It’s sustainable, perfect for insulation, fire resistant, termite proof and incredibly easy to use, which is why Hazelbrook couple Jana and Eddy Matic have chosen to build their home with hemp.
Under the guidance of building designer Kirstie Wulf, also from Hazelbrook, the couple are delighted with their choice.
“We looked into the different products that are available,” said Mrs Matic. “We wanted something renewable, fire resistant and easy to use. Hemp ticked all the boxes.”
They held a four-day workshop, run by Ms Wulf, with volunteers learning how to mix the Hunter Valley-sourced hemp, pour it into formwork and tamp it down.
None of them had done building work before but they managed to put up almost half the house during the workshop.
“There was such a sense of excitement and pride,” Ms Wulf said.
Many of those at the workshop – who came from the Mountains, Sydney, even from Adelaide – were planning to build their own hemp homes, including Greens councillor, Brent Hoare.
He noted that as well as all its sustainable features, hemp also sequestered carbon: “On so many levels, it’s fantastic,” he said.
According to Ms Wulf, hemp has a high thermal mass, making it a great insulator. It was also very “breathable”, meaning a comfortable humidity level inside.
It was ideal in fire-prone areas. While it is approved for a flame zone BAL (bushfire attack level) overseas, in Australia it is approved to BAL-40, but only because it hasn’t been fully tested at the higher level yet, Ms Wulf said.
In terms of cost, it was probably equivalent to brick veneer – not as cheap as HardiePlank but nowhere near as expensive as double brick.
It was also one single substance which replaced all the traditional building materials – gyprock, insulation, building wrap and external brickwork or cladding.
Mr Matic was tremendously impressed with how easy it was to build their house. By day seven, they had completed more than 70 per cent.
“Hemp is so easy to work with – you don’t need to be really skilled,” he said.
Mrs Matic said the home had aroused a lot of interest, with curious neighbours calling in to see what it looked like.
Ms Wulf said it would be the second hemp house in the Mountains but there were plans for many more.
Hemp ticked all the boxes.
- Jana Matic
