Loam
Loam (from Middle High German leim, like “glue”, from Middle High German līm, belonging to an Indo-Germanic root *lei-, “slimy, slippery soil, brush over something”) is a mixture of sand (grain size > 63 µm), silt (grain size > 2 µm) and clay (grain size < 2 µm). It is formed either by weathering from solid or unconsolidated rocks or by unsorted deposition of the named components. Depending on their formation, a distinction is made between mountain loam, slope loam, boulder clay (glacial), loess loam (loess) and alluvial loam (from river deposits). Clay is widespread and readily available; it represents (burned or unburned) one of the oldest building materials.
Photo: Clay bricks
Wood fiber insulation panels
Wood fiber insulation boards, sometimes also called soft wood fiber boards or soft wood fiber boards, are a type of fiberboard, namely board insulation materials made of wood fibers, which are mostly used for thermal insulation of the outer envelope surfaces of a building.
Wood fiber insulation boards usually consist of at least 85% wood fibers, which are obtained from sawmill residues (rind, splinters) and wood chips in a wet or dry process. Softwoods are preferred as starting material because of their higher fiber quality. In the wet process, the fiber content can be up to 100%, since binders can be dispensed with entirely.
Photo: Wood fiber insulation boards
Hemp
Hemp, as a natural and vegetable raw material, is one of the most health-friendly insulating materials. Hemp fibers form the outer layer of the stalk and are arranged in several layers and as fiber bundles parallel to the stalk axis and annularly in the phloem. They consist of long bast fiber cells arranged one above the other and side by side.
Hemp fibers are used as insulation material, either loose or pressed into insulation boards and mats, for roof insulation as between-rafter and under-rafter insulation, as clamping felt for exterior and interior insulation, for rear-ventilated facades, and for floor and storey insulation.
In our company hemp is mixed with clay as a hybrid building material. As a dry mixture, this mixture is used for filling for cavities.
