Find what you need for strawbale buildingStraw Bale Construction Tools & Materials
Find resources and view the very same Tools and Materials that we share with our Workshop Hosts and use on our own builds.
Let’s keep your project moving forward!
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Air Tools
Air Compressor - 10-15g is ideal for running 3 tools at once.
Air Compressor Hoses - We find 100’ hoses handiest
Air Fittings - A heads up… Usually, new hoses will require separately purchased fittings. Good to know if your site is out of town.
Hose Splitter - SUPER handy if you’re running more than one air hose/tool at a time.
7/16” Narrow Crown Pneumatic Staple Gun 16 gauge - THIS CAN BE HARD TO FIND! This gun shoots 7/16” crown x 1 3/4” long leg staples and is used primarily for installing the wire mesh. We like these two brands: Metabo and Freeman
1” Wide Crown Pneumatic Staple Gun - For 1” x 1” staples. Metabo brand used to be called Hitachi, used by many professional framers. We have found the Metabo and Freeman brands work well, as well as others like Dewault have performed adequately. These shorter, wider staples are used on the lath and very helpful to have at least one on site.
Pneumatic Tool Oil - Key! Now you just have to remember to use it! 🙂
General Strawbale Building Jobsite Recommended Items
Safety
Fire Extinguisher - Large and enough for the size of the site. Note - While finished straw bale walls are highly fire resistant, loose straw is the opposite!
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Gloves, eye & hearing protection for yourself and spares for visitors who want to join in the work party.
Power
Electrical power strips
Extension cords - 12/3 grounded are better for running power tools and longer distances than smaller cords.
Handy Items!
Saw Horses
Garbage Cans
Plaster Benches - Easier to use than ladders and scaffolding when working lower down on the wall.
Scaffolding
5-Gallon Buckets - Especially handy for collecting escaping scraps of baling twine so they don’t go in the garden / compost.
Water Hose - Consider length so that it reaches all the way around the house for plastering needs and a splitter to feed the plaster and clean up station.
Water Hose Nozzle - Needs to have variable spray patterns.
Tarps - For so many reasons, but keeping your plaster job protected might be the most important!
Work Tables
Concrete Stakes - Anchor those tarps
General Jobsite Tools
Power / Battery
Drill / Impact Driver - don’t forget bits! We find it handy to have a set of wood paddle bits around as well.
Sawzall (Reciprocating Saw)- plus blades for all the different tasks.
4 1/2” Angle Grinder - For cutting mesh and lath. Remember to keep a fire extinguisher / water hose handy at that cutting station!
Hand
Tin Snips - Yellow handled at a minimum (straight cutting). Left and Rights (green and red) also useful!
Shovels - Digging/spade and square-headed shovels are both useful from clean up to plastering.
Rakes & Brooms - Leaf Rake is useful for loose straw clean up outside and brooms for inside. Of course, leaf blowers are useful (and fun!) also.
2 Wheel-barrow - A two-wheel model is FAR MORE STABLE than one-wheeled versions, making them ideal for moving wet plaster.
Plaster
For lime plaster resources, be sure to review the different plaster options in this reference article. If you decide to plaster with NHL, be sure to contact us.
We have suppliers who will give you a discount on your order if you mention you are a part of our community. The material is not cheap, so the discount is worth it.
NHL is the final decision for most, if not all, of our workshop hosts for their straw bale homes, and we strongly recommend it for yours.
Strawbale Building Speciality Materials
20 d (20 penny) Hot Dipped Galvanized Nails - For use in toe-ups.
Baling Twine - For retying bales and sewing walls.
Landscape Staples, 9” - Galvanized
Strawbale Building Speciality Tools
Moisture Meter - We recommend the Delmhorst F-2000 with the hay probe accessory attachment. Timbo has used and still uses this meter; it has stood the test of time and jobsite wear and tear.
Bale Needle - Our design has been tested and refined through over 100 straw bale construction workshops! Make your own or take the plans to a local welder for fabrication. As used/seen in our How-to Straw Bale Building video series and other instructional videos.
Tensioning Fork - Key to making life easy, and the wire mesh is adequately tight. Make your own or take the plans to a local welding shop.
Bale Hooks (2 per set)
Chainsaws - We prefer electric corded chainsaws or battery-powered chainsaws to gas. 16” bars are okay for basic custom bale shaping, but having an 18” bar available can be very handy. For making niches, those smaller handheld 6” bar tree trimming baby saws are helpful!
Chain File - Be sure it matches your chain. Rice straw will dull a chain more quickly.
String Trimmer - We prefer battery-powered/electric to gas.
Tampers - Wood handled tampers are great because you can cut it short if needed for a tight spot! Metal Tampers also have benefits, like more weight.
Plaster Hawk
Plaster Trowels - 4” x 12” pool or square concrete trowel. Example by Marshaltown and by Goldblatt.
Plaster Scratch Tool “Scarifier” - Usually found at plaster/stucco supply yards, but can be hard to find.
Plaster Cleaning Brush - Don’t let that plaster set up on your tools!
Straw Bale Suppliers
Note: Farmers and other sources change all the time. If you have updates, please let us know!
California Rice Commission
701 University Ave., Ste 205, Sacramento CA 95825California Wheat Commission
PO Box 2267, Woodland CA 95776-2267; 520.661.1292, fax 530.661.1332.
You might also try one of the following links and see if anything is listed there:
www.strawlocator.com and www.hayexchange.com
Learn more about choosing the right straw bales for construction here.
Wire Mesh
Welded Wire Mesh - various gauges and opening sizes, be sure to verify on your design drawings
Note: Sources change all the time. If you have updates, please let us know!
Flynn & Enslow Inc
1530 17th St. San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 863-5340Pennsylvania Wire Works (darbywiremesh.com)
Red Brand, redbrand.com/Products/OtherProducts/WeldedWire.aspx. The wire was ordered and delivered through Lowe's.
Deswert Oregon Wire Products 800-458-8344
Online Sources