Families, who opt for eco home buildings for their homes, tend to own a home that is sustainable and environmentally friendly. In other words, it means that their home builders focus on the efficient use of water, energy as well as building materials. In this article, we will cover homes that are built with wood and hemp, and the benefits that they bring.
Construct high-performance building envelopes
Basically, plant based materials like wood and hemp can be used to create high-performance building envelopes. These building envelopes protect well against external weather to make it more comfortable, energy efficient and healthy to live in. Certain inorganic materials containing optical, electronic or magnetic properties can’t interact with the internal environment. Wood and hemp on the other hand works well in tangent with the aforementioned. Additionally, they can displace oil-based alternatives like polyurethane foam and can be used as insulation materials as well.
Vapour active materials
Vapour active materials are those that can absorb and release water vapour effectively. Usually insulating materials have that ability and they include:
• Wood fibre
• Hemp fibre
• Hemp-lime
Not only can they take moisture out of the air, they stabilise a building’s internal temperature much effectively through latent heart effects. Latent heat effects are energy that is consumed and released during evaporation and condensation processes within the pores of a plant based material.
Well-insulated walls
Building with hemp provides a strong resistance to heat loss. The woody core (shiv) of an industrial hemp plant is mixed with a special lime based binder. Panels that are manufactured in a factory are then pre-dried for assembly in a timber frame building. The walls will be well insulated because the hemp itself is porous. The lime binder protects the hemp and makes it resistant to decay and fire. Also, hemp-lime buildings leave a very low carbon footprint.
Zero carbon buildings
Zero carbon buildings contain plant based materials that absorb more carbon dioxide during construction. It allows the building’s energy use to be reduced to minimal levels even after it has been inhabited. The reliance on renewables such as ground source heating systems or solar panels, may have a limited lifespan and potential for failure. However, the former uses a fabric first approach that passively manages energy consumption.
Improve internal air quality and integrity of buildings
As mentioned, wood and hemp building materials can interact well with the building’s internal environment, which means it can also improve the internal air quality by removing airborne pollutants. Homes that opt for sustainable construction also tend to be more resistant to floods, and this characteristic is valuable when the home is subjected to adverse weather conditions during climate change.
Renovating a home is great, and using plant based construction materials with zero emissions is even better! If you wish to renovate your home and want it to be a stress-free experience, contact our PK Construction team to ensure minimal disruption to your lives. Whether it is a major renovation or outdoor addition, we will assign a personal supervisor to your project and ensure that we exceed your expectations.
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