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You wouldn’t be the first person to try and carry a piece of plywood up a ladder by yourself. You might be the first to do it without hurting yourself! When working alone we are faced with many difficulties that would otherwise be simple for people working in groups or pairs. One of these is getting plywood up to a roof structure. Here are a couple options to consider, based on the size of the job at hand.

A simple way to get a bunch of sheets to the roof is to build a simple rack out of framing lumber (2x4s are fine) on the ground onto which you stack your plywood sheets. Make it tall enough so that you can pull the sheets from the roof and install them in place. Be sure to install the first sheet on the roof directly in front of the rack to increase the safety of the setup. Don’t forget to make sure that piece is in line with the general layout of the roof and the plywood that will cover it!

Sometimes the idea of building a rack is over the top because it will take more time and materials than the job you have to do on the roof. For example, perhaps the majority of the roof is already sheathed and you simply need to get the last two pieces up that were not in your original material calculations.  The crew that you had to help install the rest of the sheets is gone, so now it’s up to you. In this case, carrying a sheet or two up a ladder can be the easiest way to do it. Now don’t plan on carry the sheet over your shoulder, as that’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, use a C-Clamp attached firmly to the leading edge of the sheet as a handle. It’s quick, easy, and inexpensive and it will make carrying the sheet so much easier.

What’s also cool is that this holding barrel is hydraulically lifted, so there’s no strain to your back. You simply hit a switch and the hold thing lifts up and dumps the material into the mixing barrel. Add your water and you’re off. While the plaster is mixing, you can get the next batch pre measured and into the holding barrel. This is especially useful when using a material like Natural Hydraulic Lime because that material has to actively mix for 20 minutes. While it’s mixing, you prepare the next load. It’s a great use of time. Otherwise, a 20 minute mix takes 30 minutes start to finish. This way, it’s 20 minutes on the nose.

Another aspect of working with plaster is moving it from the machine to where you need it. Most machines require a wheel barrow, a string back, a well inflated tire, and some relatively good balance. This is usually not a problem (save the well inflated wheel barrow tire), but it is work. This machine would simply pump the mix from the mixing drum directly to where you need it. In fact, it can pump the material up to 10 stories up! Most of us won’t need that, but it does help to send the mud up a steep driveway or hill where a wheel barrow might end up costing you hundreds in chiropractic repairs.

So now we have mixed our plaster, placed it within inches of where it will be used, and the only thing we have had to lift is a bag and half of lime at 35kg each. Not bad. So how about applying it, any savings there? Of course. The machine uses the same compressed air that drives the mix up the hill to run a plaster spraying gun. This speeds application and does a great job of both leveling the wall on the first shot and penetrating the straw.

The down side to this machine? It costs about $8,000. If you can find one to rent or borrow, go for it. Otherwise, just think about how cool it is and marvel at what we have been able to build as humans!

Picture this: you’re using a 5 gallon bucket to place sand into the mixer. You need 4 buckets of sand for every bag of lime you add to the mixer. Your helpful friends are filling up the bucket as fast as you empty it and you guys are totally cruising through the mixing process. Suddenly you ask your friend “is that 3 or 4 buckets?” In return you get what a friend of mine calls a “goat face,” a look of complete disconnect. Now you retrace your steps to try and figure out how much sand is in the mix. You look at the plaster tumbling on the paddles in hopes of recognizing the texture of the mix. IN truth, neither of you have any clue how much sand is in the mixer. There’s a better way.
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Instead of using one bucket, use 4. Three buckets should be the same color and the last bucket a different color. This way know if you’ve made it to the end of a load. For example, when I mix plaster, I can usually fit 3 bags of lime in the mixer at a time which means I need 12 buckets of sand. Counting those out one by one would be hard to track, so I use the 4 buckets. I put in three white buckets of sand and then an orange one (you could always use another white bucket and just pray paint it or wrap it with tape). As soon as I see that orange bucket go by, I know I’m at the end of a run. Now my helper can fill all 4 buckets again while I add the bag of lime and we’re ready for the next grouping. It’s easy!

The best way to handle an existing infestation is to dry out the space in question. The psocids take a high level of moisture to survive and so a dry and hot space will quickly solve the problem. Because of the number of eggs that each female can lay, you’ll need to keep the location hot and dry for at least 4 months to be sure of total removal of the problem. It has been said that bringing a room to 120 degrees F for a short period of time can also kill the insects completely. The challenge is getting that 120 degrees F to reach the internal sections of the bale walls as the insulation value is what is so loved about these homes. As we’ve seen in fire testing, it is not easy to transfer high or low temperatures through a bale wall and so the likelihood of achieving a sustained 120 degrees F in the center of a bale wall is low.

To lower your risk of ever getting an infestation I suggest you treat your bales during installation with borax. Just a gentle sprinkle of borax on each course of bales during installation can be very helpful for eliminating any pest problems. I want to be clear here, I have only twice seen this situation actually happen in a bale structure and I do not use borax on any of the homes I build. I make the suggestion only for those homes that are at high risk. For example, homes that will likely experience high moisture levels in the walls due to a lack of dehumidifying system and high relative humidity in the environment. Otherwise, I don’t think the borax is necessary.

1. Long straw. Be sure to ask your source is the bales are long straw or chopped/thrashed straw. A bale harvested by a combine will be thrashed straw and the short pieces make for a very weak bale. These are a poor choice for building. A long straw bale will typically be 14″ tall (2-string) and 16″ tall (3 string).

2. Look for a cut edge and a folded edge. If the cut edge is not clearly visible on one SIDE of the bale, it is probably a thrashed bale and the “cut edge” is likely facing up or down. Again, don’t buy these bales.

3. Color. You want a bright, golden color. Brown or black bales have seen moisture damage. Dull bales may have been stored for a season or longer. They can be acceptable if the other details check out; however, fresh bales are best if you can find them.

4. Moisture Content. Bales should be around 8-13% moisture content when checked with a bale probe. Under no circumstances should the bales reach higher than 20%. At that level, mold growth is supported.

5.Density. The easiest test is to pick up a bale by one string. If the bale deforms in any way, then don’t buy the bales. If the bale stays completely in shape, then the density is acceptable.
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6. Shape. tight, rectangular bales are what you want. check the corners of the bales to make sure they are not rounded. Rounded corners will mean a lot of stuffing after the wall is stacked. Tight, angular corners mean the bales will fit together well and your stuffing will be limited.

7. Smell. This is another test of moisture. When you walk into the barn, take a deep inhalation through your nose. How does the room smell? Musty is not a good sign. Fresh straw is what you want to smell.

8. Weight. Dry bales will be relatively light weight. A 2-string bale should not wiehg more than say 45lbs. If it’s heavy (you’ll know what heavy means when you feel it) the bale is probably wet.

Most importantly, use your common sense. If something seems off, it probably is. The importance of quality bales can’t be stressed enough. If you get bad bales, you will fight them from the moment they arrive on site to the moment you finish the house. They make for more retying, more stuffing, more material loss, more post stacking compression, less effectiveness of wall clean up (string trimmer work), weaker vertical stands and corners, more tamping to get your walls plumb, weaker plaster substrate and more. Trust me, get quality bales.

Happy (quality) baling!

You can see in the picture what I recommend. By using a piece of wood long enough to get the bale holder away from the saw and the “kick area” of the saw, he is able to provide adequate support for the bale and allow the chainsaw operator to work without added risk. The “kick area,” by the way, is the apace which the saw would cover if it bound up and kicked back. Kick back happens so fast that there is no way a person could move out of the path, especially if they are not the ones in control of the saw as they would have no indication that the saw was about to kick until it was too late.

Again, the simple use of a piece of wood makes this situation safe. Notice also that both men are wearing safety glasses. No, it’s not sawing hard wood, but yes, stuff can still hurt your eyes.

Here are some basic safety guidelines to keep in mind when working with chainsaws. This is only a partial list, so take whatever precautions you need to stay safe.

1. Work on a stable table. I like to use another bale or even better, two bales run perpendicular to the bale I’m cutting.

2. Keep your body out of the kick area.

3. Wear safety glasses and hearing protection.

4. Work in a well ventilated and light area. You need to see what you;re doing and breathing gas fumes all day won’t make your day any better!

5. Clearly mark your cut in advance and follow the line.

6. Watch for bale twine!

7. Be sure your helper is safe (see above).

8. Clean the sprocket and guard area often to keep it clear of straw. Jammed straw can throw a chain or catch fire.

9. Keep the saw well maintained. Oil and properly adjust the chain.

10. Always unplug electric saws and turn off gas saws before performing any maintenance or adjustments.

I spoke with the sand yard directly and told them what I needed. The dispatcher seemed to understand completely and the next day, 10 yards of angular, variable size sand was delivered to our very remote building site. There was no sending it back if we didn’t like it, it was what it was and it turned out to be the wrong stuff. The issue was that it had no fines in it.

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The right sand for the Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) plaster needs a gradation of sand from the fines to the more coarse. No silts and clays mind you, but the finer end of the gradation is important.

You can see in the picture how the plaster simply did not hold together well. The lack of finer sand made the plaster loose and almost gravelly. I did a stretch test on the plaster by pulling a hawk’s worth of plaster across the table with a trowel. In quality plaster, the mud will spread and stay together, creating a smooth surface. In this case, however, the plaster ripped and tore as I pulled it on the mud board. There was nothing to hold it together.

We tried for an hour or so to get the mud to stick to the wall and eventually the sad truth became all too apparent: the plaster was not good. The worst part of the story is that we had premixed 18 bags of plaster the night before and all of it was wasted! The host now has a very fancy NHL carport floor! I ordered 18 replacement bags for the host and have informed him of the correct sand he’ll need, moving forward.

When you order your sand, be sure it meets the requirements on the NHL bag. Where I live the perfect sand is called “concrete sand.” It is angular, has many different grits (including the finer sands), and is perfect for the proper adhesion of the plaster. The same has been true across the country as I teach. The term “concrete sand” is almost always understood. In this part of New Mexico, that was not true. My plan moving forward is to send future workshop hosts a sample of the sand they should be looking for so they can make sure, well in advance, that they have the right stuff.

Per Martin’s request, here’s an image of the appropriate style of sand to use (size wise). I’ve also heard from an expert that using a lime based sand can cause problems too as the free lime in the sand will take up the moisture and leave the NHL without the ability to attach itself to the sand.

Image From www.greenandwhiteacres.com

Why would I want to do that? You may be asking yourself that very question and rightfully so. The answer may be simple or complicated depending on the situation. It may be that you have a series of wall sections that need thinner bales than the rest of the house due to framing and engineering requirements. One place where this is common is at the top of the wall system. It’s not unlikely to have a large beam at the top of the wall supporting the roof. That beam, hopefully a 4x something, will not allow you to reach the outside face of the wall with the plane of the bale and you’ll have an entire section of bales that’s 4″ too wide at the top of the wall. In some scenarios, you can simply turn a bale on edge and it will fit perfectly. In others, you can’t. I’m not a huge fan of using lots of loose stuffing in the house to fill larger voids like this. I think that starts to weaken the wall in the end. In fact, the tight fit of the bales to the top plate is one of the ingredients for a tight and solid wall. By cutting down regular bales by the required 4″ (in the scenario described above) you can install regular bales, stay with the running bond pattern, and install them tight to the top plate. Only minimal stuffing will be required.

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Here’s another scenario that a friend of mine just experienced. Because of his location, he had to have his bales trucked in from another state. That’s not ideal, as I prefer to purchase bales locally, but he wasn’t able to do that due to current local straw stocks. Having installed his toe ups, and framed the house, he was ready for his bale delivery and it showed up right on schedule. Only one problem…the farmer sent him three string bales, not the two stringers he had ordered. The three string bales were 6″ too wide for the house he had built. He thought about stacking them on edge and I was able to talk him out of that. When he asked me for suggestions of what to do, I contacted a friend of mine with a portable sawmill. Here’s a scenario where he had to trim 6″ off of 400 bales and do it quickly. Every day that he didn’t have bales to install, the job was falling behind schedule.

So with two laborers and one sawmill expert, the entire stack of 400 bales was cut down by 6″ in a little less than 6 hours. If you’ve taken a workshop with me, watched my DVDs or just paid close attention to bales in the field, you’ll already know that a standard straw bale has two edges: a folded edge and a cut edge. That’s due to the way a baling machine works, folding the straw into the chute with a plunger, tying the bale and then slicing off one edge to make the bale the right size. I always recommend that the bales be stacked all the same direction in the walls, cut side in or cut side out. There are some factors that do into deciding which way to face the bales, but that’s not the point of this story. In this scenario, the “new” cut edge was extremely clean and sharp. It made for the perfect interior wall surface as finalizing the wall clean up will be easy with the pre-cut bales all facing the same way. You can see in the picture here how nice the bales turned out and why they create a clean surface for the interior wall.

Although I really don’t recommend planning on the use of a portable sawmill unless entirely necessary, it’s good to know that they work so well and so quickly should you find yourself in a similar situation. The best remedy for this problem is proper planning and proper communication. Mistakes get made, it’s part of life, and so having a back up plan to great planning and communication is a good thing.

The spikes are attached to electrical boxes like the one shown here. These boxes are great because they have a strong point of attachment in the metal tab to the side of the box. Made to snap onto studs, the metal plate fits the end of the spike perfectly. A couple screws keep the snapped in place box permanently attached to the spike. What’s even cooler is that there is a small screw just along the side of the metal plate that adjusts the depth of the box relative to the plate. This means that you can adjust the depth of the box in the wall once the spike has been set. This is very helpful for the varying depth and thickness of plaster on straw bale walls. Note that the adjustment needs to take place before the plaster is applied.
Okay, so now for the jigs. Here are some photos of the site built jigs. The Sketch Up drawings are taken directly from these versions. IN reality, you can and should build yours out of whatever materials you have available that will make the jigs safe. That’s exactly what we did and so ours look like they were built from scrap material (because they were). You may notice that some of the details of the jigs shown here are slightly different than the Sketch Up drawings. That’s because we improved the jigs as we used them. We added some additional blocks, for example, to make the jig safer. One of those blocks is to hold the spike in place during the cut while others were to make a bigger handle for the overall jig/sled to allow for easier movement through the cut. Note that on the second jig, there is a small piece of wood just in front of the handle and to the left of the cut line. This is a cut off from the first pass on jig #1 that is then shortened to provide positive support for the spike as it is sent through jig #2. The cut off is shown in the Sketch Up drawing as well. This piece is vital to the safe operation of the jig, so make sure you get it right. Without it, the spike is not supported as it passes through the blade on jig #2 which could cause the blade to throw the spike. Never a good thing, saw blade thrown wood, especially when it’s shaped like a vampire spike! There’s a video of one of the jigs in use by Gerard, one of the creators, on my blog about the New York Workshop. You can find that video by clicking here.

To build these jigs, you’ll need some dimensions. I’ve attached a Jpeg of the jigs from the Sketch Up file here; however, it’s hard to render this file into a 2-D image when you don’t have any skills with the program (that’s me) so I apologize if you can’t really make out the dimensions. If you’re interested in this document, please let me know by leaving a comment and I can email you the actual Sketch Up file and you can then view it in three dimensions and “walk around” the jigs yourself to get all the measurements you need.