Thermal and acoustic insulation made of hemp fibre and Kenaf.
Hemp fibre has been used for thousands of years for its numerous properties, both in the medical field and for the fibres that make up its stem. Today, it is increasingly being used in the building industry and especially in green building. Modern processing techniques in the production process make it possible to produce excellent insulating materials with performance and costs comparable to those of common synthetic and mineral insulating fibres, but with enormous advantages for health and the environment. For keeping rooms cool in summer, hemp fibre performs twice as well as mineral fibres.
Kenaf (Hibiscus Cannabinus) is a lesser-known hemp relative, but its cultivation and use in production processes is increasing rapidly. Kenaf has even better characteristics than hemp. First of all, it is completely THC-free, so no special permits are required for its cultivation. Its yield per hectare is almost double that of hemp, its cultivation does not require much water consumption, it does not require chemical treatments or fertilisation, and it even cleans the soil of heavy metals, fixing them forever in its fibres. The Po Valley climate has proved ideal for its cultivation. This makes it possible to minimise the length of the supply chain, from sowing to construction, significantly reducing the environmental impact (carbon footprint) of the process. You can have a well-insulated, healthy and affordable home without the materials having travelled halfway around the globe.
Hemp and Kenaf fibre panels are made without the use of resins, glue or polyester, thanks to an innovative fibre thermobonding process. This makes it 100% natural and insensitive to moisture. It is therefore possible to install hemp panels for thermal insulation, without a vapour barrier, allowing the panel to act as a hygrometric regulator for the environment.
Hemp coat for thermal and acoustic insulation
Thermal insulation with hemp and kenaf fibre panels is the optimal solution for thermal and acoustic insulation of the external walls of buildings. Without intervening on the structure of the house, a layer of insulating material is added, which drastically reduces heat loss. Just one centimetre of hemp fibre insulates as well as 25 centimetres of traditional plaster.
Heating costs can be reduced by 40%, recovering the initial cost in just a few years.
Pollutant emissions and greenhouse gases are reduced, giving excellent support to the environment. CO2 emissions from heating account for 64% of national emissions, a great burden that can be greatly lightened with a simple hemp cladding system.
WHY HEMP FIBRE IS BETTER THAN MINERAL FIBRES OR SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
Compared to mineral fibres, hemp fibre offers the same ability to retain heat in the building in winter, but double protection against heat in summer.
The hemp and natural hydraulic lime thermal insulation is breathable, and allows the house to breathe, to let out humidity while retaining heat. Synthetic panels, on the other hand, do not allow transpiration, and in order to avoid condensation and mould, it is necessary to ventilate all the rooms every day, thus nullifying the savings on heating.
Hemp cultivation captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to reduce the greenhouse effect. Production in Italy further lowers the carbon footprint, the environmental impact of transporting raw materials.
The healthiness of the air inside buildings depends very much on the materials used, both in terms of breathability and the emission of very dangerous toxins present in almost all artificial materials. The paints on the furniture and walls, the glues inside the materials, the solvents, detergents, jumpers, blankets, etc. are all very harmful. Hemp fibre has no emissions and does not release dangerous fibres and dust into the environment.
This is why hemp thermal insulation and natural hydraulic lime are the healthiest solution for people and the environment.
EXTERNAL HEMP THERMAL INSULATION
External hemp insulation is applied to the external side of the building's perimeter walls.
It has the advantage of being able to reach high thicknesses without reducing the living space.
It is smoothed with a plaster net, and a breathable finish, plaster or paint can be applied.
The fixing and levelling technique is identical to that used for mineral fibre panels, so no specific expertise is required of the person carrying out the work:
- on a clean and solid wall, sufficiently roughened or rendered, spread BioArt Adhesive/Smoothing Agent with a notched trowel
- apply the hemp fibre panels, securing them with wall plugs
- the following day, spread a new coat of BioArt Adesivo/Rasante with a notched trowel to define the thickness of the skim coat
- the following day, spread the second coat of BioArt Adesivo/Rasante with a trowel with rounded edges
- apply the plaster-holding net and smooth with the third coat.
- apply, if desired, a breathable finish, such as a plaster, fine skim coat, breathable paint
HEMP THERMAL INSULATION INDOORS
The internal coat is applied on the inside of the perimeter walls of the house. It has the advantage of not requiring scaffolding, declarations, etc.
The application technique and method of use is the same as for exterior insulation.
ROOF AND ATTIC INSULATION
Roof insulation is achieved by applying hemp panels to the insulation layer. Hemp fibre provides excellent protection from both the cold, but especially the heat in summer.
In the case of a trussed roof with a dropped ceiling, the panels are laid directly on the ceiling board with a vapour barrier sheet.
In the case of a traditional exposed roof, a "double roof" is created using crossed spacers and applying the insulation panels in the cavity.
MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA
Our panels meet the italian CAM (DM 11/10/2017) referred to in the chapter "Indoor Environmental Quality" point 2.3.5.5. and the relative table to take advantage of government incentives for the requalification of buildings, such as the BONUS 110%. In the Verification of the Self-Declared Environmental Assertion it is certified that the recycled material content is higher than 15%.
CHARACTERISTICS OF HEMP AND KENAF FIBRE PANELS
1 - Ecological and natural
2 - Excellent thermal insulation
3 - Excellent acoustic insulation
4 - No need for a mask during installation
5 - Insensitive to humidity and does not rot
6 - Breathable - no vapour barrier required
7 - Inert to insects, rodents and birds
TECHNICAL DATA
Hemp and kenaf fibre insulation
Structure: Thermo-bonded plant fibres
Raw material: Natural Kenaf and hemp fibres
Panel thickness: 10-160 mm
Density: 80 Kg/m3
Thermal conductivity λ: 0.038 W/m °K at 10°C
Specific Heat: 2050 j/Kg K
Reaction to fire: Euroclass F
Moisture absorption: 5% - 6%
Compressive strength 10%: 5.5 KPa
Dynamic stiffness: 2.4 MN/m2
Vapour permeability μ: 2.04
Sound absorption coefficient α: 0.68
Sound insulation assessment index Rw: 52 dB
WELL-BEING FOR THE HOME, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE WALLET
Hemp and kenaf are excellent for storing CO2, actively contributing to the reduction of the greenhouse effect.
Our panels are 100% recyclable, leaving future generations with a cleaner world and fewer problems to solve. They are also produced without polluting chemical adhesives, and with raw materials of 100% natural origin.
Hemp panels price: cultivation is in Italy, so they do not need to be transported thousands of kilometres before being laid. It therefore favours the economy of our country and, by reducing logistics and transport costs, costs less than synthetic and mineral insulation.
Compared to wood, given the characteristics comparable to hemp, the usable material can be regenerated in a year, considering the rapid life cycle of the plant, which is always rapidly regenerable, does not require particular quantities of water and herbicides or pesticides certainly appears to be a decidedly interesting raw material. Moreover, the characteristic that distinguishes hemp wood from other woods found in nature is its particular conformation: inside it is made up of a series of cavities that allow the passage of nutrients while alive and which, once dry, leave the stem extremely light and also highly transpiring.
Dwellings with breathable thermal insulation and natural raw materials such as hemp insulation panels, as well as providing wellbeing for those living in these rooms, have considerable economic advantages: energy savings for heating and air conditioning, and the economic revaluation of the property on the market, especially in a future where environmental criteria will be increasingly strict and the cost of disposing of non-recyclable waste will become much more burdensome.
Because of these characteristics, the hemp and kenaf fibre panel is a HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE and INEXPENSIVE product throughout its life cycle.
SPECIFICATION ITEM:
Supply and installation of insulating panels made of thermo-bonded kenaf and hemp plant fibres without resins or adhesives Isolkenaf panel type, density, thickness and conductivity for the realisation of thermal and acoustic insulation as per project ex law 10.
The hemp kenaf insulation panels will be fixed to the substrate with mechanical fixing using insulated wall plugs and hydraulic lime-based adhesive on a brick support that has been suitably reinforced to ensure perfect adhesion.
The panels will be inserted between the wooden rafters of the roofing on the matchboarding after laying a breathable sheet on the inside and waterproof sheet on the outside. The panels, with a density of 80 kg/m3, will be placed on the floor substrate after cleaning and applying a breathable fabric and then covered with a vapour barrier to allow the casting of a suitable screed reinforced with 10x10 mesh electrowelded metal mesh.
