Perhaps it is the cedar shake shingles that give a home a cottage feel. Maybe it is the texture I love so much. What ever it is, I love the look. There is a product out there called Enviroshake that is a shingle with the look of wood, only made from 95% recycled materials.
I posted about a similar product once before, click here to see. Enjoy, Heidi
This is perfect, I can build my story book dream house with 100% sustainable matierials. It has come full circle, what was the old fashioned way of building is now the new alternative.
Tradical
Hemp can be made into any building material, including fiberboard, roofing, flooring, wallboard, caulking, cement, paint, paneling, particleboard, plaster, plywood, reinforced concrete, insulation, insulation panels, spray-on insulation, concrete pipes, bricks, and biodegradable plastic composites which are tougher than steel. I know, too good to be true. It is all true.
The following video is about a house in North Carolina built with Hempcrete.
Hemp foundation walls are 7 times stronger than concrete foundations, half as light, and three times as elastic, which means that these building will bend, but not break. Because of their superior strength and flexibility, hemp foundations are resistant to stress-induced cracking and breaking.
Then there is Hemp Plastic. It is lighter than steel and is 10 times more resistant to denting.
Watch Henry Ford demonstrate this on his Plastic Hemp Car he made in 1941.
Found on Hemp Plastic Being made of Hemp and water, it seems like Hemp Plastic would be a solution to the plastic plague our world is suffering from? I didn't even mention the thousands of other uses, like food, fuel, clothing, paper and medicine. And if by chance you are wondering why we don't use this fast growing plant that grows almost anywhere and requires zero pesticides, herbicides and very little fertilizer? Just think of who it's competition is, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Timber, Steele, Cotton, Coal and Oil companies. Just remember, vote with your dollar. We are the mass consumers of the world so we need to be responsible and buy products that are good for our Earth. Educate yourself, do some research. Industrial Hemp can be grown without the THC chemical. Thanks for your time. Heidi
One of my favorite things to do is get my hands in the dirt and grow stuff. Another very therapeutic activity is pulling weeds. Some garden tips: wear a pair of those garden gloves with the rubber coating on the palms. Don't stand up and bend at the knees and waist to work in the garden but get down with your butt on the ground, your back and knees will thank you. Pull weeds after a rain shower, they come out easier. Take in deep full breaths of the Spring air, listen to all of the different birds and learn their songs and notice what is blooming even if it is the trees or just weeds. Enjoy, Heidi
One thing I do not understand is, why bamboo furniture is so expensive and hard to find if the materials are so readily available and inexpensive?
Image via Etsy, Baby Boomba. While researching this post on bamboo, I found loads more products that are made from the renewable source. It makes a beautiful silky fiber that is very absorbent. I found everything on Etsy from baby blankets, diapers, maxi pads to evening gowns. Click here to see what I mean. Image via Gulu Hope. This one lit up my heart. A bamboo bike, amazing. Just think of the possibilities.
These are facial cleansing cloths made from, you guessed it, bamboo. And here is more info that I found on the Kaia site about bamboo. Very interesting. Bamboo is the ultimate renewable resource in the natural fiber market, as it is a grass that grows quickly and requires no irrigation or fertilization. Known as the fastest growing plant in the world, bamboo reaches maturity in 3-4 years vs. 70 years for most trees. Thanks to inherent biological traits that protect it from pests and pathogens, bamboo doesn't require pesticides. Through its natural ability to eliminate bacteria, biodegradable bamboo stays fresher and odor free for longer and is more hygienic and healthier than any other fiber. In China, bamboo fiber is used to make medical gowns and slippers, as it is naturally antimicrobial and perfect for a sterile hospital environment.
Bamboo is truly a sustainable building material. It can regenerate at least 8 times faster than hard woods. It matures within 5 to 7 years and is harder and more dent resistant than most hard woods. Click here to see all of the colors it comes in, Wow!
Something inside of me has been trying to tell me this but my mind didn't want to listen. I yearn for the happy life I had growing up with my grandparents in the country and I want that so desperately for my son. But instead we run to the closest store and buy the new toy to show our love and make him happy. It is a very short term happiness and 6 million Legos later he is overwhelmed with the amount of Legos but still wants the ones he does not have. What? I don't like asking for favors, but it would mean so much to me if you all would watch this video. It explains everything very simply but effectively.
Domino Magazine
Smith and Hawkins vertical garden
Found on We Heart It
British Home and Gardens
British Home and Gardens
Image via Barclay Butera.
Image via Coastal Living.
Image via Etsy, Baby Boomba.
Image via Duro Design.
No origin for this image.
