Swingman wrote:



"Mark & Juanita" wrote

While this sounds great as far as insulation value, it seems like a
virtual banquet for termites and other vermin.

R-48, mas or menas.

That's what I originally thought. However, bugs are not a problem in the
vast majority of these homes in this climate. Plaster seals the bales,
allowing them to "breathe" and keeps the bugs out effectively. They are
surprisingly fire resistant as well.

Some older (100 years +) recently torn down to make way for tract homes
and the neighboring horses and cattle went right to work eating the 150
year old hay.

We just don't know much about the method in our recent "age of
enlightenment":

http://www.sutton.com/articles/20/28/view-699

That said, it's not my house, I don't have to live in it, I'll try my hand
at building any type of home, and I'll make damn sure that it's done
"right", from top to bottom.


Having seen examples of your work, I'm sure this will be a quality
building. Looking at the link, since there are examples of these types of
buildings having survived more than a century, one can't say they will fare
any worse than some of the "engineered" material based housed using
particle board & termite puke and built by slip-shod carpenters.


--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough