Learn How To Give Your Home That Hempy Feel
By Anndrea Hermann
Ever thought of building, with your own hands, an off-the-grid home made of hemp which would last 500+ years? Then you must read How I Built My Organic Home of Mud and Hemp by Teresa Berube. Teresa built her home in 1.5 years using only natural products, hand tools, recycled wood and windows.
You can learn how to make built-in furniture, floors, roofing, bath tubs, natural coolers for food storage, insulation, varnish, plastic, grout, window putty and paint, all out of hemp materials. There are even instructions on waterproofing with hemp oil.
Here are a few of the great building material recipes shared in the book:
Roof Oil/Waterproofing: For the roof, Teresa used hemp canvas because of its inherent mildew and ultra-violet resistance. By adding a few coats of home-made Hemp Roof Oil, the canvas becomes rubbery and pliable. Mix together 1 gallon Hemp Seed Oil and 1 tablespoon Tea Tree Oil, and you are ready to waterproof your hemp canvas!
Insulation around pipes: Simply stuff hemp bast fibre around the pipe housings.
Hemp Glue (Simple Plastic): Mold it into door knobs, wall art and so much more. After drying, it can be cut and drilled. Mix together 1 pint Water, 1.5 cups Hemp Seed Oil, 1 tablespoon Psyllium husks (I would assume you could use hemp hulls). Then mix in 3 cups Kaolin clay and 2 tablespoons hemp hurd flour (finely ground hemp hurd). Mold, pour or press.
I would like to thank Teresa for sharing her building experience so I can share it with you!
I’d love to help you hemp-up your home!
Happy hempy Building!
Published with special permission from National Cannabis Coalition
