Shuttering - The Hempcrete Topic: Designing and Building with Hemp-lime - page 297

Striking shuttering from central frames
To remove shuttering, the fixing process is basically reversed. The hempcrete is left
shuttered until it has had time to take its initial set - about 30 minutes with Prompt Natural
Cement; overnight with most other binders. In any case, always ensure that the time al-
lowed is in accordance with the guidelines from the binder manufacturer. It is good prac-
tice to remove the shuttering as soon as possible after this time, even if you don't need the
boards, because with the boards still in place the wall cannot start the process of drying
out.
The first step is to undo the straps that tie the board to its neighbours, although where con-
venient these can be left on one of the two boards, as they will be put back on again when
the board is reused further along the wall. Having the straps sticking off the boards some-
times makes them easier to handle.
Removing the long decking screws is a two-handed job, because the screw is threaded only
for the last 50mm, i.e. most of the shaft is smooth. The easiest way to get them out is to
start unwinding the screw, so the head sits off the face of the board, and then hook a mini
claw bar, or similar, around the head so you can pull it away as well as unscrewing it. Once
the threaded piece is pulled back as far as the board, it will unscrew by itself.