Placing hempcrete - The Hempcrete Topic: Designing and Building with Hemp-lime - page 364

It is important to note that this does not mean the wall becoming completely dry. Drying
is 'complete' when the hempcrete wall reaches its natural equilibrium in terms of moisture
content - around 15 per cent water content, but this will vary slightly with local humidity
levels. The 'complete' drying out of a hempcrete wall usually takes several months, but
the breathability of the wall and finishes means that this is a process that can be left to con-
tinue without any particular attention from the builder.
The type of binder used will affect the speed at which the wall dries out. Very hydraulic
binders, such as natural cement, will quickly use up more of the water introduced in the
mixing process as the binder sets, whereas binders that contain a combination of air lime
and Portland cement rely on the slower process of carbonation to set the lime, and there-
fore there is potentially more water in the wall that needs to dry out.
Before it sets hard, hempcrete can easily be shaped us-
ing a nail float. Here the sharp corners are rounded off to
give softer lines to the building.