The bales you choose may be the most important decision you make on your house. In fact, the quality of your bales can literally make or break a project. There are several things to look for in a quality bale, which I’ve outlined below. Before I get to that, let me tell you what this farmer in Oregon has available for you to build with.
Regardless of where you buy your straw, be sure to confirm that the quality is as high as possible so that you have something solid to work with. Here are the top five things to consider when buying your bales.
Long Straw.
You want the individual stalks of straw within the bale to be a minimum of 12″ long. Longer is better. The longer the straw is at the time of baling, the more interwoven the bale will be as a whole. This makes the bale stronger and tighter.
Moisture Content.
Ideally, the bales will have a moisture content at or below 10% when tested with a moisture meter. This is not always possible as some regions have a higher ambient humidity which impacts the moisture content in the straw. I would suggest that you never use a bale that is over 18% moisture content. Further, a more realistic MC ceiling would be 15%. The bales I use, personally, run from 8% – 12%.
Tension.
It’s important that the straw be tightly strung. I prefer to use bales with polypropylene twine over metal ties. However, metal ties almost always ensure a tight bale. A simple test for tension is to pick up a bale by one string and then bounce it up and down. If it doesn’t deform in any way, you’re good to go. The tighter the bale, the more likely that the bales will be uniform in shape. This is an important “sub-set” of this list of five.
Color.
The bales should be a golden yellow color for most types of bales. In some cases like rice straw, the bales may appear to be slightly green. It’s important to know the difference between the kind of green you would get on a HAY bale or ALFALFA bale versus what could be expected with rice straw. It’s a very subtle green. Be sure to look for signs of water damage and/or mold growth. Any black discoloration should be inspected for moisture and mold.
Type of Grain.
This is not as crucial as you might think. If the bales meet all of the above criteria, then the type of straw won’t really matter in the end. I encourage people to look locally. If local materials can satisfy your needs, then that’s the best option. That said, if you have to look outside of your immediate area, you may find that rice bales have the best chances of meeting the all of the above criteria. Wheat and other cereal grains are often grown with genetically modified seeds which produce short crops (less waste in the farmer’s eyes). These short crops make finding long straw bales pretty hard within those grain types.
I’m always happy to post about new resources for finding quality construction bales. I have never used his straw myself, but he tells me that they meet the standards needed for construction. I asked him to confirm that they are dry (under 10% moisture content), uniformly shaped, long straw, and tight, which he did. If you’re interested in working with him, please contact:
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One important consideration for the length of straw in the bales is the type of combine harvester that is used when the grain is harvested. A Conventional combine, one with rasp bars and a concave for thrashing the grain is much better than a rotary system as the rotary ones tend to chop up the straw more. The bales from windrows of a conventional combine will look fluffier and will stand off of the ground better, thus allowing for better, more uniform drying before baling.
Hey Andrew,
Wally Humphries and Jan Stephens here. We did the La Grande workshop. We would like to build a hybrid straw bale with you, if possible this Fall or sooner or at least start. Are land is in New Meadows, ID. We have a well and power and plenty of camp spots on 13.45 acres. Haven’t started the building process, not sure how doable this year.
We hope are well.
J&W
Hi J&W. I responded to your email the other day in regards to the same topic. Let me know if you didn’t get it. Otherwise, I’ll wait to hear back from you on that thread.
Hello I am new to the site and had one question. I have a plot of land in Arizona and would like to find a supplier of straw bales. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Sam. I believe it can be hard to find them locally in Arizona as the crops are not grown in that region. You may have to look toward Colorado or California. You can connect with the straw bale broker listed on this site as well to see if he can locate and deliver bales to you. I know it’s possible as I’ve worked on several houses in Arizona over the years.
Hi Andrew, I just found your site and am super excited to learn as much as I can from you. I am a textile recycler and am currently working with a company that generates waste that is baled. I am wondering if you have had any experience using non-traditional bales.
Hi Crispina. I have heard of people using waste bales like cardboard, but I have not personally done so myself. My biggest question would be the insulation value of the bales as I imagine they are packed VERY tightly. The entrapped air is needed to increase the Rvalue of the bales, so having waste products packed too tightly could reduce the effectiveness of the bales as insulation. If you try it out, please keep me posted on your experience and success.
Hi Andrew, I am wondering if you have ever built a home in Oklahoma? If so where? I am considering it but not sure where to start as far as county codes go. Or have you ever thought of combining straw bale with a metal barn look? I guess I don’t care for such an earthy look on the exterior and want all the creature comforts with out the price tag. Please let me know. Thank you for your time .
Hi Alicia. I worked on a bale house in Choctaw a couple years ago. I have worked on houses with similar climates in places like Texas and Missouri too. You are not bound to a plaster exterior, but it is the most common finish. I’ve worked on projects with horizontal wood siding, metal siding, and even board and baton siding. Your options are many.
Hi Andrew, It appears that you are located in Oregon, but I notice that you talk about working on straw bale houses in Arizona, and Oklahoma. I am anticipating starting construction on a straw bale house in San Diego and was wondering what work precisely you do in the construction of the straw bale house – procurement and placement of bales, framing, plaster…
Hi Pat. I am indeed in Oregon, but I teach and consult all over the world. I do not physically build (like a contractor would) anymore as I am focused on inspiring owner builders and supporting them through the process. If you are looking for a builder in California, I suggest you contact the California Straw Building Association (CASBA) as they can make recommendations on builders local to you.
I have rice bales in my area
Hi Andrew!
First and foremost, thanks for the informational activity you do to promote the healthy habitat. I a determined to build my family house with straw with French tiles as roofing material. But my concern is the construction code in South Louisiana where I live. What you know about the restrictions over here? Can you please give me some documentation reference that will help me to navigate throughout the administrative burden? Last, can you please inform me on the closest area to buy rice straws?
Thank you and see you in one of the 2020 workshops!
Hi Benedict. Thanks for your excitement! I think the best news for you is that there is a nationally approved straw bale construction code in the International Residential Code (IRC): Appendix S. It may or may not be adopted in your state (you’ll have to ask the building officials in your area). Even if it’s not adopted, you can still reference it in your permit application as your planned build requirements. You can make application under section R104.11 of the IRC which allows for building and design techniques not specifically covered otherwise within the code. My bigger concern for you would be the level of humidity in Louisiana. If it’s always humid there, straw bale may not be the best choice for you as although bale homes can handle moisture in the form of rain very well, it’s much harder for them to manage humidity as it pervades everything; thus raising the moisture levels in the bales. This is not to say it’s impossible, but you’ll want to really consider the humidity levels in your region before you commit to building with bales. Cheers!
I’m wondering if the Tulsa area of Oklahoma is too humid for a straw bale home. If not do you have a contractor/builder resource available for this area? I’m nearing retirement age and hauling bales is not something I can do anymore.
Hello Diana, Building a straw bale home in Oklahoma is just fine. In fact, Andrew hosted a workshop there most recently in 2017. Here is a blog post leading up to the workshop.
I’m unfamiliar with any Oklahoma contractors, but we can forward your email address to Beau and Stephanie. They may have some contacts to offer.