easily. I thought bamboo was more sustainable but they dont hold up well and have to be replaced too often for it to be sustainable
Can you not recoat them each year to make them last? I looked into bamboo fencing and when I found out you had to treat it every year to prevent mold I was like "nope". I just assumed it was because it was exposed to the elements though.
@@helenhobbs5472 No i dont think so bc its the removal of the old stuff by sanding or stripping that I cannot do but painting the floors is an option. All the scratches would need filled in some how for the floor to look nice bc you would see all the dips and groves through the paint. I like bamboo for furniture and other things just not floors.
halfway thru the video, I was like is sponsored? But the rest of then you didn't hold any punches talking about the cons and even sharing how the ceo views the product within the whole market. Love your content!
What would you build with HempWood? Flooring and kitchen cabinetry seem like interesting uses.
Affiliate link hempwood.com/?ref=1002
You just said that it's susceptible to water damage. That makes it unsuitable for foors or kitchen cabinets.
@@NSResponder It's the same as hardwood flooring. With proper sealants, it's suitable for both purposes (the same as any wood, really)
Yes, because I'm sure that once hemp is legal again everywhere, it will all be used to make building materials. Can't see that backfiring at all.
@@fleetcenturion why would it backfire it’s a fantastic material and no it’s not marijuana.
@@FreekHoekstra - Absolutely no one wants to legalize hemp, to make a building material that is susceptible to water damage. This is a gimmick. Taxable marijuana is infinitely more valuable, and that is where virtually _all_ hemp production will go.
I wish people would just admit they want to get stoned all day. I fully support it, in fact. Just _please_ stop acting like you're saving the damn planet! Stoners are annoying enough already.
This woman's channel is absolutely amazing and highly underrated.
Yeah, she's incredible!
Bruh, I was just scrolling down to write this
You said it before I.
Me too. Been loving this channel!
Totally
1:53 "Now that's a good use of a shipping container"
Very Meta - 😂
A shipping has no intended use as a kiln or oven.
They used no no thermal reflective material or refractory material & so I assume the fuel consumption is atrocious.
You probably do more good for the environment if you care to buy a quality efficient industrial oven or kiln.
Not a Hodge podge shipping container repurposed. Why do you think over 1/2 the worlds air pollution is produced in china & India.
For the very reason of repurposed material for forging &/or low expected agreed standards.
Good intentions don't always lead to good things;)
Mind I don't care to much but for those that supposedly do are all hypocrite's because you lack the basic savvy.
Tired of hippies/hipsters playing a industry & engineering. save the world mob can't help them self's much less the world. the posturing of it
Yep. That one got m e too...
😁 loved that little jab 😂
Too bad her shipping container is a scam video is littered full of misleading information and misinformation.
@@miked.9364 Why? I haven't watched it yet, but I've seen something similar.
I appreciate the manufactures honesty about the potential and limitations of the product- if you could replace all interior cabinetry, flooring, and furniture with this product you’d still save a lot of old growth forests and illegal logging!
It isn’t structural unfortunately it’s just decorative. What is better for saving old growth logging is cross laminated timber. The wood is sitka spruce grown sustainably on tree farms, not taken from forests, and it is very strong light and environmentally friendly. It has a better strength to weight than concrete and even some steel.
That is our goal!
@@rando5673 yep :) i know
@@BigCroca
If you'd learn to read, they said cabinetry, floors, etc. They didn't say build the cabins structure out of it. Combine the sustainable lumber farms with hemp wood for the best of both words. Hemp wood grows much quicker and is great for non structural uses.
Illegal logging will always be economically more competitive than any alternative. Eliminating it requires a politically integrated society with respect for laws. One can hope, but it is helpful to hope for what matters, not to hope in vain.
Now I want a Hemp house, with hemp floor and hemp cabinets and hemp furniture , and "now that is a good use for a cargo container"
You do realize that $240/4x8 sheet is OUTRAGEOUS and no one will ever use it for construction purposes at that price. Imagine a pre-cut stud of this material costing ~$24..... building an entire home would likely be 8 to 10 times the cost. BUT hey, it's your money.... we just build it.
Don't forget hemp clothes, one thing which isn't hard to find today and is awesome. The antimicrobial properties of wool with the moisture-handling properties of synthetic, and excellent durability. It's recognized as the all-around best for BJJ kimonos which is one of the most extreme environments you'll find for fabric! Obviously it's high-end only for applications like flooring currently, but for many applications there's no reason it can't be cheap. It is a weed after all!
@@AaronAlso If you want to pay me to build this for 8x the cost I would extremely enthusiastic.
Hempcrete for the foundation
Enjoy your porous house!
I hope you like the rain indoors.
This channel is consistently good. I hope these guys succeed. Everyone who talks about being eco friendly should talk about products like this.
Thank you, Beretania! We appreciate the support.
Audiophiles would appreciate speaker boxes and record player bases made with high density HempWood.
Hemp was/is the choice of rope makers. It has long and strong fibres/fibers. I like your work.
I don't know about speakers. Sure some will, but MDF is chosen for speakers specifically because of its damping property, so the sound is very controlled and not dominated by cabin resonance, there was a research paper published by Visaton i think around 1987, not sure, where it won against any wood or engineered wood-based material. However same paper also suggested that concrete-bitumen laminates or glass laminates would be good too, though not so practical. I do think hempwood laminate including some sort of damping element could just be it, more research needed.
As to record player plinth, density is for sure an advantage. There are separate damper elements in the construction, predominantly feet but also platter+motor can be suspended, but high plinth mass helps the dampers be more efficient. However high stiffness isn't strictly an advantage. One of the best plinth materials being natural rubber, which is more than twice as heavy as hardwood, but also inherently damping.
Reminds me of the Grado hemp headphones!
I am simply excited to be here. Glad the algorithm recommended you.
Never clicked on a new video so fast! Fantastic information here! We need to make hemp PROCESSING cheaper by scaling those facilities. This really is an excellent solution (environmentally friendly, high quality, and POTENTIALLY lower cost). Just an excellent review of the product! Thank you.
This product is unfortunately worthless to my 70% humidity indoors Louisiana self, but I'm very glad there's an alternative for non-coastal folk!
I was thinking the same thing because you couldn't get the humidity down enough in Florida where I live to use this, like 50 percent humidity is not ever a thing here. That would mold so fast here, Plastic chairs mold here in a years so this wouldn't last 6 months. Also palmetto bugs love eating press board and without the toxic chemical they would love eating this stuff much more.
Belinda does like to hammer on the right product for the right region.
@@TheNightshadePrince Whats the issue? I assume you have wooden things?
@@benholroyd5221 No solid wood is fine but press board and chip board quickly swell and rot here when exposed to air. Also we have palmetto bugs which love to eat anything that is edible but the prefer engineered wood.
@@TheNightshadePrince ok. I take it it's a glue issue then
Kodos to these entrepreneurs, and to Belinda for such consistent informative content.
I just discovered your videos, and honestly, your logical conclusions and general presentation are absolute top quality. Such a fresh breath of air for RUclips. Thank you!!
The fact that the product is made from materials which have sourced from within a 100 mile radius is wonderful!
An other interesting use of hemp. Hemp has being used in Europe for ever as fabric, and wall covering as it never was "black listed."
I installed some in France before I came in the US.
Yes and if you make a cord of hemp then weave it, you can get a very useful industrial cloth. Sacks can be made from it. You can also make safety nets from hemp rope.
It's also great for small animal cages. My rats can't have or use alot of materials because of toxins in them, dust residue, or they are highly sensitive to it. However, hemp materials (fabrics, woods, toys, ropes, etc) are cheaper to buy for them and they are soooo much safer! I use hemp for my rats cages all the time because it's sooo much better for them than other products.
can you recommend any European suppliers?
I love the look of the plain sawn version
Hempwood takes less time to make, it's stronger, it's less likely to catch fire, and it looks cool. Definitely something to consider when looking for building materials.
Looking at the quick charring example she showed, flammability seems roughly on par with wood.
@@Kenionatus I want yo say she put the torch to a peice of trrated wood and that burned more but I could be mis remembering.
Belinda is my favorite architect, and also the most practical one, and also the most cutting edge one. I don't know how she does it all but she's great!
Thank you!
I am *very* excited by this. I especially love how it pulls in so much carbon while growing. And it's pretty. I hope prices come down. I would love to replace some of my floors with their product.
Beautiful product. I hope as the product matures that it will become suitable for dry climates such as Colorado.
HempWood, when engineered, can withstand humidity levels up to 35 to 70 percent.
The thing is, they actually look really nice, this is the first time I've ever heard of such a wood
It is grass so besides pressure what is the secret glue holding this material together.
Finally, a product with a manufacturer who is honest about their goals and what can be achieved with the product.
We strive to provide a hardwood alternative that makes sense for our customers to use. We are not trying to save the world; we are just trying to make it a little bit better!
Love your direct presentation of the facts... keep on reporting. Kudos!
That you for sharing all of the data about hemp wood in comparison with other woods. Very informative and well done!
Being free of formaldehyde is a huge deal. It's why I'm reconsidering my use of MDF in my wood projects.
Every piece of wood and I do mean EVERY piece is processed to sterilize it from insects and fungi. I have a mobile sawmill and I spray every board for my customers as well. If not the wood will be streaked with fungus and insects.
Hemp is a wonderful plant, so much can be made from it. So versatile.
This video is proof I'll listen to anything if it's well presented xD
This video was absolutely thoughtful and fantastic. My wife and I recently purchased this product as T&G flooring for the ADU we are constructing. The guys that delivered the product to our home were very helpful, knowledgable and totally committed to the product itself. They made the suggestion that after I DIY the floor, to have a pro do the finishing. I think we'll heed that advice to maximize the life of the product and the enjoyment of this fabulously cool option to traditional wood flooring. Cheers and thanks from Brian in Denver.
I would love to see this flooring available as a waterproofed product.
That would most likely require a polycarbonate sealant, aka plastics
@@Arterexius I’m sure they can solve this with natural oils instead of plastics.
Look at the leafs of water lilies for example. They are completely water repellent. Nature is beautiful. God put us on a plain with everything we need in nature 🙏🏻
@@marcelvdfvandamme5927 You can't solve it with oils alone, let alone natural oils. Because although oil is Aquaphobic, it can still be washed off and natural oils are the least resistant oils. Textures like the surface of the water lily could of course do it, but there's no chance in oils. And if you want it professionally done or done in an affordable manner, it's polycarbonate, as mimicking the texture of the waterlily on the floor boards, while accounting for the increased wear that those boards would be subjected to? Let's just say it wouldn't be cheap.
@marcelvdfvandamme5927 oils could/would eventually evaporate, rub or wash away. Waxing is the only "resistance" not "proof" that can be done an once again with consistent ribbing the wax will wear away. Ultimately the floor owner will have to take responsibility for water "resisting" their floor.
So, how can this channel be so interesting and informative at the same time? I love it!
As a woodworker this is really interesting, but I am curious about material motion over the year in comparison to standard wood. Not that I think it will be worse or better, I just need to know how to accommodate for it.
15 USD/bf for 4/4, and can only get boards in 5.25in widths.
I don't think there will be any motion since this product is similar to stabilized wood. In another words - the fibers are glued together.
@@xTatsuran I can see why that might be the case, but especially for the riftsawn product, there is a defined grain direction, which means that I suspect there will be seasonal swelling perpendicular to that direction, the same as with hardwood. This is especially of concern when you are considering the warning that the materials are not water resistant.
Yeah i wanna try carving it
@@GeahkBurchill ooh I bet that would eat your edge alive, but it also looks a bit like burl in the flat sawn orientation... I bet it would be interesting
Gotta say, the graining on this wood looks amazing.
Several Points :
▪ While I did own inferior t-shirts "made from Hemp", they were no-name. The brand name jeans I'm wearing (right now) are made of hemp and durable.
▪ I have advocated, loudly, for Hemp for Years after Sailing with Hemp Rigging versus other materials. (Yes, I have tried Marijuana, it does not appeal to me.)
▪ I am quite excited about the Hemp Lumber and 4'x8' sheets because I want durable materials for the various Cabinets I must build. Pine is soft. Plywood has VOC's. Hardwoods have desirable properties but because several of the cabinets will be painted, it is a real crime to paint such beautiful wood that has grown for a century and was killed to hold things.
▪ I do admire the look of the Hemp Lumber shown here but painting at least some of my cabinets will be win/win to protect them from humidity and not have that look dominate my living spaces. I won't feel guilty about painting them.
▪ To wrap up those last 2, natural grain colors definitely add definition and warmth to a space but color is a great way to use the light of the space so go ahead and paint that 150 day old Hemp.
♧
With that level of water susceptibility, you'd need a polycarbonate seal, aka a plastic. If you want to use a purely natural polycarbonate, you gotta go sticky, aka using the natural resin found in fir and pine trees.
@@Arterexius Interesting, thanks. I plan to purchase samples and test them.
It's good to have this product. I am thinking about an application for it. Thanks for the video. Cheers.
Would love to hear what your thoughts are! Our customers are some of the most creative individuals and we love to support their visions.
If it's completely manufactured from stalk to wood, why couldn't the specs be adjusted to make it slightly less dense so that it's more usable for other applications? While this particular recipe sounds fantastic for particular uses, this seems like only the first step in a plethora of potential uses for hemp. I'm on board with this!
This Hempwood stuff looks pretty nice to my eyes... kind of like an exotic grain wood actually, especially the 'Rift' cut stuff. Looking at the website, I found a size that I can use, (for a loudspeaker front baffle) but it was listed as being sold in a 4' long length. So... I asked them if they would consider cutting the boards in half to make a smaller package for less shipping cost. They said 'no problem' and got right back to me. Seems that although they are the manufacturer, they still are willing to customize for a small customer; That's nice. BTW, I enjoy your videos a lot and I appreciate your unique take on construction topics, Belinda. Good luck with the home remodel/updating.
Thank you so much for your support and we are glad to hear that you were satisfied with your experience with us!
I worked in hemp fields back in France when I was 15. The tasks was simply to find female shoots and remove it. I heard that those who broke in to smoke it, suffered from severe headache.
i mean you kind of cause brain and lung damage when you inhale smoke of any kind... especially on purpose
I love how thorough you are and are so easy to follow on any complex topic. excellent video. i want to build my own tiny home and this sounds like the way to go.
I have been looking at hemp as a material for a while now and see great benefits with hemp in several areas. Interesting information review, thank you. Btw In Sweden, we always use a vapor barrier when wooden floors are laid on a concrete slab (floating floor). So there is no difference between hemp wood and other wood. /Siggi
You're right! HempWood Engineered Hardwood Flooring is treated the same as traditional engineered hardwood flooring.
I really love these analyses- thorough stress-tests that actually challenge the usefulness of a material and compare them properly without the shenanigans I usually see.
Pity about water though- given how much I spill on my floors and furniture, that is.
She didn't make a proper comparison with Oak though. She left out Tannic Acid, a major component in Oakwood furniture and flooring, as the high concentrations of Tannic Acid in Oakwood, makes it highly resistent to moisture, rot, fungi and insect damage.
@@Arterexius Good point- be nice to see an analysis that covers the extraction and incorporation of that substance. Where does it occur?
Hemp is a wonderplant, a gift from the gods. Thank you for sharing!
You mean God
Thanks for introducing us to this product! I'm curious how it stacks up against bamboo though. One site I visited called it a draw. What are your thoughts?
I have been trying to get bamboo flooring and it all has to come from China. The bonus here is that it's domestic. You save all that transportation fuel.
They both will be mainstays in the new building industry that will form when people realize they must change the way they build houses and also change the type of materials used, to promote less energy wasteful materials for a more carbon friendly house. But then we might see more underground homes to save energy costs because electricity will be more expensive.
You rock Belinda! You are the first youtuber I've seen do affiliate marketing for construction materials and i think that's a genius idea. Thanks for quality content.
If it grows super fast and easy to grow, it seems the opportunity is there to make more products. Heck, bamboo is one of those fast woods as well, isn’t it? Hope this takes off and becomes more available - even if mixed with other woods.
Infinite thanks to you for putting me on to this company and product! In my spare time, I've been researching how to build a house using eco-friendly materials ONLY, which at first seemed almost impossible. Your channel has given me much insight and I appreciate you immeasurably!!!! :)
One has to admit that this is an engineered wood that requires a lot of work before end use. It’s a low productivity wood product because it requires a lot of work after crop. But it is indeed an eco wise product, since it uses the trashiest part of the plant. They use to make ropes and clothes with that. It was a plant very popular among the farmers, because the market was huge.
I would argue its potentially less eco due to the carbon footprint from the needed materials to process into lumber including baking, soy glue production, etc.
Does it require more work than OSB?
@@kingdarkem why do you have to convert it into lumber? There are many uses for hamp without wood flooring. Just cause one use is expensive, labor intensive doesn't mean product is bad. Don't throw baby with a water. Also, with time and more companies involved technology will improve, gets cheaper and more eco-friendly. Improvements need time and incentives.
There are still textile made with hemp. Actually it has some quite competitive properties.
Ok this youtube nuking my reply comments is getting old. Green is not always clean.
While the company maybe eco friendly. Suppliers and trucking is not eco friendly and could leave a bigger foot print. Sure the more people who do it the cheaper it gets but the more trucking, factories, and heavy machinery gets used.
Sure dont have to be wood flooring. But everything has a foot print.
This is the most I’ve ever learned on RUclips. Thanks!
This is a guide start to the industry but it sounds like it's still gonna need some work. But I'm still excited
Belina, thank you for bringing this natural material to us which is so eco-friendly. I am going to renovate my home and will explore more if it can be used here in the UK. Huge thank you.
"I'll leave those conspiracy theories for a different video" Finally, someone using the words "conspiracy theory" in a non derogatory way.
With each video, you flip my understanding of construction and architecture!! 🤣
I LOVE THIS!!
Thank you so much!! 😁
Thanks for sharing 🙏
Sounds like a wonderful furniture building alternative. The hardness is amazing.
Only if you're absolutely insane. That water susceptibility is so high you may as well make furniture out of untreated particle board
Hemp and bamboo compliment each other. Bamboo/Lamboo great for post & beam while hempwood/hempcrete great for mostly everything else.
Hempwood is horrible for flooring and furniture. Might as well use untreated MDF and see what happens. Spoiler alert: You'll need new floors and new furniture in just 2 weeks. Not exactly ecofriendly
Thanks for making this content. I replaced water damaged wood and restored my first 1965 trailer. I should get a sample pack and see how hemp wood holds screws.
Cost of a product can to first order be related to the CO2 released to generate the product. More costly products to first order are less environmentally friendly. This takes into account the entire supply chain required to produce the product.
@8:44 "They don't call this the Tesla roadster of building materials that's going to solve homelessness" - excellent burn! Love it. Thank you for making such great content!
USA: We're making hemp wood, but it is expensive
China: Hmm....
The plain sawn stuff looks amazing!
I see you already covered the story about hemp isolation, a thing that's being made in the Netherlands since a few years now (or rather, again as laws changed). For people who wish to know, yes, you will see huge fields covered in the famous plants, but no they do not contain any THC as Belinda already stated. It does smell rather awful though.
Belinda, thank's for this important video. Your video highlights some critical issues that need to be addressed if hemp is to go mainstream. Thanks for the great work!
It really sounds great. However, it's extremely susceptibility to water seems to be a huge problem.
I agree. To me it just becomes a fancy alternative to MDF and HDF and will require equal amounts of polycarbonate sealants to become a realistic wood for cheap furniture, thus defeating their environmental purpose
pretty much all engineered wood products have the same issue. i love MDF but it's a sponge.
You are still using the same preventative measures for our HempWood that you would use for wood flooring. As long as you treat it like so, your flooring will stay in good condition.
I am glad you decided to, and announced your affiliation! Good to see an early adopter.
It's strange how I'm more excited by products that don't make wild claims. They must appeal to the cynic in me. Nice cynical comment about the shipping container too ;)
This is my go to Architecture/building channel now!!! Belinda is awesome!!!
I've never really like the engineered wood flooring. Their inability to cope with moisture makes it just a matter of time before they come apart like OSB.
Hemp's primary uses prior to the ban were rope and fabric. They do well at that.
Yeah, given the restrictions and cost (seems like glorified particleboard to me), I'm wondering how this makes sense compared to bamboo.
Pretty though, and that might be worth it to some.
It might be better idea to make furniture with hemp wood
@@wiezyczkowata So long as it doesn't get wet.
@@wiezyczkowata It might! But the x6 by 6' limit of the material (as it stands) would be a deal breaker in my shop.
Tops and seats would have to be laid up just to get the width required to make a table or chair.
It can't get wet so something with slats like a garden bench or picnic table are out.
While one could design a furniture product around these limitations domestic hardwoods are half the price and come in dimensions I can use.
@@jimurrata6785 looks like hemp wood need some more working on
Wonderful to see new hemp products! I love it!
Do you know are they producing any structural materials with this I’m sure it would be good for framing or tgi micro beam
As of now, we are not creating structural materials.
What HEMP can and should of been doing in building, food, cosmetics, medicine,textile,plastic.. all these industries is phenomenonal!! 🥳 love watching the demand quickly rise for these nontoxic industries. Thank you for the information.
The hardest comparison oak is a little unfair.
a more honest comparison would be glued oak fibers versus the glued hem fibers.
She also conveniently left out Tannic Acid, one of the major contributors that make oak wood so preferable as it is the high concentrations of Tannic Acid that makes oak wood resistent to moisture, rot, fungi and insects. Knowing about Tannic Acid and what it makes Oak wood capable of, she really just made a greater case for using oakwood than using hempwood for furniture
this channel showed up in my suggested list, so I watch a few of her videos. She does a very good job and has really interesting topics.
I had to get a sample pack. I want to play some of the Plain Sawn. I really like it. looks very distressed/spalted
I guess the real comparison should be to bamboo rather than oak
Ms. Carr, I only discovered your RUclips channel a few days ago and I am already a fan. Keep up the good work and thank you for this video. It spotlights a domestic company and their products that I hope are smashing successes.
What happens when the house floods due to broken pipes or rain floodwater and the water persists for more than 1 hour? Is the flooring ruined? Can it be protected further? I live in the tropics. The humidity is currently 77%. Does that mean that hemp wood is a non-starter?
Belinda said humidity level requirements are between 35-55% -- your situation is a non-starter.
In my opinion based on European build standards, If any house would have broken pipes or floodwater indoor all the houses would be ruined. I think you should build your house better to prevent from broken pipes or rain floodwater.
Are broken pipes common in the US? Here in Finland water and sewerage pipes are replaced every 45-50 years.
@@ristoreipas21 "Are broken pipes common in the US?"
Having a toilet, sink or washer supply line fail is not uncommon. When they do, they can spill water until someone is home to notice.
This is not a product for your area.
I’m not sure what flooring would enjoy being flooded
I came here from the laminate and vinyl video..amazing content..you should be trending. Much needed knowledge that i was looking for about flooring.
I was also excited by prospects for Hemp years ago.
However I noticed some very difficult challenges for farmers.
Have they tried soaking the Hemp Wood with Vegetable oil to help retard moisture?
Seems like the Hemp Wood must have some usefulness with so much going for it.
How about table tops?
But there are a number of other uses for Hemp to consider.
Thank you for sharing helpful and informative videos!
That's a good industrial use of that unhealthy seed oil!
"...[you] noticed some very difficult challenges for farmers." ??
Hemp grows everywhere, all 50 States and Canada, it has no need for pesticides and little use for fertilizer.
Which part of "150 days" sounds difficult?
@@arcanondrum6543 The: "Are you sure you aren't running a weed operation here?" part probably. There are still many prejudices against hemp, especially within the authorities ...
@@arcanondrum6543 Harvesting...
Hemp fibers are very strong some machinery just can't handle it.
@@0sizo Now THAT is something that I hadn't considered, thanks.
Hemp is a versatile plant. easy to grow in all soils, we can use 100% of it, etc.
If the hemp wood is held together with resin, is it as heavy (or heavier) as other traditional plywoods, particle board, or chip boards? One of the drawbacks of particle board is that it is very heavy with all the glue that is needed to hold the particles together when compared to real wood boards.
More dense than oak means heavier than oak. So yes, very heavy.
@@modarkthemauler Correct!
Very nice presentation! I hope my next home makes use of HempWood. thanks.
"Now that's a good use of a shipping container" 😂
your excitement made me excited for this products future
I’ve heard that conspiracy before…
I wouldn’t put it pass a corporation since the dollar is their bottom goal at all costs.
I have been debating on different woods to build my casket out of and I think I may have just found it. Thank you for all the great information!!
If you check out our social media, you can see that someone has already made a casket from HempWood! It's really neat!
Any type of wood that is glued together by any means, is susceptible to water damage and will swell. As a cabinet maker, I would probably not use Hempwood for anything else than hidden parts or sofa structural pieces, as it is good for replacing the common fir and pine wood used there. It is however high maintenance and is thus not easy to use for other furniture pieces and I can neither see a lot of usage of it in floors, due to that high maintenance. The majority of the population will not obsess so hard about wood and proper treatment of woods as cabinet makers, carpenters, architects, designers and enthusiasts will and thus it will require some serious effort to seal it properly, in order to be used in common household furniture. These sealants would most likely be a polycarbonate seal to make it properly watertight and able to resist common cleaning agents and thus its entire purpose to be eco friendly, would be defeated, as all manmade polycarbonates are plastics. Your use of oakwood as a comparison doesn't seem entirely thought through either. You left out something very important about Oakwood, that sets it aside from many other woods. And that is its high concentration of Tannic Acid, which makes oak wood highly resistent to fungi, insects and also rot. Since rot is caused by high levels of moisture (aka water and air), oak is also fairly resistent to water damage and will at most start to curve and bend after long exposure, but it will not swell. This is something any woodworker can easily fix, but we cannot fix delamination in woods like Hempwood. Burning oak also takes a bit of effort and keeping a torch to its surface is not a great way of setting fire to Oak (only if its super old and haven't been treated properly in decades). Your comparison would have made more sense using fir or pine instead, as they are not only more common, but also more susceptible. They're no hardwoods, no, but if it has to be a hardwood, use Beech then. Using oak just didn't make any actual sense.
Wouldn't treating it with an oil work fairly well? Like using lemon oil on traditional woodwork?
I agree it wouldn't be a great choice for kitchen or bathroom, but why wouldn't it work for a table? People interested in eco-friendly products like this are usually willing to put in a bit more work caring for them.
What a great presentation, Belinda -- Thank you.
Greetings from Zimbabwe!
Ah yes, something humanity used for 5000 years is a NEW eco friendly material....
Just found this channel and super impressed by the care you take over your research and presentation.
Trees need 50 years to grow to harvest size. Hemp needs one year. That isn't enough to determine which is a better use of resources. Growing hemp means soil is tilled every year. Hemp fields are fertilized every year. Trees are planted once every 50 years and no fertilizer is used. Also, which is a higher yield of fiber over a 50 year span? One section (640 acres) of forest products or one section of hemp fields? Now consider the energy and labor to grow, harvest and process those crops and it might be more economical to grow wood.
I'm not sure that you necessarily have to till or fertilize. There is new soil health technologies kindof discouraging that attitude in farming. Plus, it's a weed. It's more than happy in poor soil.
Pretty sure both are being harvested and planted constantly, not just every 50 years there is one big tree chopping party. But yes would like a thorough breakdown of the resource usage and impact.
The facts comparing hemp to regular trees was :O and very happy to know there is hope in re-forestation, it might not be the best thing ever but it will help while we wait a whole generation for 1 tree to grow, we need our oxygen one way or another
Hardwood has a very specific definition. This is in no way, shape or form a "hardwood" = it's not actually a wood at all - just compressed fibers exactly like bamboo.
That's the only reason I clicked on this video since as a woodworker I know that's wrong. I know it doesn't matter much but it's still frustrating when people take terms that are very specific and apply them to things that aren't specific. The term hardwood floor has always been frustrating to me
Belinda, I just love all of your videos. I really enjoy your thorough and engaging delivery, and speaking as a person who absolutely loves the details, your presentations are always rewarding to watch. I might try to incorporate the HempWood into a dining table along with a coordinating decorative chair rail in the dining room. Due to it's durability and striking pattern / grain, I think that would be an interesting application and provide a manageable opportunity to explore working with a new product. Thank you for sharing your passion for construction + design methods, ideas, and products with everyone!
For hemp to be hardwood alternative, all you have to do is eco friendy compress it under extreme pressures. Then it can compete with hardwoods straight from lumber mill.
Edit: Just dont spill water on it. Or it is ruined.
Cool product. This wood would probably be nice for accents in a home or even a car.
You are right! Cabinets make the perfect addition to any kitchen.
If the hemp wood is so awesome why do they bond it too plywood?
I would guess cost...... plywood is cheaper than the hemp wood. Just like an engineered oak flooring.
@@bitchn_betty 2 1/2" solid Select Red Oak is around $3.25 sf
Why would you want to apply an oak veneer to plywood or OSB except for those prefinished floors (like Bruce)
I would guess that the compacted hemp won't cleanly machine the tongue and groove required for solid flooring, or you can't really drive cleats or staples through the tongue without breaking it.
We make panels for accent walls and tables. Because HempWood originates from a block form, which is 5.5 x 5x5 x 7". Due to the limitations of equipment and size capacity, is the reason for HempWood panels. The panels use PureBond plywood.
Im glad to hear about this product, I especially like that it can be refinished. I have bamboo floors which were installed prior to buying the house, I did like the floors until I realized I couldnt refinish these floors and they scratch easily. I thought bamboo was more sustainable but they dont hold up well and have to be replaced too often for it to be sustainable
Can you not recoat them each year to make them last? I looked into bamboo fencing and when I found out you had to treat it every year to prevent mold I was like "nope". I just assumed it was because it was exposed to the elements though.
@@helenhobbs5472 No i dont think so bc its the removal of the old stuff by sanding or stripping that I cannot do but painting the floors is an option. All the scratches would need filled in some how for the floor to look nice bc you would see all the dips and groves through the paint. I like bamboo for furniture and other things just not floors.
Hemp wood is similar to bamboo wood, it's all about the glue, the difference is hemp is far more porous. I see nothing to get excited about.
I love the look and sustainability!!!!
So interesting to see a new product in the wood industry which is making a difference - yet on a smaller scale. You earned a sub!
halfway thru the video, I was like is sponsored? But the rest of then you didn't hold any punches talking about the cons and even sharing how the ceo views the product within the whole market. Love your content!
They are making this down the road from me! I’m in Kentucky