Specialty Workshops
Hey there, our incredible community asked for it, so here it is! Each year we offer unique workshops that cover topics of interest and skills related to straw bale construction.
Explore current availability below.
2024 Specialty Workshop: 3-day Hands-on Plaster WestCliffe, Colorado
The exterior plaster is the FIRST thing someone sees when they arrive at your home, and it plays a critical role in protecting your investment. Learn the nuances behind a properly installed, long-lasting plaster application and ask all the questions in between.
Following our 7-day hands-on straw bale construction workshop, we return for the next steps in interior clay and exterior lime plaster applications. Time to get creative and muddy!
Our workshops are designed to meet the needs of both novice DIYers and experienced contractors. With Timbo’s 18+ years as a professional straw bale designer-builder, he can explain each detail in a way that benefits all participants.
Get a comprehensive educational plastering experience so that when it is time for your project, you have the confidence to meet unexpected challenges.
Join us for our 2024 Specialty Natural Plastering Hands-on Workshop… we would love to include you! Our workshops are rewarding, informational, and a blast! It’s like summer-camp-for-adults meets a good old-fashioned barn raising!
What we learned will benefit us for years to come.
What we experienced will benefit us for the rest of our lives!
Is This Plaster Workshop Right For Me? It Is If…
You don’t want to be that person that says “How hard can it be?” and then becomes the cautionary tale amongst your friends and family.
You want to save money by building your own straw bale house and plastering it yourself but also want to avoid costly mistakes.
You’re an experienced builder but want to learn all the nuances & ins and outs of plaster application for straw bale construction.
You’ve already designed your home, or even started to build. Now you’re running into a lot of questions and challenges and aren’t sure how to move forward.
You’ve never built anything before and don’t know if you’re insane for even considering building your own straw bale house.
What Will I Learn?
Click HERE For A Detailed Outline of Topics Covered.
Natural Plastering
Learn the art of plastering in order to create a beautiful and durable finish for your home.
Proper Detailing
Understand how to detail your bale walls to ensure a clean aesthetic and installation.
Material & More
Learn about plaster details material selection and sourcing.
Jobsite Layout
Plan ahead to maximize ease and minimize physical labor for your project duration.
Creating Niches
Include pockets of beauty in your home with the installation of straw bale niches.
Plaster Selection
NHL, PHL, hydrated, hydraulic... Get clear on your options and their pros & cons.
Get Creative!
How to setup yourself up for success when doing plaster art reliefs.
Endless Q & A
Ask me anything related to your personal project or general straw bale construction. ANYTHING!
What’s Included In Your Tuition? All workshop participants receive the following with their registration
E-Book
"A Modern Look At Straw Bale Construction"
($24.99 Value)
Instant Download
"Be Your Own Contractor"
Instant Download Videos
($34.99 Value)
Five Step-By-Step Instructional Videos
Instant Download Videos:
Concrete
Framing
Post And Beam
Load Bearing
Lime Plastering
($79.99 Value)
Top Notch Instruction From Timbo (priceless!!!) Plus...
3 Healthy Meals/Day
Camping Space
Shower and Bathroom Facilities
Straw Bale Details
22 Page Instant Download Booklet
($20 Value)
From Strawbale.com Workshop Graduates...
Click HERE To View Graduates Gallery Since 2006
Plaster Tips From Our Straw Bale Minutes...
Your Mentors Are Timbo Scursso & Dainella Nartker
Our workshops are designed to meet the needs of both the novice builder and experienced contractor. Timbo’s grasp of construction technology, with 20 years as a professional straw bale designer-builder and a lifetime of construction, comes through in his ability to explain each detail in a way that benefits all participants.
Get a truly well-rounded educational experience so that when it is time for your build, you have the confidence to handle anything that comes up from construction hiccups to personal stress management.
Dainella weaves together people, places, and processes to make it easy for you to access the resources you need for building your dream straw bale home. Her background includes a B.S. in Environmental Science & Experiential Education from the University of Oregon, a career in the electrical trade, group facilitation & leadership, and over a decade of business ownership. It is empowering community members like yourself in their learning process that fuels her most!
So, come and join us... we would love to have you with us! Our workshops are rewarding, engaging, highly informational, and an absolute blast! Truly, much, much more than just a workshop!!
Questions?
Contact your workshop instructors,
Timbo and Dainella, at [email protected].