If you build your straw bale walls without the use of mesh on either side of the wall, you will need to attach the bales to the structure in some other way. The most common is shown in the image to the right and involves cutting 4″ wide x 12″ long (or so) pieces of […]
Author Archive | Andrew Morrison
Calculating the Density of Your Bales
By Andrew Morrison on Thu, July 13, 2006 in Bale Types, Calculating Bales, Construction Details, Tips and Trade Secrets
Most codes require specific measurements for the density of a construction grade bale. The code I work with calls for a bale density of at least 7 pounds per cubic foot of material. The bales I use measure 18″ wide x 14″ tall x 45″ long and weigh roughly 50 pounds. Many bales measure 18″ […]
RSS Feeds
You may have been seeing these little orange RSS or XML buttons around the Internet. Or this little graphic: If you were wondering what they are…It’s “the next big thing” — you can use it to get newsfeeds from CNN or ESPN, as well as just about anything else, including news on upcoming movies, DVD […]
Tyvek on Lower Course of Bales
I have been on vacation, of sorts, for the last week…actually, I have been at ice hockey camp with my wife and son and I am more sore than I have ever been before! Sorry for the lack of posts in the meantime. I have been responding to people’s emails off blog and came across […]
Straw Bale Houses for Seasonal Workers in Virginia
I made contact with an architect in Virginia today about a project he designed for seasonal workers. In Leedstown, Virginia a farmers advocacy group is building four straw bale houses for seasonal workers. It is a cooperative effort between a number of organizations and farmers. The homes will be dedicated to seasonal workers and their […]
Sugar Cane Bales in South Africa
A gentleman from the South African Sugar Research Institute contacted me today to discuss the potential of using sugar cane bio-mass in bales as a building material. He is very interested in the potential of sugar cane to provide affordable building materials for the thousands of men, women and children who cannot afford housing of […]
Integral Color Plaster vs. Plaster and Paint
I have used integral color plaster on every straw bale house I have built and I have always wrestled with the pros and cons of doing so. Integral color plaster means that the final color for the wall is placed in the finish plaster coat. The wall surface that is created is both beautiful and […]
Basics of a Bale Landscape Wall
I received an email today about a bale landscape wall. The wall will be about 4′ tall and 125′ long. The questions ranged from what type of foundation is best and what kind of waterproofing is needed to where to find bale needles. I have included my response below. Sounds like a fun project! If […]
Bale Walls Over a Basement
I am often asked if a straw bale house can be built over a basement. The answer is always yes. A raised floor system, either over a basement or crawlspace, is no different than building a second floor on a bale home. Interior footings will likely be necessary to carry the load of the floor […]
A Great Example of Straw Bale Construction Efficiency
Yesterday I spent the entire day neutralizing, washing, and sealing concrete floors that I had acid stained the day before. I figured the floors would dry quickly between washings since the temperature outside was 112 degrees! “Unfortunately” bale houses are so well insulated that even with all the windows and doors open, the inside temperature […]