Love for Life

Straw Bale House Made By Single Mom for $50,000 + Other Videos - Excellent Instructions - 7 Minutes 30 Seconds
I built my passive solar straw bale house with earthen plasters in 2000 for $50K (will most likely cost more today, depending on many factors). This is an overview of the house; it is extremely energy-efficient. My electric bills are about $35 per month.

House Of Straw Website http://www.houseofstraw.com

Why Build With Straw Bales?
by Andrew Morrison

Inside a Straw Bale Home

Straw bale construction lends itself well to an owner builder project. Some of the applications well suited for straw bale include: a cottage, office, garage, studio, and an art barn. You don't have to limit yourself to these smaller projects. Thousands of people have successfully built their own straw bale house. As a world leader in straw bale education we want to help you every step of the way.

I've created a great introductory video on why to build with straw bales. You can watch that by clicking the play button below. Please read on for more reasons to build with straw bales!

Straw bale construction lends itself well to an owner builder project. Some of the applications well suited for straw bale include: a cottage, office, garage, studio, and an art barn. You don't have to limit yourself to these smaller projects. Thousands of people have successfully built their own straw bale house. As a world leader in straw bale education we want to help you every step of the way.

I've created a great introductory video on why to build with straw bales. You can watch that by clicking the play button below. Please read on for more reasons to build with straw bales!

Introduction to Straw Bale Building - 3 Minutes 13 Seconds

Here are 7 great reasons why you should consider building your next house with Straw Bales:

Reason #1 Energy Efficiency.

A well built straw bale home can save you up to 75% on heating and cooling costs. In fact, in most climates, we do not even install air conditioning units into our homes as the natural cooling cycles of the planet are enough to keep the house cool all summer long.

Reason #2 Sound Proofing.

Straw bale walls provide excellent sound insulation and are superior wall systems for home owners looking to block out the sounds of traffic or airplanes in urban environments.

Reason # 3 Fire resistance.

Straw bale homes have roughly three times the fire resistance of conventional homes. Dense bales mean limited oxygen which in turn means no flames.

Reason # 4 Environmental responsibility.

Building with straw helps the planet in many ways. For example, straw is a waste product that is either burned or composted in standing water. By using the straw instead of eliminating it, we reduce either air pollution or water consumption, both of which impact the environment in general.

Reason #5 Natural Materials

The use of straw as insulation means that the standard insulation materials are removed from the home. Standard fiberglass insulation has formaldehyde in it, a known carcinogen. Bale walls also eliminate the use of plywood in the walls. Plywood contains unhealthy glues that can off-gas into the house over time.

Reason #6 Aesthetics

There is nothing as calming and beautiful as a straw bale wall in a home. Time and time again I walk people through homes and they are immediately struck by the beauty and the "feeling" of the walls. I really can't explain this one, you'll just have to walk through your own to see what I mean.

Reason #7 Minimize wood consumption.

If built as a load bearing assembly, the wood in the walls can be completely eliminated, except for around the windows. The harvesting of forests is a global concern and any reduction in the use of wood material is a good thing for the long term health of the planet.

Even infill bale homes can reduce the use of wood by using engineered lumber for the posts and beams. The engineered material uses smaller, faster growing trees in place of larger, slower growing species.

Load Bearing Straw Bale Construction

There is nothing quite like building your own space, whether it be a shed, studio, home, or commercial building. The satisfaction and joy of looking at the progress you have made at the end of each day is literally priceless! With load bearing construction, the step from beginner to successful builder is smaller than in framed structures where a lot of carpentry skills are required. That one small step may be all it takes to bring out your inner builder that loves to create!

There are two general styles of straw bale construction: Post and Beam (or In-Fill) and Load Bearing. Post and beam construction is where a structural frame is built and the bales are then placed into that frame as insulation. The bales have no structural value for the loads of the building which are all carried by the structural frame. In general, the frame is either wood or steel. Load bearing construction is where the bales are used as the structure for the building and they bear the load of the roof assembly. Under certain circumstances, they are the most cost effective and simplest way to build.

The Reasons to Choose Load Bearing

The most obvious reason to choose a load bearing structure is the simplicity of the construction. If you have ever built with Legos(tm), you have the understanding to build a load bearing structure. The principles are the same: stack the bales properly so that they cannot separate easily and make sure to interlock the corners from one direction to another. This helps stabilize the entire structure. Again, imagine what a Lego(tm) house would be like if you built four separate walls without interlocking them. Keep things straight and plumb. This is true in any type of construction, and proves very important in load bearing structures as the bales themselves are the load supporting structure. With some basic common sense and construction skills, a group of people can work together and build a load bearing straw bale house. The amount of fun that takes place is totally up to you, but in general, much of it is to be found on a bale raising site!

Another common reason to build a load bearing structure is to reduce the amount of wood or steel in a home. A load bearing home uses the bales to support the roof assembly and so very little wood is required. Wood is still needed to add windows and doors to the building and to frame the roof and the actual box it attaches to on top of the bales; however, significant amounts of wood can be eliminated from the construction of a building with load bearing techniques.

Simple Designs

In general, load bearing structures have simple designs. This is in part a necessity for code requirements but it often reflects the mindset of the occupants, "Simple is better". With this in mind, a simple design can translate into saving money, saving time, saving headaches, and increasing fun on the jobsite. Simple designs can be built quickly and with friends and family instead of hired help

Start on a Small Project First

I always suggest that people make an attempt to build a small structure before they take on a project like a home, winery, or other commercial space. Building a large structure is difficult and labor intensive. Practicing on something small is a great idea, especially if you intend to build your own place. Even if you plan to hire out the work, I suggest taking a hands-on challenge and building a small structure yourself so you are familiar with the building process.

There are some disadvantages to load bearing construction, mostly related to design restrictions such as building height and amount of window openings to comply with code restrictions. However, I have seen large single-level/ranch style residences that have been built with load bearing techniques.

If you have been feeling reluctant to actually roll up your sleeves and begin building with straw bales with a post and beam building because of "performance anxiety", I strongly encourage you to begin with a small load bearing structure.

Happy Baling!

How to Lose Money as an Owner Builder

Now that I have your attention, I want to talk about a common mistake that a lot of straw bale homeowners make early on in the process. Often the most fatal mistake of any job is underestimating how much it will cost to build that beautiful home you worked so hard to design. Common examples of this are: not including enough money for framing materials or electrical fixtures. Not so common is the mistake that comes before the numbers are even run: who will build the house. I have heard many people say they will build their own house so they can save money only to find that they end up spending far more in the end than they would have if they hired a professional.

This is something most would be owner-builders don't want to hear. The fact of the matter is that building a house is time consuming and hard work (both labor wise and mental organization wise). Since most would be owner builders have a job, it means either time off work (lost wages) or working on the weekends or off days (lost sanity). The longer a job takes, the more expensive it will be for a number of reasons:

First, if a loan is involved, the bank will often only allow up to 1 year for the home to complete. After that the penalties start piling up. In addition, the interest on a construction loan continues to pile up until the job is done.

Another "hidden cost" is that material and labor costs continue to rise over time. If you priced out electrical fixtures at $2000 and they end up costing $2500 by the time you buy them, that is money you did not plan on spending.

What does this mean for a would-be straw bale owner builder?

Be an informed owner

My suggestion to those who are looking to save money is to be one of two things. The first is an "informed owner." As an informed owner, the client is aware of the details of building a bale home and can walk the jobsite and identify wasted money and effort. By working with a contractor who is willing to support you in this role, you can save money on the job together.

Be an "Owner Baler"

Another option is to be an "owner baler." Distinct from an owner builder, this type of client recognizes that the work of building an entire home is beyond their scope; however, running or hosting a bale-raising workshop is not. By installing all of the bales with free labor, or even laborers who paid to be there, the client can cut costs and still get a professionally built home. All the contractor has to do is give you the frame on time so that the bales can be installed on the posted dates. Your job is to do the same: deliver the home back to the contractor on time so he or she can continue to move forward in line with their critical path.

This is a new concept for owners and contractors alike, so it takes the right relationship and contract to allow these ideas to flow smoothly. It is
possible and it is a better way to save money on a construction site.

Straw Bale Construction and Water

The greatest enemy of straw bale construction is water. People often question whether moisture is a problem and seem to equate moisture with water. There is a difference. In the right climate, moisture can enter a wall and exit a wall in a short enough period of time so not to cause damage. For example, it is typical for a home to drive moisture through the walls to the exterior during the cold winter months when interior heating both creates and moves moisture towards the cold exterior. As long as this moisture is allowed to escape to the outside, there will not be a problem. If, by the use of vapor barriers, the moisture is held in the walls, the damage can be extensive.

The idea of eliminating vapor barriers, like Tyvek(r) and Typar(r), may seem strange to builders coming from the conventional building world. For years, we have been told to wrap the house up tight and eliminate the movement of moisture through the walls. Vapor barriers have become increasingly "intelligent" and can even adjust their transparence rates relative to the levels of humidity. That said, they are not used in straw bale construction other than to protect the bottom courses from rain splash. Other than this one use, they are eliminated entirely from the building process as they have been shown to cause more damage than they prevent.

Many builders have worked hard to master the art of flashing openings and will be set back by the loss of vapor barriers. The vapor barrier is an essential part of flashing openings in conventional construction as the head and legs of the flashings are tucked under the barrier to create a path for water to move away from the opening. In straw bale construction, openings present the biggest risk to water infiltration. Proper flashing is essential. More than ever, the builder has to think like the enemy: think like water. How does water flow down a surface? How does water wick into dry materials. Where would you go if you were water? The answer to these questions has helped design proper flashings around openings and has highlighted the need for protection both above and below the bales. If a roof leaks, where is the water going to go? Straight down into the house? Maybe, but it is more likely to sneak down the rafters to the plate and then drip down into the wall cavity. Protecting the bales from this type of slow leak is very important. Proper protection along the box beam will minimize the risks and impacts of water leaks by directing moisture towards the plaster where it will show up as wet marks long before damage to the bales has occurred.

Many builders can tell you horror stories about broken pipes and blown washing machine hoses. The damage created by these incidents can be huge, especially if the owners are out of town when they happen. Fixing rotten drywall and swollen sub floors is a pain, but it is not catastrophic. Imagine the repairs if the leak flooded into a wall made of straw bales. The bales could wick all of the water right off the floor and up into the walls. It is possible that the walls would not be able to sufficiently dry out and would therefore be ruined and need replacing. That is a catastrophic repair and it is exactly why we do not place water pipes in the bale walls and why the bales never sit directly on the ground. Plumbing is either relegated to interior walls or is protected by continuous sleeves or faux wall construction. For additional protection from water damage, we provide a, minimum, 3 1/2" "toe-up" for the bales to sit on. The toe-up provides a break in the sub straight so that no water can possibly wick into the bales. Therefore, the walls stay dry and the damage is only reflected in the flooring. Considering that most bale homes have integral color, polished concrete slab floors, the damage created with a major leak or broken hose is often insignificant.

If you think like water and plan for the worst, your bale home will last forever. It is well worth the added insurance to over flash an opening or over protect the top and bottom of bale walls. Keep in mind that moisture, and small amounts of water, will find its way into the wall no matter what type of construction you use. If you believe this is not true, you are fooling yourself. Over time, Mother Nature is always stronger than what we build. What makes a well built house last forever is its ability to shed the water and moisture that sneaks in. If you think like water and build with the intention of keeping water out of the home, you will be successful.

Links to these postings
http://www.strawbale.com
http://www.ringingcedarsofrussia.org/theearth/vladimir-megre/new-book-in...
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