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We have all seen images of the massive fires in Southern California. I would first like to send out my sympathy to anyone affected by the flames. I would also like to send out my respect and gratitude for the firefighters who risk their lives and give their all to defend the homes and lives of others. I have considered how to write about this topic over the last few days and I want to be clear that my intention is to support home owners in the affected areas, not judge them or tell them they have “done something wrong.” I want them to know about the incredible fire resistance of straw bale construction and how they can rebuild their homes with security built in. I have included a video at the end of this post which speaks to the fire wall testing data for straw bale walls.
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Gene wrote to me this week asking about the viability of retrofitting an existing structure with straw bales. I get that question a lot and figured it was time to blog about it. Any structure can be wrapped with bales, it is simply a question of how much extra work will be required to make that structure function properly once wrapped. Consider that you will be adding about 2′ to the exterior of the house and that all bale walls need to have adequate roof overhangs to protect them from rain. So, unless your house originally had 4′ overhangs, you will have to extend the roof to accommodate the bales. This means opening up the roof system and “sistering” new rafters to the old ones with enough attachment to support the cantilevered rafter tails. A good rule of thumb is that should be a two to one. If the overhang is 2′ then the attachment needs to be at least 4′ long. Of course then the sheathing will need to be attached and the roofing material feathered back into the existing roof.

Another area of concern are the window and door openings. These will end up recessed into the wall by the thickness of the bales, leaving a large sill that could collect water. Your options here are to move the windows and doors to the outside of the wall using standard bucks, or to slope the sills and cover them with some protective material that will quickly drain any water away from the house. Some options are concrete, granite, or finished wood sills. Doors don’t have this option because they don’t have room for sills.

Finally, will the bales collect moisture against the existing building? If the building is wrapped in a non breathable material like metal siding, the chances are high that the bales will end up soaking in the moisture that collects against the metal surface. A drainage system is a good idea in this case. Something like the product on this website (www.mortarnet.com) is a good idea in this application. Regardless of whether the back of the bales is separated from the existing structure by a drainage channel, the bales need to be fire proofed which means a layer of plaster needs to be added to the bales. This is easy on the face of the new wall, but the back of the bales will not be accessible once the bales are installed. For that reason, each bale needs to have plaster or a clay slip applied to the back before it is installed. This is a slow process, but an important one. The bales could otherwise present a fire risk if not covered. This is most important when using the drainage system but should also be done without a drainage system for added protection.

It sounds like a lot of work, but the results are beautiful and efficient. You may have to work hard to accomplish the wrap, but you will be paid back for years and years with lower utility bills, a more beautiful home, and a higher resale value should you ever decide to leave. I hope this gives you some ideas of what is needed for a bale retrofit.

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This is a response to a comment about bale buildings and their ability to resist fire. The author of the original email challenged the fact that conventional buildings only have a twenty minute burn time and that they do not actually have a chimney affect like I describe. I disagree and you can see my response below.
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Sorry it has been so long since I last wrote. Things have been very busy around here with building and preparing all the paperwork necessary to start and fund the next four houses we will be building. We start the foundations of 2 next week, have one ready for baling, and one is a major remodel which starts with demolition in two weeks. We also have 2 more homes in the final design phase ready for bank funding next month. All in all, it is an exciting time. I recently received a copy of the article in the Wall Street Journal about the recent fire testing of straw bale wall assemblies. I have attached it here for you to read. The results of the fire testing will be up on the web for review by September. Keeps your eyes open for the report!
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I received the following e-mail yesterday regarding the fire resistance of straw bale homes:

“I have a 10 year old straw bale house in Flagstaff, AZ. I heard that in the wildfires over the last few years that straw bale homes incinerated. Have you heard that?”

Here’s my reply:

Thanks for your email and you can take a deep breath of relief. No, that is absolutely not true.
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I received an email today from Bill Christensen, the proprietor of http://www.GreenBuilder.com. It holds some very exciting news on recent fire testing of straw bale wall assemblies. Of course, those of us building straw bale houses have known that they are extremely resistant to fire; however, now we have proof to back it up! Here is what Bill had to say:
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