The Cost of Straw Bale Construction
When people talk about the cost of straw bale construction, they often get things a bit muddled up. They either come in way too low or way too high. Let's set the record straight, hopefully once and for all.
Creating Straight Bale Walls On a Crooked Frame
It was immediately obvious while working on the exposed timber frame that the natural cut timbers would not line up with the plane of the bale wall once complete. What we did worked out really well and created a beautiful and STRAIGHT wall.
Land Development Process Revealed
Allow me to share with you what I've learned over my 20 years as a professional builder and land developer. This is for anyone interested in the start to finish process of finding, developing, and building on raw land.
Strengthen Your Walls
For me, the extra work of compressing your straw bale walls is more than worth it and the quality of the overall job you will get as a result of this step is measurably better than working with soft or loose walls.
Repairing Straw Bale Water Damaged Walls
Water damage in straw bale walls is something that does not happen very often, especially in well built homes; but, even with the best construction practices, it can happen. When it does, it's important to know how to recognize it and how to fix it.
Straw Bale Home is Cover of Fine Homebuilding
For those of you who have been curious what it will take to help straw bale homes become more mainstream, this may be a part of the answer. David Arkin and Annie Tilt (Arkin-Tilt Architects) have received many awards over the years and their straw bale homes have at least twice graced the covers of Fine Homebuilding Magazine, this time in the fall 2014 edition of Small Homes Cabins and Cottages.
Plastering Overhead in a Straw Bale House
Plastering straw bale window and door wells can be challenging, but the end result is beautiful. Learn some important tips on how to do it in this article.
Financing a Straw Bale Home
Perhaps the most commonly asked question about straw bale construction is: "How do I finance it?" There are some things that you can do to improve your efforts and increase your chance of receiving funding.
Debunking the Rodent Myth
Rodents would much prefer to set up residence in your neighbor’s conventionally built house with lovely pink insulation than live in straw bale walls. Watch this 1 min video
How To Make A Cold Frame Using Straw Bales
This is a quick a simple project that you can do to extend your growing season.
Step By Step Guide To Creating Niches
One of the most artistic expressions of a straw bale wall are the niches that are carved into it. I have laid out a step-by-step process for the most common niche I see in straw bale homes: the arch top.
Replacing Rotten Straw in an Existing Straw Bale House
A consulting client recently asked me about the best practice is for removing rotten straw from an existing straw bale house. Whether you need to replace a small amount of straw or an entire section of bales, the process is pretty much the same. Below are the steps to replacing rotten straw in an existing house. Although each specific location may have subtle differences, the basic steps are still the same.