Find Answers To Your Straw Bale Construction Questions

Essential articles, how to guides, and stories from builds across the country

Dive into step by step how to articles, code and permitting tips, materials sourcing, design strategies, and workshop updates. Whether you are dreaming, planning, or building, you will find practical answers and inspiration from the field.

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Andrew Morrison 5/1/12 Andrew Morrison 5/1/12

How Much Will It Cost?

A lot of people are excited about the idea of straw bale construction; however, they stumble a bit when it comes to estimating the cost of their potential home. So how is someone supposed to make an informed decision about what plan to buy and what that plan might cost to build? The answer is actually very simple.

Andrew Morrison 4/4/12 Andrew Morrison 4/4/12

Help Preserve the Oldest Straw Bale Structure in Europe

Ever wondered what the oldest straw bale structure in Europe is, you can stop wondering. It's this home, built in 1921 in Montargis, France.

Andrew Morrison 3/23/12 Andrew Morrison 3/23/12

Spray or Hand Plaster Application: Which is Better?

There are many details to a quality plaster job and many places to make mistakes. The real question may not be whether to spray or to apply by hand, but rather, what steps need to be taken, no matter which application method is chosen, such that the plaster job will be successful.

Andrew Morrison 3/1/12 Andrew Morrison 3/1/12

Burn an Upside Down Fire for Efficiency

Andrew Morrison 2/23/12 Andrew Morrison 2/23/12

The Importance of Good Straw Bale Design

Good design alone is not enough. You have to incorporate all of the details that are specific to straw bale construction in your design to make it work.

Andrew Morrison 1/25/12 Andrew Morrison 1/25/12

Building Underground

I recently received an email in which a man asked about using strawbale building techniques underground, as in an earth-bermed house. Time to talk about moisture considerations…

Andrew Morrison 1/18/12 Andrew Morrison 1/18/12

Living Simply: Discovering What Really Matters

This is a rather personal blog entry and I hope that you can “hear” it without your filters on. You may agree or disagree with me and that’s fine. What I do hope is that you will ask yourselves some questions and that you will look deeply in what is true FOR YOU.

Andrew Morrison 11/9/11 Andrew Morrison 11/9/11

Climate's Effect on a Straw Bale House

Andrew Morrison 8/12/11 Andrew Morrison 8/12/11

Review of the DragOn Pro Mortar Sprayer

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and in the case of Branislav Prvanovic, a Serbian innovator and businessman involved in the building trades, a gigantic straw bale building project turned out to be the mother load of necessities.

Andrew Morrison 4/15/11 Andrew Morrison 4/15/11

Timber Frame and Straw Bale Homes

There may be no more beautiful look than a timber frame house wrapped with straw bales and plaster. It’s as if the two were made for each other. Creating that look can be a bit troublesome if you don’t approach the project from the right angles. Here’s how…

Andrew Morrison 3/18/11 Andrew Morrison 3/18/11

Straw Bale Construction in Earthquakes

Engineers and many others like them have long touted straw bale construction as a smart choice in earthquake prone areas. Let’s take a look at why.

Andrew Morrison 11/12/10 Andrew Morrison 11/12/10

Bales Over Wood Floors vs Concrete Slabs for Straw Bale Construction

Building with bales over wood floors is an option that's often overlooked in straw bale construction.