Learn the ins and outs of creating a positive relationship when working with your local building department, right off the bat.
Tag Archives | building codes
Easier Insurance and Lending for Straw Bale Homes
The inclusion of straw bale construction in the 2015 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.
The Power of Education – A 15 Question Test
It may sound obvious, but learning how to build a house, of any kind but especially a straw bale house, is a good thing to do before you actually start building. Ask yourself the following 15 questions and if you cannot answer them with a high level of confidence, you would be best served to gain some more experience before you start building.
Scheduling Subcontractors and Inspections on a Straw Bale House
It’s pretty obvious that they are differences between a straw bale house and conventional homes. What is not so apparent are the differences encountered during the construction process. For example, the order of operations and thus inspections is different for a straw bale house.
Land Development Process Revealed
Allow me to share with you what I have learned over my 20 years as a professional builder and land developer. All tweaks and adjustments aside, this will be a good footing to start out on for anyone interested in the start to finish process of finding, developing, and building on raw land.
Book Review: The Elements of Building
Whether you are an accomplished builder or just starting out, this book will help define the myriad of details that define a quality builder, contractor, sub contractor, consultant or any other professional working within the building industry.
Building Permits
Keep these simple bullet points in mind when looking for building permit approvals for your straw bale house.
We Have a National Straw Bale Building Code!
This is perhaps the most exciting day in straw bale construction history. The proposed appendix on straw bale construction was approved at the International Code Council (ICC) Final Action Hearings in Atlantic City on October 4, 2013! As a result, we now have a national straw bale building code!
Plumbing Details in Straw Bale Construction
You have likely heard me say this before, but it is worth saying again: keep your plumbing out of your bales. Of course, it’s not as simple as that when it comes to adding plumbing to a straw bale house. There are obviously more details to consider in order to ensure that the straw bale walls are not damaged by water infiltration. The good news is that there are a limited number of locations to consider in terms of potential water damage from plumbing in a straw bale home so managing the installation is easier than you may think. In this article, we will look at the major areas of concern and I’ll show you my preferred solution for each location.
A Review of Electrical Installations
In this post, I will teach you the most up to date and highest quality installation techniques for installing electrical service in your straw bale home. Knowing these techniques is important whether you plan to do the work yourself or hire a subcontractor to do it for you. Chances are that any electrical subcontractor you hire will have very little experience in straw bale installations, and may have never seen the new techniques I have created for simplifying and improving the installation of electrical services in your straw bale house.