How long straw bale house last

This is particularly convenient if you have limited access to skilled or experienced construction labor, as nearly anyone with the physical capability necessary can participate in construction. Straw bale houses have a variety of amazing aesthetic elements. The deep windows and niches are a common favorite, often providing enough depth to function as a seat or large shelf.

Plus, the slightly uneven nature of straw bales gives the walls a finished yet rustic feel, which some people appreciate. Aside from sunlight during the growth phase, the only other energy that is required occurs during the bailing process and when the bales are transported.

While a straw bale house can last for more than years when constructed and maintained properly, the core material can be returned to the earth if rebuilding becomes necessary. With a bit of plowing, the straw can be added to soil and will decompose quickly without harming the environment. While there are plenty of great reasons to consider a straw bale house, there are some risks to using this construction approach. Here is a closer look at the disadvantages of straw bale houses.

While some may appreciate the unconventional nature of a straw bale house, it can also create some challenges. Structural engineers may not be familiar with the building approach, making it hard to get solid plans. Inspectors in your area may also not be well educated about straw bale house construction, making it difficult to get passed during the inspection phase.

Similar to the point above, getting building permits for a straw bale house might be challenging as well. City officials may be uncomfortable with the concept, especially if you are not in an area where it is a widely accepted building method.

With straw bale homes, pests can be an issue. Insects and rodents may try to take up residence in the bales, especially when they are exposed during the building phase or are not properly finished and maintained over time. The thickness of a straw bale wall means you are sacrificing some interior space. They are typically 18 inches thick, which is substantially thicker than a stick built wall covered in sheetrock, which is usually closer to six inches thick.

As a result, if a straw bale home and stick built house have the same footprint, the straw bale structure actually has less functional interior square footage. If not properly built, it is possible to end up with gaps between the bales.

This can create thermal breakpoints, harming the energy efficiency, and could allow pests into the material or your home. Straw bale houses are usually covered in plaster once the structure is constructed. Without proper maintenance, plaster can quickly degrade. This may allow water to penetrate the bales or to enter the house, increasing the odds of water damage and mold or mildew. As a result, the walls do not have studs, so hanging anything from pictures to shelves to cabinets is more complex.

This means you may need to look into alternative hanging methods or use furniture pieces that rest on the floor for storage. Working with straw can lead to irritated skin. During the building process, the material can be a bit abrasive, and some people may be allergic to the material.

Straw can also be a lung irritant. The straw dust can be bothersome, particularly if you are jostling the bails or cutting them with a chainsaw. Usually, the best thing to do is protect your lungs, mouth, and nose by wearing a breathing filter.

As far as allergies, the only problem would be during construction when there is a lot of dust flying around from the straw. Once it is plastered on both sides, allergies should not be a problem. At least that is my experience. If anchored down properly rebar, compressed , a straw bale home will survive a tornado, or straight line winds in OK far better than a conventional stick house.

Hello there. Good write up you have written above. For me personally, you have nailed all the important facts and I have even bookmarked them for future usage. Continue the good work and many thanks for discussing the stunning information! Thank you, this information was very useful. I have a friend who is thinking about building a straw house and she was wondering what the advantages and disadvantages were. I will show her this. Thanks for your info Linda..

Since my proposed cottage is in a rain forest, hay bales will not work! What about pests? I know some straw bales can have grain still on them, could that encourage rodent or bug problems. A well-constructed straw bale home should have no more pest problems than conventional frame construction. If properly constructed, pests will not have any access to the straw bales themselves as the walls are sealed on both sides with mud, plaster, or stucco.

Two years ago, I purchsed a straw bale home in Minnesota. When I closed the house was in poor shape and the exterior had to be rebuilt. Our first winter in the house was cool and drafty and we were spending a fair amount on heat. We did as much research as we could, but we have struggled to figure out exactly how we should fix and maintain our home. Fortunately when we removed the old rainscreen the bale was in good shape. It had not been plastered and the bale had settled in some places leaving air gaps.

We repacked the gaps before residing the house with Hardiboard. There is a Tyvek moisture barrier between the bale and the siding, but the bale remains unplastered. I thought that this would make a big difference in our heating costs, but last winter we continued to spend much more than we anticpated to heat the home.

I suspect that the bale in the roof has settled as well, but I am loath to remove the tin roof to fix the bale. I was wondering about blowing some kind insulation into the gaps.

I also had an energy audit done on the house and they found that the house exchanges air The second floor ceiling is rough beam and there are gaps between the beams. On top of the beams there is a layer of felt beneath the bale. The inspector recommended caulking between the beams to help reduce the air exchange.

I am worried that this could cause moisture to build up under the bales in the roof. I would really like to shore things up before the snow flies again in order to reduce our natural gas usage this winter. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Eddy. Hi Chris. Good question as I see how that could be confusing. Due to the walls being eighteen inches thick, all the window openings have around sixteen inches of an inset when the windows are installed to the outside surface.

The window seat then acts as a light reflector to the ceiling and the side walls of the window opening reflect light to the left or right side of the room, depending on the angle of the sun. This sixteen—to—eighteen inch inset helps to diffuse and scatter light around the room. With a conventional frame wall, the inset around the window would only be a few inches and would not bounce much light around.

It is the thick straw bale wall that forms an inset box around the window. Good alternative building material but under the disadvantages you forgot to mention that is not fire resistance. A properly constructed straw bale home should as fire resistant as typical wood-frame construction. If sealed and compressed, it is considered more fire resistant than a conventional stick house.

There his little oxygen in a compressed bale house, and the sealing plaster also keeps out air, moisture, bugs, etc. There are some great books and websites that talk about this. Do the inside walls need a foundation too?

I have seen many pictures of straw bale and mud constructions and I see they have the frame only but inside they are beautifully decorated with walls, etc. Almost all walls require some sort of foundation. Many times interior wall foundations are not visible and the floor slab is thicker under the walls.

Code requirements will determine all of this. I am planning to build in South America, the climate is always spring there, the sunshines almost all the time and it is not humid is dray. How long would you think I need to build a house 1 floor of around sq. I will hopefully find enough help to do this. Please advise. It all depends on how many people you have to help you.

The more you have, the faster the home can go up. It could take a couple of years if you are doing most of the work yourself. I forgot to ask what heavy construction equipment would we need to i. Your comments will be grately appreciated. Mud can be mixed by hand in a wheelbarrow, however renting and electric mixer is much easier and is worth the cost.

Wood-frame construction can be done with basic woodworking tools such as hammers, skill saws, etc. All of this is covered in further detail in the book and DVD. Any thoughts on this? Like any structure or building material, the ultimate energy efficiency of the home will depend on how well it is built.

Straw bale makes for an excellent insulating material that also happens to be very environmentally sound. If you use sloppy building techniques air gaps in the walls and around doors and windows, poor foundation insulation, etc.

If a bale needs to be replaced in my home after years, I will gladly turn the project over to a younger expert. I live in Washington State. Fill your cracks within a few months, or if you plaster in the fall, wait until the following spring or early summer — but not years.

This sounds like a whole lot of bad news, so why build straw bale at all? Is it worth the hassle, and is it really a sustainable wall system? To put this in perspective, when a year-old hay-bale house was dismantled in Nebraska the hay was in such good shape that cows ate it. In some ways, bale walls are better, they can be more resilient than some conventional wall systems. Superinsulated homes are built to have very low air leakage for energy efficiency, but also because air leakage can cause moisture problems if water condenses in the wall.

Straw bale walls can likely handle small to moderate moisture loads better than conventional wall systems because of the vapour permeable plaster skins on either side, and because the straw itself can act as a large reservoir for moisture without ill effects, so long as it does not exceed an upper limit, and the conditions occur for drying.

In my experience those days are over and air sealing is a priority for most natural builders, which means some kind of air fin behind all plaster joints, and of course good detailing around electrical boxes etc..

This is not just a question of energy efficiency, but also is likely to extend the life of the home.

Straw bale is not for everyone, and is certainly not the only ecological way to build, but it has a role to play when done correctly. A literature is beginning to develop around moisture control in straw bale walls. Design of Straw Bale Buildings. Building Science for Strawbale Buildings.

We review plaster systems for natural buildings, and trouble shooting problems, in our book Essential Natural Plasters Buy it at New Society Publishers.

Two years ago, I purchsed a straw bale home in Minnesota. When I closed the house was in poor shape and the exterior had to be rebuilt. Our first winter in the house was cool and drafty and we were spending a fair amount on heat. Fortunately when we removed the old rainscreen the bale was in good shape.

It had not been plastered and the bale had settled in some places leaving air gaps. We repacked the gaps before residing the house with Hardiboard. There is a Tyvek moisture barrier between the bale and the siding, but the bale remains unplastered. I thought that this would make a big difference in our heating costs, but last winter we continued to spend much more than we anticpated to heat the home.

I suspect that the bale in the roof has settled as well, but I am loath to remove the tin roof to fix the bale. I was wondering about blowing some kind insulation into the gaps. I also had an energy audit done on the house and they found that the house exchanges air