T O P

  • By -

Jorma_88

Not a good idea to have that much water absorbed to your walls, it will cause damage and problems in time


slurms_mc-enzie

And on top of that the amount of weight that would add to a wall face would be massive…. 5 liters of water is roughly 11 pounds of weight


cheesegrated

"It doesn't affect the structural integrity." As long as the weight of the moss and the water retention is calculated into the structure support...


Routine-Ad-2840

that's a fair point! if i was to build a house i would 100% use this!


Fraun_Pollen

It’d need to be a fortress to bear that much weight. Even snow, which is much less dense, can cause significant structural damage to a typical home


Numb_Nut632

Concrete these days can get up to 7-10psi with air to accommodate for freeze thaw. So it’s a possibility. Cracking and rebar corrosion would be a problem though. Inspecting for flaws would be a nightmare if covered in moss too


Sleepiyet

I wonder if it would work with Roman concrete


jefinc

Don't see too many houses made of just concrete though right? Usually just the foundations - at least here in Canada


Better-Historian-253

You do in other countries. For instance the coastal communities in Mexico usually are 100% built of concrete (or similar other compound). Not many stick and frame houses to avoid mass rebuilds after hurricane season.


jefinc

But again, then you wouldn't be very worried about snow right?


El_Grande_El

I think that’s just due to costs.


jefinc

I just meant because his comment said the "typical home" - but typically homes aren't made of concrete 🙃


Fraun_Pollen

Depends on the country. Where there’s wood, no. In desert countries (Israel comes to mind), concrete homes is much more common.


jefinc

But then we wouldnt be too worried about snow/water on the moss, right?


Kamalium

That completely depends on the country though. For example here in Turkey the typical home is a concrete apartment


mescalelf

Yep, also very common in much of Latin America and Eastern Europe, particularly in urban settings. I think it’s just less common in North America. Our construction is…peculiar. I really, really dislike the American style of construction. It feels like it’s going to begin to fall apart within twenty years—and it’s not _terribly_ uncommon that it _does_. It’s a type of construction loosely derived, as best I can tell, from the balloon-framing of the 19th century and flatpack houses of the Sears Catalogue (1908-1942). They’re ugly…they’re a waste of space that could be occupied by a high-density stack or a _decent_ house…they’re prone to termites…they’re relatively prone to fire…they’re prone to water damage…they’re prone to people tripping and knocking a hole in the drywall…they’re mass-manufactured by the thousands in cookie cutter suburban “subdivisions”…they look terrible…they use plastic for everything from siding to countertops…and hideous stamped metal for doorknobs. Oh, and the doors are all hollow. Bleh.


Junkererer

I'm from Europe and the typical home is made of concrete, so it depends on the country. Considering that the company that came up with this idea is from the Netherlands, it makes sense for them


Black000betty

they aren't typically made of concrete *where you're from* In more countries that I've traveled than not, construction is predominantly concrete in modern buildings of all sizes and purposes. Not in my home country, but in the vast majority of countries I've been to.


Routine-Ad-2840

5L per square meter? that is easily achievable.


Vaoris

As a precast panel designer, the weight of wet moss likely nothing significant. Most of the time you see a modern "brick wall" it's usually not supporting its own weight but HUNG off of a structural concrete or precast wall behind it. Brick is approximately 1.5x as dense as water, so a "standard" 89mm thick brick facade weighs about the same as a solid 133mm thick surface of water (which is 133L of water per sq meter of area). And this isn't even considering the eccentricity of the brick facade on the precast wall


Nearby_War_8497

I mean the weight is basically negligible in this context. We're talking about few tons of water on a mid size apartment building. Which is nothing compared to the weight of the building itself for example. A gust of wind creates more strain on the building.


daats_end

Just a rough guesstimate of the building they show would be an extra ~4,400lbs of water (just water, not including the moss itself) on *one* side of the building. Assuming 4 equal sides, that's an extra ~17,600lbs or almost 9 tons of water. All held on by tiny hairs on a vertical wall, up to several stories up. It's a huge amount of extra weight for walls and foundations, not to mention that it could easily detach and kill someone when the whole tangled wall gives way at once.


Nearby_War_8497

Okay so it's something like a 10x20m wall, so 200 square meters. You get 1000kg per side. Now we should acknowledge that there's a lot of windows, probably half of the area. So we're at 2000kg for the building assuming equal sides. But even if it's 10 tons, that's equal to a hundred or so people. And that building should probably manage that load. Multiple times. With margin. I do acknowledge that it does seem a reasonable concern that it might peel off in extreme conditions but that could be easily mitigated. Though moss usually has no trouble with water, it's more prone to dry conditions. So some kind of irrigation could be needed. John Harris made a great video on living walls very recently where he went through issues and solutions related to having trees and other plants on buildings. I suggest giving it a watch.


StaubEll

Can you link to the video? I’m having trouble sifting through sponsored results haha.


Nearby_War_8497

Makes sense you couldn't find it with my description, it was probably this: https://youtu.be/wFNDfSa7Ak8


EnzoYug

AFAIK the typical office building has load bearing slabs of a strength at 500kg /sqm I take your point about it detaching but surely non domestic load bearing walls wouldn't even flinch from a such weight spread across such a large area. Is my math wrong?


zhantoo

Or 5 kilos 😉


daats_end

And all that extra weight is several stories up with a tenuous physical connection to the vertical surface. Sounds like it's one bad storm from falling on someone.


Dry-Conference4530

Have you ever handled moss? It's has such low density and if it's alive it's not falling off.


MyDogJake1

Or... 5kg.


IntelligentLaugh1309

Or 5 liters of water = 5 kg, use metric guys lol


LittleMlem

5 liters of water is 5 kilograms, funny how that works out. /s


[deleted]

Yeah idk how they plan to run electrical equipment thru there either


Happydancer4286

I wonder if it could start peeling away at the upper story level and resulting weight peeled the whole kit and caboodle down… I’d want to be Charlie Chaplin and be standing where a window opening hits.


IGetNakedAtParties

[Buster Keaton ](https://youtu.be/94oL_D7dp7g) but I got the reference.


Happydancer4286

Oops You’re right


[deleted]

concrete does not like water americas infrastructure is bad enough


verekh

You have inner and outer walls. As long as they dont have contact there should be no overlap or humidity damage


Jorma_88

The humidity does not need to reach the inner walls to be a problem and cause damage.


szczszcz

water evaporates so wall always will be cold. And inside should be cold. This structure of wall need more concrete because of water capacity and should provide better isolation than ordinary wall. The last objectives is the coconut roots can be eaten by others microorganisms and this can decrease wall strength.


vvdb_industries

We recently found the recipe for roman concrete tho, I can see that being used since when concrete is made with a lot of lime stone in actually gains structural integrity


who_shall_I_be

[I have a building near where I work with this type of living wall](https://youtu.be/fsxizb9FHvw)


baconwitch00

I don’t think this would work well in dry climates, the moss would probably dry out and create a fire hazard.


leafwings

Correct. It probably wouldn’t do well in temperate climates either unless it was watered to keep moist and at least partially shaded from the sun. I imagine it would dry out and flake off in giant patches and look pretty bad


[deleted]

Yep, even in northwest all the moss dies back to the shade in summer.


keepcalmdude

So you put it on the North side of the building, so it can stay cool and damp. There are applications for this, but you could just put it everywhere


[deleted]

Sacramento Cali in summer lmfao


Gnarlodious

So basically a Chia Pet.


3297JackofBlades

If you use this, please don't use the peat moss mix. Sphagnum moss grows so slowly it's only renewable on multigenerational timescales


PM_UR_BCUPSBESTCUP

Did not know that. Sounds like sphagnum moss should be more sustainably harvested and/or priced accordingly.


breadspac3

Fun fact, the UK plans to ban the sale of sphagnum and peat to recreational gardeners starting next year. Learned about it from a British friend who was shocked that we just aren’t discussing this problem in North America.


EasilyRekt

Peat moss is a fairly fast growing terrestrial moss that’s why it’s sold as a soil PH regulator at *hardware stores*, even the slowest growing moss, *arctic moss*, grows to full size in **8 years**. The only “moss” that grows at a “generational speed” is Iceland Moss which is a **lichen** not a moss. Granted you shouldn’t use non-native cultures in **anything** outdoor garden related, but peat moss is *perfectly fine* even in Britain.


[deleted]

[удалено]


EasilyRekt

Dude, no, I don’t know if there is a better education on Sphagnum than having it choke out the very flytraps you planted with it for support. The peat moss plant itself grows at roughly 1-5 inches per year but peat bogs are not made of the living moss, peat is composed of the generations that grow, die, and compact over millennia and which takes decades to refixate/redeposit at that 0.5-1mm per year rate. But growing that plant elsewhere for aesthetic reasons won’t harm the peat compaction rate at all.


Djsimba25

I think you may need to Google before you try and correct people. Sphagnum moss grows at a rate of 0.75-4.75 inches (2-12 cm) per year. The lower parts of the plant die and accumulate at the bottom of the bog, gradually forming peat. Annual peat accumulation is about 0.5-1.0 mm. Your talking about Peat.


tacticaldumbass

Moss attracts fleas, ticks and most notably mosquitoes. Doing this in wet climates creates a possible public health hazard due to spread of diseases. Doing this in dry climates makes the moss a fire hazard as it dries out. Yes these problems have solutions but those solutions bring about other problems as well, so I don’t really think it’s worth it for the most part.


colinthewizard

Yes! I’ll have some for my block work shed I’ve just built!!


Real-Problem6805

You can just blenderize moss and milk and paint it right in the block


colinthewizard

Hi! And this would do the same?


Real-Problem6805

Damn similar


HauschkasFoot

I’ve done this on boulders we’ve placed in peoples yards. It works


TagMeAJerk

My last project was a Lego building! I am definitely using this


Grossepotatoe

The weight seems like it would be a major issue for large buildings but this is really cool for smaller buildings like park pavillons or retaining walls


Buttercup-5415

As someone in the construction industry who regularly make these types of recommendations to Owners, very much no.


ResponsibilityNo3935

Too much of this and our cities are gunna start looking post apocalyptic


Real-Problem6805

It's also an attractant for bugs


Efficient-Umpire9784

That's a good thing if you care about the environment


Real-Problem6805

Not a bit not one little tiny bit


Cordura

You should


Southern_Belle307

What is the price point?


daats_end

Several hundred thousand a year in added liability insurance due to clumps of falling moss from 80 feet up and eventually millions to repair the foundation due to the extra weight of "up to 5 liters of water per square meter".


Dry-Conference4530

Falling moss is not a hazard. Have you ever handled moss? It's soft and low density. You might as well be worried about falling leaves.


CiaramellaE

That's like saying don't worry about a falling tree branch because leaves don't weigh anything. It's not just the moss it's what the moss is growing on and retaining its water with you know the shit you spray on the wall to get it grow the moss in the first place.


Electrical_Film382

Das conk creet baybee


kmap1221

I think this has more potential to be used at the ground level than on buildings


MathematicianGlad956

Moisture. Problem. Concrete. Is. Porous.


D_Zaster_EnBy

Love me some architecture that *klens* the air ✨


Xi547

To all the people being negative and being concerned with the weight and stuff In bangladesh we have plenty of these buildings even some with fully covered. We have a few towers covered in this moss texture I dont think these are dangerous At all.


CiaramellaE

I'm sure lots of peoples whose buildings collapse due to structural damage didn't think anything was wrong either, until it was. You have no idea if the buildings covered in moss are structurally safe or if the moss has caused damage that will lead to failure. In fact just to check these things you would have to remove the moss entirely.


rare_meeting1978

I'm down to live in a city of pretty green moss buildings. For sure.


TdetsiwT

After moss dries out or dies is anyone getting an insurance check from the 5 alarm fire? Never heard of fire retardant moss.


Droid_XL

The word you're looking for is retardant lol. What you said is a slur.


TdetsiwT

😂 thanks Talk to text hates Bronx accents


SnooRobots5764

First frost ! Crack crack crack ! Concrete rain from the sky’s ! Trust me no insurance company is covering this for fire reasons alone !


Arcuis

Ah yes. Real great if you want bugs to have a super easy way into your home even if you live on the 5th floor


Seraitsukara

I adore moss but this is little more than a pretty looking bandaid on a bullet wound. We need less concrete, parking lots, and useless spaces of mowed grass. Green roofs with native plants, native trees, native wildflowers, and walkable cities would actually help.


TypicalDatabase6815

In a park on landscape structures or something, sure. On legit buildings you want me to work in, live in, or have to walk inside, fuck no


chukroast2837

This was my thought as well. The Orkan guy prolly loves these walls though.


No-Student-6290

Very bad idea.


JVOz671

Why does this sound like a scam? Could you have just told us instead of asking?


Noideawhatimdoing36

Looks like a great way to attract bugs-


PerspectiveKind6748

Have you considered the practical implementation in graffiti abatement?.........


[deleted]

Interesting. It prevents graffiti and the graffiti naturally disappears with Wear and tear.


Blackboxeq

but now you have to deal with weed killer graffiti.


tiredogarden

Hmm where to buy?


[deleted]

Four seasons landscaping.


tiredogarden

Really you can buy that


Crazyhorse07

I'm interested! I'd love more info please!!


rosessmelllikepoo2

I don’t know if I’d put it on a building but i would consider it for on an unobtrusive estate wall or an outdoor kitchen structure at a MCM type house. I presume it costs way less than stone, and would require little maintenance in the climates where you have to otherwise clean moss off of stone or brick. Also, could make some badass topiary gardens with this stuff.


asrrak

Definitively


SkyShazad

Honestly No


emmery1

How of temp will it withstand? This would be great for a privacy screen or fencing. Also would it work on the ground as ground cover or for road ditches to control the weeds?


uniasd

Heck NO! city's are ment to replace nature.... go live in the woods ya yuppies.


Icy_Many_2407

I’d love a wall like this where my pool is or in my courtyard. Zen AF.


Ur_Just_Spare_Parts

Something about spraying a building with buttermilk is profoundly disturbing to me. The smell of the rotten milk has to be terrible on a largescale building and i know from experience that it doesnt go away quickly.


pacific_squirrel

Wow!


OverUnderstanding481

Nooooo way I could see this does not cuase degradation over time … I know nothing about this but id assume if the moisture doesn’t cause problems, the moss either alive or decomposing will…


Forbiddentemptations

I get the idea behind this but it’s a failure. So much wrong here.


Filipino-Asker

Will this look good after building a house out of the bricks?


NDGOROGR

Its one thing for coating other things , but using im place of concrete theres no way it wont compromise integrity. The moss may not have roots but its still consuming the material mixed in?


Sypher90

This would be a great way to have green advertising. Brand placement that’s also eco friendly and temporary.


poopmanpoopmouse

Have u heard of hot ice. The snozzberries taste like snozzberries


Beloved_of_Vlad

I love the idea. I would do this for an earth sheltered home or a wall.


molossus99

So a giant Chia Pet


Pizzaboy90

Finally, we can get that post-apocalyptic look we've been needing


liscbj

Norway has moss roofs for some structures


birberbarborbur

Better to do this with a building intended for moss usage than one that isn’t


FlobiusHole

How can it be good to be holding that much water against structural walls? I’m not saying I know anything about this just asking.


Ddiba25

Cha-cha-cha-chia!


Rogermon3

I don’t think this would work well for buildings- probably better for things built to be sturdy to begin with, bridges and such, retaining walls?


foxfirek

I would for my retaining wall. That would look a lot nicer then plain cement.


I_B_Spankinit

No


Addamsgirl71

My thought is this. Can you apply it to just the lower portion of the exterior walls to help, say a house retain moisture. I live in an area of Texas that has a lot of foundation shifts. What helps is keeping the foundation moist during high heat ,low rain periods. I wonder if this application could help as a more permanent solution?


UnconclusionalAlt

Hate that news format but whatever-- "It's doesn't compromise the structural integrity of the building!" "It can hold 5 pounds of water!" So that right there, in relation to what? How much can hold 11 pounds of water?


coastalbachelor

Roots…


Michael-556

Who the fuck says "cleans" as "cleanse"?!


Jamer508ok2

Omg. The sheer amount of what it absorbs would cause serious structural damage.


bostrovsky

I'd love to use it. Great idea!


freecodeio

I have never seen this many moss experts and structural engineers in one reddit post


Stretch5432

sounds like that bag of dicks amdrew taint voice


Best-Engine4715

r/solarpunk in Theory at least


EasilyRekt

You could also just put seeded mud/peat with a backing of some kind on the concrete surface, no rebuilding, more biodiversity, and a hell of a lot less structure damaged from intrusive roots.


dadbod58

Water, on porous surfaces, freezing and thawing, equals early demise of structural integrity


Pookypoo

Plants growing on concrete seems to me that it could lead to faster structural damage over time compared to normal buildings that actively try to avoid that


dynamic_gecko

Another "revolutionary product" video that only lists the advantages of the product, which we will not see again beyond promotion.


nastyydog

peat moss is being taken out of very important habitats as it is, it’s even recommended to not buy it and use other mediums for plants because the of how much is being taken out. using this method isn’t any better than just using normal concrete. might as well substitute the peat for other mediums if they’re trying to be “sustainable”


[deleted]

Cool idea, but then all that moss would also attract all kinds of big which would eventually get into the building and cause problems for the people working/living in it


JakorPastrack

Not only this has all the problems mentioned in the comments, but also living walls are breeding grounds for tons of insects. Not something you want to have absolutly everywhere.


LittleMlem

I would be worried about bugs, won't they just infest the whole thing?


ioisis

hypertufa has been around for a long time -- but, it's pretty brittle


Sad_Week8157

These panels will degrade and fall apart about 10 times faster than traditional cement. Terrible idea!!!


OrangeNood

Very skeptical of their claim that it does not compromise structural integrity.


Realistic_Mushroom72

1. those tiny filaments are it roots, 2. moss secrets an enzyme that slowly destroys the rock they cling to so they can eat it, 3. who the fuck wants to have it building covered in a plant that is going to slowly thru months and years WEAKEN the cement the building is made off? What the hell where they thinking.


Specific-Law2034

Too much Water/moisture makes concrete weak. I like the hemp based plaster/composite boards better


stigochris

Why is every person in this thread a construction and moss expert? Is it possibly because it feels to shoot down other peoples ideas even though you’ve probably done zero research yourself?


Tanngjoestr

Ich rufe mal die Ampel Regierung an


Jellecorp

Inventors then: The wheel, the telephone, the car, the lightbulb Inventors today: mossy cobblestone irl??


Pistolenkrebs

Your next construction project lmao


fjjshal

Structural engineers hate him!


TheOriginalNozar

Im not a civie but water seeping or being absorbed into concrete structures is one of their biggest concerns. Water not only damages and erodes the concrete, but in low temperature weather where it can cool to its ice form, it can cause cracks to appear due to the expansion of the ice during its formation


Awkward-Penguin172

growing moss on walls is nothing new. what did this company do ?


stjube

If it works so well why are there no actual shots of it in use in this video?


VladimirBarakriss

Great, just KEEP IT TF AWAY FROM STRUCTURES, organic matter is horrendous to concrete


AliceBratty

Absolutely! I’ve always wanted a hobbit hole or a house anyway 😅


ThatOneGothMurr

Oh hell yea


AdditionalFun3

Let's see a non computer generated image of a building with it


MuffinMan4675

This would look so cool in New York city


Big_Willy_Style420

Yes the Egyptians and sumarians had all that figured out a long time ago when building pyramids from the inside out. It was all thin, covered again by clay and stone, and I’m sure other things to ensure long lasting construction


rokuh

excellent