HEMP INSULATION

Not considered using this sustainable material in your project? Take a look at its pros and cons to find out if it's the right choice for your needs

- ROBIN WHITLOCK

Hemp has been used for all sorts of purposes since ancient times and is now becoming popular again for a range of products from rope to clothing to building materials, including hemp insulation. It has numerous advantages over other more well-used types of insulation materials and is highly sustainable, making it suitable for anyone concerned about the environment. It is also free from noxious substances injurious to health and is easy to install.

‘Like all natural fibres, hemp is truly breathable,’ explains Mark Lynn, managing director of sustainable insulation firm Eden Renewable Innovations Ltd and Chair of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products. ‘Having this quality means that hemp insulation allows water vapour to pass through it but also acts as a humidity buffer in periods of high humidity. Because heat and humidity are so intertwined, this is an extremely important property for insulation to have in many different building applications and is something only natural fibres can deliver.’

WHAT IS HEMP INSULATION?

Hemp insulation is derived from fibres of the hemp plant, which belongs to the Cannabis sativa group of cultivars that are indigenous in Eastern Asia and which were first identified by Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Hemp is often grown for industrial uses, but is also often confused with its well-known ‘twin’ plant, commonly known as ‘marijuana’, which, unlike hemp, has psychoactive properties. However, hemp has less than 0.3% of the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that makes marijuana psychotropically potent.