I recently came across this excellent and free eBook on Hemp Lime Construction. It is published by a UK organization called “National Non-Food Crops Centre” – a name that was a huge lesson to me in it’s own right. In my mind “crops” was obviously associated with farming and food. I now know that there is an entire domain of farming for non-food crops. Two prominent example of non-food crops used in construction are Strawbales and Hemp. I am looking forward to learn what other surprises crops hold in store for me 🙂
Back to the book – it is a must read for anyone (home makers, architects, engineers, farmers,governments … ) interested in working with the magical substance that is hemp.
Here is a summary, quotes from the book itself, on the advantages of Hemp construction – just to give you a motivating flavor:
- A means of achieving energy efficiency
- A way of providing thermal mass
- A breathable material which can help to create healthy buildings
- Use of a material which is renewable and does little environmental damage
- No pollution and no problems at end-of-life disposal
- 95 Crop-based material which helps farmers and is a good use of land
- Helps to facilitate healthier buildings
- Offers the possibility of sequestering carbon into building fabric
- Hemp lime has the ability to make an impact on the future of sustainable building by reversing the damaging effects of greenhouse gases. It is claimed that hemp lime can lock up approximately 110 kg of CO2 per m3 of wall.
I am sure I will be referencing this book often here on Bhudeva 🙂