The environmentally friendly dream house of Arie and Corry van Hoorn from Sappemeer − built from hemp fiber − is finally ready. But that didn’t go without a hitch.
They didn’t have to think long when they heard about the prefab hemp panels that Dun Agro produces from Oude Pekela. Lime hemp is an excellent building material and ecologically sound. In addition, it provides good insulation and a healthy indoor climate. “We walk with this sustainable and healthy way of building and live a little ahead of the music,” says Arie van Hoorn (65) at the kitchen table in the comfortable home on Borgercompagniestraat in Sappemeer.
He and wife Corry (59) started their project in 2019 full of enthusiasm. An architect drew a contemporary design with many beautiful details. Lots of glass too, with a view over the fields. They agreed with Dun Agro that this would provide the house with a shell, i.e. wind and watertight.
But that cooperation has ended in a long-running conflict and major delays. The Arbitration Board in Construction Disputes will soon consider the matter. Corry: ,,The construction of this house was supposed to be a party, but it has caused us stress and misery for years.” How did it come to this?
One setback after another
The house was supposed to be delivered in September 2020, but construction only started in that month. Difficult, because the couple temporarily lived on the building plot in a caravan, which had meanwhile been sold in February 2021.
So it would be a race against time. But one setback after another presented itself. Van Hoorn: ,,Windows were not delivered. When they finally came, it turned out that there was no safety glass in it. Something that is mandatory with glass to the ground.” According to the owners, another window frame did not fit and yet another window frame was not delivered. Van Hoorn: “The work was of low quality and the notes were incorrect.”
Albert Dun parries criticism: ‘Errors in finishing’
Pending the arbitration case, General Manager Albert Dun of Dun Agro does not want to go too deeply into the criticism directed at him. “We built the shell of the house in Sappemeer. We started later because Van Hoorn did not have the foundation ready. He wanted to dismantle himself and that’s where it went wrong. He ordered things from us to process himself, but then didn’t pay for them.”
Moreover, according to Dun, many people do not know how to deal with the natural product hemp. Because bills were not paid, he stopped working, he says. ,,If payment is not made, then it ends.” He expects to win the arbitration case. ,,100 percent. That claim of 100,000 euros really makes no sense.”
He says about the conflict with Hoving in Emmen: ,,We were able to start there much later than planned, because Mr. did not have the mortgage around.” The provisional sum for the bathroom has not been calculated, says Dun. “A lot of people don’t understand how that works with provisional posts. The bathroom has been removed.”
About the problems with the roof: ,,In a very strong storm, the tiles in one corner were blown off. We ordered new pans, but were not welcome to come and repair. And as far as the brick slips are concerned: we only supplied them, assembling was his business.”
According to Dun, Hoving is a bad payer. “He still has to pay more than 54,000 euros. On a house weighing 2.5 tons. And they already live in it. Really not normal.”
According to Dun, almost all of his customers are very satisfied with their home and the way it was built. “We always solve problems. The fact that this did not work out in these cases is really down to the owners.”
The Dun Agro site shows several construction projects. In Boekel, an entire neighborhood has even been built with the hemp fibreboards. “Ecodorp Boekel has been awarded a prize.”
The caravan was picked up and to bridge the gap they moved to the canteen of their horse company a little further on. ,,That would be for three weeks, but it became a year”, Corry sighs. “In the summer it was really impossible, it was 35 degrees inside.”
Disagreement over money
The parties quarreled over money. The couple hired a lawyer and construction came to a standstill for a long time due to the legal discussion. “There was talk of a ghost house and whispers that our money would be gone. And we were asked several times if we wanted to sell. rascals , who thought they smelled a windfall,” he says. His wife: ,,The mice were running through the house. Horrible.”
The stalemate put a heavy burden on the couple. He was given sleeping pills on doctor’s advice. ,,What frustrations.” She: ,,I shed a lot of tears.” Eventually they decided to continue with another contractor. He encountered a lot of extra work to make things right. An additional cost of around 100,000 euros. A setback that was not factored in.
Trust in good outcome
Through the Board of Arbitration in Construction Disputes, they demand that Dun pay that money, as well as 25,000 euros for the construction delay, according to the penalty clause in the agreement. The requirement is supported by a report from a construction expert hired by the legal expenses insurer of the owners. One of the conclusions is that the quality of the work delivered by Dun leaves much to be desired. The couple is confident in the good outcome.
Now that they live in their house, Arie and Corry try to leave the misery behind them. He: ,,The house is good now. We are very happy with it.” She is painting again now that she finally has a studio again. On the top floor, large and with lots of daylight and a view of the countryside behind. “It is really wonderful to live and work here.”
From seed to hemp house: healthy and energy-efficient living
Dun Agro has developed the prefab hempcrete panels for construction itself. The pressed boards are made from three natural raw materials: hemp, lime and water. As a trial, a small meeting room was built at the company in Oude Pekela in 2012. The product has been further developed and in 2018 the first home was built with panels from our own production line. According to director/owner Albert Dun, lime hemp is one excellent basis for a sustainable home. ,,It is an environmentally friendly building material that we can produce with little energy consumption. Lime hemp absorbs CO2 during the curing process.”
He foresees a great future for hempcrete panels in the construction industry. ,, The material insulates very well and meets the demand for healthy and energy-efficient living. Lime hemp has a breathing effect; humidity and air quality are regulated in a natural way.”
Dun mentions one major concern: due to new regulations, d The cultivation of industrial hemp in danger. D The cultivation of the crop becomes practically impossible and unprofitable new nitrate directives, which should prevent fertilizers from ending up in groundwater. This makes you hesitate farmers whether they want to grow hemp on their land. “We have been growing on 1300 hectares for years. This year it will be much less”, Dun estimates.
More than 25 years ago, Albert Dun replaced the traditional crops on his parental farm in Oude Pekela with industrial hemp (hemp plants with an extremely low THC content, the psychoactive substance of cannabis).
He started m et the cultivation and processing of the primary fibres, a sustainable raw material for car interior parts, insulation material, animal bedding, CBD oil, building panels and textiles.
The family business soon started making end products itself and set up for this purpose several companies that together form the Dun Agro Hemp Group. 95 percent of all products go abroad.
Owner hemp house Emmen: ‘Bailiff and court’
Jan Hoving from Emmen had a house built by Dun Agro. “I’m very happy with the house, not with the way it came about.” Here, too, construction was delayed for various reasons. “It would be ready by Christmas 2020, but in April 2021 they were still working on the roof.”
He said the roof tiles were not installed properly. “They flew off at the first storm. The build was the problem. The company has too little in-house knowledge for this. When they finally wanted to fix it, I had already arranged something else.”
Another major setback was the finishing of the outer walls. “We would fix panels with brick slips ourselves. There would be beams to screw against that. There weren’t any, so I had to hire a mason to assemble the bricks one by one.”
Hoving says that a provisional sum for the bathroom was also incorrectly calculated. ,, We eventually arranged the bathroom ourselves, but that estimate was charged. ” He also disagrees about additional work that has been declared. A conflict has arisen about payments and costs. “Last week the bailiff came to the door. We’ll have to go to court soon.”
Owner of the Losdorp home: ‘Everything went according to plan. Fantastic house’
JanEbel and Truus Menninga from Losdorp are very happy with their hemp house on the Fraeilemaweg.
They have oriented themselves well for their new construction plan. “We looked at a lot of houses. On an open day at a hemp house in Oude Pekela, we immediately knew: this is it. The air in the house felt so natural. Very different from a stone or concrete house. The fact that the material is durable also appeals to us.”
The couple already had their own ideas about the design. ,,A draftsman from Dun Agro has worked out our plan.” After a year of construction, the house was delivered in September. “It all went great. Despite major delivery problems in the construction industry. Our roof tiles could not be delivered. We picked others and they were there.”
There is no need to clad a hemp house. Nevertheless, the Menninga couple opted for finishing with wood and stones. “All neatly arranged by Dun. We are very satisfied. It’s really great living in our house.”