Tools and equipment - The Hempcrete Topic: Designing and Building with Hemp-lime - page 151

many small voids and channels in it, created by the matrix of hemp fibres where they were
pushed up against the inside of the shuttering. This is an ideal surface on to which to apply
a render or plaster basecoat: the usual finish for a hempcrete wall.
When taking the shuttering down, an easy day at work can suddenly turn into a very hard
one if you realize at this point that mistakes or inaccuracies in the construction of the tim-
ber frame or the shuttering have left a hempcrete wall surface that is not in the plane that
you want it to be in. The remedy, unfortunately, is to first let the hempcrete dry out a bit so
it is hard enough to take the treatment, and then spend hours painstakingly scratching the
surface back with a nail float, level and straight edge until it is put right. This is not only
soul-destroying work but is also quite physically tiring, because by this time the hempcrete
has hardened significantly. It is also remedial work that was not accounted for in the ori-
ginal estimate of labour, so if you make mistakes on the frame or shuttering, you stand to
lose money or time, or both, depending on your situation.
Hopefully this example serves to illustrate the importance of accuracy when building the
frame and shuttering, and hence the importance of having quality tools for the job. Hap-
pily, the most critical tools for this are hand tools and are therefore relatively inexpens-
ive, even for top-quality brands. It is especially important to ensure that measuring tapes,
levels, squares, hand saws, etc. are of good quality and are looked after properly - i.e. put
away after use and not left lying around to get knocked or trodden on, and cleaned up at
the end of the day. It is good practice to ensure that squares and measuring tools are regu-
larly checked for accuracy, in the hope that any damage that would affect their accuracy is
discovered before you have built a wall with them.