Hemp and jute mattresses for natural and efficient home insulation

Signature Naturalpaint we are already used to good quality natural products for insulating and finishing your home. You may remember the Gutex wood fiber insulating boards with very good fire resistance. For those who have not yet seen the test, you can watch it here here. Now he is offering two new thermal insulation products, hemp and jute fiber mattresses and hemp wool. The products are natural, have a beneficial effect on the home and those who live in it, and are second to none compared to leading materials in the industry.

Hemp and jute, industrial plants rediscovered

Years ago, hemp and jute were intensively cultivated for yarn. Hemp was used to weave clothes and bed coverings, while jute was used to make twine, ropes, burlap and carpets. The emergence of artificial yarn gradually replaced natural yarn, which was more difficult to obtain and more expensive. The recent return to natural yarns in most areas has led to the rediscovery of jute and hemp yarns and the possibility of using them in areas other than textiles. One such area is the thermal insulation of buildings.

Hemp grows very fast, with its stem reaching 4 m in just 100 days. Its roots, which penetrate deep into the soil, help it reach food sources normally inaccessible to annuals, so it doesn't need artificial fertilizers. It grows healthily and doesn't need pesticides because it grows faster than weeds. Flexible fibers are made from the woody stem using specific processes and techniques. By its nature, hemp is pest-free, highly resistant to fungus and does not rot, making it a very good building material.

Jute is, like hemp, an industrial annual plant used for natural fibers. The stalk, which can also reach up to 4 m in height, produces silky, golden threads more than 3 m long with a diameter of 2.5 microns. It is the second most widely used natural fiber in the world after cotton. One use is in sacks for food transportation. Because there are very strict regulations in the food industry, these sacks are used for one shipment, after which they should be destroyed. THERMO HANF in Germany came up with the idea recycling bags to obtain fibers used in natural insulating materials.

A wonderful plant that could save the planet

THERMO HANF is a recognized company in the field of manufacturing natural insulating materials. It was it that saw the outstanding qualities of hemp and started producing insulation materials as early as 2003. Since 2020, the company has been part of the Dutch HEMPFLAX group, which is recognized for its concern to introduce hemp in as many fields as possible. Ben Dronkers, who set up the Dutch company in 1994, believes that this wonderful plant can help save mankind.

The Bavarian factory continues to produce natural materials used for home insulation. Hemp and jute fiber mattresses THERMO HEMP® COMBI JUTE and THERMO HANF Stuffing WoolThe most sought-after and appreciated products are hemp wool, which makes it possible to insulate even the most inaccessible areas. They can now also be found in Romania thanks to Naturalpaint.

 THERMO HEMP® COMBI JUTE

It is a thermal insulation material in the form of a mattress made from hemp and jute fibers. It provides excellent thermal protection in both winter and summer. It has low thermal conductivity and high heat storage capacity. Thanks to the high water-absorbing capacity of the hemp fibers, the insulation helps to keep the indoor humidity constant and at an optimal level.

THERMO HEMP® COMBI JUTE THERMO HEMP® COMBI JUTE mattresses are composed of 62.5% hemp fiber, 21.75% jute fiber, 9% PET-based polymer backing fiber and 4% soda. Bulk density is approx. 37kg/m3 and thermal conductivity 0.039-0.040W/m.K.

Polymer fibers, also called backing fibers, are added to keep the mattress flexible so that it returns to its original shape after compression. They also determine the adhesion between the natural hemp and jute fibers, making the mattresses dimensionally stable. The polymer fibers are 100% recycled materials.

Soda, sodium carbonate, is added for fire resistance. It does not pose a problem from an environmental point of view and is also used in organic food as additive E-500 with no upper limit. Fire extinguishing is possible by so-called heterogeneous inhibition, also called anti-catalytic effect. The radicals of the combustion reaction are bound to the surface of the finely ground carbonate granules, rendering them harmless, which leads to fire extinguishing. As a side-effect, the soda brings the pH value down to 12, which puts the mattresses in the upper class of mold resistance (class 0).

Mattresses can be used for insulation between rafters and between wooden beams, insulation of ceilings, exterior walls and roof (insulation under the supporting structure), cavity insulation of exterior and interior walls in timber frame constructions.

THERMO HANF Stuffing Wool, insulation material for tight spaces

Hemp wool is very useful when narrow, hard-to-reach spaces occur. It insulates very well the space between window and door frames and masonry, the joints between masonry/timber or wood/timber joints, small spaces where the use of mattresses is impossible. It is very effective at eliminating thermal bridges where passive houses or energy efficient. In the deck area, fibers do not allow air currents to pass through.

THERMO HANF Stuffing Wool contains 96% hemp fiber and 4% calcium carbonate (fire retardant). The hemp fibers are loose and range in length from 50 to 160 mm. The water content is 10-121TP33T at a relative humidity of 65%. The fire resistance (according to EN ISO 11925-2:2010) is B2, Class E (according to EN13501-1:2007), as for hemp and jute mattresses, and the maximum temperature at which the insulation can work is 160°C. The void filling density is between 30 and 50 kg/m³. Being made of hemp, the insulation does not attract rodents and insects, does not create the environment for fungi and mold growth and does not cause allergies.

If you want a healthy home, the materials offered by Naturalpaint are a good solution. In the product range you will not only find natural insulation but also clay and lime for plastering and painting walls or oil and wax for wood and stone.