How Industrial Hemp could Change How Canadians Live

Industrial Hemp could provide the perfect housing solution for Canadians.

Have you heard about Industrial Hemp yet? Perhaps not. Until recently it has been demonized because it’s a member of the cannabis family, but it’s a distinctly different plant than the marijuana plant.

This versatile plant has thousands of uses and has been used for thousands of years by cultures on almost every continent.

This article focuses on just one aspect of Industrial Hemp: how it could completely revolutionize the housing industry, especially in Canada.

Here is why and how.

The fibre from Industrial Hemp can be made into hempcrete, which is superior to cement.

Hempcrete is made from a mixture of Industrial Hemp fiber and lime powder. This mixture is packed inside a structural frame, then dried.

It is often dubbed ‘hempcrete’ because it can be used in place of concrete in construction projects, but there is no cement in it.

Despite its simple components, it is incredibly strong when dry, and very light.

Hempcrete has been tested to be 40 times stronger than cement mixtures.

Industrial Hemp is an incredibly good insulator.

Incredibly, Industrial Hemp has an R70 insulation value, which is a huge benefit for Canadian homes because of our long, cold winters.

It is chemical free and dust free, as well as naturally mould resistant, anti-fungal and anti-microbial, which are benefits that everyone can enjoy, especially asthmatics and those who suffers from allergies.

Industrial Hemp is completely non-toxic.

Since Industrial Hemp does not contain the harmful chemicals found in fibreglass and treated plywood, it does not offer-gas toxins that pollute the air, water of natural environment in any way.

Walls made with Industrial Hemp are healthy because they ‘breathe’ .

As an added bonus, hemp is also good at regulating humidity.

Hemp walls are ‘breathable’ and this creates very comfortable and healthy living conditions.

Hempcrete is fireproof.

In tests conducted by Just Biofibre in Canada, including this demonstration with a blow torch, Industrial Hempcrete did not catch fire. There was no loss of integrity even after two hours of direct blowtorching.

Hemp houses have been built that are flood resistant and basically waterproof.

Since the hemp blocks don’t lose integrity or disintegrate in flood conditions, buildings made of hempcrete are not prone to collapse like cement houses.

Houses can be made using hemp Crete bricks quickly, in just a few days, rather than in months and years.

Just Biofibre has created hempcrete blocks that look like Lego bricks and stack justly as easily.

Since the hempcrete blocks are made ahead of time, there is no need to wait between building floors as is necessary when using cement that needs to ‘cure’ before it can be load bearing.

Since hempcrete blocks are made of material that is insulating, adding insulation is not an extra step as it is in cement and wood framed houses. Once the hempcrete blocks are stacked, and a lime mixture added to seal the blocks, the wall is ready to use. Holes can be cut in the blocks for wiring, pipes and cables without losing structural integrity.

A regular bandsaw can be used to cut the blocks since there is no sand in them.

There is no need to know special masonry skills since the walls are self levelling.

Finishing a wall is quick and easy since a line plaster stucco can be applied directly onto the hemp blocks and lime plaster smoothed on the interior surfaces.

Quick building and finishing times are a huge advantage for Canadians, since the summers,AKA ‘Construction season’, are so short, only about three months.

Industrial Hemp can be used on the interior of houses to make strong, ecofriendly fittings, furniture and interior decor.

It’s not just the exterior of a house that can be built with Industrial Hemp.

Industrial hemp cellulose and fibers can also be used to make internal support structures and furnishings.

Industrial Hemp beams and hemp particle and plywood boards are stronger than wood and wood framed houses because wood has uneven load bearing characteristics, but hemp composites are solid and consitently strong and load bearing.

Industrial Hemp is famous for its high cellulose content in its stems. A full 70 % of the stems is comprised of cellulose, which is more cellulose than any other plant. This substance can be used as the base component for any biomaterial composite or plastic.

This means that Industrial Hemp can replace all the environmentally destructive conventional plastics made using petroleum chemicals that we currently use.

Hemp ‘plastics’ and composites are 4.5 times stronger than conventional plastic, but not brittle like other bioplastics often are.

All pipes and fittings needed in a house can be made using industrial hemp cellulose in a very eco- friendly way.

Even opaque glass can be made from Industrial Hemp cellulose.

Industrial Hemp ‘Hurd’, which is the woody part of stems, mimics wood decor perfectly. It can be used for wood flooring, trim and furniture. It is virtually indistinguishable from natural wood, particle board or natural wood trim.

Textiles for curtains, furniture coverings and even durable rugs can be made from hemp fibres. Hemp cloth was used to make sails on ships for hundreds of years due to its strength, pest resistance, durability, flexibility, anti- molding, anti-fungal, and anti microbial properties.

Since hemp is naturally pest repellent and resistant, it’s an excellent choice for both rural and urban areas, for exterior and interior purposes.

Industrial hemp materials are truly eco- friendly.

Industrial hemp plastics and biomaterials offer many advantages over petroleum chemical based and synthetic building materials. Since it is made with just lime powder and hemp fiber, without any toxic chemicals, no toxins are released during the creation of, or the use of, hemp materials. This is very different than petroleum chemical plastics.

There is also no risk of toxic environmental damage if there is a fire or natural disaster since no toxic chemicals would be released in those situations.

Another excellent advantage to growing hemp is that this plant actually heals the soil it grows in, and has other environmental benefits too.

Growing Industrial hemp all across Canada would boost local economies.

Industrial Hemp grows very well in Canada, and it can grow in many provinces across Canada.

This could foster the creation of many growing and processing centres across Canada that could produce building materials, and other hemp materials. This would boost the Canadian economy and provide an eco- friendly alternative to the oil and gas and timber industries that are ravaging the planet.

Hempcrete is lighter than sad and cement to transport, making it feasible to fly or drive it to remote locations.

Having excellent quality building materials created and transported locally within Canada would boost the economy, while reducing construction costs for consumers.

Affordable building materials and more easily constructed buildings could be built even in very remote and economically disadvantaged areas.

Attractive buildings, too.

The last time I drove to the far corners of Alberta (in 2005), I noticed that for every hour I drove outside a major city, the quality of construction was noticeably worse. It was like going back 20 years in time for every hour outside a major urban centre I travelled.

Most tiny towns and villages had buildings that were on par with those in very poor, developing countries, especially the housing seen in most First Nations reserves.

If affordable hemp housing materials were available , perhaps people could also build bigger and more aesthetically pleasing homes. Afterall, cost is cited as the reason why attractive designs and materials are not used.

Check out this attractive house design, a ‘harmless house’ made of Industrial Hemp, built in Southern Vancouver island,in B.C. Canada.

With the Lego block style of construction no need specialized skills for assembly, it’s conceivable that blueprints could be made for affordable and attractive housing that could be easily built anywhere in Canada. This would save homeowners a lot of money.

In a nutshell, Industrial Hemp could change the construction industry in Canada for the better. Using Industrial Hemp has the potential to boost local economies. Farmers would benefit from growing hemp, entrepreneurs would benefit from new industrial processing centres, and businesses would benefit from selling high quality hemp building materials and products.

The combination of quick assembly, non-toxic materials that are strong, warm, highly sound proof, non-flammable, flood repellent, hypo allergenic, naturally pest resistant and attractive make Industrial Hemp ideal for housing in Canada, and all northern countries.

Hemp housing could usher in new possibilities for eco friendly, comfortable, healthy and attractive homes in all communities across Canada and other northern counties.

Sources

Amazing Lego Style Hemp Blocks Make Building a House Quick, Easy and Sustainable