People have needed houses since the very beginning of the human race. Although the first people probably lived in caves, straw bale house builders lived in Africa long before written history. Settlers on the American prairies built this kind of housing in pioneer days. People of all walks of life are still building them today all around the world.
Straw makes great building material. It's better than hay, which has intrinsic value (it can be used or sold for animal feed), entices animals to chew on straw-based buildings, and can harbor insects. Stalks of grain when mature have the food value in the seed heads; the rest of the stalk is dry and lifeless. Even insects (including termites) don't bother with it.
A tightly-bound bale of dried grain stalks is strong and an excellent insulator against heat, cold, and noise. Homes built with this material in the walls are outstanding for energy efficiency, saving their owners money year after year. Construction workers need to insert PVC pipe 'speaking tubes' between bales if they want to communicate with workers on the other side.
You don't need to be a contractor to build a house from straw-bales. It's not hard to find a contractor who can do the job, but many people consider a simple home of this type a DIY project. In the early days, people built one-story structures with a foundation to keep the bales off the ground and away from moisture. The bales formed load-bearing walls. Plaster inside and out, or stucco, protected the bales from the weather. A tight bale is also virtually fireproof.
To find out more, check out the many informational articles, videos, and blogs online or books full of how-to tips. There are workshops and community projects where you can get hands-on experience. Statistics show how much can be saved on initial costs and how much more on on-going energy and maintenance over the years.
It's a little different if you want a larger home. Authorities say that it's best to build up - a multi-story house - rather than out, since the greatest expense is in the foundation and the roof. Simple lines are best; any peaks or projections increase the chance of potential problems down the road. Steel reinforcing rods or conventional framing may be required for more these complex floor plans.
Straw-bale buildings aren't only for drier climates. They work best in more arid environments, but there are many snug homes in New England and the Pacific Northwest. You can find all sorts of floor plans and photo galleries online, including shots of interiors, where the deep window and door recesses give an old-world charm to the rooms.
The photo galleries are great to see what's possible and get ideas, even if you're planning to build a simple home in the ancient tradition. You'll need to see if local building codes allow straw-bale construction and search for a bank that offers alternative-housing financing.
Straw makes great building material. It's better than hay, which has intrinsic value (it can be used or sold for animal feed), entices animals to chew on straw-based buildings, and can harbor insects. Stalks of grain when mature have the food value in the seed heads; the rest of the stalk is dry and lifeless. Even insects (including termites) don't bother with it.
A tightly-bound bale of dried grain stalks is strong and an excellent insulator against heat, cold, and noise. Homes built with this material in the walls are outstanding for energy efficiency, saving their owners money year after year. Construction workers need to insert PVC pipe 'speaking tubes' between bales if they want to communicate with workers on the other side.
You don't need to be a contractor to build a house from straw-bales. It's not hard to find a contractor who can do the job, but many people consider a simple home of this type a DIY project. In the early days, people built one-story structures with a foundation to keep the bales off the ground and away from moisture. The bales formed load-bearing walls. Plaster inside and out, or stucco, protected the bales from the weather. A tight bale is also virtually fireproof.
To find out more, check out the many informational articles, videos, and blogs online or books full of how-to tips. There are workshops and community projects where you can get hands-on experience. Statistics show how much can be saved on initial costs and how much more on on-going energy and maintenance over the years.
It's a little different if you want a larger home. Authorities say that it's best to build up - a multi-story house - rather than out, since the greatest expense is in the foundation and the roof. Simple lines are best; any peaks or projections increase the chance of potential problems down the road. Steel reinforcing rods or conventional framing may be required for more these complex floor plans.
Straw-bale buildings aren't only for drier climates. They work best in more arid environments, but there are many snug homes in New England and the Pacific Northwest. You can find all sorts of floor plans and photo galleries online, including shots of interiors, where the deep window and door recesses give an old-world charm to the rooms.
The photo galleries are great to see what's possible and get ideas, even if you're planning to build a simple home in the ancient tradition. You'll need to see if local building codes allow straw-bale construction and search for a bank that offers alternative-housing financing.
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