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 […]
Welcome to StrawBale.com
My name is Andrew Morrison and welcome to my straw bale building site dedicated to anyone interested in building their own straw bale house. If you are brand new to straw bale or are a straw bale construction specialist there's something for you at StrawBale.com.
Click here if you are NEW TO STRAW BALE BUILDING and want to know the basics about straw bale construction. I have a ton of information for you including: photo gallery, step-by-step instructional videos, information about straw bale workshops around the world, free straw bale articles, top notch consulting, free straw bale social network, and a full straw bale building blog. Be sure to sign up for my e-mail updates and my free 16 day straw bale e-course so we can keep you posted of the latest developments in the ever-changing world of straw bale. If you are eager to fast track your education in straw bale construction, click here.
Happy Baling!
Andrew
My Latest Blog Entries Are Below
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 […]
Straw Bale in the 4th Grade Classroom
I received an email today from a curriculum writer for a fourth grade class in Kansas. The idea is to write a curriculum that introduces the class to straw bale construction as an economic and environmental asset. I have attached the email below because I think it is so cool that fourth graders will be […]
Misting Staw Bales with Water Before Plastering
I have had several clients of my consulting business call me after they started to plaster their straw bale house. The calls come with a similar voice over the phone: panic (sometimes mild and others extreme)! “My house is smelling musty.” That pretty much sums it up and you can imagine the concern. “Do I […]
More on Electrical Work in Straw Bale Construction
The conversation about electrical wires continues. Here’s a reply to my last comment that adding extra cost in the form of electrical conduit to an already costly building process is unnecessary. Comment Conduit is CHEAP ……. Look at the cost of Romex as compared to conduit and ordinary insulate wire. Conduit functions as your ground […]