Hemp – a sustainable alternative to traditional building materials?

A conversation with a Calgary land developer this week quickly turned towards the topic of sustainable building products. Specifically, Hemp.

Hemp has been used as a multi-purpose product for centuries. However it has only recently become highly popularized on a commercial scale. And never did we think we’d be having a conversation about using hemp as a building material.

More interestingly, is the speed at which architects, builders, land developers and home owners are demanding the use of environmentally-friendly, green building products used in new construction and home renovation projects.

With demand far out-weighing the supply of readily-available hemp for multi-purpose use, this is forcing local manufacturers and government to catch up and produce solutions for this growing demand.


GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

And not only is hemp friendly to the environment, but it is cost-effective and easy to work with. Plus, it provides energy-savings for home-owners for years to come.

 

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Plus, because hemp can grow almost anywhere in all climates – it may very well prove to be a saviour to the Canadian economy.

We may very well see the end of using wood, insulation, and even drywall in their traditional forms when building or renovating a home.

Hemp has been a demonstrated as a viable building product right across Europe, with hundreds of homes already using hemp building materials. And the trend will soon move over to Canada soon.

But don’t confuse industrial hemp with its more familiar cousin, marijuana. Industrial hemp is cultivated to lower the level of the narcotic tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical that gives marijuana its “high”.