Avoiding Plaster Burn Marks
Avoiding plaster burn marks when building a straw bale house is important and easy if you know what causes them and what to do about them.
LAST CALL for 2019 Straw Bale Workshop Host Applications
It’s the official last call for 2019 straw bale workshop host applications. If you want to host in 2019, now is the time to get your application in. Read on to see how to enter your host application today.
Clay Plastering Workshop Offered by CASBA (the California Straw Building Association)
CASBA is offering a weekend workshop on clay plastering in Vacaville, CA this September. Read on and check out the flier to learn more.
Adding Utility Lines After Plaster
Adding utility lines to your wall after plaster has been applied to your straw bale house is not as hard as you might think. The sooner you realize your mistake (leaving out the utility line) the easier it is to fix. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, consider this: You raise the bale walls […]
The Straw Bale Minute Video Series and More
Our Straw Bale Minute video series provides answers to many, if not all, of your straw bale construction questions in short, snippets. We all have a minute to spare to improve our understanding and skills. After all, a minute or two a day could improve the quality of your project and save you thousands of dollars (and minutes) on your straw bale build.
Michel Couvreux: An Expert’s Discussion of Natural Hydraulic Lime
I recently asked my friend Michel Couvreux of TransMineral, USA to write a guest piece about lime and the many confusing aspects of choosing and/or working with the right material for a straw bale house.
Lead Straw Bale Builder Needed for Nonprofit Straw Bale Project
Y Innovations is looking for a lead straw bale builder for a nonprofit housing project in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. They are building straw bale homes as affordable housing for low-income families in need.
A Glossary of Terms for Straw Bale Framing
It’s important to understand the glossary of terms for straw bale construction framing. If you don’t know what something is called, you’ll have a harder time ordering the right materials from your suppliers. In addition, if you don’t know the right terms, you’ll have a harder time discussing things with your contractors, even if you’re […]
2018 Straw Bale Workshop Locations and Fall Sale are LIVE
We have announced the 2018 straw bale workshop locations and have initiated our annual fall sale. Sign up today and save hundreds of dollars on your tuition. I look forward to meeting you at a workshop soon!
Gravel in your toe ups. Is that enough?
It’s the million dollar question you’ve all been wondering about: is it enough to have just gravel in your toe ups or do you need something more? Okay, it may not be a question worth a million dollars, but making a bad decision here can indeed cost you money. In some cases just a little […]
Oklahoma to Host the Last Workshop of 2017… Meet the Hosts
Before I head out to Oklahoma to teach, I wanted to give you all a chance to learn a little about the workshop hosts. We hope you will join us in Choctaw, OK for the last workshop of the year…It will be a BLAST!!!
A New Resource for Straw Bales
The bales you choose may be the most important decision you make on your house. In fact, the quality of your bales can literally make or break a project. There are several things to look for in a quality bale, which I’ve outlined in this article.