Hemp is the all-purpose material long-championed by Thomas Jefferson and 1960s American counterculture alike.  Food, textiles, paper, and fuel—there is a growing trend to cultivate this miracle crop and turn it into more eco-friendly versions of common products.  Why is it so sustainable?  Hemp can be grown rapidly and easily, like bamboo, without any herbicides or intensive labor. It regenerates, it regrows.

So how on earth can we utilize the plant for home construction?  A handful of companies are now specializing in building walls, floors, and other structural components of houses out of chopped up hemp (it looks like mulch) combined with lime.  Like the soybean insulation, the mixture of hemp and lime is sprayed on to a plywood base.  It is easy and incredibly durable.  A thick earthen wall made of hemp is also great for heat insulation.

Europe is ahead of the hemp game, with a growing industry in this type of eco-building, especially in Ireland and the UK.  There is reason to believe that the U.S. will be catching on very soon.   Perhaps some U.S. representatives will be attending the 1st International Hemp Building Symposium in September, taking place in Kenmare, Ireland.

This article was first published on Build and Rebuild. To continue reading, please view the original post at Hemp Building Materials?.

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