Amazing Lego-Style HEMP BLOCKS Make Building a House Quick, Easy & Sustainable
These hempcrete blocks are a green building material made with a hemp-lime insulation mixture packed around a biocomposite structural frame. They can be stacked like bricks to build walls up to 30 feet high and they become the insulation and the structure of the building. All you need to do after the walls are built is plaster the inside and outside, and then add windows, doors, and a roof!
The hemp plant sequesters carbon during its growth, and lime, as it dries, reabsorbs the carbon that was released when it was manufactured, which means the hemp-lime mixture is carbon negative (it sequesters more carbon than it creates in its life cycle). Terry Radford from Just BioFiber says that these hempcrete blocks will sequester about 10 tons of carbon per house.
Just BioFiber is located in Alberta, Canada and you can find out more about their hempcrete blocks here:
justbiofiber.com/
/ justbiofiber
Not only is this an environmentally friendly building material, it also creates a comfortable living space. The hempcrete helps to regulate temperature and humidity, it reduces noise transmission through the walls, it's fire-resistant, and it's non-toxic.
This is an incredible green building technology and we can't wait to see Just BioFiber ramp up their block production so that we can start to see hempcrete buildings popping up all over the world.
Thanks for watching!
Mat & Danielle
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CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.
Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Filming Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Project Photos provided by Just BioFiber
justbiofiber.com/
Hemp field clip by Hempbassadors
www.hempbassadors.ca/en/
#hempcrete #greenbuilding #hempcreteconstruction
Thanks for watching! You can find out more about Just BioFiber hempcrete blocks here: justbiofiber.com/ facebook.com/justbiofiber instagram.com/just_biofiber/
Hello 👋.. Do you sell this product in Canada. How much? Thanks for your time
Canada. Can you buy the block in canada
@Wanda Gray beginning video: fireresistent
@Wanda Gray watch the video plus description. The brand and Co are named.
Can this hemp product be shipped to the US?
I wish the Navajo reservation would legalize industrial hemp production so we could start producing these types of materials for our own use and as an export. Our winters are cold and our summers are hot and if these blocks could help with insulation, people wouldn't need to burn as much wood and coal as they do to keep warm in the winter months. Not to mention that the reservation has areas contaminated from all the uranium mines and from my understanding the hemp plant can be used to pull some of that hazardous material from the ground (hopefully before it reaches down into the groundwater) so cultivation would help on that front as well.
Wow that’d be so cool! Bring money into the res too🤩
Just the fact that those blocks are so large and are not hollow speaks to how much of a reduction in weight they are compared to traditional concrete blocks, which are much smaller and hollow but weigh around the same amount. Being able to have such a high insulation value without the need for insulation under siding and inside of framed walls is pretty impressive
another benefit is hemp petrifies in 100 years, When I was in Japan I. visited a 600 year old hemp house and it was beautiful.
Hempcrete is the best building material ever. It can be done even more simple as this lego aproach, complete diy. We have been living in our hempcrete house for 3 years now and we can't imagine living in a concrete house anymore. Building and living with hempcrete makes you sincerely happy.
The newly constructed hemp houses are not only termite-resistant but they are also fire-resistant, and they can prevent the growth of mold.
what about water? can they withstand water? at least as good as concrete?
@@Anti1gnorant interesting question, in my opinion, it should be good at withstanding water but I doubt it is as good as concrete. Let see what anyone else has to say.
@@Anti1gnorant It doesn't burn. It has a coating, Water proof and you're ready to go.
@@Anti1gnorant concrete absorbs water... lol unless it waterproofed/sealed..
and love flooding and high winds and lightning. No you did not make it blah blah blah proof. no one can.
We tested this specific product in a wall assembly for fire rating at a test lab I worked at. It blew me away how well the hemp fibre composite material resisted high temperatures and flame on the furnace. I really hope to see our society adopting this product full scale in the near future considering all of the benefits.
Why should it surprise you? It's how we've been making furnaces and fireplaces for millennia? Take a mix of clay and hay and mix it together, shape and form them. Allow it to dry and now you have brick or a mud forge (or fireplace) that can take thousands of degrees of heat to smelt copper or iron... Or just keep your warm.
"blew me away" is not a good choice of words for this context xD
I wonder how well it holds up against termites
@@danbiss87 Considering it is just concrete with the hemp acting as a binder they won't bother it since it's covered in concrete. It's just like adding carbon fiber or fiberglass else as a binder to concrete.
what about sound do they block out sound better ?'
I'm an environmentalist, and I approve of this video.
So glad to see this actually happening…hemp is such a versatile plant with countless uses…let’s hope the rest of the world catches on to it’s thus far hidden value
It's not a hidden value. Henp was widely used for commercial and industrial goals in the past. But the US ruined that with their war on drugs that was copied around the globe. It's a great idea, but he lost me with "slightly above average price". That ruins the whole idea. Personally i think it would be better to use henp fiber in earth bag building concepts and plating material instead of bricks. You need to build cheaper. Much cheaper. Housing has become too expensive. Using this and driving up the price means it's only something for the very rich climate change fanatics to feel better about themselves. It's not practical for large scale use.
@@benanders4412 housing is mostly expensive because rich people hoard and sit on their land waiting the prices to climb ever higher. It is "above average" in costs compared to wood frame, but also more superior in structure, efficiency and fire resistance.
@@benanders4412 Maybe he meant the material was more expensive, but if they are quicker and easier to install the labor should be cheaper. If you did most of the work yourself and it looks like an easy install for people with a little general experience in the trades could handle. i want to know the price.
We need options when it comes to natural building. We cannot just use one type, we can't produce THAT much sustainably. So great to see! Hemp can be used in so many ways! 💚💙
Wood is natural and it's easily accessible than hemp is.
Nothing is 'sustainable' when there are too many people on the planet.
@@thetessellater9163 I understand that, but a lot can be accomplished if people actually work together, there is a possibility for sustainable products, we just use excess amount of everything! There is the problem. Now, do you have anything you can teach me? A solution? Or just a disagreement about sustainability? Please, if you are going to disagree, give me something! I don't see a human cull coming up, so finding solutions is the main goal. Real solutions, not pretending to be environmentally friendly and counting on people to well, not read. Not to actually learn. That is where I believe people are lazy. We need thinkers and those that care. Caring would help everything!
It’s because of law , or else everyone would build themselves a mansion ,
We have more trees now than 100 years ago in north America.
My daughter at 4 years old coined the phrase "Hemp Hemp Horray Have a Grateful Day!". We did alot of education on this amazing plant & attended a Dead show or two. So good to see this plant become accepted & utilized. This is a product I would use & I hope it takes over concrete!
Living in an area where we get quite a bit of wet weather, I'd be interested in the short and long term affects from exposure to continuously wet conditions.
If I built with these I'd definitely put up a moisture barrier around the outside like I would a normal house before applying stucco. Should be fine like that.
@@jacobglassmeyer5961 humidity over 10-12 yrs will render it crumbly and falling apart.
Good point. Wonder if spraying a water repellent on it would help.
@@STB-jh7od it would help, but ultimately I think that it would be unnecessary. If you installed a moisture barrier and added stucco over the top of it then you would be fine. If done right the place should be waterproof for a very long time.
@@deathninja16 possibly. It would be interesting to test.
Hemp has the ability to save the environment! IMO.
Finally, large scale, adult Legos.
As a civil engineer, this episode with all the technical detail was just like honey. Thank you for sharing!!
@yo yo Something weird about the comments on this video. It's like they're bots or a cult.
@yo yo That was my question load bearing limits. Also, how long will these last? In 20 years will it be falling apart? How durable where weather is concerned?
@@wimpb Yeah I wonder if they're a bunch of bots supporting the lumber industry or something by trying to bring down Hemp Blocks
@@nathanvalle6997 I'm pretty sure that, other than the "you'll get high if it burns'" comments, a lot of these comments are valid concerns from skilled Tradesmen, construction people and architects. Seems to me that many of them are pointing stuff out that MIGHT help the Hemp block industry. My Dad was an architect, and I've done various forms of construction over the years. fwiw, I'm a huge proponent of this product and alternative building in general.
@@jwwtzl67 That's reassuring to hear, as many of the comments under Dark's comment thread seemed hell-bent on being negative. For instance the back and forth about R values... just go to the site and look! 33-35 R value given for a standard wall construction using the methods shown.
What an amazing alternative to current building techniques. Like the video portrayed, Hemp was used for thousands of years (in fact hemp was required to be grown in the early days of the USA) for rope, paper, textiles, etc. but got a bad rap when industrial barons of the 19th and 20th centuries insisted on using wood (yes they owned the wood) for everything from paper to building products and supplies.
This should go up! not many people seem to know the real history of the US and the whole hemp industry.
Fantastic idea. I want to be the first woman in Germany to build her own hemp block little house. We have just one company making hemp stones with lime. There is just no house or even a tiny house project in Germany. Looking forward to introducing my first hemp house ever built in Germany 💗
Würde ich gerne sehen.
Must be dope to know you will be the first one
I love seeing applications of hemp like that. I'm convinced that hemp is the solution to so many problems. You can do so much with it and it's so easy to make it grow and it grows fast. Hemp is the king of plants.
Just wait. In 50 years cars will be made from it. Including the paint.
@@isorokudono Poe's Law is strong in this
This is actually incredible, I would love to build a home using this material.
me too!!i once helped doing a superadobe house but this looks LIKE A GAME COMPARED
Imagine building your home like building a Lego set!
@Garbage Ilearsi as i watched i saw the high cost coming, they have to reduce the costs to make these before it can be accepted
@@area52designscustompaint6 what would be the accepted price for your guys? cinder block is 1-2$ a pop and you can't really compare 2 as this one comes with R value afaik ~ R2-3 per 1inch. So assuming it's 10-12inches wide wall it will be your R30ish but the cinder block will give R1.5 :) can't really compare the 2. Hemp is super expensive in general. can't make cheap burritos from expensive stakes :)
termite will have a feast .......
Three questions: 1) How do you frame window and door openings--by using regular bucks? But how do they attach to the blocks? 2) you mentioned mortar between the blocks; could you use foam construction adhesive instead? 3) Is a bond beam needed at the top of the walls before framing a second story or roof?
I hope someone answers!
Ya, this and many more questions. This looks interesting, but they left a lot of unanswered questions. I would like to see how they do plumbing, heating, light fixtures, etc.
This is absolutely brilliant. I want to invest in these guys and build a hemp house!!!
@@lutzaby1997nope…no smoking this house, hemp is the male version of a marijuana plant and has no thc, the female produces the flowers that is the bud you smoke!
ME TOO
The material and cost effective designs are there, but housing industry stick with existing stuff because of "contractual" relationships. For sure expect to make an enemy out of certain Industries if you take these company's work away.
On the issue of carbon pollution and such, we Actually are making a change. It's China actually sending all of its pollutants and ozone gases to West Coast America.
@@dra6o0n no... no thats not the case at all. Yes they are a big contributor but dont start putting the blame on the country ranked first on that list... cause in second place is america. You guys STILL use a lot of coal based facilites and since trump was so set on keeping them in use they are still there... plus the americans OBSESSION with using cars instead of any other transport is also not helping.
I have been dying to see hemp being used commercially again, thank you guys for seeing the benefit of this renewable resource!
Not with marijuana being so easily available
This is great. We need factories turning these out by the thousands.
And the government made it illegal because they were in bed with the logging industry
We need a better government...
@@ahsnap9103 no shit Sherlock haha My stoned mind
@@ahsnap9103 I read an article in a farm magazine that there's a planned commercial hemp processing plant to be built in ND in the near future to process a 100,000 acres of hemp into various products. Can't remember the name of the company, but it sounds like they are on the verge of making it happen very soon.
We cannot continue to deplete our soils for anything other than food. The biofuel / biomass industry is aware of that, and the same applies to hemp production - a nightmare scenario where there's little fertile soil left in the future.
When he set that giant flame onto the brick of hemp it warmed my heart
I'd love to have my home built from this stuff. The only factor is that I get snow drifts that put a great deal of pressure on the walls. It would need to be very strong in that regard. I love that it would better insulate the underside of my house.
Building with hemp has been around for so long, but this video makes it look like an absolute NO BRAINER! I hope it becomes much more popular. Great work by these guys. Such an easy sell for them because they've considered so much.
except water ingress of course 😂
@@keithcole9904 have you built with this material?
Ya, it really makes you wonder why someone wouldn't want to build a house out of a highly flammable material.
@@keithcole9904 they make a sealed version incased in bio plastic so your incorrect🤣
@@stuzworldz They really don't....unlucky Keep up the BS ...its suits you 🤡
This really makes me want to actually build my own home.
A brief financial analysis would help the audience understand if this is practical. What is the actual cost per block in volume, delivered to a major market? Since masons aren't required and blocks are just stacked what are comparative metrics on time to construct a wall of a given size compared to concrete hollow block masonry, and what is the comparative labor cost?
I was going to say that this surely is rather expensive, as it is still a niche market, but "as for pricing, the company says its hempcrete blocks can be up to 37% lower than traditional building materials with comparable specifications." I suppose it is hard to do a 1:1 comparison, but it does seem economically viable.
...and does it have to be hemp, or is that just a buzzword to get attention? Could the same thing be done with other, potentially cheaper, plant material without losing structural integrity?
@@jonw8694 Hemp is pretty cheap in most places to be fair, since it's a weed type plant. It is however very durable and I kinda wish they would show those qualities.
Thanks for sharing God bless
The parabolic curve is one of the most significant scientific discoveries in human history . Imagine a "dome home" made in a parabolic shape using this material . Heat and cool distribution and awesome acoustics .
up the scale a few notches . How about 3D printed Hemp Dome houses with something like chopped basalt fibre blended in at the nozzle ?
I want a house built out of these hemp blocks and a solar roof! With lumber through the roof and how long it takes for trees to grow this seems like such a great alternative!
Whats the cost comparison?
I have been planning a solar garage for a few years. I imagined somebody would have a design for this, but have not found one except one-offs. These or similar walls with a skillion roof is now something I will consider.
Me, too! I emailed the sales department to get info on availability.
Are you kidding? Construction lumber these days is all made from GMO fast growth trees.
@@Datanditto Yeah, they're growing fields of them ready for harvest in 90-110 days?
Thankyou so much for this video, I heard of hempcrete many years ago and wondered what happened with the technology. The design, ease of use and multitude of applications make this building invention super exciting for me and its future potential.
I had so many questions running through my mind but by the end you had just about addressed all of them. Great video
I shared this one because all the great factures from growing, manufacturing, R Value and structural fortitude.
Thank you so much, Rita! We appreciate the share :)
@@ExploringAlternatives 👍🏾😉
Looks like a great option for a sustainable build system.
This will never be used in mass production lol a disaster waiting to happen.
@@natashabegley1346 why is that? This product is engineered by some of the best engineers in the country.
@@montychong-walden6564 too expensive to produce, the infrastructure is alrdy in place for current systems. We would have to spend trillions to revamp our infrastructure to switch to hemp products.
@GYT u must be a liberal democrat, with no clue how basic economics work.
@@teet1337 You're right - and this is why it is so slow to take hold. It isn't going to all get done at once, yet it will need to happen. Just because "this is the way we have always done things" seems like a logical argument, it isn't and this is not a true statement. We actually used to build similar to this with cob and adobe structures. It was the right way to build and we will need to get back to that. Trillions on re-doing infrastructure (which isn't the true story, as much of it can be re-vamped) is going to be nothing compared to the costs we will bear if we have to face runaway climate disasters.
Wow! I love this. I’d like to see it in the field and see how MEP trades adjust to working with it. Also thinking that if this is placed on top of a concrete slab, would the below grade blocks be necessary on the bottom course? Also how do they do when anchored into? Like hanging a TV? SO MANY QUESTIONS!?!?! Any builders using this?
What's the wind resistance of walls made with this? Is the reduced weight negligible when a structure is all together? It seems like a really cool in-between for wood and concrete, and fiberglass insulation!
He says that they are hurricane proof 😃
This would be a great option to build with in areas that are prone to forest fires. Put a metal roof on it and the house would last though the fire. Very interesting.
the house might, but nothing inside would.
1. Put human in house 2. Bake at 400 degrees 3. ???? 4. Profit!
@@DVankeuren Exactly, which makes it an upgrade from everything, including the house, burns down.
Fire retardant not proof. I wonder how they would hold up during a hurricane.
@@ronaldbaak3183 no theyre fire proof.
I'd like to know how many blocks do you get per acre of plants? To cut down on shipping it would make sense to have small manufacturers in communities so you're not shipping blocks thousands of miles to the work site. Just like there were smaller saw mills and homesteaders have portable saw mills. That's also how you can create green jobs & move towards a greener economy. Lots of people would love to be able to say they grew their own house! Lol
Hey, you just coined the term: "Grow your own house, with Hemp Block"! I just moved to the country and am seriously thinking of growing some hemp and experimenting.
@@markhedquist9597 Yes I suppose I did! Lol I have a small acreage & I'd love to grow hemp too. I'd love to have my own business & call it "Homegrown Homes" Lmaooo
@@bludaizee24 There you go! Great idea!
Your forgetting the whole "lego part" part of the block which is the load bearing part of it. That is not going to be a home grown part to make and the chemicals to make it are not the most green of processes.
@@corail53 I agree, but we have to start somewhere. I would actually do my due diligence on this and any other versions of this idea that exist. I'm sure most people interested in the hemp part would likely not want plastic in their house either.
Really cool stuff !!
Amazing. Hope for the future thanks to the imagination and intelligence of these guys!
Can see these blocks having a huge impact in reducing heating bills, especially if used in conjunction with tripple glazing and the geothermal systems...
Generally homes built with mostly a brick or concrete material insulates better than your typical stud and siding house.
The variable is wide depending on your conditions but the estimate at this time is 30-60 percent energy savings compared to the basic home construction.
And cooling systems
Cant be having that, the energy giants wont allow it. Bad for the shares portfolios
If it is energy efficient then geothermal will never pay off.
Du Pont & the Powers that Bee in the USA at the time stunted the Growth of the Hemp Industry Internationally by About 60 years. Although an Awesome Product/Invention it is about 50-60 Years Late. Respect from Australia. Jimmy.
2:42 The only difference between concrete and this hempcrete is the ingredients. They BOTH have lime. Lime is made from limestone which has to be kiln fired to RELEASE CARBON DIOXIDE, bound up in the rock, back into the atmosphere to turn it into lime. Carbon dioxide is released from the limestone PLUS the energy used to fire up the kiln. This is no more environmentally friendly than concrete. It is only lighter and quicker to decompose. I wouldn't want that for my foundation. Solid concrete for my foundation please.
Genius. Love it
An awesome alternative. I hope to see more carbon negative construction materials being innovated.
Brilliant!
I don't think there was a mention of how long it lasts. The main part of my mum's house goes back to the 1600s, it used to be the village pub and has been extended a lot over the years. I'm not sure this would be as long lasting but I can see some of the benefits.
Not only that but how does it settle over time? I dunno it looks to me the wall will be riddled with cracks after few years... Maybe I am wrong but I just dont see it as rigid as a brick mortar wall.
it's got lime in it so it probably lasts quite a while.
Yes, very long lasting. Much like modern adobe or cob, but each level is supported by the internal frame, which is very strong and rigid, so there will be little settling. With the lime binder, it will automatically and slowly heal any cracks over time and continue to strengthen for many, many decades. Very durable and resilient material.
I'd use this for the interior & insulation, & good ol brick for the outside.
@@Agent.Wadsworth they actually work very well for exterior insulation, but you could face them with "good ol brick" is you needed, and then you would have a very bulletproof and EMF-proof building!
Are there any completed builds using this material? I'd love to see a completed structure tour.
I've never seen a modular hemp product with the same capacity that this has to change the building industry forever, amazing work!
I would be really interested in the approach to exterior coating. Real plaster is much better than drywall with regard to both moisture and mold issues because of the lime, Would it also be a goog time to add colorant as a primer, I would love to try this on a small scale for a micro house.
Thank you for this video. It sounds like a fab material to use, keeps a house cool in sumner, warm in winter and is fire resistance. Such a shame we don't use this much in the UK, it doesn't seem to have taken off. I really want our houses to be insulated with this!
There's actually quite a bit going on with hemp-lime in the UK. Check it out on-line as there are some big buildings, and lots of homes, built with this type of material in the UK!
I'm also fascinated with turning seaweed into blocks, like what Omar Vasquez is doing with his company SARGABLOCK. They collect the invasive brown algae that washes up on Caribbean beaches (and costs a fortune to the tourism industry). Biofiber, Sargablock... _THIS_ is how carbon sequestration should be done!!!!
Wow now here's an idea! Let's combine the two. Maybe I should read the article first but it sounded good!
The functional impact of carbon sequestration from such things is absurdly low. It's a waste of everyones time to even approach innovation at all from that perspective and waste energy there. Turning agricultural waste like the remainder of the plant after harvest and animal manure into biochar however is a logical, low tech, almost free solution that anyone in the world can do and the result is something that increases the health of the land to improve crop health and yields for hundreds of years to come in added back to the soil. It actually sequesters the carbon long term. This would alone would likely make a massive different in the carbon issue but it's not done. No one actually cares about carbon, they never did. It's about power and control. That's what the carbon tax does. Just like vaccine passports, it's not about health. It never was.
@@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep good grief...carbon is a good thing ..the basic building block of life. The global warming hoax is all about control
@@elizabethdg It probably is a scam to tax the globe. Carbon is a essential life giving element. That is why I mentioned biochar. It's amazing for plants I buy it and add it to all my houseplant potting mixes. One of the biggest secrets in horticulure. And it's stupidly easy to make and low tech as I pointed out. If carbon was really an issue they'd be turning all the waste to biochar it is practically free to do and almost instantly would turn every agricultural field on the PLANET into an extremely effective carbon sink. I don't know the metrics but I'm sure it's seriously many times more than the amount of carbon humanity releases.
I remember when the state of Kentucky was aiming for Industrial Hemp, the b eurocrats refused the approach due to the fact its appearance was to close to recreational type hemp.
I want some of the blocks just to play with in the backyard. Looks like good fort building material.
Hemp can be used for clothing also. Hemp very versatile.
Awesome! Same idea as Timbercrete, I've wanted to build a house out of Timbercrete for years, I'll definitely check out Hempcrete. I love the Lego design of these blocks! They seem to take this concept to the next level in terms of hemp and lime being such renewable resources. I love this idea!
I was given a tour of the manufacturing facility it was amazingly simple and the gentlemen were truly great guys. This product should change the world.
where is it located?
I've been pondering hemp's use for constructing an earthship as an alternative to using old car tyres for the back wall, comparatively speaking how does hempcrete fare against car tyres in terms of insulation and how easy would it be to create a tyre like mould? Also given that the tyres are rammed with earth and put under a log of pressure how stable would they be structurally?
We need more innovators like this!
Forgot to say: THANK YOU for the time and energy you put into creating this line of building materials!! Absolutely awesome!!!
the dude is making money with the business he set up with it. Thank you for watching his commercial
@@ResurrectingJiriki Soo what ?!
It's a business to make money, why are you thanking.
@@JohnJones-zx9pu so there's that. no judgement, just stating the glaringly obvious to someone that felt the need to thank him, for his commercial. Sarcasm is not your forte, I gather?
As someone who has built with hemp in northern Ontario's temperate climate, I wish this had been readily available at my time of build ;b Brilliant!
care to share any details?
What was your price? And where did you get it.. because my price in ontario, is astronomically unfeasible. 130 a square foot its not even worth looking into.
The price was reasonable as I did the work myself. I purchased hemp hurd from Ontario Hemp Materials, metakaolin clay from Poraver in Barrie ON and local hydrated lime. The bricks in this video are awesome because of the time consuming nature of the mixing/packing process, but overall I'm happy with the results, my 12" walls are approx R30 + thermal mass :)
@@darkangeleofmusic5744 Did you rely on previously published resources to determine your ratios or did you test it?
I approve these blocks
The fact that this knowledge is over a hundred years old and we never started utilizing it until now Great job you guys!!
This is fascinating. I’d love to build a house out of this material it sounds fantastic.
Great product. Anything using hemp is a winner. It's a great rotational crop too. Because it fixes soil nitrogen levels for other crops. Amazing that humans have been using hemp for centuries, and we went away from a wonder product. Glad we are rediscovering the old ways with new technology.
Some hemp related products burn quite nicely, if I do say so myself.😉 my stalks were 3" diameter this last season, got pounds of great stuff. It grows well around many different kinds of vegetable crops, i suggest everybody grow whether you like them buds or not. We need the air cleaners and moisture content back in the ground! Tell mom i stay hi.
Wow. Outstanding. I want a hemp house from those blocks.
This is awesome. How much does one block sell for and what are the dimensions. How many blocks high can it go before it's it crushes under its own weight? I know how to mount wood or metal 2 concrete or each other. But what if I wanted to mount a wood or metal frame to these blocks? What about a metal I-beam? Could these things be treated the same way as a concrete block? And lastly what is the cost?
Fantastic! I love the Lego concept. Great work for the environment.
Have you been approached by the tiny house industry yet? While the thickness would be prohibitive for mobile tinies, this would be great for stationary structures I would think. The fact that one of these could be built by one skilled engineer/foreman and a crew of just people is great too. Sort of like the old-time barn-raising used to be.
We are going to build a small house (around 600 sqft) in Minnesota, and this is very appealing. We have a lot of remodeling experience but have never built a house. It would also go on a foundation so it's exciting they have below grade blocks.
I would like to see this combined with mushroom mycellium building techniques.
Ohh we'll have to check out the mycelium blocks, sounds neat! Thanks for watching :)
Yes cool hemp and magic mushrooms 🍄 would be a perfect mix 😋
@@ExploringAlternatives that's what I'm working on researching actually would love to do a video with y'all when it's up and running I'm planning on developing it in partnership with university of Washington this winter/ spring
Mushroom mycelium buildings ? That’s what I would call real “connected houses”
What’s the fire rating, do they meet code?
I have a strawbale home that is plastered with lime plaster. Lime is antifungal, antibacterial, and anti pesticidal. There is some research showing that people have been more unhealthy since they stopped using lime plaster in houses.
That's fascinating but remember correlation ≠ causation
Everything the System pushes on us is unhealthy! Carbon footprints are nonsense and deliberatly made! It's just another stick to hit us in the back! Lime and strawbale and this system of hemp are the best! So one must ask itself; Why don't our governments - so called committed with our climate and the earth - make it obligatory, that every construction company and everyone who wants to build a house, uses these materials??
More unhealthy maybe may thats called aging.
I was just wondering how vulnerable it was to mold. Thank you for your comment
The straw won't mold because it is now in an anaerobic state with the plasters protecting it. The plaster is 20 yrs old now and still perfect
I will look forward to hearing what the costs are like compared to conventional and alternative methods.
This video was incredibly well made and very enjoyable to watch! Thank you so much for shedding light on this new construction technology. Very interested and excited to see how hemp-blocks will impact the construction industry…seems like a massive disruptor!
Beautiful !
I am curious about the chemical reactions that makes these hempcrete blocks reabsorb or recarbonate CO2. What is the molecular structure of the dried lime product to allow recarbonation?
If there are any tests on how hempcrete blocks stack up to a regular stick build in terms of wind resistance(hurricane and tornado strength), a video would be really appreciated!
Living 3 miles from the Gulf of Mexico I agree.
There are meshes that can be added to give even more strength to the exterior and interior like sheetrock has paper on each side giving it tremendous strength.
@@paultryba7228 Wow, Thanks I learned something new! 👍🏻
Honestly If i was looking to make it last, id use this as the structural wall and have an Exterior Brick layer to protect it. should keep out most of the moisture. and the hemp blocks would work great as insulation of the required thickness for up north.
Hatteras island NC and I was wondering the same, as well if it's recommended being started 8 plus feet off the ground
Absolutely Brilliant - Love this. I will be looking at this as a solution going forward. Congrats to the team and owner who brought this product to life after "life"! Genius :)
Homes made of this would be wonderful out here in California! ❤
The earth gives us everything we need and its completely sustainable we just aren't very smart about how we do things. This is a great step in the right direction
I wrote a thesis on this in college. So great to see it on action
Thank you. This is amazing! Hemp is the future to the earth🌎🌏🌍. I have hope❤️
This is amazing!!! Are they expensive?
Love the idea of this stuff & really would like to use it on a small job first & roll out more & more! If it works as good as it looks I’ll happily build my own place with it . 👌🏻🇨🇦🇨🇦👌🏻
Good to see, that there are people out there that have such incredible ideas 💚
interesting but I missing the disadvantages of this building style. I've seen "lego bricks" in India too, but there it was the problem, that the pushing strength sitewards wasn't as high, as in solide concrete or with clasical brick stacking. Because of that they're using steel bars. It would be perfect to using the already given holes. Simply set the first row, drill the steel bars into the foundation and stacking from there up. I could imagine another problem is with the tensile strenght of screws or nails in the wall. I don't know if there is a problem, but it could be possible. The last one I want to write about are the gaps between the bricks. He told, that they got glued, so the gaps would be disappear, but then the problem of the not even level by stacking the bricks up would come again. Somethin he explicit told about it isn't the case because the bricks does not touch another. But with glue they would.... Nevertheless, without the glue (or what ever) it has gaps, what is decreasing the isolation. I like dealers who talk about the pros AND cons of something, so I can decide. And the most important thing, can handle the things to look out for, like weigth of my hanging cabinets in the kitchen or looking for special dowels I have to use.
Yeah, I have same concerns! Curious how you’d hang heavy things. Also curious about using it in humid or wet climates? As soon as it gets wet wouldn’t it fall apart or rot? At least with wood you can replace. Regardless, very cool would try out
Hemp and lime are both breathable materials so even high humidity is not a problem. Can’t leave it wet, which is why it’s not used below ground, but air moisture is not a problem.
@@coleblezard6628 i heard on another video that hempcrete toughens up and hardens over time due to weathering
This is amazing! I wonder how resilient hemp-crete blocks are against earthquakes, or tornadoes, and other destructive natural phenomena.
I've got the same question
great idea
Brilliant idea, planet earths future building material
This is fascinating! I remember way back when Marijuana was trying to become legalized, I supported the initiatives in large part because I knew that the hemp fiber had 500 industrial uses and was bio friendly. What a useful plant! You can smoke it for pleasure, use it to stop pain and inflammation, use it on autistic children to calm them down, use the fiber for clothing and buildings, and it takes very little water to grow it, being highly drought tolerant. So the whole cotton crop industry in the San Joaquin Valley of CA, and in Arizona which uses 92% of both states's water supplies, can now switch to water wise hemp plants as a cash crop. This would alleviate the water problem in both states. Thank you for this wonderful video. I am going to post it on my FB page, and use these blocks to build my next house or addition. Insulation is a huge thing! One area to consider is making insulation panels and soft rolls for use in RVs. The RV DIY self build market is exploding. Why not make a hemp insulation fiber instead of Thinsulate, Wool, Denim, Mineral Rock? We cannot use fiberglass in RVs due to moisture issues. If you can make a moisture resistant Hemp insulation roll that would be fantastic!
Thanks for posting and sharing. The blocks look like they would be simple for inexperienced people to build with. Very interesting and exciting.
We have a fabulous world with wonderful people 😊
This is SO exciting! Amazing stuff folks.
I now know what my dream home will be built of. Love it!
This is great for so many applications. The idea of something light, safe, long lasting, and low maintenance are amazing characteristics for an easy building material. I hope to use these in a self built home
Light, safe and long lasting .... describe how this is any better than other options that don't require a farm to create.
@@stoyanoffice4961 did you even bother to watch the video?
@@Matt_Foley unfortunately, obviously. Did you even bother to realize the truth I stated? It's easy to just chime in, but your reply isn't useful to any point. Hemp blocks for mainstream brick replacement is an incredibly sophomoric idea. It being used for specific sub-projects where insulation is needed is a great idea. These are two entirely different points that require the same truth. Using a farm to replace a stone is never going to be energy efficient or eco-savvy on a large scale, so better focus on the small one than waste a bunch of breathe with these hope-inducing movements of people that truthfully are more interested in growing more pot than they are in actual design or construction. I work in both design AND Cannabis, and I am not wrong.
@@Matt_Foley he sounds like a guy that just tried some free rum at the store ... "oh it's spicy AND imported? I hope to use this when I open up a bar". Like seriously, in earnest tell me how those points aren't met otherwise in your supposed self building of a home you have all lined up ...
Where can I get some of that Plastic Framing (the green and or black stuff) used inside the bricks? I got a project I think these would be good for. What are they called? Anyone?
Hi, are these blocks suitable for tropical weather conditions?
Love this! It's a win win all the way around with the Lego format being something I'm surprised was not used long ago. It just seems obvious. Even the layman would be able to build walls easily with these.