Straw bale Building
Trip Start
Apr 10, 2005
1
8
25
Trip End
Dec 20, 2005
Spencerville,
Ontario,
Canada
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Over the past long weekend we built a small building out of straw bales. Actually, a lot of lumber and plaster was used as well, but straw bales formed a major structural and of course insulating component of the building. Compared to log building, straw bale construction is damn simple. In just three days we were able to build most of the small 10' x 14' shed. In comparison, after 5 days of log construction classes we were able to turn on our chainsaws, carve a few gnarly looking notches and not a whole lot more. You could coach a bunch of volunteers to build a straw bale house. No way for a log home. There were 18 or so participants in the workshop, coming from a wide range of backgrounds: we had a few retirees, a pair of young construction dudes, an Air Canada pilot, more than a few IT jockeys (including one who discovered he was highly allergic to straw, so had to stand on the sidelines wearing a respirator all weekend - hilarious), an artist and a guy who works for Habitat for Humanity (he was scoping out the construction method for possible use on a Habitat home)
Installing Mesh Over the Bales
.Straw bale construction has seen rapid growth in Canada (and elsewhere) over the past decade and a half, but there are not many examples of old straw bale homes (especially in this climate). It would kinda be nice to understand the longer-term performance of these homes...how does the straw really hold up over decades and decades? What is the resale value of these homes? How much plaster maintenance is involved? I have more research to do before I'll be fully & completely convinced. That said, both Traic and I were impressed with the possibilities for this type of construction, notably the cost-effective way to build an energy efficient home. To give an idea, our hosts managed to heat their roughly 4000 sqft home for about $300 in wood this past winter. Not bad at all. Beyond the energy efficiency, we find the organic aesthetic of this type of building very appealing as well.
After all that, there are no construction plans in our near future. We have much travelling to do first! Next we shall start the long trek to BC, through the US. First stop: Point Pelee National Park.
