Thorfun

Hi Dave. thanks for the information on the Earthwool. I'll look in to that. I know that hemp isn't the best insulator. The Thermafleece Natrahemp product has a Thermal conductivity of 0.040 whereas PIR seems to have a thermal conductivity of around 0.023, hence the thick walls to get a similar level of insulation. some of our sustainability requirements will need to be dropped as we price up the build and it may end up being insulation but I'd like to at least investigate all options before we make a decision!

Hi all, we're currently in the plan drawing phase with the architect for our West Sussex project. We're trying to get away from using oil based products in the build and I am drawn towards using hemp for the insulation of the house. The architect has said that the calculations to get wall U values of around 0.15 with hemp we would need at least 400mm thick walls. We'd rather not lose that much internal space if possible so we're investigating a potential hybrid solution where we use hemp in the timber frame walls and then cover it in another insulation to obtain the required levels. he has suggested we look at the Actis products. I remember reading about the debunked claims on their old product (and have read through old threads on here about the multi-foil insulation) and am a bit sceptical but by using it as a secondary layer and it being so easy to fit that I could do it myself is quite a tempting solution. so, I guess my question to the forum is has anyone used hemp as an insulation material? can anyone think of a different (preferably non-oil based product) that could be used as a secondary layer to reduce the cold-bridging from the timber frame that isn't Actis? or can anyone suggest that Actis have got their act together and now have a product that is worth using? he was talking about the hcontrol hybrid Actic product with the built in vapour control. thanks in advance.

thanks for this. I'll take a look at his blog. I have a lot of reading to do. ?

thanks guys. feeling the love already. ?

Hi all, about 4 years ago we found a property ripe for demolish and rebuild. while we were on holiday we were gazumped on that property! ? then we found another property (a barn for conversion) that was going to be perfect. after 2 years of trying to sort out access over a 3rd-parties land and various other legal issues the sellers decided to pull out of the sale. ? not letting the b*****ds get us down we continued to look and have now found and completed on a rundown 70s bungalow that has permission for a replacement dwelling on a plot of just under 1 acre. ? we're currently working with an architect to draw up the plans we want for the house and then have the whole planning process to go through and then maybe in about 18 months we'll have a finished house but, for now, we're really excited about this upcoming journey our family will be going on. I wanted to introduce myself and I look forward to being part of this self-build community. cheers, Tom.