issues with mould and damp, which
could be a result of the damper climate,
could be lessened with the use of
hempcrete.
This is due to its ability to absorb and
release moisture vapour. This can help
to passively regulate internal humidity,
preventing condensation and damp
which leads to black mould growth.
“Hempcrete is breathable,” according
to Zeno.
“The only limitation for it is that it is
not structural and needs a timber
frame structure to support it.”
The house won a national Green
Award in 2012 for being the greenest
residential building in Ireland.
The Hemp Homeowner
James Byrne is a web designer from
Abbeyshrule in County Longford.
James lives in the hemp house
designed by Winkens Architecture
with his wife and three children. He
started building the garage in 2010
before moving into the home in 2011.
James incorporated eco-friendly
modifi cations which helped to
increase the energy effi ciency.
“The roof uses a parallel-chord
cathedral truss and it’s fi lled with
pumped cellulose.
“The foundation is a thermal bridge
free slab with 300mm polystyrene
insulation and 40% GGBS concrete.”
James warns that the detailing of
the house needs to be secure to stop
moisture coming in and causing
mould. He has had issues with some
of the windows due to poor detailing
and fi nishing on the windward side.
“The house is on a hill and is
exposed on one side, so mechanical
ventilation is a must as it eliminates
any issues with mould.
“You just need to make sure that the
external detailing is up to standard.”
Would James recommend
hempcrete as a building material?
“Not if you were going to cast walls
on-site as it’s expensive and subject
to the weather,” he said.
“I think the best hempcrete system for
housing is the closed-panel system.
It has great potential due to its low
carbon credentials, but it needs more
work to incorporate it into a workable
and cost-effect build system.”
The Final Furnishings
It’s not just houses being created
from hemp. Atlas Maitland, a
commercial fl ooring manufacturer in
Alabama, is creating a carpet infused
with CBD oil.
Sales and operation planning
manager, Heath Kyser, explained:
“Our yarn vendor, Universal Fibres, are
the ones who are applying the CBD.
We are applying it as the actual fi bre
is extruded. The CBD will be a part of
the yarn the carpet is made with. This
is the fi rst time we have ever done it,
and the fi rst time Universal has done
it as well. Our customer is a company
that produces CBD in the US and it
will be going in their corporate offi ces.
They are providing the CBD, and it is
their idea.”
After considering several different
methods, the team decided to try
baking the mixture into the carpet as
the fi nal coating is added. They will
also apply a topical solution that acts
a stain preventer to prevent any oily
residue.
“Hempcrete is
very forgiving in
Ireland’s climate.
It takes in
moisture but can
release it again”
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