On 2005-06-01, BigWallop wrote:
The only thing that really worries me on these types of buildings, is how do
you make them fire proof? I don't mean from electrical or chip-pan fires, I
mean from water droplets hanging around when the sun shines, or from
lightning strikes etc.

How much does it cost to make all that straw fire resistant? Or does it
come pre-prepared and treated, and with discount quantities?

While loose straw will burn easily, when bales are used in construction
they get compressed and all the loose straw is trimmed off the outside
before rendering. Prepared like this there's not enough air inside the
bales to sustain combustion (the canonical example from the straw bale
sites is to think about how hard it is to ignite a phone book compared
to a single sheet of paper). Rendered straw bale walls are apparently
more fire resistant than conventional building materials.

That said, site security from the time that the bales are first
delivered to the the first coat of render is something that needs
consideration (as does keeping an eye on where people fling their
cigarette butts during that time).


Asher.

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