Eco-FriendlyHousing should be defined first so we are on the same page and talking about the same thing. Let us look at this from an ideal point of view embracing multiple aspects and not just one in particular. Eco-friendly homes are made up of organic or recycled materials to lessen damage to the environment.
Kenafcrete can then be considered Eco Material. Building with kenafcrete needs to be practical, which includes affordability and superior benefits in the material as well as construction time and costs. Building standards need to be met with certified testing, engineering specifications applied to design / build projects at multiple locations. Each of these points are shown here: Affordable Homes by Tim Tan .
You do not have to be a rocket scientist to build with kenafcrete. Easy to learn on the job training, manufacturing prefabricated walls or kenafcrete blocks. Installing the prefabricated walls and bricks.
If you build walls 10 inches thick and 10 feet high and use 10 feet lengths you will require 308.64 square yards of kenafcrete or 8,333.33 cubic feet for a 1,500 square foot home. Using the kenafcrete formula above you will need hurd of ½ inch lengths.
Super sack volume determines how much material a bag can hold. Volume depends on bag dimensions and is measured in cubic yards or cubic feet. A super sack with dimensions of 35″x35″x42″ has a volume of approximately 3 cubic yards or 81 cubic feet, making it ideal for bulk material handling.
You will need 13 super sacks of kenaf hurd per 1,500 square foot house.
Hydrated lime can be purchased at Home Depot or Tractor Supply
Hydrated lime and slaked lime are both forms of calcium hydroxide, but they differ in how they are produced. Hydrated lime is made by adding water to quicklime, while slaked lime is made by adding water to lime putty.
In terms of properties, hydrated lime is a dry powder that is more stable and easier to handle, while slaked lime is a wet paste that is less stable and can harden over time. Hydrated lime is commonly used in construction, agriculture, and water treatment, while slaked lime is often used in traditional building materials and as a chemical reagent. (reagent- a substance or mixture for use in chemical analysis or other reactions)
Slaked Lime Putty supplier:
Lancaster Lime Works
717-207-7014
Or Visit Us at: https://lancasterlimeworks.com/
1251 Beaver Valley Pike Willow Street, PA 17584
Overall, hydrated lime is more versatile and widely used compared to slaked lime due to its easier handling and broader range of applications.
Kenafcrete is made with kenaf wood core chips, hydrated lime and water. The fundamentals of building with kenaf are centered around a simple “4: 1: 1 formula ” - 4 parts kenaf wood core , 1 part hydrated lime and 1 part water. A finishing lime plaster is then applied to seal the walls, which protects the walls from heavy moisture and still allows the walls to breathe.
Kenafcrete sealer is made with slaked lime and water called a lime plaster. It is available at places like Home Depot and Tractor Supply throughout the US.
Outside Finish with Lime Plaster
Inside Finish Using Lime Plaster
The hand tools in manufacturing and installation are readily available around the world.
Equipment for kenafcrete manufacturing and installation are top rotary mixers and specialized sprayers.
Replacing 2X4s, 2X6s etc. in stick built homes with bamboo can go a long way in preserving our forests and the eco-system they support. Introducing bamboo in strategic locations that are beneficial to the environment and a good use of existing land and using bamboo instead of lumber is an obvious next step in the alignment of regenerative housing and regenerative farming. An example of how this might work is to take a corn / soy field in central Illinois and instead of drain tiles and drainage ditches, use a key-line plow to address water retention for drought flooding. Drainage ditches converted to grow bamboo
Kenafcrete is a biocomposite made of the inner woody core of the kenaf plant mixed with a lime-based binder. ... Fully cured kenafcrete blocks float in a bucket of water. It is not used as a structural element, only as an insulating infill between the frame members though it does tend to reduce racking. Racking is the term used for when buildings tilt as their structural components are forced out of plumb.... To be able to resist the forces of high winds and safeguard against racking , a continuous load path is a construction method that secures a building from the roof to the foundation.
Here in northern Michigan deer blinds and ice fishing shanties made from bamboo and kenafcrete could catch on as a specialized housing use and make the list of eco-friendlyhousing.