When building a load bearing structure, it is very important to build the walls plumb and the corners square. This may sound obvious, but there is a tendency for people to say “Heck, its load bearing, what’s the big deal. It is supposed to look a bit wobbly!” In fact, load bearing structures require a great amount of detailing in the construction process.
Because the structure of the building IS the bales, if you stack them haphazardly, you will get a very weak building. Be sure to use corner plumb guides (wood braced plumb) in each corner. Check for plumb as you build, and make adjustments as you go to stay plumb. When attaching the box beam, line it up with the toe ups below to make sure you are plumb throughout. Remember, the box beam should be made in manageable pieces on the toe ups BEFORE you start baling so that it is a match for layout. We will have a load bearing DVD coming out soon to show all this and more. Stay tuned…
About the Author
Andrew Morison is a specialist in straw bale and green construction. He has shown thousands of people how to build their own straw bale projects through his comprehensive series of instructional straw bale, concrete foundation, and plastering DVDs. You can check these out at www.LearnStrawBale.com..
Email Updates
To be notified of new entries and to get our "7 Essential Steps to Straw Bale Success e-course" absolutely free, enter your email address below then check your inbox to confirm. More Info>>
September 13th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for all the great information. I recently purchased your building and plastering videos, and enjoyed the building video very much (have not yet viewed the plastering video, but I am sure it is 1st class).
My question is: Since straw bale walls do not breath as much as it was once thought, does this open up the possibilities for more traditional wall coverings such as siding for exterior walls and drywall inside? I live in Michigan and would like to start building straw bale ‘spec.’ homes, but am not sure how well the plaster exteriors will sell when compared with siding. Your thoughts would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Rick
September 13th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
At 4:18 PM, Andrew Morrison said…
Rick,
That is a good question and on e I get fairly often. You can do siding and drywall; however, the extra work that it requires makes the straw bale portion totally not worth doing. Instead of trying to fit the conventional portions of a home onto a bale house, you are better off either choosing bales or choosing a super insulated form of conventional construction. Trying to mix the two is more work than it is worth.