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 A house made of hair
Imagine living in a house made of human hair...
Updated On: 8/29/2009 [Total Votes: 46, Hits: 485]  Print
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Imagine living in a house made of human hair? It’s happening in parts of the British countryside, where hair is being mixed with lime to make plaster. Homes built with hair save energy and reuse waste. Taking hair, a natural material, from hair salons close by reduces transportation costs and thereby, carbon emissions. Could we, should we, be doing this in India?
Why not, says Delhi architect Gautam Bhatia. "Lime mortar was used in the 18th century and is presently needed for restoration of old buildings and as a binding material." Lime consumes less energy than cement and keeps buildings cool in summer and warm in winter.
Hair expert Dr. Apoovra Shah says it has natural advantages, not least its tensile strength derived from the protein (keratin) that makes up 65-95% of hair fiber. This strength can vary from 80-110, ie, each strand can lift a weight of 80 gms to 110 gms. The average human head has about one lakh hair follicles. So how much hair would be needed to build a house? It’s anyone’s guess. Paula Sunshine, who is building hairy homes in Britain, tells 'The Good Earth' by email that she "probably used several rubbish bins full, but can’t quantify it."
Sunshine, who restores old homes, made plaster by mixing hair with lime putty and crushed chalk. It was used to plaster her 16th-century timberframed thatched house, as she tried to reduce her carbon footprint.
Each of us can reduce our carbon footprint through the choices we make daily: the food we eat, the transport we take, the stuff we throw away, or what we use to build our houses. |
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Related Words:
House made of human hair, British countryside, Save energy and reuse waste, Carbon emissions, Delhi architect Gautam Bhatia, Lime mortar, Lime consumes less energy, Hair expert Dr. Apoovra Shah, Keratin, Tensile strength, 16th-century timberframed thatched house, Carbon footprint, Human Hair, Hair
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