Kentucky is the Latest State to Introduce Hempcrete as Insulation
Hempcrete has found its way to its first Kentucky home. The North Limestone Community Development Corporation recently designed a home in Lexington that will use Hempcrete as its primary source of insulation.
Kris Konn, Director of Design and Construction for the development company stated in a report that Hempcrete, which is a bio-composite product composed of hemp stems, is created by mixing hemp with lime and water to create a, “lightweight concrete mix.” It’s a useful way to demonstrate how hemp can be utilized as a building material, “specifically as an insulation.”
According to North Limestone Community Development Corporation board member Travis Robinson, Hempcrete is also incredibly beneficial as it is eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, as well as fire and insect resistant. The material is also a moisture regulator, which allows it to stay cooler in the summer.
In addition, Hempcrete is much more pliable and easier to work with than concrete making it much more earthquake resistant.
According to a report in Collective Evolution, using Hempcrete in place of concrete is also better for the environment stating, “Through it’s growing life cycle, (Hempcrete) takes in large amounts of carbon which is then built into the home or building it is being used to construct. This does not allow the carbon to be released into the atmosphere. A home can save about 20,000 pounds of carbon when being built out of Hempcrete.
The hemp plant itself is much more favorable in terms of environment as the crop requires fewer pesticides and fertilizers to help it grow.
It should also be noted that medical cannabis is still illegal in the state of Kentucky, despite numerous attempts to overturn that law. It has been speculated that under the endorsement of Sen. Perry Clark, Kentucky could see a change to medical cannabis laws in their state before the end of the year.
