Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.

--
asher http://domestic1.sjc.ox.ac.uk/~ahoskins/
asher AT crumbly DOT
[life in plastic, it's fantastic!] freeserve DOT co DOT uk

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.

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?

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.

Daub is probably the answer... IIRC there was a Grand Designs self build
that used that technique. Once up the interior was daubed / plastered
and ended up looking much like any other wall. Can't remember what they
had outside. As the OP said good insulation and very cheap (handy if you
set out the house design in multiples of bale length though!)



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 15:11:19 +0100, John Rumm
wrote:

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.

Daub is probably the answer... IIRC there was a Grand Designs self build
that used that technique. Once up the interior was daubed / plastered
and ended up looking much like any other wall. Can't remember what they
had outside.

Lime plaster of course

I'd love to build a strawbale house too. A lime plastering friend of
mine who lives in North Wales has worked on several strawbale houses
via Barbara Jones (who is the Queen of strawbale in the UK)

Buildings with a structural timber framework and straw infill are
easier to get planning permission for cos the calcs are easier to do
but I prefer buildings where the straw bales are loadbearing

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

Anna Kettle wrote:

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 15:11:19 +0100, John Rumm
wrote:


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.

Daub is probably the answer... IIRC there was a Grand Designs self build
that used that technique. Once up the interior was daubed / plastered
and ended up looking much like any other wall. Can't remember what they
had outside.


Lime plaster of course

I'd love to build a strawbale house too. A lime plastering friend of
mine who lives in North Wales has worked on several strawbale houses
via Barbara Jones (who is the Queen of strawbale in the UK)

Buildings with a structural timber framework and straw infill are
easier to get planning permission for cos the calcs are easier to do
but I prefer buildings where the straw bales are loadbearing


My feelings exactly.

Are you sure the loadbearing calcs for straw are not available?

Building in straw should be lioke building in blockwork.

And I should think expanding foam to hold door and window frames in
woould be appropiate.

Not sure how to arrange for a wterproof skin though - breathable
membrane, air gap, metal lathe and render maybe?



Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 11:47:58 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Are you sure the loadbearing calcs for straw are not available?

No, they could be available by now but weren't a couple of years ago
when a loadbearing bale house was built in ... um Devon I think. I
expect that a building control officer with experience and confidence
is a prerequisite and I think the Devon house was "experimental" so if
it failed the buck didn't stop with the BCO. Of course it didn't fail.

Round here (Suffolk) I suspect a strategic first move would be to get
Ralph Carpenter on board. He is the architect who has won awards for a
batch of eco-starter homes in Haverhill.

Not sure how to arrange for a wterproof skin though - breathable
membrane, air gap, metal lathe and render maybe?

I shan't rise to that bait

Anna


~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Building in straw should be lioke building in blockwork.
And I should think expanding foam to hold door and window frames in
woould be appropiate.

Hold in with long wooden staves driven into the bales.

Not sure how to arrange for a wterproof skin though - breathable
membrane, air gap, metal lathe and render maybe?

Blue plastic held down with baler twine.

Owain

On 2005-06-01, Anna Kettle wrote:
Lime plaster of course

That's next on my list of things to investigate! Am I right in assuming
that a coat of lime mortar on the outside of the wall would need to be
balanced by a similarly breathable covering+paint on the inside of the
wall? Or given a typically dry, heated interior and a wet British winter
outside would this just allow water to migrate the wrong way, inwards?

I'd love to build a strawbale house too. A lime plastering friend of
mine who lives in North Wales has worked on several strawbale houses
via Barbara Jones (who is the Queen of strawbale in the UK)

There's a good guide (78 page PDF) to strawbale construction on her
website:

http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/

Buildings with a structural timber framework and straw infill are
easier to get planning permission for cos the calcs are easier to do
but I prefer buildings where the straw bales are loadbearing

Building regs were the main reason for thinking about a wood framed
house, although wood framing does mean that you can put a roof cover on
before stacking the bales - a very useful thing in the UK climate.


Asher.

--
asher http://domestic1.sjc.ox.ac.uk/~ahoskins/
asher AT crumbly DOT
[life in plastic, it's fantastic!] freeserve DOT co DOT uk

On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 11:33:26 -0500, Asher Hoskins
wrote:

On 2005-06-01, Anna Kettle wrote:
Lime plaster of course

That's next on my list of things to investigate! Am I right in assuming
that a coat of lime mortar on the outside of the wall would need to be
balanced by a similarly breathable covering+paint on the inside of the
wall?

Yes thats a good plan though I expect TNP will come up with some
fiendishly hi tech ventilation system instead

You want to be careful once you start investigating lime. All your
friends will get glazed expressions as you start explaining the latest
wrinkle you've discovered

Which reminds me ... Anyone know anything about copperas? It may have
been used as a lime mortar pigment

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England
|""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs
/ ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc
|____| www.kettlenet.co.uk 01359 230642

In message , John
Rumm writes
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.

Daub is probably the answer... IIRC there was a Grand Designs self
build that used that technique. Once up the interior was daubed /
plastered and ended up looking much like any other wall. Can't remember
what they had outside. As the OP said good insulation and very cheap
(handy if you set out the house design in multiples of bale length though!)

Hmm. What about vermin? The Grand Design program failed to even ask the
question.

Straw bales contain a fair amount of unharvested grain and are predator
safe winter housing for rats and mice. In order to get at the food they
soon learn to chew through the polypropylene (sp?) string.

The on-farm cure is to bury a bag of bait sachets in the bottom layer
but I don't know how effective or how much of a problem this might be
for a single bale wall. Also farm stacks are used and rebuilt each year.

regards

--
Tim Lamb

Tim Lamb wrote:

In message , John
Rumm writes

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.


Daub is probably the answer... IIRC there was a Grand Designs self
build that used that technique. Once up the interior was daubed /
plastered and ended up looking much like any other wall. Can't
remember what they had outside. As the OP said good insulation and
very cheap (handy if you set out the house design in multiples of bale
length though!)


Hmm. What about vermin? The Grand Design program failed to even ask the
question.

Straw bales contain a fair amount of unharvested grain and are predator
safe winter housing for rats and mice. In order to get at the food they
soon learn to chew through the polypropylene (sp?) string.

The on-farm cure is to bury a bag of bait sachets in the bottom layer
but I don't know how effective or how much of a problem this might be
for a single bale wall. Also farm stacks are used and rebuilt each year.

regards

Its not hard to encase the straw in somthing tough enough.

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.

--
asher http://domestic1.sjc.ox.ac.uk/~ahoskins/
asher AT crumbly DOT
[life in plastic, it's fantastic!] freeserve DOT co DOT uk

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
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.

Ah ha!!! I wasn't with that bit. The Bales are actually used as the
building blocks, then are fully enclosed in a plaster rendering. That makes
sense now. :-)

I was imagining a load of straw bales stacked against the side of timber
framed houses there, but it actually sounds like a great idea if the straw
is all concealed behind a thick layer of plaster.

And the security and fire safety arrangements during construction would have
to be a bit strict as well, wouldn't they. Must do a bit more research on
this.

"BigWallop" wrote in message
. uk...

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
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.

Ah ha!!! I wasn't with that bit. The Bales are actually used as the
building blocks, then are fully enclosed in a plaster rendering. That
makes
sense now. :-)

I was imagining a load of straw bales stacked against the side of timber
framed houses there, but it actually sounds like a great idea if the straw
is all concealed behind a thick layer of plaster.

And the security and fire safety arrangements during construction would
have
to be a bit strict as well, wouldn't they. Must do a bit more research on
this.


WOW!!! It all actually looks like a bloody good idea. After having a look
for "Strawbale Construction" on the web, I now see what you mean about the
energy efficiency and low cost maintenance on such a build. I'm off to have
more rummaging around on this.

I wish you much luck if you decide to go ahead with it.

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 09:19:09 -0500, Asher Hoskins
wrote:

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

Is that why thatched roofs never catch fire? After all, the straw is
packed so tightly that rain can't get in..

sponix

s--p--o--n--i--x wrote:

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 09:19:09 -0500, Asher Hoskins
wrote:


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


Is that why thatched roofs never catch fire? After all, the straw is
packed so tightly that rain can't get in..

They are not packed tightly at all. And the straws are like little
flues, all pointing the same way.


sponix

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 13:53:07 GMT, "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?

The other thing that worried me was damp.

If the straw gets damp (For whatever reason be it condensation or a
leak in the render) it will quickly go mouldy. Spores/dust could then
cause breathing problems.

sponix

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.

--
asher
http://domestic1.sjc.ox.ac.uk/~ahoskins/
asher AT crumbly
DOT
[life in plastic, it's fantastic!] freeserve DOT co
DOT uk

Hi Asher.
The woodman's house on Grand Designs looked like this :-
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/ontv/...ry_image2.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/c74na
It was a super house.

Baz

"Baz" wrote in message
...

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.

--
asher http://domestic1.sjc.ox.ac.uk/~ahoskins/
asher AT crumbly
DOT
[life in plastic, it's fantastic!] freeserve DOT co
DOT uk

Hi Asher.
The woodman's house on Grand Designs looked like this :-
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/ontv/...ry_image2.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/c74na
It was a super house.

Hsy is NOT straw.

Mary

Baz

In message , Mary
Fisher writes

Hsy is NOT straw.

Mary

Can't argue with that ...

--
geoff

water droplets hanging around when the sun shines,

I have a wondrous vision of thatched cottages spontaneously combusting
on the appearance of a rainbow.

I heat my house with a strawburner and and struggle daily to light the
stuff. You have to cut the bands and fluff it up a bit to get it to
catch. And burried under a goodly layer of lime plaster I can't see
fire being an issue. Compacted straw burns very slowly. In a major
house fire the straw would just smoulder for hours and not produce
toxic smoke in the way that some modern building materials do.

I don't imagine rats and mice are a much greater problem than
traditional building methods either. Modern combines don't leave much,
if any, grain in the straw and while the material provides a cosy home
so do cavity walls and suspended floors.

wrote in message
oups.com...

water droplets hanging around when the sun shines,

I have a wondrous vision of thatched cottages spontaneously combusting
on the appearance of a rainbow.

I heat my house with a strawburner and and struggle daily to light the
stuff.

Is it effective once lit ? And are you allowed to burn horse bedding ?

There's 100s of tonnes of the stuff slowly building up since the new regs on
disposing of the stuff came into effect.

Mary Fisher wrote:
"Baz" wrote in message
...

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.

--
asher http://domestic1.sjc.ox.ac.uk/~ahoskins/
asher AT crumbly
DOT
[life in plastic, it's fantastic!] freeserve DOT co
DOT uk

Hi Asher.
The woodman's house on Grand Designs looked like this :-
http://www.channel4.com/4homes/ontv/...ry_image2.html
or
http://tinyurl.com/c74na
It was a super house.

Hsy is NOT straw.


what's Hsy ?


RT

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 08:39:13 -0500, Asher Hoskins
wrote:

Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.

I saw this method used on one of the Louis Theroux, whacky character
shows. It was built in a remote, sparsely populated part of North
America. I remember wondering at the time how long it would take for
the straw bales to disintegrate, given expected humidity levels and
sound construction methods.

There's a lot of vested interest in the high energy production of the
standard insulation materials in this country and elsewhere. I'm sure
they'd use their combined clout to see off this low cost, low energy
interloper in very short order. Probably by use of the building regs.
--
Regards,
Mike Halmarack

Drop the EGG to email me.

Mike Halmarack wrote:

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 08:39:13 -0500, Asher Hoskins
wrote:


Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.


I saw this method used on one of the Louis Theroux, whacky character
shows. It was built in a remote, sparsely populated part of North
America. I remember wondering at the time how long it would take for
the straw bales to disintegrate, given expected humidity levels and
sound construction methods.


I recovered thatch from UNDER the roof of my old house,whose then (not
thatched) roof was at least 60 years old, that was in perfect condition.

Straw will last as long as wood if subjected to the same sort of damp
free regime.

The key is as with wood, to keep it dry.

In quantity its a pretty tough material.
Its also remarkably bullet resistant. I'd rather be behind two foot of
straw than 1/4" of steel with someone pumping high velocity bullets around.

On Thu, 02 Jun 2005 11:45:04 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

Mike Halmarack wrote:

On Wed, 01 Jun 2005 08:39:13 -0500, Asher Hoskins
wrote:


Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.


I saw this method used on one of the Louis Theroux, whacky character
shows. It was built in a remote, sparsely populated part of North
America. I remember wondering at the time how long it would take for
the straw bales to disintegrate, given expected humidity levels and
sound construction methods.


I recovered thatch from UNDER the roof of my old house,whose then (not
thatched) roof was at least 60 years old, that was in perfect condition.

Straw will last as long as wood if subjected to the same sort of damp
free regime.

The key is as with wood, to keep it dry.

That's very reassuring. Straw kinda grows on ya dunnit?

In quantity its a pretty tough material.
Its also remarkably bullet resistant. I'd rather be behind two foot of
straw than 1/4" of steel with someone pumping high velocity bullets around.

I'll delay putting that one to the test for as long as possible.

--
Regards,
Mike Halmarack

Drop the EGG to email me.

Asher Hoskins wrote:

Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction?

The Centre for Alternative Technology www.cat.org.uk have built 1 or 2 on
their site and doubtless have some book[let]s and other info on them.

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!)

I'm sure I read somewhere that the BBA was testing straw bales as used in
this purpose. Why not ask them if they did and if so what the results were.
If it passed this would have all the info you need for the building regs.

On 2005-06-01, Mike wrote:
I'm sure I read somewhere that the BBA was testing straw bales as used in
this purpose. Why not ask them if they did and if so what the results were.
If it passed this would have all the info you need for the building regs.

Is this the "British Board of Agrement" (http://www.bbacerts.co.uk/)? I
shall contact them. Googling reveals several large conventional
buildings using straw bale insulation so presumably some official specs
must exist.

I also found a note on one document saying that strawbale insulation is
treated with sodium borate to prevent rodent damage.


Asher.

--
asher http://domestic1.sjc.ox.ac.uk/~ahoskins/
asher AT crumbly DOT
[life in plastic, it's fantastic!] freeserve DOT co DOT uk

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
On 2005-06-01, Mike wrote:
I'm sure I read somewhere that the BBA was testing straw bales as used
in
this purpose. Why not ask them if they did and if so what the results
were.
If it passed this would have all the info you need for the building
regs.

Is this the "British Board of Agrement" (http://www.bbacerts.co.uk/)? I
shall contact them.

Yes. Give them a phone and let us all know as this is obviously a topic a
lot of people are interested in. I was intending to build a stone barn
myself next summer but now wondering if straw might be easier.

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...
Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.


The more I'm reading about this type of build, the more I like it. The
basic types seem to be, really, just a timber frame with the straw wrapped
round it and rendered over. Very simple. Very effective. And very energy
efficient according to all the info' I've dug up. One owner in the USofA
says they have saved the cost of building the house in what they would have
paid in fuel bills over last twelve years. They also say that the build, in
their climate (temperate I think), is expected to last in excess of 120
years with only minor maintenance works.

Looking good for the strawbale housing market, me thinks. :-)

BigWallop wrote:

The more I'm reading about this type of build, the more I like it. The

Looking good for the strawbale housing market, me thinks. :-)

AIUI the basic problem with straw bale is that when render
deteriorates, or something allows water onto the straw, repairs must be
made rapidly else things deteriorate fast. And yer average jo isnt
nearly quick enough with repairs. So ideal for someone wililng to
inpsect it regularly and repair themselves promptly, but that just
doesnt describe most people.


NT

wrote:

BigWallop wrote:


The more I'm reading about this type of build, the more I like it. The


Looking good for the strawbale housing market, me thinks. :-)


AIUI the basic problem with straw bale is that when render
deteriorates, or something allows water onto the straw, repairs must be
made rapidly else things deteriorate fast. And yer average jo isnt
nearly quick enough with repairs. So ideal for someone wililng to
inpsect it regularly and repair themselves promptly, but that just
doesnt describe most people.

Its the same for timber.


NT

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
wrote:

AIUI the basic problem with straw bale is that when render
deteriorates, or something allows water onto the straw, repairs must be
made rapidly else things deteriorate fast. And yer average jo isnt
nearly quick enough with repairs. So ideal for someone wililng to
inpsect it regularly and repair themselves promptly, but that just
doesnt describe most people.

Its the same for timber.

But with quite a different time scale. Wet timber lasts a few years,
wet straw lasts what, a few weeks?

NT

wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

wrote:


AIUI the basic problem with straw bale is that when render
deteriorates, or something allows water onto the straw, repairs must be
made rapidly else things deteriorate fast. And yer average jo isnt
nearly quick enough with repairs. So ideal for someone wililng to
inpsect it regularly and repair themselves promptly, but that just
doesnt describe most people.


Its the same for timber.


But with quite a different time scale. Wet timber lasts a few years,
wet straw lasts what, a few weeks?


Dunno. About 15 years for straw thatch, and up to 60 for reed?

That's fully exposed - but not dug-in-the-ground straw...

You have to look at what will decompose it.

Sodden straw in the ground is actually EATEN by things like nematodes.

Wod is attacked by fungi and wood biring insects etc.

Once in structure and even marginally drier than the ground, these
things don't happen.

Thatched rooves 'wear' more from constant pounding of water droplets for
example. Then build up of dust and dirt allows damp soil areas to
appeaar, and grass and other weeds and moss takes root...and the other
life then follows.

I would see the lifetime of a straw vbale wall doine decently as being
similar to timber - a couople of hundred years.

Maintenace would be a cinch. cut a hole, take our rotten, and stuff with
new straw and make good..






NT

BigWallop wrote:

"Asher Hoskins" wrote in message
...

Hello.

Does anyone have any experience with straw bale construction? I'm
pondering options for a self-build at the moment and a wooden framed
house with bale infill looks interesting (mainly due to low U-value,
speed/simplicity of use and cost).

Has anyone here built a straw bale construction? (Or even better, worked
out how to fit one into the building regs!) There's a great deal of
enthusiastic information online from straw bale advocates but some more
dispassionate opinions would be nice.


Asher.



The more I'm reading about this type of build, the more I like it. The
basic types seem to be, really, just a timber frame with the straw wrapped
round it and rendered over. Very simple. Very effective. And very energy
efficient according to all the info' I've dug up. One owner in the USofA
says they have saved the cost of building the house in what they would have
paid in fuel bills over last twelve years. They also say that the build, in
their climate (temperate I think), is expected to last in excess of 120
years with only minor maintenance works.

Looking good for the strawbale housing market, me thinks. :-)


I think it could be incredibly effective. With 3ft thick walls at the
sort of ciondictivity lebvels of maybe high densiy polystyrene, there
would be almost no heatloss through the straw at all. Only the doors
windows ventilation and floor and roof would need actual attention paid.

It really is a hugely fast and energy efficient way to build IMHO.

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Looking good for the strawbale housing market, me thinks. :-)


I think it could be incredibly effective. With 3ft thick walls

I think you've hit on a problem. Under Prescott's latest planning laws 3 ft
walls leaves you about 2 ft for the living space between them :-(

Mike wrote:
"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Looking good for the strawbale housing market, me thinks. :-)


I think it could be incredibly effective. With 3ft thick walls

I think you've hit on a problem. Under Prescott's latest planning laws 3 ft
walls leaves you about 2 ft for the living space between them :-(


this rules them out for terraces and towns, but is a complete non
problem for detached and semis on large plots.


NT

wrote in message
oups.com...
Mike wrote:
"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Looking good for the strawbale housing market, me thinks. :-)


I think it could be incredibly effective. With 3ft thick walls

I think you've hit on a problem. Under Prescott's latest planning laws
3 ft
walls leaves you about 2 ft for the living space between them :-(


this rules them out for terraces and towns, but is a complete non
problem for detached and semis on large plots.


I didn't think his new rules allowed for many of those. A village near us
has nine new 4/5 bedroom houses squeezed onto what I would have regarded as
a nice plot for a big bungalow.