Browse Forums Eco Living 1 Dec 07, 2009 9:01 am Hi, Has anyone hear built one? Lived in one? Straw bale house that is. We are thinking about perhaps going this way with our new house (rural). It appeals to me and DH. Just after any stories from people or advise. If we go ahead, than DH and my BIL will construct a shed 1st, to practise on. And of course they will do a workshop before we even decide if we will go ahead. Thanks PS Enjoy and appreciate all advise that I get on here. Re: Straw Bale homes 2Dec 08, 2009 9:53 pm Combined with a good passive solar design you will have a very high performing house with low embodied energy. But due to the esoteric material it more suits the owner builder with time on their hands. If I was going down that path I would also consider using some internal rammed earth walls. See Straw Bale Re: Straw Bale homes 3Dec 08, 2009 10:02 pm My mums best friend built her house with straw bails, owner builder and took them 5yrs... They are just slack, it doesn't have to take you this long, they did it ALL themselves... I don't have alot of info about her home but can get some if need be, just let me know. Building Thread viewtopic.php?f=31&t=13002 Site start: 8th July 2009 Handover: 11/12/2009! 5 months total build time. 40 sqs of luxuary...Bliss! Re: Straw Bale homes 6Dec 11, 2009 1:46 pm seems to be really popular in the UK - have you seen the program Grand Designs at all? They've done quite a few homes out of straw bales. What i wouldn't like is the thickness of your walls, requiring you to have deep window recesses or bay windows. Contrary to popular belief, rammed earth isn't as thermally efficient as people would think. On the HIA Greensmart course they actually discourage it as a green building method. Re: Straw Bale homes 7Dec 11, 2009 4:20 pm Yes I am a big fan of Grand designs, but never seen them do a straw bale house? Sure they have. Interesting to hear about rammed earth, we weren't planning on having any rammed earth walls. Still have alot of research to go, but we are both excited about the project. Just got to make sure we secure the land 1st! Had the idea that all going well and after DH and my BIL have done a straw bale building workshop or 2 they might try building a small shed type structure to try out their skills. Long way to go but exciting. Re: Straw Bale homes 8Dec 11, 2009 10:32 pm mareetina Yes I am a big fan of Grand designs, but never seen them do a straw bale house? Sure they have. Hi Mareetina, I saw at least 3: - in UK, the one with a staircase fashioned from an old oak trunk (lovely house, but the O-B was a master carpenter) - in France - Kevin's own home office built partly from straw bales, partly from stone. There could've been more, I missed quite a few. Pity they don't have the videos of the series in public libraries. Or may be they do ?? Anyway, I'd love to build straw bale, but it's not practical on a small block in the burbs, where I live.... Chris My father rode a camel, I drive a car, my son flies in a jetliner, his son will ride a camel.Saudi saying Re: Straw Bale homes 9Dec 11, 2009 11:08 pm jayw Contrary to popular belief, rammed earth isn't as thermally efficient as people would think. On the HIA Greensmart course they actually discourage it as a green building method. Depends on how you use it. Rammed earth like most thermal mass materials has poor insulation. If it is placed on the external wall and uninsulated then it will perform poorly. Same for double brick or mudbrick. I was talking about using strawbale on the external walls and rammed earth within the building envelope. Re: Straw Bale homes 10Jan 02, 2010 1:11 am Frog poop... Rammed substrate earth/limestone/local aggregate/recycled glass/clay/recycled brick/ Is a joy... builders just hate it if they haven't used it before, 'cause it is different. Depending on where it is being used... 250mm 300mm 450mm gives a thermal cycle of 12 hours. ...get your facts right please. Oh and no I don't receive any money for the heads up, I do care what you build in though. I prefer concrete with mixed aggregates of (limestone/local aggregate/recycled glass/clay/recycled brick also in thermal cycling of 12 hours depending on where you are building and the thickness(MASS) Don't just add on a skin to the outside, get the numbers right and it will do you well! Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Straw Bale homes 11Jan 02, 2010 9:24 am The traditional application of thermal mass has been in hot, arid climates e.g. desert. Its main function is to moderate the heat during the day. The walls are constructed massively thick with no insulating layer. During the day, the outside surface heats up and absorbs the heat. Due to the massiveness of the walls the heat won't penetrate to the interior by the end of the day (the 'thermal lag' that onc-artisan describes). In the cold desert night, the walls cool down for the cycle next day. This system will not work in a climate where night time temperatures do not fall significantly. The walls won't cool in time for the next hot day. They just get hotter and hotter. These type of constructions also are not suitable with temperate or cold climates due to the continuous heat loss outwards. Since the mass is a poor insulator, any heating done from the inside will continue to be lost outwards (heat moves from hot to cold). Similarly any non-sun exposed mass will always be a heat sink since it can never be warmed by any direct sunlight. You could significantly reduce heating energy by insulating the building envelope to prevent this heat loss. The key to using mass in a temperate environment is to get sun on it in winter and prevent sun getting on it during summer. In winter you want to keep the stored heat inside the house (not leaking out to the cold night) with insulation. In summer you want to cool down the mass as quickly as possible during the night so that it can act as a heat sink for the next day. Read here for more information: Thermal mass Re: Straw Bale homes 13Jan 07, 2010 10:52 am kristofw Anyway, I'd love to build straw bale, but it's not practical on a small block in the burbs, where I live.... What makes you think that? Strawbale or other alternative material houses don't have to be 'Grand Designs' jobs. Re: Straw Bale homes 14Jan 07, 2010 12:43 pm Is that because you will sacrifice too much area for the house? Re: Straw Bale homes 15Jan 07, 2010 9:09 pm Straw bale homes are quite common over hear, intact a lot of trade schools and tafes offer a straw bale version of the owner builder course (qld) I too am a big fan of Grand designs and the "be spoke" structure I always like how the first question Kevin asks is "do you have a project manager" Re: Straw Bale homes 16Jan 07, 2010 9:30 pm Quote: kristofw wrote: Anyway, I'd love to build straw bale, but it's not practical on a small block in the burbs, where I live.... Not sure what the issue is - there are a 4 of them in inner Adelaide CBD (townhouse style) at Christies walk. http://www.urbanecology.org.au/christiewalk/ Re: Straw Bale homes 17Jan 07, 2010 11:06 pm Striking Straw bale homes are quite common over hear, intact a lot of trade schools and tafes offer a straw bale version of the owner builder course (qld) I too am a big fan of Grand designs and the "be spoke" structure I always like how the first question Kevin asks is "do you have a project manager" ...and the "look" when they say no! mmm....donuts Homer Simpson 1956- Links: Site Costs Ready Reckoner | H1 Addiction Medical Advice | Château TDL: The Backyard Re: Straw Bale homes 18Mar 21, 2010 10:03 am We have wanted to build a strawbale home for 20 years! Finally getting the project going. There seem to be two major problems in Australia at the moment with strawbale. One is that most of the info is tightly held by a few well known operators who provide workshops and the like which is difficult to access if you live in rural australia (except Daylesford and parts of SA). Secondly, the cost of the build (unless OB) is astronomical compared to a more traditional build. We are planning a modest 3 bed home, one living area, two bath, and a butlers pantry is the only slightly OTT addition. Excluding garage is 175 sq meters. Last projected quote from the architect $450-550,000!!! This on a dead flat site of 2 acres so no site issues! Since we would be the first in the district we would like to start a trend of eco friendly construction but at an affordable price. Currently exploring some other avenues. Re: Straw Bale homes 19Mar 21, 2010 4:20 pm There are quite a number of strawbale homes over here in NZ. The substantial walls makes it feel like a real house and the temperature is quite constant. Standard houses aren't quite the same with those tiny matchstick walls and the boring brick and tile exterior Change is what we need! Can we? YES WE CAN!!!!! Ask for references and speak to them. If they are defensive or try to avoid the request, walk. 1 47426 I would never build with Fowler homes. I built with them in 2021 and till date maintenance issues are pending. All their existing trades and businesses don't work with… 14 73683 Hi there! Putting the feelers out there for those who have (or almost) built with Arli homes! Interested in your experiences who've built from their stock home designs… 0 1373 |