The hemp plant is not just used for making CBD but it can also be used for building houses. Hemp houses are exotic, eco-friendly, and incredibly stylish.
The present world is plagued by many environmental problems, and building sustainable homes is a welcome relief. Hemp houses are created with a mixture of hemp hurds, binder, and solvent.
As governments around the world legalize hemp, more people are turning to this plant for more than its therapeutic benefits.
The hemp building material might be installed in the form of blocks or with the help of a spraying machine. Hemp houses are sturdy, durable, and aesthetic.
Benefits of Using Hemp for Construction
The following are some of the reasons why people use hemp to construct their buildings.
1. Stabilizing temperature
Hemp has the potential of stabilizing temperatures within a building. If it is a cold season, hemp minimizes heat loss, and if it is hot inside, it accelerates heat loss, thus stabilizing temperature.
2. It is eco-friendly
Many construction practices negatively impact the environment. But in building with hemp, you skip many of these practices, thus conserving the environment.
3. Minimizes carbon levels
Living in a home with high carbon levels is dangerous, but unlike most other building materials, hemp is fantastic for eliminating carbon from the air.
4. Mold resistant
In standard walls, exposure to moisture threatens the formation of mold colonies, but when you use hemp, there’s minimal likelihood of mold formation as hemp absorbs moisture and releases it into the environment.
5. Doesn’t shrink
With standard building materials, cracks are a common sight, but with hemp, cracks are non-existent, simply because hemp doesn’t shrink. Hemp buildings retain their shape and design overlong.
6. Fire-resistant
From kitchen appliances and electronics, many items in our homes could start a fire, and if building materials be flammable, it makes matters worse. But hemp is fire-resistant.
Is Hempcrete Stronger than Concrete?
We all know that concrete is mighty strong and dependable. One question many people seem to have is whether hemp can rival concrete in the strength department.
Hemp has a far lower density than concrete, and thus hemp-based structures are not as strong as concrete-based structures.
With that in mind, does it mean that hemp buildings are weak and unstable? By no means! Hemp is used along with other fortifying materials to ensure that the structure is super-stable and durable.
Hemp buildings are dependable no matter the environmental conditions and can stand strong for centuries!
Is Hempcrete Load-bearing?
A load-bearing structure denotes a structure that can support the weight of the entire construction. Hemp doesn’t have great compressive strength, and it lacks load-bearing properties.
Hemp isn’t used as a foundational element, but it is typically used along with other elements and materials to create durable structures.
The hempcrete market is steered by super-innovative firms, and don’t put it past them to come up with a version of hempcrete that be having supremely greater compressive strength than concrete.
Is Building with Hemp Costlier than Building with Concrete?
The cost of building a hemp house is dependent on different factors such as location, the company you contract with, and government regulations.
On the whole, traditional building materials are a bit cheaper than hemp, but in the long run, hemp houses save you money for their ability to preserve their fresh look.
And with the thermal insulation and waterproof properties of hemp, the building has great temperature, and cannot be damaged by pests.
Hemp is infinitely more versatile than concrete and it avails you the opportunity to establish buildings with unique customizations.
But then, as the supply of hemp surpasses demand, the costs of hemp construction are bound to inevitably go down. The future couldn’t be brighter!