@@royrogers3133ight but the general 2x4 construction isn’t. I’m with you )) regular cinderblock is way cheaper but it has no R value compared to this material 😃 In my state I can grow hemp, need state license every year and half an acre can produce enough of the hemp to build a house. Run it in wood chipper and you are good to go
Sure I agree on the qualities of hempcrete but the cost and hassle of obtaining hemp if not locally, outweighs it's advantages over other options. I grow a lot of willow on short rotation; it contains pith in it's first year and successively less each year of extra growth. If mixed as 1 year chips into lime slurry whilst green, the willow will eventually shrink slightly, leaving tiny air pockets with the pith in the crete. Plastered over and the solar bank mass on the interior, this is a very good insulative and heat retaining option at a fraction of the hempcrete cost. I can actually buy locally grown willowchips at £40/tonne, but am not able to do quality control on as it's cut for heating and mulching at 2-4 year cycles.
Really intriguing idea. Have you looked into aircrete? The concept of getting air pockets in there via the bubbles for insulative value seems similar to what you are doing with the willow chips.
@@WildAbundance I've looked at it out of curiosity, but would rather use lime over cement. I've already done small trial panels of willowcrete, and the same using clay slip. The lime-based mix performed brilliantly and is very stable although not yet plastered. (The light-clay-willow shrank a little, so left gaps around the edges). I used our commonest builder's lime NHL3.5, as I'm in the UK. The results are sufficiently good for me to plan a build around this method.
Actually hemp has been in use since the Roman times. It is more of a forgotten material than a new material. The chemical companies were and are not to control it so they had it banned back in the 1930's in the U.s.a . Heck even Henery Fird used Hemp in one of his car models .
Thanks for posting this video. I like your summation of the pro and cons. How wonderful it would be to remove some of the barriers to using hemp on an industrial scale. I work in California on communities destroyed by recent fires. Rebuilding using construction materials like hempcrete can prevent so many homeowners from losing their homes in future fires. I intend to see this be one more available and mainstream. Great video!
I have used hemp Crete for the past 25 years in Canada. You did not share one of the most interesting facts of hempcrete. No need for complete forms we use one straight one 90 ⁰ form that's all. Hempcrete forms can be removed and the wall won't fall or slump. We used Hemp herds and fibres we sourced in Quebec. Our own cement plant, a small one we purchased, and did the foundations for a 5 story huge home and equally huge garage with 13 Grow Rooms all made from hempcrete. It Also cures much faster than traditional concrete. No need to use gloves. And it's extremely structural adaptable
Hi @M. Pearce, Im from Nova Scotia and have been researching hempcrete for about 5 years. Im getting to the point where I would like to plan a build and would love to get some input if youre available sometime.
The lime in hempcrete is good at mediating excess moisture in a room, this is not a quality of hemp. The lime can help the hempcrete not have mold issues. We don't know if this totally addresses your question and we weren't sure quite what you were asking but this is what we know about moisture as it relates to hemp. We encourage you to do further research before building with this material.
Nice video! What do you mean by "it is not structural?" I am working on a project in the Algarve in Portugal where I am planning on growing hemp to make hempcrete and then build a house from the hempcrete. Hemp crops in Portugal are legal with permits.
As long as concrete basically would be my answer-- a google search is confirming that the estimated lifespan (as if they can really know this) is 300-500yrs
I may build soon, but hemp is off my list due to cost. There's a long way to go on that. The labor is similar to some other good materials, seems to me, so I don't see us moving to it for that, either. Not yet.
This is a term referring to the degree of insulation you get from a given layer or material. Building codes often require a certain minimum for R-value in the walls of a structure that people will inhabit, and that's usually based on the climate of the area in which you're building. Foam insulation would have a higher R-value the thicker it is, for example.
I'me sure that it can be load bearing, cause load bearing strawbales houses are existing since last century at least ! (And cheaper, and more available...)
They are not load bearing, unfortunately they crumble under weight. I think it's because the shorter pieces are only held together by the lime mixture, where strawbale has long pieces all interwoven. That would be my guess anyway.
That's only relevant if you can afford the increased up front costs🤷 And you only have to worry about mold in poorly built and maintained stick built homes. Your comment comes across as saying either pay the higher up front costs, or get sick 😄 Having said that, I'd love to build a hempcrete house. Just gotta be able to afford it one day.
Send info to Governors and mayors. We need more processing centers as much as we need farmers. Hemp ftw!
I would add fire resistant and pest resistant to the pros. Otherwise nice overview. Thanks!
So are cinderblocks and concrete
@@royrogers3133ight but the general 2x4 construction isn’t. I’m with you )) regular cinderblock is way cheaper but it has no R value compared to this material 😃
In my state I can grow hemp, need state license every year and half an acre can produce enough of the hemp to build a house. Run it in wood chipper and you are good to go
@@royrogers3133 r value per inch of 2.5 or more for hemp and r value of around 2 for 12 inches of cinder block.
2 birds one stone with hemp 🤷
cons start at 1:54 PROS AND CONS LISTED 2:44
Sure I agree on the qualities of hempcrete but the cost and hassle of obtaining hemp if not locally, outweighs it's advantages over other options. I grow a lot of willow on short rotation; it contains pith in it's first year and successively less each year of extra growth. If mixed as 1 year chips into lime slurry whilst green, the willow will eventually shrink slightly, leaving tiny air pockets with the pith in the crete. Plastered over and the solar bank mass on the interior, this is a very good insulative and heat retaining option at a fraction of the hempcrete cost. I can actually buy locally grown willowchips at £40/tonne, but am not able to do quality control on as it's cut for heating and mulching at 2-4 year cycles.
Really intriguing idea. Have you looked into aircrete? The concept of getting air pockets in there via the bubbles for insulative value seems similar to what you are doing with the willow chips.
@@WildAbundance I've looked at it out of curiosity, but would rather use lime over cement. I've already done small trial panels of willowcrete, and the same using clay slip. The lime-based mix performed brilliantly and is very stable although not yet plastered. (The light-clay-willow shrank a little, so left gaps around the edges). I used our commonest builder's lime NHL3.5, as I'm in the UK. The results are sufficiently good for me to plan a build around this method.
Actually hemp has been in use since the Roman times. It is more of a forgotten material than a new material. The chemical companies were and are not to control it so they had it banned back in the 1930's in the U.s.a . Heck even Henery Fird used Hemp in one of his car models .
Also fire proof and termite proof
Thanks for posting this video. I like your summation of the pro and cons. How wonderful it would be to remove some of the barriers to using hemp on an industrial scale. I work in California on communities destroyed by recent fires. Rebuilding using construction materials like hempcrete can prevent so many homeowners from losing their homes in future fires. I intend to see this be one more available and mainstream. Great video!
Im in CA too and call the Governor about Hemp weekly
Im in CA too and call the Governor about Hemp weekly
Is it earthquake resistant for Cali? Have no idea 😂 have a friend there who’s interested
How about the load bearing hempblock?
Our government needs to fast track the hemp industry so many important uses
I have used hemp Crete for the past 25 years in Canada. You did not share one of the most interesting facts of hempcrete. No need for complete forms we use one straight one 90 ⁰ form that's all. Hempcrete forms can be removed and the wall won't fall or slump. We used Hemp herds and fibres we sourced in Quebec. Our own cement plant, a small one we purchased, and did the foundations for a 5 story huge home and equally huge garage with 13 Grow Rooms all made from hempcrete. It
Also cures much faster than traditional concrete. No need to use gloves. And it's extremely structural adaptable
Make videos about this please. Maybe even show the house
Hi @M. Pearce, Im from Nova Scotia and have been researching hempcrete for about 5 years. Im getting to the point where I would like to plan a build and would love to get some input if youre available sometime.
Are you saying that you made the footings amd foundation from hempcrete.
Hello , how can I contact you ? Instagram or Facebook id?
Hempcrete is the future but it will take time to get more growers on board and processing plants in every state!
indeed.
What do you know about hemp's ability to absorb moister from warm wet air exhausting to cold dry air in wintertime ?
The lime in hempcrete is good at mediating excess moisture in a room, this is not a quality of hemp. The lime can help the hempcrete not have mold issues. We don't know if this totally addresses your question and we weren't sure quite what you were asking but this is what we know about moisture as it relates to hemp. We encourage you to do further research before building with this material.
@@WildAbundance Hemp is hygroscopic.
Bamboo works as well as hemp but takes longer to grow and costs more to process.
I think hemp is more durable.
Hemp is sold extremely expensive 😂compared to bamboo
there's one thing I don't understand but maybe it's a very silly question...anyway....is hempcrete waterproof?
it is!
The way I understand it’s going to digest water, they don’t recommend it below the ground and require to have a finish layer on exterior wall
No, it isn't.
Nice video! What do you mean by "it is not structural?" I am working on a project in the Algarve in Portugal where I am planning on growing hemp to make hempcrete and then build a house from the hempcrete. Hemp crops in Portugal are legal with permits.
Maybe you mean you're building with hempcrete blocks?
Sounds amazing and good luck with your project!
How long does hempcrete last?
As long as concrete basically would be my answer-- a google search is confirming that the estimated lifespan (as if they can really know this) is 300-500yrs
I may build soon, but hemp is off my list due to cost. There's a long way to go on that. The labor is similar to some other good materials, seems to me, so I don't see us moving to it for that, either. Not yet.
it is expensive.
what does R-value mean?
This is a term referring to the degree of insulation you get from a given layer or material. Building codes often require a certain minimum for R-value in the walls of a structure that people will inhabit, and that's usually based on the climate of the area in which you're building. Foam insulation would have a higher R-value the thicker it is, for example.
is it waterproof?
it is!
This would work son well with 3D printed homes by icon
intriguing idea.
I've been wondering about this possibility.
From what their site says, the blocks are structural and only slightly more expensive
I'me sure that it can be load bearing, cause load bearing strawbales houses are existing since last century at least ! (And cheaper, and more available...)
They are not load bearing, unfortunately they crumble under weight.
I think it's because the shorter pieces are only held together by the lime mixture, where strawbale has long pieces all interwoven.
That would be my guess anyway.
The hempcrete blocks now r structural
Great to hear that, this video was made several years ago, perhaps we'll have to update it sometime.
Yeah, it might be more expensive, but not as expensive as treatment for being poisoned by mold in a stick built house.
That's only relevant if you can afford the increased up front costs🤷
And you only have to worry about mold in poorly built and maintained stick built homes.
Your comment comes across as saying either pay the higher up front costs, or get sick 😄
Having said that, I'd love to build a hempcrete house. Just gotta be able to afford it one day.
that's a pretty low R value. Standard is r-19 batt insulation in a wood frame wall cavity.
Bountiful abundance ample mammalian