Building StrawBale Houses
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Building
Strawbale houses are cheap, easy to build and can be put up in a relatively short period of time. Strawbale houses are usually made by stacking rows of straw bales with a moisture barrier between the bales and the supporting platform.
Building with bales of straw has become very popular and can be seen in many areas of the Southwestern United States. Straw is a renewable building material and is a great insulator from the elements.
Strawbale Homes
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mat on Tue, 3rd Feb 2009 7:17 am
What about rot or fungi doesnt the straw deterirate and need to be replaced?
Robert on Tue, 3rd Feb 2009 12:29 pm
I thought this might be a problem when I first started looking into strawbale homes, but as long as the straw stays dry, you will not have a problem with mold.
People who have used it say that it is actually a better option than most conventional insulation because water vapor can move in and out of straw bale. That helps to reduce the chance of mold growing in the walls.
If a straw bale gets wet or rained on I would not use it!
As far as how long it lasts, there are some houses that are over 100 years old with the same straw bale construction.
kurlos on Thu, 28th Jan 2010 6:44 pm
I’m assuming this wouldn’t be a good choice for the Pacific Northwest?
Robert on Thu, 28th Jan 2010 8:36 pm
Although I have heard of people building them up there, I probably wouldn’t build one in a place with a lot of moisture, I would worry about mold.
Helena Mattsson on Sat, 24th Jul 2010 3:11 am
I like these houses but I am building a tiny house on wheels. It is good to be able to move the house when needed. It doesn´t need a lot of energy, you can make it your self.