We’ve already heard about how the mighty mushroom can help clean a polluted river, but how about insulating homes? As Earth Techling reports, the New York-based company Ecovative Design has “grown” a home called the Mushroom Tiny House using the remarkably versatile roots of the mushroom — or mycelium — as insulation.
So how does it work? If you watch the video above, you’ll see that after the mushroom material is packed between wood boards, it’ll dry over the next couple of days, forming an airtight and extremely strong wall. The result is free of toxins or Volatile Organic Compounds and has a Class “A” fire rating, which means it’s highly irresistible to ignition.
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Also, at $0.25/board foot, Ecovative’s mushroom walls could also be cheaper than other structural insulating panels that are usually filled with plywood, concrete or plastic foam. And because they require no studs, these walls could require fewer man hours and less equipment to put together. A planet and wallet friendly home — all thanks to the humble mushroom.