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 1/25/19 Andrew Morrison 1/25/19

Fire Resistance of Straw Bale Walls Outperforms Conventional Construction

The fire resistance of straw bale walls is superior to that of conventional construction. Learn why that matters and how it's possible.

Andrew Morrison 12/30/18 Andrew Morrison 12/30/18

Avoiding Plaster Burn Marks

Avoiding plaster burn marks when building a straw bale house is easy to accomplish if you know what causes them. Here’s what to do about them.

Andrew Morrison 11/10/18 Andrew Morrison 11/10/18

Hanging Pictures on a Strawbale Plaster Wall

Andrew Morrison 9/30/18 Andrew Morrison 9/30/18

Oregon Straw Bale Retreat Visit at Dharmalaya

Visit a straw bale retreat center nestled in Oregon to feel a bale build for yourself and retreat from the busy world just like Andrew and Gabriella Morrison.

Andrew Morrison 9/28/18 Andrew Morrison 9/28/18

Adding Shingles to Gable Walls on Straw Houses

Adding shingles to gable walls may not seem like a straw bale specific topic at first glance. That doesn’t mean it’s not an important skill for you to learn for several reasons. Lot of straw bale houses use shingles on the gable end walls.

Andrew Morrison 10/20/17 Andrew Morrison 10/20/17

Gravel in your toe ups. Is that enough?

Is it enough to have just gravel in your toe ups or do you need something more? Read more

Andrew Morrison 4/14/17 Andrew Morrison 4/14/17

Hiring the Right Contractor for Your Straw Bale Construction Project

Hiring the right contractor for your straw bale construction project could be the most important decision you make along the path to creating your new home. Here’s tips on how to find a great match.

Andrew Morrison 2/22/17 Andrew Morrison 2/22/17

Sierra Vista, Arizona Straw Bale Workshop: Meet the Hosts

Sierra Vista, Arizona is a beautiful location and host to the first straw bale construction workshop of the 2017 season. Come join us for an unforgettable experience.

Andrew Morrison 10/2/16 Andrew Morrison 10/2/16

Plaster Tip: Applying American Clay Over Natural Hydraulic Lime

In this article we review using American Clay plaster over a Natural Hydraulic Lime plaster, making sure that cure times are accounted for.

Andrew Morrison 5/21/16 Andrew Morrison 5/21/16

Easier Insurance and Lending for Straw Bale Homes

The inclusion of straw bale construction in the International Residential Code (IRC) has made it easier to get insurance and lending for straw bale homes. It may not be as easy as getting insurance and lending on conventional homes yet, but we are making major headway.

Andrew Morrison 3/1/16 Andrew Morrison 3/1/16

Acid Staining Floors While Protecting Plaster Walls

When acid staining concrete floors, it is important to properly mask off walls and doors so that none of the stain gets onto places where you don't want it. One of the hardest surfaces to protect is unsealed plaster.

Andrew Morrison 2/9/16 Andrew Morrison 2/9/16

Finish Plaster Texture Options

There are many of finish plaster texture options available for your straw bale home and knowing which one is best for you can be difficult. The best decisions are based on understanding the combination of application-technical difficulty, personal aesthetics, durability, crack hiding ability, and material availability.