Why should I use hempcrete?

Hempcrete is a vapour-permeable material which is hygroscopic; it absorbs moisture from the air when humidity is high (releasing it again when humidity levels drop). These properties are very important, both for the health of the building’s occupants and in order to keep the fabric of the building in good condition.  

In traditionally constructed (pre-1919) buildings, hempcrete works in harmony with the original materials, allowing the building to  “breathe”; meaning that water vapour can pass in and out of the wall rather than being retained within it to cause damp, mould, and eventually damage to the building’s fabric.  

Hempcrete is made entirely from natural materials and is naturally fire-, rot- and pest-resistant, which means there is no need for potentially toxic chemical treatment of the material. This fact, together with their hygroscopicity, means that hempcrete buildings are extremely healthy living environments.  

Hempcrete is a sustainable material. The hemp plant used as the aggregate in hempcrete absorbs so much carbon during its rapid growth that, even after the energy used in production of the lime binder, transportation and during construction  is allowed for, more CO2 is  locked up in a hempcrete wall than is used to build it. In other words, hempcrete has negative net carbon emissions; it’s a “better-than-zero-carbon” material. 

The exceptional eco-credentials of this natural, sustainable material make hempcrete the obvious choice if you want to reduce your energy bills, your carbon footprint and the overall impact of your building on the environment.