Even wood houses get blown over in storms. An under ground house might be best for that but i’ve read that underground houses are depressing to live in. I’ve been told that in a tornado a straw can penetrate a masonary block. Maybe BS…
1 Like
I’ve seen pictures of straw driven into tree trunks, facing a wind like that, not much we build would survive. Many building codes don’t account for tornadoes, with proper consideration most of a building should survive, apart from the roofing. In the long run I think fire takes out more wooden structures, straw bale should bypass that risk.
Garry Tait, MB
2 Likes
Underground houses seem to have a lot of moisture issues, which figures.
Garry Tait, MB
1 Like
Very interesting information Pepe. I have been wondering for some time about the wide variations in tested R values for straw bale. I am aware of a couple of studies showing decreasing moisture content in bale walls over time, likely till reaching the ambient average, probably about the same as air dried firewood. He makes a compelling case that the exterior material should be air permeable, definitely no paint.
Regards,
Garry Tait, MB
1 Like
Hmmmmm, ain’t that an interesting idea.
Gasifying/carbonizing straw can be performed with little or no additional air. Slow go method. Once some activation energy (like a lite match) is applied there is enough air in the stem and around it to keep it smoldering or gasifying slowly for a long time.
Why not use the Roger Sampson Rice Husk Carbonizer method to make biochar in the field with no equipment…?? I did. Here’s the method… Make a tin fire box with a chimmeny. Chop and blow or pile your straw around the ignitor you made. When you get the time drop some fuel down the chemmeny and into the box. Some diesel and drop a lighted rag down the hole. Hose it down when fire shows up on the surface. Better yet wait till winter with a few feet of snow on it… That’s what I wanted to try but got out of weed before I had the time. Make sure you don’t do this under electric lines the first time.
Wet weed or rain… No problem because the compost bugs will dry it out. Plus you will have a nice 8" layer of wet weed or straw to help stop the burn.
I read that the suburbian acceptance issue was solved by bricking the outside of the bale house. Where there’s a will there is a way.
1 Like
http://www.ecobuildnetwork.org/projects/research/straw-bale-test-program
Fire ratings superior to a fire rated door, I think that promises longevity. There is a published case where an open niche caught on fire from a candle, smouldered, and went out. I wouldn’t recommend the test or the idea of lit candles in a bale wall, but it illustrates.
Very interesting process of charring straw, never heard of that before. I will keep that in mind, possibly I will ask for advice next fall once I have material to work with.
Regards,
Garry Tait, MB
1 Like
I would be leery about a brick veneer over a straw bale wall, unless it was coated in stucco. I would be concerned that the air gap could constitute a real fire hazard. Same with siding.
Garry Tait
1 Like
Do they still have “wire” balers up there. I would be hard pressed to find one down here Would you trust plastic string? We use it to tie round bales. I don’t know if a square baler could knot the plastic string. TomC
2 Likes
I’ve never seen a wire baler, up here it was all 2 string, sisal twine, then they went to poly. There is still twine made for 2 string balers, different diameter from twine for the older round balers. The knotters are replaced, to handle the different diameter twine.
I like the idea of wire tied bales, but actually in a wall, plastic won’t be susceptible to moisture, so should last longer. I think the ties don’t matter after the stucco and wire mesh have bonded, I believe that holds everything together.
Garry Tait, MB
1 Like
You need VERY tight bales and I don’t know if the fingers on a knotter will grasp the plastic well enough. The plastic will last, I am still finding plastic remaining from years back when I had round balesTomC
Hi you all, I found this video that could be of interest in a contruction method.
take a look al this one in Spain. A full 2 floor house made of straw blocks
My daughter build hers of rice packs filled with soil and sand. I´ll post pictures and a video soon.
I can´t do it now becaus this computr is new and I haven´t arranged the files yet. I hace 2 sons architects and they were of much helpt in both proyects (hay an soil). Hope uoy like it.
2 Likes
I used string in the baler and wraped them after with wire the wire helped to fasten them to the inner structure,
1 Like