Hempcrete - A Low Tech Solution to Help Advance the Human Race

The conventional building industry is riddled with problems. It creates more waste than any other industry, exposes builders and occupants to toxic chemicals, and accounts for 38% of global CO2 emissions. What if I told you that all of these problems and more, could be solved very quickly, while also improving the economy as a whole, and sequestering CO2! The product is hempcrete, and it is the start of a global renaissance.

Why hempcrete?

A hempcrete building, also known as hemp-lime, has many MAJOR advantages to conventional buildings. These benefits include being fireproof, temperature and humidity regulating, mold resistant, pest resistant, long lasting, free of toxic chemicals, minimal waste in construction, excellent soundproofing qualities, has the potential to be a carbon negative structure, and is biodegradable if dismantled. 

What is hempcrete?

Hempcrete is a mixture of pieces of the inner core of the hemp stalk, a lime binder, and water. Although it is sturdy, and mineralizes over time, it is not a structural material on its own. This means that when using hempcrete for buildings, the building still needs traditional framing. The hempcrete encapsulates the framing, and provides a wall system that is temperature and moisture regulating. The wall is able to act as a thermal mass, while still allowing the building to “breathe”, in addition to absorbing and releasing moisture, making it an extremely comfortable indoor environment in all seasons. 

Performance benefits: 

In comparison to a conventional modern home, hempcrete has the ability to replace the siding, house wrap, plywood or OSB sheathing, insulation and drywall. This gives the home the ability to be fireproof, temperature and moisture regulating, pest proof, mold resistant, and very long lasting with minimal maintenance. In certain climates, a hempcrete home can negate the need for heat and air conditioning all together. In places with more extreme environments, hempcrete will still reduce those utilities drastically. 

Environmental benefits:

When compared to conventional building, using hempcrete is essentially the counter opposite to the environmental devastation brought on by the rest of the industry. Construction, demolition, and renovation creates more waste than any other industry, along with being the largest contributor to CO2 emissions. Hempcrete corrects these issues by being essentially zero waste, extremely long lasting, biodegradable and/or truely recyclable when dismantled, and replaces energy intensive materials and petroleum products. It also cures overtime by pulling the CO2 out of the air that was released in processing the lime binder, which causes the material to mineralize, making the structure stonelike eventually. Also, hemp has a higher photosynthesis rate than most plants, meaning that as the material is growing in an agricultural setting, it is absorbing more CO2 per acre than a typical forest, and can be harvested 2-4 times per year. The high photosynthesis rate, combined with absorbing CO2 while curing, makes it possible for the building to end up being carbon negative. A low tech carbon sink that you can live in! On top of the environmental benefits of using hemp for the material, buildings made using hempcrete are temperature and moisture regulating. This causes occupants to only use a fraction of the utilities for heat, air conditioning, and humidity control. The energy required for these utilities  are typically generated by burning fossil fuels or using solar panels/wind turbines which require energy intensive materials that need to be mined. 

How does this help me?

In addition to the fact that hempcrete helps to reduce the greenhouse gasses that threaten the ability for human beings to survive on this planet, hempcrete can cause immediate positive change for builders, occupants, and local communities as a whole. The builders will be exposed to less toxic materials that they need to cut and install, the occupants will have an extremely comfortable building that is non toxic and fireproof, and the hemp can be grown by local farmers, processed locally, and installed by local builders. This will create jobs, keep all of the money within the community, and create a strong local supply chain that doesn’t depend on global shipping and all the moving parts associated with that. 

What are we going to do about it?

At Super Natural Structures, we see our mission at this time to be spreading information about the hemp building industry as a whole through this newsletter, while also working to develop our own prefabricated hempcrete structures. We are also working towards installing HempWood and HempWool locally. In order to make hemp a common building material, it is going to take a lot of effort from a lot of people. If our newsletter can help to spread the word, educate, and get more people excited and involved in creating their own hemp businesses, we will have accomplished what we have set out to do.

If you enjoy this newsletter, hate this newsletter, or have anything you’d like to add or contribute, feel free to reach out to us at SuperNaturalStructures.com.

Thanks!