Hemp Can Breathe
Friday, July 2nd, 2010One of the many uses of hemp is as insulation for the construction industry.
Currently, insulation is often made of fiberglass, it might look like a cotton mattress, but you don’t actually want to touch it. Or get near it, you might get micro-glass splinters. Or if breathe too much, then you might get the micro-glass particles in your lungs.
But not all building insulation is made out of fiberglass.
In fact, there are dozens of other synthetic materials that claim to have higher performance; I’m really not sure why there are so many.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_insulation_materials
Here’s a brief list:
Material
| Silica aerogel | 1.76 | R-10 |
|---|---|---|
| Polyurethane rigid panel (CFC/HCFC expanded) initial | 1.23–1.41 | R-7–R-8 |
| Polyurethane rigid panel (CFC/HCFC expanded) aged 5–10 years | 1.10 | R-6.25 |
| Polyurethane rigid panel (pentane expanded) initial | 1.20 | R-6.8 |
| Polyurethane rigid panel (pentane expanded) aged 5–10 years | 0.97 | R-5.5 |
| Foil-faced polyisocyanurate rigid panel (pentane expanded ) initial | 1.20 | R-6.8 |
| Foil-faced polyisocyanurate rigid panel (pentane expanded) aged 5–10 years | 0.97 | R-5.5 |
| Polyisocyanurate spray foam | 0.76–1.46 | R-4.3–R-8.3 |
| Closed-cell polyurethane spray foam | 0.97–1.14 | R-5.5–R-6.5 |
| Phenolic spray foam | 0.85–1.23 | R-4.8–R-7 |
| Thinsulate clothing insulation | 1.01 | R-5.75 |
| Urea-formaldehyde panels | 0.88–1.06 | R-5–R-6 |
| Urea foam[1] | 0.92 | R-5.25 |
| Extruded expanded polystyrene (XPS) high-density | 0.88–0.95 | R-5–R-5.4 |
| Polystyrene board[1] |
The vast majority of these are some type of foam plastic, which are far from healthy. They are produced using petroleum byproducts, using lots of toxic chemicals in some complicated chemistry process that I know nothing about, probably releasing all types of fumes in a large factory, made by a company that we don’t like but have no choice but to consume from (ie, DuPont).
Here is yet another example of where hemp can be used to create a higher quality product, that is better for the environment, and overall, much healthier for us to use. Hemp is all natural, all the way. Inexpensively renewable, no harsh chemicals, and it’s completely biodegradable!
Did I mention that it’s actually a higher quality product? Hemp “Breathes”, which means that it can absorb and release moisture. This makes a room feel much more comfortable- it will naturally minimize the excessive humidity or dryness in the air. And of course, the actual amount of insulation that it provides is comparable to anything else on the market.
Here is yet another industrial use of hemp. Imagine a day when construction workers are hauling loads of hemp insulation to a building site.
Look at how focused he is, on the hemp he is about to install….
To learn more about Hemp insulation, visit the Hemcore website