Glossary Of Straw Bale Construction Terms
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The brick-like product resulting from the harvest and compression of straw by a baler. Typical strawbale construction bales are 2 or 3-string. The strings can be metal or nylon baling twine, which comes in various colors to indicate strength. Bales are stacked lego-like (only without the snap in feature!) to form the insulative wall-systems in strawbale structures.
Straw bale orientation refers to the specific arrangement or direction in which straw bales are positioned within a wall structure, typically aligned “flat,” “on-edge,” or “on-end.”
A mechanical device that shapes cut straw into large “bricks.” These bricks are the ‘bales’ used in the insulative wall systems for straw bale homes.
C
A trim piece used to provide a transition between different surfaces or materials, such as plaster to wood. It is often installed around openings or the ends/edge of a wall. Also referred to as J-Channel and Stucco Stop
Building Codes, or often referred to in the shortened name of ‘Code’ is the standard to which a structure is built and evaluated as safe for occupancy. The International Residential Building Code (IRC) includes an appendix specific to strawbale construction. See 2021 Appendix AS here.
Typical framed (‘stick-built’) construction.
D
Also known as ‘plaster’ or ‘blood’ lath, as unfinished edges of the metal sheets produce razor sharp edges. Often used to shape curves near windows, doors, or niches or to assist plaster adherence.
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The final grade comes up to about 8″ below the bottom of the plaster and slopes away from the building.
Straw bale structures are actually very fire resistant. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) testing has shown that straw bale structures have a 2 hour fire rating, far more than the standard 20 minute burn rating of traditional drywall construction.
See the report entitled ASTM E 119-05a Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials: 2-HR Fire Resistance Test of a Non-Loadbearing Wheat Straw Bale Wall (Project No. 3098054A).
Watch this short video to view a walk-thru of Straw Bale Construction Framing Terms on a small cabin.
Lowest load-bearing part of the straw bale building. Often a monolithic slab on grade. ‘Slab’ refers to the concrete surface itself.
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Grass containing nutrients that is cut and dried for typical use of livestock feed. Hay is not used for straw bale construction. As the saying goes, “Hay is for horses, not for straw bale houses.”-unknown
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J
A trim piece used to provide a transition between different surfaces or materials, such as plaster to wood. It is often installed around openings or the ends/edge of a wall. Also referred to as Casing and Stucco Stop.
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A decorative and/or functional recess into a straw bale wall. Often one of the most noted aesthetics of finished strawbale walls.
O
A straw bale oriented “on-edge” means arranging straw bales vertically with the narrow edge facing upwards and downwards.
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S
Plastic scratch tool for roughing up a plaster layer to improve keying, or connection, between the layers.
The stalks of grain crops, such as rice, wheat, oats, barley and so on, that are a by-product of agricultural grain production. It is the stalks only that are baled and used for installation in straw bale home construction.
An assembly of a rigid skin (typically OSB) to provide strong resistance and strength while the inner core of insulation (typically foam). Imagine an ice cream sandwich…
T
Exterior toe-ups are what are referred to in conventional construction as the ‘sill’ or ‘sole plate’. Toe-ups get the posts up off of the ground. They are made from pressure-treated lumber due to being in contact with the slab. Exterior toe-ups are used together with interior toe-ups to provide an elevated surface to set wall system straw bales on top of in construction. They also provide a means to attach the bottom portion of the wire mesh, if used.
A common feature in straw bale houses, where in the finished wall a view port is created to reveal the ‘truth’ behind the wall finish and see the insulative straw material. The portal is often framed creatively, covered with glass, and sometimes operable.
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Often a favorite feature of a strawbale home, where the thick walls (due to the size of the bales whether on edge or flat) creates plane beneath window openings. This wide plane is often reinforced or finished to provide a seating area to soak up the views or sunlight!
Often used in straw bale wall systems as a layer exterior to the straw bale but interior of the plaster skin. If used for shear in a structural capacity, it is likely 2″ by 2″ 14 gauge galvanized wire mesh.
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Glossary of Straw Bale Construction Terms
Have a term you’d like us to add? Great! Please email us at [email protected].
This ever-growing resource, just like all of our resources at strawbale.com, are inspired by our community members.
Thanks for contributing to everyone’s knowledge of straw bale construction!