Reminded of this one by something in another thread. Sent to me when I was converting our barn and discussing types of insulation.

Kite Insulations, an off-shoot of the Eden Centre Bio-Dome project, have just launched a new insulation material which is even more eco-friendly than Warmcel or sheep's wool.

It is a naturally occurring product which is already grown and harvested around the world. Within the protected and enhanced environment of the Bio-Dome it will be possible to harvest at least 4 crops per annum.

As well as extensive use in the pharmaceutical, clothing and paper industries, Indian Hemp has now found a new use as a highly effective insulating material.

The entire plant is chopped up, dried, treated for non-combustibility like Warmcel and delivered to site in shrink wrapped, rigid brown slabs.

When packed into the walls, floors and roof of new homes the owners report:

* the comfort factor as "very high"
* a relaxed atmosphere
* less family tension
* relief from aching joints

Kite accuse their detractors of wild imaginings and fear based upon a lack of practical experience of their product.

Kite claim their product will give the highest u-values ever. It is also the only insulation with a built in eco-friendly smoke detector - when exposed to fire it smoulders without catching fire, giving off a very distinctive "sweet" odour which rapidly fills the home.

At the end of the buildings life the insulation can be fully recycled and is expected to be worth many times its original cost as a reusable product.

Warmcel have already threatened to stop buying the remaindered Jeffrey Archer novels and old Yellow Pages they recycle and sell back to us as insulation. This could have severe implications for the land fill sector which will now have to cope with so much extra rubbish.

Kite are looking for customers to enter into joint developments and having tried the product a spokesman for BRE and the Agrement Board said he was "very relaxed about the whole idea".


Phil