Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Step-by-Step Guide
to Straw-Bale Construction
fi: T
Text and layout copyright 1997 by S. O. MacDonald and Matts Myhrman. All rights reserved. No part of this
book may be reproduced (in any language) without written permission from the authors, except by a reviewer
who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part
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Send any such requests for permission to BIWB, 1037 E. Linden St., Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.
Cover and text printed, respectively, with soy-based ink on 100% (20% post-consumer) and 50% (20%
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Acknowledgments Disclaimer
We are grateful, above all, to our wives, Judy The authors, Out On Bale, InHabitation
Knox and Nena I. MacDonald. When we Services, and the various individuals who
procrastinated, they encouraged us gently to have contributed details to this book make no
continue the work; when we digressed, they statement, warranty, claim or representation,
facilitated the necessary course corrections; either expressed or implied, with respect to
when we despaired of having enough time to the construction details or methods described
finish the task, they reminded us that we had herein. Neither will they assume any liability
all the time there was and helped us rearrange for damages, losses or injuries that may arise
our priorities. They were, in fact, our valued from use of this publication. The details
partners in this endeavor. presented here are based on the best
Our thanks go to Orien MacDonald, whose information available, but recent experience
steady pen and three-dimensional vision with the technique is finite and the
transformed wavering lines, sometimes information will not be appropriate for all
scrawled on beer-stained napkins, into the conditions and/or climatic regimes. When in
visual viscera of this collaboration. Thanks doubt, you are advised to consult with
also to Susan Van Auken, Gila neighbor and experienced people familiar with your local
proofreader extraodinaire. conditions and building codes.
In this second edition, we despair of listing
by name everyone for whose help, and/or
contribution to the revival of bale
Dedication
construction, we are grateful. You know who We dedicate this book to all the women and
you are, and even if you don't, we're grateful men who, without prior knowledge of the
anyway and will see to it that the good karma technique, were inspired to create human
you have earned is duly recorded. In all cases shelter with bales. The rest of us have, at
where specific material has been contributed best, only improved a little on their idea.
by others, we have tried to remember to
acknowledge this in the text and regret any
omissions.
ll
Marts' Five Bits
1. Honor your partners. Judy Knox there, nor is it always the best one for a given
continues to be my valued partner where "our situation. We need to seek joyful marriages
dreams bind our work to our play". Whatever of methodologies, selecting our materials
contributions we have made individually to from among those which are quickly
the straw-bale revival reflect that partnership. renewable (e.g., straw), sustainably harvested
Steve MacDonald continues to be my valued (e.g., some bamboo and timber) or literally
partner in this book. Wherever it encourages under our feet (e.g., stone, sand, clay). And
the would-be owner-builder with helpful even with just straw and earth, we can choose
advice and simple, low-cost, low-tech options, from options that form a continuous spectrum
you see his influence. Wherever the design of from straw alone, through various mixtures
the book deserves applause, you see his of straw and earth, to earth alone.
creativity. Regenerative architecture is inclusive.
2. Help with "the work of the commons". 5. Begin to "Just say enough!". There is
Send a tax-deductible contribution to the "no free lunch" when it comes to building.
"DCAT-Straw-bale Testing and Research More importantly, the "lunch" that we in the
Fund" (via a check sent to The Development over-developed world are demanding, will be
Center for Appropriate Technology, PO Box paid for by our grandchildren. We are
41144, Tucson, AZ 85717). Subscribe to, and "eating" their rightful inheritance. Grafting a
share your knowledge, experiences and "more sustainable" technology like straw-bale
resources with, The Last Straw, an ad-free construction onto the old paradigms creates
journal supporting the international revival of only the illusion of change.
straw-bale construction. Work with others, The "more is better" design syndrome
locally and regionally, to eliminate the challenges us to:
institutional barriers to straw-bale create more space than we need.
construction. use more materials than necessary.
3. Accept some "hard truths" and then assume a level of debt that enslaves us.
"invest in the hope". The "green" building The "less is more" paradigm challenges us to:
being done today is a very pale green, at best. create the most functionality in the
And, as we are reminded by that lovable, smallest space that actually serves our needs,
"curmudgeon of cob", lanto Evans, "All rather than our egos.
construction involves destruction". This said, use no more materials than necessary.
we can either sign up for euthanasia or pull choose these materials carefully,
up our knickers and help each other do better. minimizing the costs to our health, our
"Investing in the hope", trying to form pocketbooks and our planet.
"islands of decency" that can serve as
examples for each other, doesn't guarantee To paraphrase a Chinese proverb, "If we do
success, but "investing in despair" almost not abandon our present path, we will surely,
certainly guarantees failure. and tragically, end up where this path leads."
A better path can begin here, as I write, and
4. Support the whole "natural building "
you read, these words. The path is steep, but
movement. Let's focus on the important
wide enough for all. Walking together, we
commonalities of purpose, rather than the
can share the burdens and the blessings.
obvious differences in materials. Straw isn't
the only "more sustainable" material out ... Matts Myhrman, Tucson
in
SOM's Seven Bits
1. Keep it small. How much space do you and as a model first. Track the details. Use
really need? Be honest. Be creative with your common sense. Be creative with your
your space. Pretend you're building storage mistakes. Don't be intimidated by the
on a ship. Small is easy to heat...and cool. "experts". Get all the stuff together and host
It's easy to keep clean. It takes up fewer of a straw-bale "barn raising".
the Earth's resources and takes up less of its 4. Stay out of debt. Pay as you go.
space. You finish the job, at a lower cost, so Assemble the parts as you have the
you can devote yourself to more useful work. money...and time. Make your barn raising a
If your teenagers need distance, have them "potluck."
build their own outbuilding or addition. They 5. Use local materials. Use more rock and
need to learn the skills, anyway. adobe, less concrete. Use locally-milled
2. Keep it simple. Control your impulses to lumber and poles. Your neighbor needs the
make your house a complicated "artsy" work and you need to know firsthand what
statement. Simple, small and rectangular demands you're asking of the forests and
houses are beautiful when made of straw and fields.
other natural materials. Let form follow 6. Be energy conscious. Build to maximize
function. Let go of the idea of having a passive heating/cooling strategies.
perfectly square, flat and sharp-edged Superinsulate your ceiling. Disconnect from
building. Again, spend the time and money the electric power grid. Use a solar pump.
you saved by building with straw in other Build a composting toilet. Raise a garden.
ways - restore the river, help a neighbor, play Throw out the television.
with the kids.
7. Make yourself a home. Don't just build
3. Build it yourself. Trust yourself. You yourself a house, make yourself a home. Stay
can do it, especially if you build with straw. where you are, if you can. Learn to be at
And especially if you follow rules 1 and 2. home. Do no harm.
Read building books and magazines. Ask your
builder friends questions. Build it on paper ... Stephen O. MacDonald, Gila
IV
Contents
Introduction Developing an Building Plan 33
Why We Wrote This Guide 1 Site Preparation 33
How This Guide is Organized 2 Finalizing the Design 34
Ways to Use This Book 3 Preparing a Materials List 38
Roots 4 Safe and Sensible Bale Storage 38
...and Revival 6 Whew! 39
Questions and Answers 8
Part Two: Building At Last!
Part One: Before You Build
The Loadbearing Option 41
Starting with Bales 15 Step 1 - Foundations 43
Hay versus Straw 15 Step 2 - Door & Window Frames
Bale Options 15 52
The Ideal, Building-Grade Bale 15 Step 3 - Raising the Walls 57
Ordering Building-Grade Bales 17 Step 4 - Roof-Bearing Assemblies
Sources of Bales 17 65
Flammability and Fire 18 Step 5 - Adding the Roof 74
Bale Composition 19 Step 6 - Letting the Walls Compress
How Many Bales? 20 81
Three Basic Approaches 21 Step 7 - Surfacing the Walls 89
Loadbearing 21 Step 8 - Finishing Touches 118
Non-Loadbearing 21
Hybrid 22 The Non-Loadbearing Option 123
Developing a Plan 25 Step 1 - Foundations 124
The Superinsulation Strategy 25 Step 2 - Building the Framework
A Different Way of Building 25 125
Site Selection Considerations 26 Step 3 - Adding the Roof 128
Preliminary Conceptual Design 27 Step 4 - Window & Door Frames
Structural Implications of Openings 128
in Bale Walls 28 Step 5 - Adding the Bales 129
Idiosyncracies of Bales as a Step 6 - Pre-Surfacing
Construction Material 29 Preparation 131
Generic Constraints on Loadbearing Step 7 - Surfacing the Walls 131
Design 31 Step 8 - Finishing Touches 136
Moisture Protection Strategies 32
Mechanical and Electrical Systems Literature Cited 132
Etc. 32 Index 138
Introduction
Why We Wrote the 1st great deal has been learned about using bales
to make good buildings. Unfortunately, some
Edition of This Guide of the lessons have come from the "school of
hard knocks" (e.g., the flammability of loose
At some point in the yeasty revival of an straw, and even loose bales, under windy
"alternative" building method, the initial rapid conditions). On a more positive note, creative
pace of growth and change begins to slow practitioners around the world have come up
down a little. Experimentation and learning with new options, new techniques, and new
will continue, but there now exists a body of tools, many of which have been shared via
knowledge that has already been validated by The Last Strawthe journal of the straw-bale
experience. Desktop publishing provides an revival. We've been sticking notes about
economic way to start sharing such knowledge these things in manila folders until they
in printed form. It also allows future revision wouldn't hold any more. What clearer
and expansion on a timely basis. So until message from the universe can two reluctant
someone chooses to publish the official, writers get? So, until the folders get full
hard-backed, "complete and unabridged" bible again, here's our revised, expanded and
of straw-bale construction, here's grist for the (hopefully) improved Version 2.0.
mill from two battle-scarred practitioners.
chosen the non-loadbearing option study first overview drawing placed at the beginning of
the material about the loadbearing option. these two sections.
Having learned about building straw-bale Each Step, in both sections, starts off with
walls, they can then turn to the material on our attempt to describe succinctly the
the non-loadbearing option for information generalized Challenge the builder faces at this
about how to create a bale-superinsulated stage in the process. This approach reflects
framework. our vision of this guide as a resource for the
This said, let's look at what's different decision-making process you will step
about this second edition: through on the way from your first fantasies
Reductions. We have reduced the to the first (of many) housewarming parties.
coverage of some topics which can now be At each major step in this process, the
accessed elsewhere (e.g., testing and building decision-making context will be unique. The
codes). Challenge facing you will have many possible
Deletions. Because each year's Summer solutions. Your shaping of the right solution
Issue of The Last Straw will feature an for your unique situation will reflect many
updated, comprehensive directory of variables which only you can quantify or
straw-bale resources of all kinds, we have assess. Consider the following:
eliminated the appendices that provided only a your financial situation;
modest amount of such information in the your timetable;
first edition. "How-to" options that have regional and micro-climatic factors and
fallen out of general use have also been other physical characteristics of your building
eliminated. site;
Expansions. Using all this newly your own availability as a worker and
available space, and more, we have added to your skill level in various areas;
the coverage of many topics. Step 7, the availability of additional volunteer or
Surfacing the Walls has undergone major paid labor at various skill levels;
expansion. the depth of your concerns about the
Additions. We have added one totally sustainability, regional availability,
new item that we hope will be of great use to healthiness and life-cycle costs of various
our readersan Index. materials;
the degree to which you want to use your
How This Guide is time and labor to "buy" materials that have
little or no monetary cost;
Organized your personal comfort level for
cost-cutting innovation/greater risk as
We've divided the main body of the guide into opposed to typical overbuilding/greater
two parts: Part One deals with the things you security;
may want to know, think about or do before and, your aesthetic preferences, your
you build; Part Two takes you through the willingness to pay for them, and their
building process. For both the Loadbearing planetary costs.
Option and the Non-Loadbearing Option, we The uniqueness of this combination of site,
focus on the "model" structure depicted in the builder and building design suggests to us that
Page 3 Introduction
a "cookbook" approach will not best serve (author, year of publication) for them.
you, our readers. There is no one "right" way Complete citations are provided in the
to build a straw-bale structure or even to solve Literature Cited section near the end of the
the problems to be faced at any given stage in guide.
the process. However, equipped with: As you read this book you will encounter
a modicum of common sense; many places in which we refer you to an
a clear understanding of each Challenge article in a back issue of The Last Straw. We
and of the unique properties of these big, realize that for some readers this may result in
fuzzy bricks as a building material; frustration, but we could see only three
and, an array of options successfully used options:
by earlier builders. 1) lengthy, illustrated coverage that could
We can all hope to shape solutions that are stand alone;
uniquely "right" for us. As Amy Klippenstein 2) a brief description or small drawing,
and Paul Lacinski (1996) put it: "There are accompanied by a citation;
only individual solutions, arrived at by the 3) or, no coverage of the matter at all.
thoughtful synthesis of regional identity and Choosing 1) would have made the book too
personal need into buildings that work for the long and unconscionably expensive, while
inhabitants and the places where we chose to choosing 3) would have left it unacceptably
build them." incomplete. So we chose 2) as the least of
Each Challenge is followed by an arguably the evils, hoping that you will be able to do
chronological Walk-Through of the mini-steps one of the following:
that we envision taking you through this stage Borrow selected issues from a friend;
in the construction of the "model" building. find them at your local library or have
These are highlighted using the symbol "*". your library get them through interlibrary
Interspersed with these "model"-related loan;
mini-steps are chunks of predominantly or, buy the appropriate back issues.
non-visual, generic information relevant to the
decision-making required during this Step.
Following the Walk-Through you will find
Ways to Use this Book
textual and graphic coverage of an array of It's not heavy enough to be a good doorstop
options that have been used successfully by and the movie version isn't out yet, so you
straw-bale builders. Please note that our might as well read it. If you're new to
drawings are not necessarily "to scale", are not straw-bale, we recommend that you start at
presented as backed by any "engineering", and the beginning and slog straight on through.
are intended as general depiction of options, Just remember to breathe occasionally and
rather than "working drawings". stop to volunteer for wall-raisings. If you
Throughout the guide we have tried to already have experience building with bales,
focus on those aspects of plan development you may choose to use the Table of Contents
and construction made unique by the decision and/or the Index to go directly to what most
to "build it with bales". Rather than repeating interests you, buffet-style.
detailed information from other helpful
sources, we provide literature citations
Introduction Page 4
Virginia Carabelli's
straw-bale home
under construction
near Santa Fe, New
Mexico, spring
1991.
Virginia Carabelli's
straw-bale home
after completion,
autumn 1991.
Questions and Answers
bale, it being this trapped air that actually and wood, metal, or masonry, can only affect
provides most of the insulating value of baled this already small piece of the pie. The cost
straw. Another disadvantage of very dense increases due to wider foundations and greater
bales is that they become more difficult to required roof area will offset some or all of
penetrate with pins, stakes, dowels, etc., and these savings.
they become harder to lift and stack Real savings begin when the eventual
(especially noticeable with the larger three-tie owner and friends provide the labor for the
bales). Based on the above, the ideal bale for wall-raising, wall-surfacing and for interior
wall-building would have a calculated density finishing. Additional savings can result from
no greater than about 8.5 pounds per cubic the use of recycled materials and those that
foot [about 137 kg per cubic meter]. For cost little more than the owner's time (e.g.,
ceiling insulation, consider using the typically salvaged lumber, locally available stone and
lighter two-tie bales. They will add less to earth). Further savings result wherever the
the compressive load on the walls, and will owner-builder can substitute his/her own labor
provide more insulation value per unit of for paid labor or reduce costs by assisting a
thickness. paid tradesperson.
The Straw Bale Workbook (Holies 1996)
Q. What are loadbearing versus non- contains a wealth of useful information,
loadbearing straw-bale walls? especially for California builders. In Chapter
A. Loadbearing walls carry a share of the 5, the author provides a quantitative analysis
roof loads, both "dead" (i.e., roof/ceiling comparing the 30-year and 100-year
materials) and "live" (e.g., snow, humans). life-cycle costs for a conventionally built
Non-loadbearing walls, either because of the home with three straw-bale homes built with
roof shape or the presence of a varying levels of both owner-contributed labor
complementary framework, carry none of the and bank financing. Suffice it to say that the
roof weight. More on this later. bale buildings all had significantly lower
costs, for both the 30- and 100-year cycles.
Q. Is straw-bale construction, particularly But even if a straw-bale house does end up
when done with loadbearing walls (a.k.a. costing as much as its counterpart, we believe
Nebraska-style), inherently less costly? it will still be a better housequieter, more
A. A custom-designed straw-bale house energy-efficient, more joyful to live in and, if
built in mainstream fashion, by a contractor designed with this in mind, less costly to the
using only paid labor, cannot cost planet's ecological systems. For a brief look
significantly less than a frame or masonry at how straw-bale construction rates
house providing the same interior space. From ecologically, see Edminster (1997). For a
the standpoint of a cold-blooded, profit- 120-page report entitled Investigation of
margin-driven cost estimator, this is just an Environmental Impacts: Straw-bale
exterior wall system. The cost (labor and Construction contact Ann Edminster at 115
materials) attributable to the exterior walls of Angelita Ave., Pacifica, CA 94004 or by
modest homes generally accounts for only e-mail at <74200.746@compuserv.com>.
fifteen to twenty percent of the total project
cost. Using straw bales to replace insulation,
Introduction Page 10
Q. Okay, but what about termites? builders have used bales with lime
A. A house built of baled straw is at far incorporated into them or have dipped or
less risk than a wood-frame building, at least sprayed the bales using a lime slurry or borate
in North America and Canada, since virtually solution. Such measures may provide an
all the termites found there are specifically extra level of insurance if maintenance of the
evolved to tunnel into and eat solid wood. wall surfacings is poor.
Some builders do use some type of chemical
or biological strategy, however, if only to Q. Do I need to protect my stacked bales
protect wooden door and window frames and and/or exposed walls from musk oxen,
furniture. In areas where termites are a severe llamas, slow elk (a.k.a. cows), or other
problem, or where a species of grass-eating roaming ruminants?
termite is found, a metal termite shield should A.. Yes, you do. Only if very hungry
also be included in the foundation design. will they actually eat the straw, but the aroma
This is especially true when perimeter of the straw seems to suggest to them the
insulation is used, since termites use the presence of something tasty just a little further
insulation as an invisible corridor through into the bale. They'll use their horns and/or
which to reach the walls. teeth to remove straw and can do major
damage, especially at corners. If such critters
Q. All right, but what about spontaneous have access to your building site, you would
combustion in a baled straw wall? be well advised to fence it.
A. Spontaneous combustion can occur in
large, tight stacks of hay, baled while still too Q. Is straw-bale construction suitable for
green and wet. However, we have been able all climates?
to document no case of this occurring with A. The only serious enemy of straw is
straw bales stacked in a wall. prolonged exposure to water in liquid form,
since with sufficient moisture present, fungi
Q. Yeah, but what about fire? produce enzymes which break down the
A. As long as the bales are covered with cellulose in stems. High humidity, by itself,
plaster, a bale building will be extremely does not appear to be a problem, but few
fire-resistant. Exposed bales and loose straw historic examples exist from areas
will burn under certain circumstances, characterized by consistently high relative
however, so caution is advised (see page 18). humidity. However, one accessible example is
the Burritt Mansion, part of a city park in
Q. Then what about vermin (i.e., rodents Huntsville, Alabama. Built in 1930 in a
and insects)? Do the bales need any special climate characterized by high humidity and a
chemical treatment to protect against them? 50 inch [1.26 m] average annual rainfall, it
A. As in a frame structure, the secret lies seems to be doing very well. Walls exposed
in denying unwanted critters a way to get in to high humidity from within or without could
and out of your walls. Build so as to isolate experience condensation within the walls
the bales (including the tops of the walls) and during periods of extremely cold
then regularly check and repair the exterior temperatures. In such situations, moisture
and interior wall surfacing. A few modern barriers (in reality, barriers to the movement
Page 11 Introduction
of air and water vapor) are sometimes used. horizontal beams, which are attached to
They are most typically placed on, or within, vertical posts, which are themselves fastened
the inner surface of the exterior walls, the to the foundation. In a loadbearing bale
ceiling, and the floors. For guidance on structure, there are no vertical posts. The
building in cold or cold/wet climates, see "beams", in this type of building, can take
CMHC (1994), ACHP (1995), and Lstiburek many forms. When taken together, the
(1997). "beams" are called a "roof-bearing assembly",
Airtight designs for cold climates often or RBA. The roof structure is attached to the
require the use of an air exchanger to RBA, which is itself attached to the
maintain healthy indoor air quality and foundation.
humidity levels. The use of exhaust fans to
remove humid air from kitchens and Q. Does the use of bales impose
bathrooms is typical. limitations on the building design?
High rainfall can be dealt with by proper A. If a framework is used to carry the
design and detailing (e.g., adequate roof roof weight, the limitations are very few. One
overhangs, flashing at window and door could conceivably build a multi-storied
openings) and regular maintenance of the roof building with straw-bale infill or wrap a huge
and wall surfaces. Since thick bale walls are single-story building with non-loadbearing
highly insulative, the ideal climate for bale walls.
straw-bale construction may be semi-arid, However, if one wishes to use the walls to
with hot summers and cold winters, but carry the roof weight, the unique properties or
successful examples exist in a wide range of idiosyncrasies of bales and of bale walls must
climates. be given serious consideration. Historic
experience and structural testing suggest
Q. What about durability/longevity? reasonable limits on the following: 1) the
A. The evidence provided by existing hay maximum height of walls; 2) the maximum
and straw-bale structures built by Great Plains length of wall between buttresses or braces; 3)
homesteaders as early as 1 903 is irrefutable - the individual position and width of, and the
bale houses, if properly built and maintained, total area of, the openings in any one wall,
can have a useful lifespan of at least 90 years, and 4) the maximum compressive load on any
even in areas where high winds are common. square foot of wall-top area. For a detailed
Specialists in earthquake -resistant design have treatment of the constraints on the loadbearing
predicted that structures with properly pinned approach, see page 31.
bale walls will be unusually resistant to Where more space is required than can be
collapse due to earthquake-generated motion. comfortably provided by a single-story square
or rectangle (of acceptable length), builders
What keeps the roof of a straw-bale have turned to "bent rectangles" ( e.g.,
building from being lifted off by high winds? L-shapes, U-shapes or designs with fully
A. Some straw-bale buildings consist of a surrounded courtyards). Another strategy is to
"post and beam" framework wrapped (inside create additional living space under a
or out) or infilled with bales. In this situation, "sheltering roof (e.g., cathedral, gambrel).
the roof structure is firmly attached to the The use of bales does not automatically
Introduction Page 12
disqualify any particular roof shape. another and within a given company (from
However, many builders do try to avoid an one region to another). Ask straw-bale
essentially flat roof surrounded on four sides homeowners in your area where they got
by parapet walls (a style particularly popular financing or coverage.
in the southwestern U.S.). Such roofs are In regard to financing, a written resource
notorious for leaking, especially if the drain that may help you when things are looking
holes become plugged and the "bathtub" bleak is Empowering the Borrower by
longtime, alternative- construction guru, Eric
begins to fill up. For those willing to
Black (1996). Regarding insurance, an
sacrifice the parapet wall on one side,
independent broker can sometimes locate a
combining three parapets with a shed roof more adventurous carrier when the big guys
offers a possible compromise (see Some wimp out.
Standard Roof Shapes on page 75). The resale value of modern straw-bale
Whether or not they are loadbearing, bale homes is difficult to determine since very few
walls are invariably thicker than those have been put on the market. If, as we
resulting from standard frame or masonry predict, a strong demand for pre-owned
construction. In feeling, they more resemble straw-bale houses develops, the hesitancy of
double adobe or rammed earth walls. Unlike insurers and lenders will decrease
earth walls, they cannot practically be left accordingly. Hot spots like the Santa Fe,
permanently exposed, but a wide choice of New Mexico, area, Tucson, Arizona, and
coverings can be used (e.g., cement-, lime-, Crestone, Colorado, will be the places to
gypsum-, or clay-based plasters, gunite, metal watch.
or vinyl siding, wood paneling or sheathing,
gypsum-based panels [e.g., sheetrock, Q. Will a straw-bale house cost less to
drywall]). Many bale buildings have the heat and cool than a typical frame or masonry
exterior walls surfaced differently on the house, assuming comparable interior size,
inside than on the outside. shape, ceiling insulation and solar
orientation?
A. To provide more than a trivial answer
Q. What about obtaining construction
to this question, we need to introduce the
insurance and a building loan convertible to a
concept of R-values (called RSI-values where
mortgage? Do such houses have normal
the metric system is used). These are
resale value and can potential buyers get
numerical values which provide a quantitative
financing?
measure of the resistance of a material or wall
A. The early straw-bale houses were
uninsured, pay-as-you-build structures, system to the transfer of heat through it by
sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity. conduction (i.e., a measure of the degree of
As the technique has gained credibility with insulation it provides). The R-value per inch
building officials, lenders and insurers, it has of thickness of dry, baled straw, for example,
become easier, generally speaking, to get is on the order of 2.5 to 3 [RSI of 0.44 to
permits, financing and insurance. 0.53], very close to that for fiberglass batts.
Unfortunately, the attitude toward straw- Since thick house walls of dense materials
bale construction can differ greatly from one (e.g., concrete, rammed earth) maintain
place to another, from one company to interior comfort levels much better than their
Page 13 Introduction
: Site | ;
I-58'I 1-49'-!
Wi IE
property Fine
H
Starting with Bales
Hay versus Straw "Vital Statistics"
The term "hay" is used to describe the
material which results from cutting certain for Bales
plants while still green and allowing them to
partially dry before removing them from the
field. Stored in stacks or bales until needed,
this nutritive product is fed to animals.
Contrast this with "straw", the dry, dead
stems of plants, generally cereal grains, that is
sometimes removed from the field after the
seed heads have been harvested. The majority
of this low-value, nutrition-poor by-product is
* The weights given are ideal, not
burned or tilled into the soilonly a small necessarily typical.
percentage of that which is available is baled.
Although baled meadow hay has been used by
both historic and a few modern builders, straw final resort due to its low tensile strength and
is the preferred (and generally cheaper) susceptibility to rot. Builders have commonly
material. used either two- or three-tie bales in
non-loadbearing designs, and have used them
laid both "flat" and "on edge". For designs
Bale Options with loadbearing bale walls, most builders try
Bales come in a variety of sizes and shapes, to use the more-compact, wider, three-tie
but those most commonly used for building bales laid "flat", rather than the narrower,
are the small rectangular bales. These come two-tie bales. Successful examples do exist,
with either two or three ties, and the ties may however, of structures with loadbearing,
be wire, polypropylene twine or natural fiber two-tie bales laid "flat", and loadbearing,
twine. Consult the diagram (next column) for three-string bales laid "on edge".
"vital statistics". Although two-tie bales are
virtually always 14 inches [35.6 cm] high,
three-tie bales come either 14, 15, or 16
The Ideal,
inches [35.6, 38.1, 40.6 cm] high. Don't
assume, because the 16 inch [40.6 cm] height
Building-Grade Bale
is the most common, that your bales will This hypothetical super-bale would be:
necessarily come with this dimension. drythe drier the better. At a moisture
Builders have generally favored content below about 20% (calculated as a
polypropylene twine as a tying material percentage of the total weight of the bale),
because it cannot rust, but wire runs a close virtually none of the species of fungal spores
second. Natural fiber twine is considered a commonly present in straw can reproduce and
cause the straw to break down.
Page 15 Starting with Bales
Starting with Bales Page 16
free from seed heads that would an easily calculated substitute for degree of
encourage rodents to inhabit the walls should compaction.
the wall surfacing not be properly maintained. In non-loadbearing designs, the degree of
about twice as long as it is wide. Such compaction is much less critical, since the
bales, when laid "flat", will lay up with a true bales are braced against forces perpendicular
"running bond", where each vertical joint to the wall surfaces by the roof-bearing
between two adjacent bales in a course will framework. The code for the State of New
fall at the midpoint of the bales above and Mexico for non-loadbearing construction
below the joint. requires only that the bales can be picked up
made up of stems at least 10 inches [25 by one string without deforming.
cm] long and which are still tubular. When a If the bale walls will be carrying the roof
flake about 3 inches [7.6 cm] wide is load, the degree of compression will affect the
separated from such a bale, it will maintain its stiffness of the pinned walls and their
rectangular shape when lifted and moved. resistance to wind and seismic loads. It will
Avoid bales consisting of short, shattered also influence the total amount of wall
stems that won't hold together as a flake or compaction resulting from a given load, per
that abrade easily at the corners. They are square foot, on the top of the wall and the
messy (fire hazard!), tend to lose their outside time required for it to be completed.
strings, and may not have fully as much This is all good to know, but still leaves us
structural integrity as bales with longer stems. needing a way to easily determine the average
Also, avoid bales that have been reconstituted "calculated density" (CD) of our bales to see
into smaller bales from large round or if it exceeds some accepted, minimum value.
rectangular bales. The standard procedure has been to weigh a
consistent in size, shape and degree of given bale and to then estimate, using a
compaction with its neighbors. Such bales measuring tape and several small pieces of
will make it easier to build straight, relatively plywood, the dimensions of an "envelope
smooth-surfaced walls of uniform height. rectangle" that would snugly enclose that bale.
This, in turn, minimizes the amount of Each dimension in inches and eighths (e.g.,
bale-tweaking needed to remove excessive 46-3/8"), needs then to be converted to inches
irregularity. It also decreases the amount of and decimal inches. To do this, divide the
plaster, if this is being used, that will be numerator of the fractional inches by the
needed to achieve the desired amount of wall denominator (e.g., 3 divided by 8 equals
smoothness. 0.375") and add this to the whole inches (e.g.,
46.375"). Now multiply the converted length,
sufficiently compact for its intended use.
width and height and divide the result by
This proves to be easier to suggest than to
1728 (the number of cubic inches in a cubic
provide standards for. Until some
foot). Divide this result into the weight of the
inexpensive, easy-to-construct, standard
bale (in pounds) to obtain the CD in pounds
device has been adopted to physically
per cubic foot. [Metric CD in kilograms per
measure the degree of compaction of baled
cubic meter = weight of bale in kg / length in
plant stems, we're stuck with using density
m X width in m X height in m.]
(loosely defined as weight per unit volume) as
Page 17 Starting with Bales
will sometimes load and deliver, but trans- distance from the building. This is an
portation is generally provided by important job that even very small people can
independent truckers. help with.
The cost per bale, bought retail in small The surface of a compact bale will not
quantities at a "feed store", is often normally support combustion once the "fuzz"
significantly higher than the price that can be has burned off. The least flammable,
negotiated, through the feed store or the exposed-bale wall will therefore be the one
producer, for a larger quantity. Other potential with the most dense, least "fuzzy" bales.
sources of information on bale suppliers Even then, two other danger spots exist where
include state agricultural agencies, county "flakes" have been used to fill gaps between
agricultural agents, race tracks, zoos, and the bales and where loose straw has been stuffed
summer "resource" issues of The Last Straw. into the openings left where bales butt up
against each other. Capping the loose straw
Flammability and Fire at these locations with a mixture of straw and
mud ("cob") will eliminate the danger they
Retardants present.
Testing by a certified laboratory (see SBCA
1994) has clearly established that a straw-bale Filling the Gaps
wall, while protected by plaster, is at least as with Cob
fire resistant as a wood frame wall similarly
. protected. Exposed straw, however, like
wood and other cellulosic materials, will
support combustion under certain
circumstances.
The time period between getting the walls
up and getting them surfaced constitutes a
significant window of vulnerability. This
needs to be taken seriously, as several
unfortunate straw-bale builders have learned
the hard way, by losing their buildings to fire
during the construction process (e.g., The Last
Straw, Issue 13, page 34 and Issue 16, page One additional danger relates to string-tied
16). bales stacked on edge. Flames moving up the
The greatest potential for fire lies not in the wall can easily destroy the strings, releasing
bales, but in loose straw that is allowed to loose straw to further fuel the fire.
accumulate on the site, particularly during the Another obvious way to reduce the risk of
wall-raising. Under windy conditions, flames fire is to keep the work site free from all
will spread rapidly through a layer of dry, possible sources of ignition. Activities to be =
loose straw. Fortunately, this danger can be avoided/prevented would include:
easily eliminated by repeatedly raking or
smoking;
sweeping up the loose straw, stuffing it into
welding of any kind;
plastic garbage bags and storing it at a safe
Page 19 Starting with Bales
any grinding or cutting that will produce no specific recipe to provide. If you try it and
sparks (i.e., tiny fragments of red-hot metal); like it, send us some specifics for version
and, arson. three.
Although there have been only a few fires Fire retardant solutions have usually been
for which arson has been the likely cause, it is applied to the bale walls with spraying
clear that exposed straw-bale walls conjure up equipment. The options for do-it-yourselfers
the possibility of fire in a way that an include paint sprayers or power weed sprayers
exposed, dimension-lumber frame does not. that are available at equipment rental centers
hi situations where the risk of arson is greatest or a hand-pressurized, backpack sprayer.
(e.g., certain inner-city neighborhoods), the Using a plasterer's "hopper gun" would allow
builder might want to: a little clay to be added to the borax/boric
put a fence around the site; acid solution. The clay, besides bonding the
maintain a continuous presence (human or chemicals to the straw, has a fire retardant
guard dog); effect of its own. An alternative to spraying
shorten the period during which the bale is dipping one or more surfaces of the bales
walls are left unsurfaced, by pre-stressing the into a fire retardant solution. This will
walls (see page 73) or by using a non- provide greater penetration than spraying.
loadbearing design (see page 21); With proper precautions, such as those
and/or treat the bales, or bale walls, with outlined above, you should never have to
a fire retardant chemical (see next paragraph). fight a fire on your building site, but be
ready to fight the fire that somehow gets ffl
Commercially available retardants like
started anyway. An adequate water supply,
Nochar's "Fire Preventer" (call 317-573-4860)
delivered with good pressure, provides the
or Northeast Fireshield's "Inspecta-Shield"
best defense. The hoses should be long
(call 516-563-0960) are effective but
enough to reach all the way around your
relatively expensive. For a less expensive
building, to the side furthest from the water
alternative, some builders have used a
source, without having to be run closer than
saturated solution of borax and boric acid
about twenty feet to any wall.
(both in granular form) dissolved in hot water.
Heating the water enables more of the borax
to be dissolved, and the boric acid counteracts Bale Composition
the caustic, corrosive nature of the borax. For The straws of the common cereal grains are
maximum strength, keep the water hot during very similar in chemical composition to each
both the mixing and the application. Typical other and to the common soft woods. They all
mixes have involved 1 part by volume boric consist mainly of cellulose, hemi-cellulose
acid to 2 parts borax, both of which are and lignin. It is far more important that the
readily available at chemical supply houses bales be dry and compact than that they be
(e.g., Hills Brothers, a national chain). An wheat rather than oats. Even Sudan grass,
additional side benefit of the borax is that it is grass straw, bean stalks, and the stems of milo
an effective fungicide. (a type of sorghum) have been baled and used
Aluminum sulfate (commonly called alum) successfully for building.
has also shown promise as a simple, home-
brewed fire retardant, although we could find
Starting with Bales Page 20
600-
500
100
"Structural" hybrids are those in which Designs of this type must take into
both compressive straw-bale walls and consideration the fact that the bale walls will
non-compressive walls/frameworks, made with compress, lowering the RBA and changing the
other materials, carry roof weight. Combining pitch of the roof. In a building involving a
both of these wall types in a design can release heavy roof system, long rafter spans and
you from some of the constraints, or spongy bales, the problem could be significant.
disadvantages, of each. In a single story In a full, two-story structure, this could
building this could mean, for example, a mean, for the first story, an engineered,
central adobe wall carrying half of the roof "post-and-beam" framework (wrapped or
load, with the other half shared by two exterior infilled with bales) topped with a deck. Upon
loadbearing straw-bale walls. Or it could this deck, for a second story, could sit
mean a shed-roofed building with lots of full-height, loadbearing straw-bale walls
windows in a "post-and-beam" framework on capped with a roof. Or, it could mean a full,
the south side, and a loadbearing bale wall on designed-to be-lived-in basement, with a
the north side. loadbearing bale building on top of it.
"Structural" Hybrids
custom inverted
partial loft
truss
straw-bale
stairway loadbearing support for ridge
walls, back
and sides straight or beam, or central
deck |
circular walls pole in circular
rammed rain-water storage structure
puddled adobe,
or cob
Page 23 Three Basic Approaches
"Compositional" hybrids are those in example, a building with a gable roof carried
which the "combination" is primarily that of by two straw-bale walls, where the end walls
different materials. This could mean, for are an infill of cordwood and colored bottles.
"Compositional" Hybrids
loadbearing
cordwood wall
(see Roy 1992)
loadbearing cable tie to
circular bale resist outward
wall thrust or use 7^straw-bale infill
earth wall central pole
rammed-earth
tire foundation support where
rafters meet
Pit House Cordwood/Straw Bale
"Temporal" Hybrids-
Retrofit Type
A - B
metal skin- wooden or
on steel straw-bale "metal post
frame insulation ~
1989 and 1996, Good Wood Alliance 1996, to build will dictate, in many cases,
Mumma 1997)T transportation patterns. Energy use and
Choose materials with the lowest pollution from driving cars far outweighs the
potential toxicity (Bower 1993, Marinelli and energy use in buildings, so even the most
Bierman-Lytle 1995, Venolia 1995, Steen and efficient building can be undermined if the
Steen 1997c). If the structure will house occupants are set up for long
someone who is environmentally commutes...Building location also affects the
hypersensitive, see CMHC (1995). wildlife and habitat of its immediate
Do all or part of the building yourself (or surroundings. Remote, self-sufficient,
as a family effort). off-the-grid homes are often the first
Pay for the building as you go, as you intrusions into pristine wilderness areas, but
can. Imagine no mortgage payments and, they are rarely the last."
particularly, no interest payments. That When you have finally chosen your lot or
would be another galaxy, and a kinder, gentler parcel, you will need to select the specific
one at that. spot for your building(s). On a small lot, you
You will find additional philosophical may have little latitude in positioning your
underpinnings for these imperatives in building. Given a larger piece of land, careful
Alexander (1979), Kern (1975), and in Henry study of the whole piece will probably reveal
David Thoreau's classic, Walden. several possible sites where the footprint of
your "destruction zone" will do the least
Site Selection damage to the land and the other living things
that will share this land with you. All
Considerations construction involves destruction, but why
damage a really beautiful spot, with great
The term "site selection" seems to wildlife habitat, when you can pick an already
automatically conjure up the idea of locating damaged, or less healthy site, that you can
and buying a piece of land out in the middle restore to health after building on it? The
of some beautiful chunk of uninhabited landscaping you later do around your home
country and building a new house on it. We can provide both energy-saving seasonal
would ask you to instead consider staying shade, and habitat for the wildlife whose land
put, "outsulating" your existing home with claim predates yours. Having identified a
bales, and/or adding onto it with bales, or number of such potential sites, one can then
razing it and replacing it with a straw-bale try measuring each site against a list of
house, or building on a vacant lot within an characteristics of the "ideal" building site for
existing community (see Sanders 1993). the type of design you envision.
Consider helping to make an urban For a "floor-on-earth", single-level design,
neighborhood more whole, more vital and here are some possible characteristics:
more healthy, rather than unintentionally
The views are attractive to you (could
making a rural ecosystem less so. Where you
mean vast or restricted), and don't destroy
build can be as important to planetary
some neighbor's views.
sustainability as what you build with. As
Access to the site is reasonable.
Nadav Malin (1995a), of Environmental
There is a reasonably flat area big
Building News, sees it, "...Where we choose
Page 27 Developing a Plan
Bales, can come tied with a number of removed by evaporation. That same straw,
different materials, including rustable, however, if kept wet for a sufficient length of
non-galvanized wire, polypropylene twine and time at temperatures above a certain level,
a variety of natural fiber twines. Our general will turn into a non-structural, slimy mush.
concerns must be that the tie material be Under wet, humid conditions, you may need
strong, resistant to rust or rot where exposed to wrap the whole exterior with a waterproof,
repeatedly to damp plaster, and not attractive preferably breathable, material until you are
to rodents. Even if the bales are being laid ready to put in place the "permanent"
flat (so that the ties are within the wall), the surfacing. So, are you willing to commit the
ti^ will be exposed where bale ends form a time, energy, materials, and maintenance
corner and, to a lesser extent, where bales butt needed to ensure that your bales are properly
against a door or window frame. If wire-tied protected, from the time of delivery until the
bales are being used, backup ties of building they go into is ready for recycling?
galvanized wire or polypropylene twine can If not, a more water-tolerant building material
be added before bales are laid at such may be a wiser, safer choice for you.
locations, or the exposed wires can be spray To our knowledge, all successful, purely
painted with a rust-inhibiting paint. In loadbearing bale-wall designs to date have
general, polypropylene twine is favored over been limited to a single story, and the bales
regular baling wire by many builders and have almost without exception been laid flat.
fiber-tied bales are avoided. However, some single-story designs have used
If simplicity and speed of stacking is a a sheltering gable, gambrel, or hipped roof to
major goal, the design should involve only provide additional living space. And, hybrid
full and half bales. This is possible only if designs (see page 22) offer the possibility of
the bales are about twice as long as they are even three livable levels (e.g., basement, first
wide and if all openings are some whole- floor, and space under the roof). For designs
number multiple of half of the of this type, where structural considerations
effective bale length (see Finalizing the loom large, you would be well-advised to
Design on page 34). have an engineer review, or even put their
stamp on, your design.
Under normal circumstances, the only
Finally, bales can be easily (1) divided to
enemies that the bales have are the ever-
create custom bales of various lengths and
present fungi. Even these are harmless if
shapes, (2) sculpted to create rounded corners
the bales remain dry, but in the presence of
or edges, wall niches and bas-relief decorative
sufficient, liquid moisture the enzymes they
elements, and (3) bent for use in curved
produce can gradually break down the straw.
walls.
The contract that you make with your bale
walls to protect them from water (i.e.,
liquid water), is irrevocable. The
consequences of failure to live up to the
contract are considerable, especially in a
loadbearing design. An unsurfaced wall,
whose top is protected, can survive repeated
wettings, as long as the water can quickly be
Page 31 Developing a Plan
structure as loadbearing elements and/or as out the building you have designed and create
thermal mass. It might also suggest including the foundations. A time-honored resource for
generous roof overhangs or porches to this step is Roskind (1983). For a flat site
increase the harvesting surface and a simple this may be as simple as scraping the surface
roof design that can be easily equipped with to remove vegetation, loose soil and roots. If
gutters. the site slopes, varying amounts of cutting and
filling can be done by hand, or with
Developing a Building machinery, to create a level pad large enough
the length of each wall in the first course length" can also be used to finalize the width
layout, with that of the same wall in the of openings. Bales can also be stacked in
second layout. This will show you whether wall-high vertical columns to determine the
you have one of the potentially problematic "effective bale height". This figure is useful
layouts mentioned above. Dominoes work in finalizing door and window frame heights.
beautifully for experimenting with possible You should now prepare scaled drawings
bale layouts, if your bales will be about twice (where a certain distance as measured on the
as long as they are wide. Otherwise, you can drawing equals a certain actual distance) of
cut properly scaled shapes from various the bale layout for courses one and two.
materials (e.g., cardboard boxes). Except for the presence of window and
Once you have made a final decision on the doorway openings, all odd-numbered courses
bale layout for your floor plan, you can work will be repeats of course one and all
out the width and location of doors and even-numbered courses will mirror course
windows. Then make a sketch of the first two. A scale of one-quarter inch equals one
course layout to record these decisions. foot is commonly used in countries not using
Finalize the exact dimensions of the the metric system.
foundation, using an assumed bale length or Create sketches of each wall (a.k.a.
a measured effective bale length. If the elevations), showing all courses and the
approximate upper limit on bale length is location of each bale and all openings. You
known, for the specific bales to be used, you can use these drawings a little later when
can finalize the foundation dimensions using building your model
the chosen bale layout and this length. For Select a roof shape. In all probability,
three-tie bales, a four-foot [1.22 m] module is you will have already been comparing the
often used. Since few bales will approach various options for roof shapes (see the
this upper length limit, occasional flakes of drawings on page 75), weighing a variety of
loose straw will have to be used to fill small factors related to cost, climate, esthetics,
gaps as the bales are laid up. This is quickly regional styles, etc. But now you've got to
and easily done and does not significantly pick a favorite to try on your model, as you
weaken the walls. proceed to the next step.
Another common approach, if you are Make a model. Architects and
lucky enough to already have your bales, is to building professionals are trained to
determine the "effective bale length". This is effectively use two-dimensional drawings to
done by arranging ten, randomly selected represent three-dimensional buildings. For
bales butted snugly end to end in a straight the rest of us ordinary mortals, models can
line. With short boards held vertically against reveal a world of problems and solutions.
the ends of the arrangement, the distance Nearly true-scale micro-bales can be
between the inside surfaces of the two boards purchased from craft supply stores. Exactly
is measured and divided by ten. The resulting true-scale bales can be handmade from 1/2*
number, in decimal inches or meters, is the [1.3 cm] or 1" [2.5 cm] expanded polystyrene
"effective bale length". Seasoned builders insulation board (the high-density variety cuts
often add a quarter of an inch to provide a more cleanly) or wood. These enable you to
little cushion. The halved "effective bale build a scale model of your building on the
Developing a Plan Page 36
kitchen table and get most of the glitches out which has been successfully used for
of the design before things get too real (see modeling straw-bale "cyberhomes" is 3-D
Feirer 1986). Home Architect (manufactured by
Broderbund).
To-Scale, Styrofoam or Wooden Finalize the design of the roof/ceiling
system, including the choice of RBA.
Three-tie Mini-bales for Modeling*
Having modeled one or more options for roof
1 1/2" or 3/4" shape, and having made your final choice, you
= about 23" can now work out the rest of the details
related to the larger roof/insulation/ceiling
l " o r 1/2" RBA system.
= about 16"
Finalize the elevations. This includes
finalizing the location, number and nature of
doors and windows and the design of the
rough frames for them. Remember the
* For two-tie mini-bales: 1" or 1/2" = about 14"v 1 1/4" or 5/8" = importance of the highly insulated "thermal
about 18"; 2 9/16" or 1 3/16" = about 36". For metric system envelope" in your superinsulation strategy.
users: have the thickness of your foamboard equal the bale height.
One of your structure's biggest "nosebleeds",
energy-wise, will be the doors and windows.
The individual "bales" can be stacked and Despite extensive Research & Development,
pinned (with glue, toothpicks or the the R-value of even the most expensive doors
equivalent), and the RBA and structural roof and windows does not begin to approach that
elements (e.g., rafters, trusses) can be of a bale wall. Even so, it does make long-
modeled with balsa wood purchased from a term sense to purchase units that provide
store providing art or hobby modeling double or triple the R-value of the low-cost
supplies. units. For valuable counsel, consult Carmody
A different, faster option for modeling the et al. (1996). Don't be penny-wise, (energy)
bale walls is to use correctly dimensioned dollar foolish when you shop for doors and
pieces of 1" [2.5 cm] thick insulation board to windows!
represent whole walls. The seams between Using the model (or if you didn't build one,
the bales are represented by a grid of lines the scaled drawings that you made of the bale
drawn onto the wall panels. layouts for the first and second courses), you
Another option, for those of us who are can now proceed to prepare a scaled vertical
"three-dimensionally challenged", is the wall-map (i.e., an "elevation") of each wall,
"cybermodel". Software programs abound showing the placement of each bale and half
that enable you and your trusty computer to bale, all frames (for doors, windows,
reduce your two-dimensional, architectural evaporative coolers, etc.) and lintels (if any),
visions to bits of bytes, or whatever they are. as viewed from the outside (don't ever stand
The computer can then create a three- inside the building when using one of these
dimensional model that can be viewed on the maps to position a niche or opening). These
screen of your monitor from various angles, from maps are invaluable during the wall-raising
both within and without. One piece of software and should be posted in front of each wall for
Page 37 Developing a Plan
weighted down. Silver-colored tarps that are wire-tied balestwo more reasons to
somewhat longer-lasting (i.e., more resistant minimize the time gap between the
to ultraviolet light) are available from many availability of the year's new batch of bales
suppliers (e.g., Northern, 800-535-5545). and the date of your wall-raising.
Ideally, the edges of the tarp are somehow
held slightly out from the sides of the stack, Whew!
creating a drip edge. See the diagram below At long last, you should be able to send out
for one option. In extremely wet climates, invitations for your wall-raising and to
especially if wind-driven rain is common, the tentatively schedule the other activities in the
sides of the stack may need to wrapped before sequence that will lead to a finished building.
the top is covered. In this case, be sure that Veteran builders factor in Murphy's Law,
the top edge of the side-wrapping is delays in the arrival of materials, bad weather,
sufficiently overlapped, on the outside, by the that unannounced three-week visit by your
upper covering. A breathable housewrap in-laws, the flu, etc. For each major work
material would be ideal as a side-wrap. effort, list out the people and equipment that
Here's a final note on storage that relates you'll need, and figure out how you're going
not to water, but to the length of time the to get them. Don't schedule move-in or the
bales have been stored. The longer the housewarming party quite yet. You'll have
storage, the greater the mouse population. plenty of time to do this later as light begins
This means visible effects of tunneling and to appear at the end of the tunnel.
the likelihood that they'll chew through an
occasional string in the process (not so with And now, into the breach we go!
weighted bag to
hold down tarp
shipping pallets
Step 1. Foundations
Challenge! to create a stable, durable base that will minimize the likelihood of
water reaching the bales from below and of stress being put on the wall-surfacing materials.
help you remember to place, and to position shorten them. Since the "effective bale length"
accurately, all the hardware, use your detailed, of typical 3-tie bales is close to, but very
scaled, foundation drawing (the plan, or "from seldom greater than 48 inches [1.22 m], many
above", view), as a guide. Measure carefully builders use this as a standard module for
and mark on the forms where every item of calculating the exact dimensions of their
hardware is to go and as soon as they are in, foundation. Based on the width of the actual
use the drawing to double check. bales you use, the width of any concrete collar
* Trowel the area the bales will sit on to a or "toe-up" platform will be about 18 in. [45.7
flat, relatively smooth surface, then keep moist cm] for 2-tie bales and about 23 in. [58.4 cm]
for a maximum-strength cure. Any concrete for 3-tie bales, including the width of any
that will remain exposed should be troweled to waterproof perimeter insulation, assuming that
the desired finish at this time. the bales are laid "flat".
* To provide protection against the sharp
edge left by the rebar cutter at the top end of
the imbalers, you may want to temporarily
Building Layout
cover them with plastic jugs, beverage cans, The purpose of layout is to accurately establish
"dead" tennis balls or the like. the location of the corners of the outside edge
* After removing the formwork, modify the of the element (e.g., slab, grade beam, wooden
ground surface to assure good drainage away deck) on which the bottom course of bales will
from the foundation. rest (see diagram next page).
The use of batter boards and string lines
enables the builder to reestablish these corner
Dimensioning Your points even though corner pins initially placed
in the ground have been disturbed or removed.
Foundation By positioning the horizontal cross-members of
As discussed earlier under Finalizing Your the batter boards at the same elevation (using,
Design, most builders choose not to use for example, a commercial hose level kit and a
foundation dimensions that are arbitrary or carpenter's level), the strings can then also be
based on some non-bale-related module. They used as a "bench mark" from which one can
do this to avoid having to create many measure down to establish the correct depth of
custom-length bales in each course and to a trench or the correct height of formwork for
avoid having these shortened bales break up the containing poured concrete. Since small errors
"running bond" (where each bale overlaps the can be cumulative during the building process,
two bales below it by nearly equal amounts). it make sense to insure that the layout
The preferred approach is to let the chosen accurately reflects the dimensions and shape
bale layout for the first course and the shown on your final drawings. However, most
"effective bale length" (see page 35) dictate the straw-bale builders feel comfortable with
length and width measurements for whatever diagonals (comer-to-corner measurements) that
platform the bales will sit on. It's better to differ by as much as a half inch.
have this "foundation" slightly oversized in References we can recommend for building
terms of the length dimensions, since stuffing layout are Jackson (1979) and Law (1982b).
loose "flakes" of straw into occasional small
gaps is much easier than rerying bales to
Foundations Page 45
Building Layout
Masonry string
wire "U"
brick tie
nail H /
concrete nails t_
wooden stakes or
round metal form
stakes
External Tie-Down
Options:
banding/strapping, cables,
heavy wire, rebar, stucco
Dry rubble Short piece of strapping or banding netting
footing with (polyester preferred, or metal) in Internal Tie-down Option:
drain foundation for later connection to "all-thread" rod and coupling
external tie-down system. Protect at nuts (for more detail on both
sharp corners. Bent conduit, recycled types, see page 71)
garden hose, or drip irrigation tubing
can be placed in the concrete as sleeves
for later threading of strapping or cable.
STAGE 1 STAGE 2
rebar-spiked spacer
Page 47 Foundations
beam
grade
circular
cardboard
(reinforcement form
as appropriate)
tampedjg;
gravel ^
option \d poured concrete pad (thickness
Low Tech Idea for Unusual Conditions: accept reality and choose another building site.
Sizing Openings
1. Modify bales to fit around the rough frames 3. As in # 2, make frames to fit the bale-modular
built for arbitrarily positioned, standard opening. Then, make a second, perhaps lighter,
windows or pre-hung doors. internal frame to fit a standard window or pre-hung
2. Make frames to fit openings dictated by the door. The space difference between the smaller
one-half bale module and the bale height module. internal frame and the larger bale-modular opening
Doors and windows will probably have to be custom can be used to create angled openings on the interior
made if the full opening is to be used. or exterior. See the diagram on page 56 (middle
right) for details.
1 1 1 1 1
1 1
1. 2. 3. ]
1 1
Lintel Options
Integral Option They extend out on to the bale walls and
In this option, the upper member of the transfer the load from above, onto the bales
frame is a built-in (a.k.a. integral) lintel, on either side of the opening. They can be
rigid enough to carry the load from above located at the top of the wall, as in the case
without deforming (bending). This load is where a rigid roof bearing assembly (RBA)
transferred by the side members to the acts also as a lintel across openings. They
foundation (in the case of a door frame), or can also be located immediately above the
to the bottom member, which transfers it to frame, as in the case of an angle-iron lintel
the bales below (in the case of a window (see the diagram for the Non-loadbearing
frame). In terms of compressive load (load Door Frame and Lintel on page 55, upper
from above), the frame replaces the bales right). In such cases, the lintels should
left out to create the opening. Therefore, extend out onto the walls at least one-half
they cause no increase in the load carried by the width of the opening, and no less than 2
the columns of bales on either side of the feet [61 cm]. They are not commonly used
opening. This option is illustrated on page for openings more than 4 feet [1.22 m] wide
55, lower left. and are most often used in non-loadbearing
walls. Separate lintels always increase the
Separate Option load carried by the bale columns adjacent to
Separate lintels are not part of the frame. the openings they span.
How sturdy a particular frame needs to be assembly (RBA) above the opening;
will depend primarily on how much whether the opening is in a loadbearing
compressive load it will carry. This can or non-loadbearing wall;
vary from a lot (imagine a wide opening in a the distance between the loadbearing
loadbearing wall that is carrying half the walls and the weight per square foot of the
weight of a tile-surfaced roof that sits on a roof/ceiling/insulation system;
non-rigid roof bearing assembly) to nothing the weight of the RBA;
(imagine a non-loadbearing wall with a and, maximum anticipated live load
modest opening spanned by an angle-iron (e.g., snow).
lintel).
In order to design a frame that can carry
its particular load without deforming, while
using no more materials than necessary, this Channel-Block Lintel in a
load must be calculated or "guesstimated".
Engineers and architects use charts which Daylighted Basement
relate both load and span lengths to
deformation. Don't hesitate to use their
expertise if you are uneasy about making
these decisions yourself, particularly if you
want wide openings in loadbearing walls. plaster-
Another approach is to assess the factors
affecting the load at that opening, make a , decking
ballpark estimate of the load situation on a
-floor joist
scale from 1 (no load) to 10 (really heavy metal drip edge
load), and then err on the side of caution. rebar-reinforced
Many successful, simple, loadbearing channel-block lintel
structures have been built with frame/lintel
systems designed this way by their owner- window frame of
builders. waterproof pressure-treated
A list of factors that can affect the load on foamboard lumber
a given frame would include: insulation
grouted concrete block
the width of the opening; (or poured concrete, or
All-Weather wood)
whether there will be a separate
(non-integral) lintel above the frame; don't neglect to basement wall: furring,
the number of courses of bales (if any) waterproof insulation, and dry wall
there are above the frame; outside of wall, can be added to convert
the relative rigidity of the roof-bearing as appropriate to living space
Page 55 Door & Window Frames
if load requires,
add center stud" r i 2 " [30cm]
\r peg
/erhang = 1/2
e width of ,'
\ above
and below
pening with 24"
1 cm] minimum '-'?
\
leave gap to
2" X 4" accomodate
[5X 10 cm]-
expanded settling
metal lath
^--f
2" X 10-12"
[5 X 25-30 cm]
holes for /
foundation bolts -^
pressure-treated
Option: 2" X 4" [5 X 10 cm] Option: metal
lumber if on concrete bolted to foundation bracket/angle-iron
Concrete, above-ground
collar as toe-up
Window Frame with Integral
Box Beam Lintel and Bottom RBA As Lintel
wooden RBA (or concrete
beam) can act as lintel
non-loadbearing
frame
; See page 128 for same frame design, different use. ** See also page 59.
Step 3. Raising the Walls
' c l C l l g C I to create sound walls that match your expectations for function and
form, in a way that reflects your interest in human interaction.
overlap by shortening a bale. the foundation before any bales are laid, but
If corner guides are not being used, make window frames, except in the rare case where
diligent use of a carpenter's level (attached to they will sit on the foundation, cannot be set
the edge of a straight board) to maintain in place until the proper wall height is
verticality at the corners, the only part of the reached. After a waterproof covering has been
walls impossible to mechanically "tweak" (I.e., placed over the wall at the correct location
bash, pound, or push into place) after they are along the length of the wall, the frame can be
finished. Since corners typically end up positioned within the wall width as previously
sloping slightly outward, some builders try to determined. Many choose to maximize the
slope the tops of the walls slightly inward at interior sill-shelf, and minimize potential
the corners to compensate for this water damage, by mounting the windows
phenomenon. essentially flush to the outside surface. An
3 Temporarily brace any long, tall walls,
exception might be south-facing windows, in a
especially in windy regions. One simple and design without roof overhangs, where small
effective system for bracing such walls is windows can be shaded from summer sun by
shown below. placement to the inside, above a well-sloped
and well-waterproofed exterior sill (see the
bottom diagram on page 56). Whatever
Temporary placement is chosen, the frames should then
2X4
Bracing [5 X 10 cm]
be braced as needed to keep them safely
upright. Using a bubble level, check the
bottom, horizontal member of each frame to
ensure that it is level and stays that way as
the wall goes up. Shim under it as needed.
It's surprisingly easy, if bale frenzy creeps -
in, to forget to put in a window frame at the
right time and/or place. To avoid such
rope or wire cross-tie embarrassing lapses of attention, post
enlarged versions of your wall maps (see page
If your design includes long, and/or tall 36, bottom right) in front of each wall, outside
walls, you may also want to incorporate one the building. One easy option for posting is
or more horizontal or vertical elements to to stack several bales, put the map on this
stiffen or buttress them. To be effective in a "table ", and cover it with a piece of
loadbearing wall, horizontal elements must transparent plastic held down with Roberta
span the entire distance between adjacent, Pins (see page 92).
right-angle, buttressing walls and be firmly All members of the wall team, but
attached to them. Since such elements are especially the wall captain, should familiarize
more commonly used in non-loadbearing themselves with the map of their wall and
designs, we have provided more detailed should refer to it repeatedly. If, however, you
information in Step 5 of the Non-Loadbearing still leave out or incorrectly place a frame, the
Option. damage can be easily repaired if you catch
* The door frames will have been fastened to the error before the roof-bearing assembly
(REA) is on the walls. You just pull out pins
Raising the Walls Page 60
and remove bales as necessary, put the walls is that the lintels should extend out onto
waterproof covering in place, install the frame the walls on both sides for a distance equal to
on it and rebuild the wall. It is possible to at least half the width of the opening. Increase
retrofit small windows into completed walls, this distance if the bales at the opening are
even after they have been surfaced, but it's a significantly rounded or angled. Use of the
lot easier to get them in as the wall goes up. RBA as a lintel over openings is covered in
If aggressively angled or rounded bales are Step 4.
to be used to widen the interior wall opening Every few courses, check for level and shim
at doors or windows, they should be with loose straw if necessary. After each
customized and placed on either side of the course, stuff gaps and depressions with loose
frames as the wall goes up. Minor rounding straw. Do not force straw into gaps, as that
can be done after the walls are up. An can push a corner bale out of position.
alternative is to make the frame wider than When the walls have been raised to the
the door or window and use carpentry to desired height, a waterproof covering should
create the bevel on the sides of the opening be placed along their tops to protect them
(see the diagram on page 56). from rain or snow until the roof has been
Bale pinning normally takes place as the sheathed. Many builders choose to leave this
walls are being raised, often starting at the "cap" in place under the RBA to protect the
fourth course. At window locations, short top of the walls against eventual roof leakage.
pins can be driven into the bales beneath the With all the bales in place, now is a good
frame, either before or after it is placed on the time to mechanically "tweak" (e.g., beat, bash,
wall. ram, brace) the walls until they are acceptably
It might seem rational to pound the pins in smooth (i.e., planar) and vertical. If you tend
until they are out of sight, since this would to be compulsive about such things, remember
ensure that no one could trip over them. that part of the charm of a straw-bale house
Experience suggests that this technique has can be the "soft irregularity" of the walls.
the major disadvantage that you then can't Check the walls carefully, inside and out, to
easily tell where you have already pinned. So, make sure that all of the openings are
we recommend leaving them just barely completely stuffed with loose straw. To
visibleno tripping, no frustrating searches! reduce the risk of fire, some builders go one
Rebar pins can account for a large step further, using a mix of clay-rich soil and
percentage of the total embodied energy* in straw (use the stuff gathered during your
the wall, reducing the overall "sustainability" cleanups) to cap all the openings. Should you
of the design. Consider using bamboo or later surface the walls with a cement-based
willow! material, you won't be using an expensive,
Above non-loadbearing frames, some kind high-embodied-energy material to fill
of lintel will be needed to bridge across the depressions.
opening. It distributes the roof and/or wall Finally, if you have chosen to spray the
weight, resulting from materials above the walls with a fire-retardant solution, this is a
opening, to the bale walls on either side. A logical time to do it. For additional
generally accepted "rule of thumb" for lintels information, see page 19.
placed just above a frame in loadbearing
"Embodied energy" is defined here as the total amount of non-renewable energy used to create a unit weight of a given material.
Raising the Walls Page 63
"keeper" string
In a loadbearing wall, the on-edge bale Slab of straw cut off with a chainsaw
should be centered on the bale below. before bale put in place.
Step 4. Roof-Bearing Assemblies
ilclcngCI First, to have previously selected, from a wide variety of options, the
combination of roof-bearing assembly (RBA) and tie-down system that is "right" for you and
for your design. Second, to get the segments of your RBA safely up onto the wall (unless
you have chosen to create the RBA in place, on top of the wall) and to make strong
connections where they meet. Third, to "tie" this assembly to the foundation in such a way
that the maximum expected wind velocity (a.k.a. the design wind load) cannot turn the
RBA/roof into an ILFO (identified low-flying object).
Before you can fabricate your RBA, you and that the walls are properly aligned and
must decide how to dimension it. It is typical secured under the RBA. If your system for
to make the width slightly less than the keeping the top of the wall centered under the
average width of the bales. This ensures that RBA involves putting holes in whatever is
the RBA, which generally acts as the nailer acting as the waterproof cap, be sure to
for the stucco netting, does not extend out carefully seal any openings through which
beyond the edge of the bale wall at any point. water could get down into the bales.
Choosing the length dimensions is more * Unless your RBA already adequately
complicated. There are two obvious protects the top of the walls from invasion by
approaches, each with potential advantages: rodents, deny them access by utilizing various
1) Use the foundation dimensions, taking materials (e.g., cement-based mortar, metal
into consideration whatever setback you want lath, sheet metal, plywood scraps, old boards)
to have from the edge of the bales. The alone or in combination.
advantages to this approach are that you can * With your wall tops positioned, as
finish building all the segments of the RBA appropriate, under the RBA and with the
before the wall-raising is finished, that any chosen mechanism in place to keep them in
pre-ordered trusses are guaranteed to fit, as this position, "tie " the RBA securely to the
planned, on it; and that you will be mightily foundation. For our "model", we have chosen
motivated to end up with dimensions at the an external tie-down system (e.g., polyester
top of the wall that are real close to those at cord strapping with buckles or crimped
the bottom. seals). "U"-shapedpieces of "tubing" (e.g.,
2) Use the actual dimensions of the top of irrigation distribution line, salvaged hose),
your finished walls as your starting point. positioned at a chosen interval in the
The advantage to this approach is that you foundation, provide sleeves for the strapping.
can customize both the width and length You will, hopefully, have taken steps to ensure
dimensions to accommodate the actual shape that no concrete could get into the tubing
and dimensions of your wall top (if this is when you were doing your pour.
your first building, you will be lucky not to Straight pieces of plastic pipe, passing
end up with walls that flare out a little). horizontally through a "collar" type
Possible disadvantages are that you must foundation, have also been used for sleeves.
leave some segments of the RBA unbuilt until However, even with bevels created at the
the walls are finished, and that you may not openings where the strapping cord emerges,
be able (depending on their design) to the right-angle bend may put unwanted, extra
pre-order trusses. stress on the strapping at these points.
* For the type of RBA on our "model" Regardless of the type of sleeve used,
building, fabricate the roof bearing assembly however, care must also be taken to ensure
on the ground in transportable sections. that sharp corners have been eliminated
Then move these sections to the top of the where the strapping passes over the RBA.
wall and connect them, taking care to get Small pieces of sheet metal, bent to make a
strong connections between sections right angle, work well. Or, you can buy pre-
(especially at corners). Make sure that the bent metal gizmos (e.g., Simpson A35s) at a
diagonals are also as nearly equal as possible construction supply yard.
Page 67 Roof-Bearing Assemblies
Most Rigid
"1
Concrete
Bond Beam
TJI with plywood 2"X6" w/ plywood (added weight will shorten
(closed box) (closed box) permissible spans; see page 31)
waterproof drape
corner guard'
strapping tie-down option
Seismic Considerations
Wooden Box Beam
occasional blocking (cavity
external cable bent rebar filled with straw)
pins to hold on outside,
tie-down 2"X6"
wall in place attach roofing / [5X15 cm]
system
felt, expanded 2"X4"
stuffed all-thread metal lath
straw tie-down \0 cm]
2"X and/or stucco
system notch top
[5 X 15 cm] netting, here
bales
bolts TOP
extra cross-brace, drilled,
positioned, and end-nailed
wherever threaded rods penetrate pressure-treated
plywood
(suggested by Bob Theis) 2"X4" [5X10 cm]
provides
attachment for notch
Concrete Bond Beam stucco netting
BOTTOM ^^ bottom
sleeve placed here if using internal , .-;>^r bale
tie-down rod or cable reinforced expansion strip
concrete imbedded
slab floor V . J-bolt
rebar tie-wire
waterproofing
^_
Roof-Bearing Assemblies Page 70
Tie-Down Systems:
General Considerations
In non-loadbearing designs, the framework against the bales. Through-ties, connecting
that supports the roof load also ties the roof the inner part to the outer part of a loop of
to the foundation, or to the ground, itself. wire, cable or strapping, would further
Lacking this framework, loadbearing designs increase the effectiveness of these loops,
almost always include some mechanism to perhaps making any other tie-throughs
keep the roof from lifting off. In the historic unnecessary. One possible chronology for
Nebraska structures, metal or wooden stakes this idea would be as follows:
were driven at an angle down into the walls
1) Attach vertically oriented strips of
and the fastened to the rudimentary RBA.
stucco netting to the RBA as soon as it is in
There is no evidence to indicate that this was
place.
not adequate for that situation (hipped roofs
with minimal overhangs), but caution (and 2) Insert lengths of strapping through
the concerns of engineers and building sleeves in the foundation, passing one end
officials) have led most modern builders to of each length up over the RBA.
create ties from the RBA to the foundation. 3) Fasten the two ends of each length
In a design involving no use of stucco together with a metal buckle, hand-
netting, inside or out, the tie-down system tightening periodically to take the slack out
(arguably) continues to perform an important of the strapping as the walls settle under the
function, even after the surface coating is in roof load.
place. This will be especially true if seismic 4) When the settling is complete, and
forces or differential settling of the just before hand-tightening the strapping for
foundation ever cracked this coating. If, the last time, pull down on the stucco
however, cement-based plaster has been netting and fasten it securely to a wooden
applied over stucco netting (especially if nailer attached to the side or top of the
applied in vertical strips fastened securely to foundation.
both the RBA and the foundation), any 5) Now, hand tighten the strapping one
previously installed tie-down system is then last time.
relegated to a strictly backup role. This 6) Complete the process by creating
assumes, of course, that the structural some through-ties, to connect the strapping
integrity of this plaster-membrane tie-down on the inside to that on the outside.
remains intact for the life-span of the
building. For description of a system that
uses stucco netting as the only tie-down
(Look, Ma, no backup!), see page 73.
Several builders have experimented with
placing the tie-down system outside the
stucco netting, to hold the curtain of netting
Drawing by Arlen Raikes
Page 71 Roof-Bearing Assemblies
Tie-Down Options
roof truss
Cripple connector
(Cripples and tensioners available
through: DARE Products, Inc.
P.O. Box 157
Battle Creek, MI 49016
1-800-922-3273)
dry rubble
Single Ladder RBA footing
Heavy Wire or Cable
Under Grade Beam Double Ladder RBA
Polyester strapping
Eyebolt
polyester
1/2" [1.3 cm] ^^ strapping
rebar with
all-thread rod bent pvc pipe to
coupling nut
welded to ends allow passage of
joist hanger strapping (Note:
foamboard slapping bevel the inside
floor joist
buckle edge, to prevent
fraying, if pipe
pea gravel infill aligned more
horizontally)
engineered
slab
Moderately Rigid Open Box RBA
"All-thread" rod/rebar ' Rigid TJI RBA
J-bolt Polyester strapping
PVC pipe in grade beam
Roof-Bearing Assemblies Page 72
standard vertical
tie-down (offers little
resistance to shear)
collar beam
wooden corner metal coil-strapping or inserted, vertical diagonal cables diagonal cable
brace heavier metal strap post to resist shear- double U-bolted and/or wire
bolted at point of related compression together where they anchored top and
intersection (optional) cross bottom
Page 73 Roof-Bearing Assemblies
* With the roof skin now in place, move energy-efficient building. The bigger the
inside and install any radiant heat barriers building, the bigger the ceiling area relative
following manufacturer's directions. These to the total interior surface area of bale
barriers can be particularly effective in walls. For a building with 1200 square feet
reducing cooling requirements in very hot [111.5 square meters] of usable interior
climates. For an excellent overview of this space and eight foot [2.44 m] high walls, the
option, see Nisson (1990). ceiling area is virtually the same as the wall
* Install all necessary ducting, stove pipe area. For a larger building, the ceiling area
brackets, electrical boxes (e.g., for overhead will exceed that of the walls. It may not be
lights, smoke detectors, fans), wiring and cost-efficient to create as high an R-value
plumbing in the attic space. [RSI-value] in the ceiling as you'll have in
* Install the ceiling materials) and insulate the walls, but do try to achieve the levels
(or vice versa). Be sure to provide a way to recommended for superinsulated designs for
easily gain access to the attic space. If the your climatic conditions. For recommend-
access is from a space that is heated or ations, consult local architects/ designers that
cooled, make sure that the removable panel is specialize in energy-efficient design, your
well-insulated. state Energy Office or selected books (e.g.,
^ Don't assume that just because your bale Nisson and Dutt 1985, Lenchek et al. 1987,
walls have a high R- or RSI-value, you can Cook 1989, Lstiburek 1997).
skimp on ceiling/roof insulation and have an
* Prefabricated conical, metal roof kits are available from Butler Mfg. (816-968-6126).
Adding the Roof Page 76
Some Truss Types * * For more, see MWPS (1989a), Smulski (1994),
and page 80 at bottom.
I\J\N/I/I/1
scissors truss flat truss attic truss "supertruss"
commonly, air will be circulated. for options regarding the creation and
4. Whether you are using a frost-protected, attachment of partition walls.
shallow foundation, since floor insulation can Extending the plumbing into, or up into
increase the amount of insulation required at the interior space. If you do choose to install
the perimeter (see HUD 1995). some, or all, of the partitions at this point,
5. The calculated or guesstimated payback you can also complete any plumbing that
time for the investment, and the planetary belongs in them (see Massey 1994).
costs of not doing it. There are two obvious ways to get any
Our "model" building has a high-mass water lines (cold or hot) into your straw-bale
floor created within the above-grade collar. house. The first is to bring any pipes in
We are using no insulation around the under your foundation/footings and leave
perimeter of our foundation or under our them "stubbed out" at the appropriate
floor, since our "model" climate requires very locations when you create the floor. If a
little heating or cooling. problem ever develops with one of these
The finished floor surface should be at least buried pipes, you will either destroy part of
1.5" [3.9 cm] below the top of the collar to your floor (if you can pinpoint the leak) or,
protect the bales from any interior flooding. more likely, abandon all piping under the
We have specified a high-mass floor so that floor The logical thing to do then, is to
winter sunlight (i.e., solar radiation), entering consider using the second option, which you
through south-facing glazing, can hit, and be might have been better off using to begin
absorbed by, the floor. This daytime storage with.
of heat will prevent room air temperatures That involves bringing the pipe that
from becoming uncomfortably high during the provides cold water to the structure up out of
day. At night, this same heat will "bleed" the ground outside the wall, at one or more
back out, helping to keep the space from locations opposite a single fixture (e.g., a
becoming undesirably cool. kitchen sink), or opposite an interior
Creating non-loadbearing interior "plumbing wall", preferably framed with
partitions, leaving an adequate gap above 2"X6" [5X15 cm] lumber. Skillful, careful use
them to allow for the settling that may still of the tip of a small chain saw will create a
take place. An alternative approach is to hole, sloped slightly upward toward the
postpone creation of the interior partitions, inside, for a "sleeve " of plastic pipe. Insert
with any incorporated plumbing and wiring, the sleeve and plug any space around it with
until the interior surfacing is in place on the your cob mixture. The pipe(s) can then be
exterior bale walls. Then, with all the plumbed through the bale wall and into the
surfacing materials in place (and all the frame wall. To safely use this option, you
compressing finished), you no longer needs to must be able to insulate the pipes to prevent
guess how much of a gap to leave to allow for freezing, even during record low temp-
settling. eratures. In colder climates this may not be
This approach also minimizes the amount economically possible.
of patching required if one eventually If you cannot avoid running water pipes
relocates a partition wall. See pages 85-87 along straw-bale walls, at least isolate them
Page 83 Letting the Walls Compress
carefully and completely from the straw. never require sharpening, but (arguably) cut
Equipping the straw-bale walls with a little less quickly. They are available from
wooden elements to enable the hanging of welding supply stores. If none of your local
cabinets, bookcases, etc. If these elements hardware stores, or specialty tool suppliers,
will be hidden by the plaster, map their carry the Lancelot contact King Arthur Tools
position precisely on a diagram and save it at (800) 942-1300.
for later use. We 'II cover some of the various
options for hanging things on straw-bale
walls in Step 8.
Installing, in any partitions created at
this point and in the exterior walls, any phone
jacks, antenna cable, electrical boxes and
wiring (see Traister 1994, Cauldwell 1996).
Rounding/trimming off bales at exterior
corners and at door and window openings, as
desired, to provide for a "soft-profile"
finished appearance. This is also the time to
trim off any undesired protrusions on your
wall surfaces (a line trimmer/"weed whacker" When using any of the above mentioned
works beautifully for this). Any niches, tools to cut straw, you should always wear
notches, alcoves, etc., should all be created at safety goggles and a dust mask (does
this time using a small chain saw or, better someone have to die from "yellow-lung
yet, a small electric grinder, equipped with a disease" before this becomes automatic?).
cable-twist, flat wire wheel or a cutting wheel Chainsaws, grinders and even line trimmers
with chainsaw teeth on the circumference are dangerous tools, capable of doing major
(called the Lancelot/ Both are illustrated damage to the operator or those nearby. Use
below. The wire wheels are cheaper and them only with great care.
(idea from Bill & Kalla Buchholz) (idea from Jon Ruez)
Letting the Walls Compress Page 84
pipe
6" X 6" X 10
[1.5 X 1.5X25.4 cm] metal plate'
Marts' Method studs spaced about 4' apart, would still Steve's Method
provide a good sound barrier and
pleasantly thick walls.
metal bracket We do know of one building (see
below), where a standard bale wall,
with doorways in it, was used as a
loadbearing substitute for a ridge-beam.
v\\
Separate
"2"X2"
[5X5 cm]
- Vv X N
Generic tape
measure
Bales"
* For our "model" building, we can now with the "improperly" oriented lath, will
continue the process of surfacing the walls by adequately support the first coat of plaster
creating an exterior curtain of stucco until it hardens.
netting, securely attached at the top to the Focusing now on stucco netting, imagine a
RBA and at the bottom to the wooden "nailer" design in which only the first course of bales
in the side of the grade-beam collar. The has a waterproof drape. Which way do we
toe-up system involving pressure-treated want to orient the strips of netting? Straw-
2"X4"s [5X10 cm] fastened to a slab (see the bale builders have usually chosen the
diagram on page 47) also provides a horizontal orientation, perhaps having seen it
convenient nailer both outside and in. used this way in mainstream construction.
One-inch mesh poultry netting (a.k.a. "chicken Those building in earthquake-prone areas
wire ") is commonly used as a substitute for might be acting on the hunch that wrapping
stucco netting, but may not meet code. corners with horizontal strips may provide
For both expanded metal lath and stucco stronger reinforcement at these critical
netting, the orientation of the openings in locations than a series of vertical strips
the material is important only where they are connected at a limited number of points along
placed against something other than straw their overlap. Many builders, if orienting the
(e.g., roofing felt or a "barrier" material). strips horizontally, chose to initially run them
For metal lath, in such cases, the longer right across door and window openings,
dimension of the diamond-shaped openings coming back later to custom cut and make
should run horizontally and the narrow strips attachments to the frames.
of metal that form the mesh should slope The vertical orientation, although generally
downward toward the wall. For stucco less used so far, seems to have some
netting applied over something other than advantages. A series of strips of equal length
straw, the long dimension of the "diamonds can be precut. Given their restricted length
should also be horizontal. In addition, the and secure attachment to the non-movable
small, slightly protruding sections of wire, RBA, the strips can more easily be pulled taut
designed to hold the netting away from the before the lower end is fastened to the toe-up
underlying material, should be on the inside. or the foundation. This removes much of the
When used directly over straw, both materials looseness that would otherwise have to be
can be used in any orientation you find most dealt with as described on the next page.
convenient. The crucial thing is that the Another possible advantage is that, instead of
plaster be applied with enough force to leave having to move back and forth along
the lath or netting completely imbedded in the horizontal strips, one can do all the work on
plaster. each strip from the same general location.
So, when wrapping the outside corners of a This can mean a lot less moving of
building with "blood lath ", we can use a scaffolding and/or ladders. One case in
single, full-width strip run vertically. Ah, but which you must use the vertical orientation is
what if some or all of the courses are covered when you are using the netting as a tie-down
with a barrier to exclude liquid water? In system after you have pre-stressed the walls
such a case, you may also want to use stucco (as described on page 73).
netting (or an equivalent). This, combined Considering the way doors and windows
Surfacing the Walls Page 92
interrupt stretches of wall surface, the most short piece ofrebar, bamboo, etc., and then
efficient approach might be to use vertical push the free end through the wall from the
strips in the unbroken areas, while using inside to the outside. The loose end can then
horizontal strips to fill in the gaps above and be twisted around the netting, securing it to
below frames. the wall.
* Regardless of your of choice of Springy areas between these through-ties
orientation, or whether you use both, you can be snugged to the bales with long,
should connect the strips of netting where you narrow wire staples (often called "Robert or
have purposely overlapped them by a Roberta pins" to emphasize their size and
minimum of two inches [about 10 cm]. One status relative to "bobby pins "). Square-end
time-honored technique involves binding "jute net staples", used to hold down erosion
selected pairs of wires (one from each strip, control netting, can be purchased as an
for greatest effect) together with wire twists alternative.
or "cage clips" (small, "C"-shapedpieces of
galvanized wire). To easily hold and pinch "Roberta Pins" __ for holding
bend from pieces of ^"""netting
the latter shut, you 'II need to buy a special
heavy coat hanger for holding
pair of pliers, shown below, or modify a pair wire or equivalent ~~ roofing felt, etc.
of needle nose pliers that you already have by (10-12 gauge)
grinding small, cupped grooves near each tip. [3.43-2.68 mm] 6"-10" [15-25 cm]
* Before you lose the opportunity, create one Although the "model" building being
or more "truth windows" on interior (and/or tracked here has mud plaster only on the
exterior) to provide skeptics with irrefutable interior walls, both stabilized (i.e., water-
evidence that your building really is made of resistant) and natural mud plasters have been
bales. Glass or Plexiglas in a frame works successfully used on the exterior walls of
well, as do small, salvaged windows. straw-bale walls (the latter needing ample
Consider covering interior "truth windows" roof overhangs in wetter climates).
with art work in a side-hinged frame. * The plans for the building call for
* In our model building, cement-based, un-stabilized mud plaster applied directly to
exterior plaster can now be hand-applied, or the straw, on the interior surfaces of the
blown on by a pumper rig (see page 107). straw-bale walls. There will be no stucco
Typically, three coats are applied, with the netting, but you will still need to attach
final, thin "color" coat containing a pigment. expanded metal lath over any metal or wood
Blowing a thick, initial coat of plaster onto that will be covered by the plaster. Although
a wall adds a great deal of weight quickly, the building code may not require covering
and produces some additional compression. metal or wood within the building with
This will, in turn, loosen the tie-downs you roofing felt, or the equivalent, some builders
have so carefully created to hold down the do it anyway. The rationale for covering
RBA and roof. Not to worry. If you have metal is that the rust on ungalvanized metals
used the in-the-wall system with threaded may bleed through and discolor the interior
rods (and purposely not blocked off access to plaster. For wood, the rationale is thisthe
the nuts), simply tighten them up one last more you can isolate the wood from water in
time, after the initial coat has hardened. If any form, the less it will undergo cycles of
you have used an external tie-down system shrinking and swelling that, in turn, can
(e.g., polyester strapping), and have prevented stress the plaster, eventually causing cracks.
the plaster from contacting the tie-downs and * The earthen (a.k.a. adobe or mud) plaster
have left uncovered the hardware for can now be applied directly onto the bales
tightening them, you can now attempt to with a trowel or your hand, taking care to
tighten them one last time. The other, more press the mud firmly into all depressions,
common, approach is to simply let well cracks and crannies. Typically, two or three
enough alone. This leaves the slightly layers are applied, the last often being a clay
loosened tie-downs to act as a backup. They slip that provides a surface that is uniform in
will function only in the very unlikely case both smoothness and color. The use of such
that the weight of the plaster and bale slips as a decorative technique is covered on
"sandwich" is not enough to resist the uplift page 116. An excellent resource for earthen
created by the Hurricane from Hell. plasters is Steen and Steen (1997a).
To achieve maximum strength, each coat of
any cement-based plaster must be kept moist
until fully cured (about 48 hours). Without
this extra moisture, the chemical reaction
which hardens the plaster cannot be
completed.
Page 95 Surfacing the Walls
Lime-based plasters have been used for thus with more opportunity to harden.
centuries for both exterior and interior Despite lime having an embodied energy
surfacing, and are being used by a small, but slightly higher than cement, lime-based
growing, number of straw-bale practitioners, plasters offer several possible advantages to
mostly for exterior surfacing. Lime is made the straw-builder. Due to their excellent
by "burning" (a.k.a. calcining) limestone plasticity, they can be applied without wire
(calcium carbonate) . Carbon dioxide gas is reinforcement, although substitutes (e.g.,
driven off, leaving calcium oxide, which we burlap fabric) have occasionally been used. If
call lime or, more accurately, quicklime. kept wet, a mix that contains only lime and
Since quicklime is extremely caustic, it is sand can be stored indefinitely. Lime-based
soaked in water (i.e., slaked), which converts plasters are reputedly much more "breathable"
it to hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide). (i.e., more permeable to air and any water
Although much less caustic than quicklime, vapor in it) than their cement-based
bags of hydrated lime do carry cautionary counterparts. Finally, micro-cracks in the
warnings regarding its safe use. Play it plaster can be "healed", over time, by
safe! deposition of new lime in the crack. Other
To further complicate things, hydrated lime than the material provided herein, and the
comes in two typesS and N. In your area, booklet published by the Canello Project
either one or both types may be available (Steen and Steen 1997a), there are
without special order. Having consulted unfortunately no readily available, modern,
producers, users, and an authority on written resources providing detailed
historical plastering technology, we are information about lime-based plasters.
convinced that both types can be successfully Gypsum-based plasters are used
used as a binder. If an aged, lime putty (see exclusively on interior surfaces because they
below) is not being used, Type S may be the are subject to deterioration if exposed to
better choice because it develops plasticity water. The naturally occurring mineral called
more quickly. Type N, on the other hand, gypsum is hydrous calcium sulfate (i.e., there
develops its strength more rapidly and may are attached water molecules). When this
bond more firmly to earthen substrates. form of gypsum is heated (i.e., calcined),
When used in plasters, lime of either type is most of this water is driven off. The entire
often soaked in water to form a lime putty. process of creating calcined gypsum gives it
The longer you can soak it, the more "plastic" an embodied energy that is only about
it will be (we've read that Roman law forbade one-third that of cement.
the use of lime putty less than three years When calcined gypsum is mixed with
old). When a lime/sand plaster is applied to a water, it recombines with it, changing
wall, the lime begins to slowly change chemically and reverting quickly to its hard,
chemically, hardening as it absorbs carbon crystalline form. We are most familiar with it
dioxide and/or carbonic acid gas from the air. as the primary ingredient in quick setting
For this reason, lime-based plasters were "plaster of Paris". When mixed with
traditionally applied in several thin, successive additives that delay the rate at which it
coats. This provided the material in each coat hardens, it can be a useful binder for interior
with more exposure to the atmosphere, and plasters.
Page 97 Surfacing the Walls
Gypsum is usually purchased with the strokes that end with the hand or tool moving
retardants already added. To increase the horizontally. This leaves the short straws
hardness of finish coat mixes, lime is often oriented horizontally in the plaster, such that
included as an additive. Helpful information they repeatedly interrupt the flow of water
about commercially available gypsum-based down the wall. Acting as miniature "check
products is often available from the dams", they prevent the formation of
manufacturers (e.g., U. S. Gypsum). Also, concentrated rivulets and reduce the erosive
check the bag that a product comes in for power of the water (see Crocker, 1995).
instructions regarding its proper use. If you Other additives depend on chemical
want to create relatively hard, extremely properties. This include a wide variety of
smooth interior surfaces, gypsum plasters are substances ranging from high-tech (e.g., soil
the way to go. Be advised, however, that stabilizing chemicals and enzymes) to
because they generally harden (i.e., set) mid-tech (e.g., emulsified asphalt) to low-tech
quickly and require skillful trowel work, you (e.g., exterior grade glue, animal dung). They
may want to practice in closets, or the like, are usually distributed throughout the plaster,
before tackling more visible surfaces. although some have been applied to the dried
Clay-based (a.k.a. earthen, adobe, mud) finish coat as a sealer.
plasters depend on very small, disc-shaped Another minor problem experienced by
clay particles, present in many soils, to bind people using clay-based plasters on interior
together the larger silt- and sand-sized surfaces is "dusting". This is the tendency for
particles. Particularly in drier regions, they small particles to separate from the surface
have been used to surface both the interior and fall to the floor, or to rub off on your
and exterior of straw-bale buildings. The tuxedo (too much champagne?). For details
"binding" properties of clay result not from regarding erodability and dusting, see pages
any chemical reaction with water, but from 113-114 and 116, respectively.
the adhesion of the platelike clay particles to Given the above-mentioned problems, why
each other during the drying process that would anyone want to use an earthen plaster?
hardens the plaster. Liquid water, when A partial list of reasons, ranging from
placed in contact with dry, clay-based plaster, ecological to esthetic, is provided below.
is drawn back into the spaces between the The acquisition of clay-rich soils, unless
platelets of clay, softening the plaster and done on a commercial basis, generally leaves
making it subject to erosion. scars that are small and (often) temporary.
The erodability of typical earthen plasters This is usually not true for the other binders.
presents a problem in all but very dry Earth plasters can have a very low price
climates, unless the walls are protected by tag. Some lucky builders have been able to
large roof overhangs (which often function use the soil from their foundation excavation,
also as porches). Strategies for reducing the perhaps with a little sand added, leaving no
erodability usually involve adding various scar at all. Fortunately, for those not so lucky,
substances to the plaster itself. Some depend soils with sufficient clay content to bind the
on their physical form, as in the case of plaster can generally be found within a
chopped straw in mud plaster. To work most reasonable distance. Even then, however,
effectively, the plaster must be applied in samples from a number of sources may have
^ Surfacing the Walls Page 98
to be experimented with before a satisfactory also feels right to your fingers, or against your
mix is developed (see page 113). cheekfirm but not harsh, inanimate but not
Since earthen plasters are usually applied dead. MUD, GLORIOUS MUD!
directly to the bales without the use of stucco Although our way of grouping the plasters
netting or any substitute, an expensive, may suggest that each can contain only one
labor-intensive step is avoided. binder, many mixes contain several.
Mud plasters are more "user-friendly" Cement-based plasters usually also contain
than the alternatives. The application of mud lime, which functions there not as a binder,
plaster is easier, especially for the novice but as an agent to make the wet mix
plasterer, since a good mix has both sufficient stickier and easier to apply. Lime-based
plasticity and excellent adherence to the bale plasters often contain a small amount of
surface. Cleanup of tools and mixing cement as an additional, quick-to-harden
equipment, although more easily done when binder. Although cement appears not to work
the residue is still wet, can be done long after well, generally, as an additional binder in
an earthen plaster has dried and hardened. earthen plasters, a small amount of lime
With gypsum- and cement-based plasters (and seems to improve their strength
to a lesser extent with lime-based and (DESIGNER/builder 1996).
asphalt-stabilized earthen plasters), one is well
advised to do thorough cleanup prior to any
pause long enough to allow the plaster to "set
up". Since clay-based plasters, even if
stabilized with asphalt emulsion, harden only
as a result of drying, partially-used batches
can be preserved indefinitely for future use
simply by keeping the mix wet.
When earthen plasters are applied
without the use of woven wire netting for
reinforcement, the integrity of the plaster
depends on its attachment to the straw. As
opposed to cement-based plaster, it cannot
become a disconnected "curtain", hanging
from the RBA and hiding water damage that
may be taking place behind it. If not firmly
attached to "healthy" straw, mud plaster is
likely to soon end up on the ground. Not a
pretty sight, but better to learn of problems
earlier than later.
And, speaking of pretty sights, it's hard
to beat the look and feel of a softly irregular,
subtly variegated, earth-plastered wall. Earth
not only feels right as a covering for a
material that emerged from the earth, but it
Don't let a pig do your plastering!
Page 99 Surfacing the Walls
friendliness to novices,
overall ffl a a
= best, greatest = worst, least
Surfacing the Walls Page 100
The Little Taj (a.k.a. Mom's Place) ready for Note 2" x 4" ledgers for hanging cabinets,
plastering. Note expanded metal lath at corner and seat built into load bearing window frame.
and black paper over wood and metal. Angled opening created with carpentry.
Surfacing the Walls Page 102
wire pushed
through opening
- Cement is formulated to provide adequate that machine applied plaster may have over
time for placement and necessary the hand applied version, is that the scratch
manipulation of the plaster before it begins to coat will probably be more fully keyed into
harden. If you mix too big a batch, however, the roughness of the bale-wall surface. Some
it may begin to harden while still in the owner-builder's have the first coat blown on
wheelbarrow. The hardening process, in this by a plastering contractor, letting them do the
case, cannot be interrupted by covering the heavy work and getting the wall protected
mix with plastic sheeting or be reversed by quickly. Then, at their own pace, they (and
adding more water. Get the stuff out of the friends!) can do the other coat(s).
wheelbarrow and off your tools, and make a Hand application, especially for the
note to adjust the size of the batch to the rate scratch coat, could mean just thata human
at which it can be applied with the available hand in a rubber glove. Most novice
equipment and work force. plasterers can exert much more pressure, to
push plaster into the roughness of the bale
Application surface with the heel of their hand than with a
Cement-based plasters are applied either by trowel. And, for them, it may be just as fast.
hand or with aid of some sort of mechanical However, be sure that all the cut ends of
equipment, either human-powered or wires are tucked away where they cannot
otherwise. The only performance advantage jab the unsuspecting plasterer.
The traditional system, however, involves
the use of a "mortarboard", a "hawk" and
Cutting From a trowel (see diagram to the left). The plaster
is first shoveled onto the "mortarboard", a flat
a Hawk piece of water-saturated or nonabsorbent
material placed near the plasterer (often
elevated to facilitate use of the trowel to
transfer plaster from it to the "hawk"). With
several trowel-loads of plaster now on the
"hawk", the next step involves getting some
plaster onto the trowel, and then onto the wall
(see diagram to the left). In the Portland
Cement Association's excellent publication
(Melander and Isberner, 1996), they make the
i. process sound very easy. We quote, "After
"It's tricky. You'll drop a lot before you learn. transferring some of the plaster from the hawk
The secret is a certain twist of the hand and to the trowel, the plasterer lays the plaster on
wrist, while tilting the hawk with a little the surface." For a novice, the reality is more
motion...The motion of plastering is more like a likely to be, "While attempting, with an
sweep or arc, while using a pressure...Keep the
awkward tool called a trowel, to pick up some
hawk about one foot from the wall. It will be
hard to keep plaster from falling off the hawk at of the plaster from the demoniacally heavy,
first. Practice makes perfect!" (from Tibbets plaster-loaded hawk, the frustrated plasterer
1989, page 63) lays most of the plaster on his or her feet,
Surfacing the Walls Page 106
before laying the flat surface of the trowel up or wheelbarrow, to the trowel. You know the
alongside the head of the first person who rest.
laughs." In the spirit of "ignorance is the Hand application is hard work, even for the
father of invention", the senior author of this pros, but "many hands can make lighter
guide taught himself how to use a hawk work". This is the time to call in your debts,
without benefit of knowing how one was to invite the participation of anyone who
supposed to do it. And he unashamedly could conceivably be made to feel that they
continues to use his "cheater" method to this owed you a favor. Remind distant relatives of
day. It's simple. Standing on a ladder or the importance of blood ties. Do whatever it
scaffolding, and starting about 16 inches [40 takes to get a lot of help, at least with the
cm] down from the top of the wall, press the scratch coat (the thickest of the three), or plan
further edge of the hawk against the wall. to be there a long time, painfully developing
Using the trowel, cut away a slice of plaster muscles that are good for little else.
from the further edge of the pile. Now, smear Turning our focus now to machine
this material onto the wall with a graceful application, we find a wide range of pos-
upward stroke of the trowel, continuing to sibilities. The simplest is a hand-powered,
press the edge of the hawk against the wall. hand-held, "rough-casting" device available,
Any plaster that doesn't stick to the bales will, that we know of, in Mexico and in Europe.
miraculously, fall back onto the hawk for By turning a side-mounted handle, one
re-application. Resist the temptation to repeat splatters plaster onto the wall. The process
the stroke with an "empty" trowel, as this will leaves a rough surface that reputedly works
tend to weaken the bond of the wet plaster to well for a "scratch" coat. For more
the straw. However, you can repeat the "slice information, see The Last Straw, Issue 10,
and smear" sequence, as necessary, to build up page 33, and Issue 11, page 34. Moving
the desired thickness and to leave the toward higher tech, there's the hopper gun
reinforcement netting embedded in the plaster. used to blow texturing mixtures onto drywall.
Now, reposition the hawk to either side of These consist of a pyramidal, plastic hopper
your first stroke and repeat the process. As to which is attached, at the bottom, a metal
appropriate, drop down about 16 inches, or pistol grip and trigger, to which, in turn, is
whatever you have now discovered is attached the hose from an air compressor.
comfortable, and repeat the process. They The plaster mix, which must be just thick
may still laugh at your unprofessional style, enough so that the sand doesn't sink quickly
but your shoes will probably be a lot cleaner to the bottom, is poured into the hopper.
than theirs will. When the trigger is pulled, compressed air
We were recently shown another novice- passes through the gun while at the same time
friendly technique by the lads at Bowerbird an orifice is opened at the base of the hopper,
Construction, Dripping Springs, Texas. Their allowing the soupy plaster to fall into the air
system avoids having to support the weight of stream and be blown out of the nozzle onto
several trowel-loads of plaster on the hawk, the wall. Before any pause of more than a
by dispensing with it. They use the side of a couple of minutes, the hopper must be
large pointed brick trowel to pick up and cleaned and the gun flushed out with
transfer plaster directly from the mortarboard, water. Although this equipment produces
Page 107 Surfacing the Walls
good penetration, it takes a long time to get a apply the base coat in a single layer, while
significant layer built up. For maximum still not getting an unacceptable amount of
efficiency, there needs to be one person cracking.
mixing, one pouring, and one spraying. This As a part of "application", whether by hand
method is probably suited only for the scratch or machine, decisions must be made about
coat, where the excellent penetration is an how to finish each successive layer. As the
obvious plus. A homemade, larger capacity "scratch" coat begins to set up, horizontal
version of the hopper gun technology is scratches should be made in the surface to
described in The Last Straw, Issue 13, page provide grooves for the "brown" coat to key
14. A one-page set of detailed instructions into. As for the "brown" coat itself, the astute
can be obtained by sending a self-addressed, plasterer waits until the plaster has lost
stamped envelope to The Last Straw, P.O. Box sufficient moisture so that the surface sheen
42000, Tucson, AZ. 85733-2000. has disappeared, but not so long that the
Moving up to the semi-professional level, plaster has become rigid. A type of trowel
you could get yourself a mini-pumper such called a "float" is used to create a relatively
as the "Carrousel Pump", and the associated even, open-textured surface. Floating is
spraying equipment, made by Quikspray, Inc. considered by some to be the most import-
of Port Clinton, Ohio, (419-732-2011). ant part of plastering, since the
Although not capable of putting out as much consolidation that occurs during floating
volume as a full-size stucco pump, this influences the shrinkage/cracking
system is safer, more easily portable, and characteristics of the plaster.
much less expensive. We anticipate that
regional straw-bale cooperatives or
Curing
associations may soon be buying Decisions must also be made about how
mini-pumpers for use by their members. quickly each of the first two coats should be
Which brings us to the "big toys for big followed by the next, and what should be
boys", professional stucco pump level. They done to ensure that each of the three coats
are big, expensive, dangerous to operate and "cures" properly to achieve maximum
can't be rented, but in the right hands can put strength.
a lot of plaster in place in a very short time. Modern practice dictates that the "brown"
If you want good penetration, make sure that coat should be applied as soon as the
your plastering contractor has a rig that ejects "scratch" is sufficiently rigid to withstand the
the mix from the nozzle at high velocity. Not pressure needed to apply the "brown" without
all pumps are created equal. cracking. During this time, the "scratch" coat
Finally, a few straw-bale buildings and should be misted periodically to keep the
privacy walls have been surfaced by surface damp. The spacing between mistings
professionals using a "gunite pump", which will be need to reflect the climate and the
mixes the dry materials (usually a fine- solar orientation of the wall. In extremely
aggregate concrete mix) with water, right at hot, dry, windy situations, it may be worth
the nozzle. The resulting material can be your trouble to cover the moistened, plaster
drier than that blown on with an ordinary surfaces with a plastic sheeting.
stucco pump. This may make it possible to The "brown" coat should undergo moist
curing for three days or more before the
Surfacing the Walls Page 108
"finish" coat is applied to the moist, but still entire building might be prohibitively
absorptive, surface. The moisture in the expensive. There are, however, several less
pre-dampened "brown" coat plus the water in expensive alternatives that have been tried
the finish plaster itself will be enough to (e.g., copper compounds, ferrous sulfate,
provide for the curing of this thin coat. To ferric nitrate). Ferrous sulfate, used normally
prevent variations in the color of this coat, do as a turf greener on golf courses, can often be
not apply any water to the finished surface purchased at stores selling fertilizers and
until it has completely hardened. agricultural chemicals. A saturated solution
An alternative to the sequence described of ferrous sulfate, minus the yellow
above is called "scratch and back". Seattle's precipitate that accumulates on the bottom of
own straw-builder/architect, Ted Butchart, the container, is applied to the wall with a
recommends this technique for owner-builders brush or roller. It provides a range of colors
who want to use the "stucco party" ploy to get from an orangy, mustard yellow to a
as much of the plastering done as possible in reddish-brown, depending on the number of
one day. Isn't it strange how few volunteers coats applied. It can also be used to stain
can be convinced to come back several days concrete slabs. Another chemical, ferric
later to put on the "brown" coat? Didn't they nitrate, provides similar, but perhaps more
have fun? vibrant colors. Unfortunately, being a strong
Anyway, the technique involves doing a oxidant, it can only be legally shipped as a
slightly thinner than normal unscratched first hazardous chemical. This makes it harder to
coat. As soon as this has set up enough to find and generally more expensive.
withstand normal troweling (i.e., well before PaintingSince it requires considerable
it has fully cured), you come back over it with hand-troweling skill to get a uniformly
the second coat. With enough mixing colored "finish" coat, some builders choose to
capability, tools and volunteers, the two-part roll or brush on a coat of colored
base coast is in place at the end of the day. cementitious "paint". In Washington state,
it's called a "fog coat" or "brush coat", and
Decorating can be purchased, as a dry mix, from
We will use this term to include various suppliers of masonry products. The
techniques one might use to go beyond the aforementioned Ted Butchart sent us this
smooth, "mortician gray" appearance of the simple recipe for a home-brewed version: mix
typical "brown" coat, or an unpigmented 1 part cement (white cement for lighter tones),
"finish" coat. We highly recommend that you 1 part lime, and masonry pigments (or natural
stack and plaster a freestanding section of oxides), until uniform in color. Measure the
wall to use for experiments. Explore various ingredients very carefully to ensure color
options on this test "canvas" before decorating consistency between successive batches.
the real walls. Then add the dry mix to water until a
For the "brown" coat, the most commonly brushable or rollable consistency is reached
used techniques fall into the following The plaster surface to which it is applied
categories: should be misted such that it is damp but still
StainingAlthough technically feasible, slightly absorptive. Using a saturated solution
using commercial concrete stains to color an of ferrous sulfate as the liquid base of Ted's
Page 109 Surfacing the Walls
recipe might give nice results without addi- Using a Colorant in the "Finish" Coat
tional pigments. This is the most common way to end up with
Also in the paint category, are standard colored walls when using cement-based
masonry paints and the stretchy elastomeric plaster. Dry mixes can be purchased which
paints and coatings. Depending on which already include the pigment(s), or these can
one of these products is used, and how many be purchased separately and added during the
coats are applied, you will lose some, or all, mixing process. To avoid color variations
of the vapor permeability (breathability) that between successive batches, great care must
the plaster would otherwise have had. If you be taken not to vary the amounts of any of the
lose it all, no water, or water vapor, will be ingredients, including the colorant.
able to enter the plaster from the outside, an Modifying an Uncolored "Finish" Coat
arguable plus. On the down side, no water, or Any of the methods described above for
water vapor, that finds its way into the plaster staining or painting the "brown" coat can also
or the bale walls by whatever route, can be used to modify an uncolored "finish" coat.
escape to the outside through the paint layer. Since this coat is relatively thin, white cement
Most builders consider this a minus, and might be used instead of the more
perhaps a serious one, especially in cold economical, gray Portland cement, in order to
climates. Proceed with caution! create a lighter-colored base for a stain or
Texturing/SculptingTextural modification color wash.
of the "brown" coat itself is seldom seen in
the U.S.A., except as an accent feature (e.g., Sealing
around door and window openings). If rainfall will be repeatedly striking your
However, we have seen photos of a Nebraska walls, especially when propelled by high
Sandhills hay-bale house whose plaster was winds, you may want to consider sealing at
"tooled" to create the appearance of shaped, least the lower portion of your walls with a
stone blocks. For accents, possibilities product that will leave them water-repellent
abound. For example, pulling a tool along to but still breathable. An obvious alternative,
create grooves, pressing a "stamp" into the i.e.,covering the same part of the walls with a
plaster to create repeated patterns., or breathable house wrap, should serve the same
sculpting to remove and/or add material. purpose, but will prevent the plaster applied
Accenting with TilesAlthough tiles can in those areas from keying into the roughness
be incorporated into the "brown" coat, they of the bale walls. Sealers intended for surface
are more commonly attached to the cured application are available from several
surface with special adhesives. The right manufacturers. Among them are Hill
angle formed by the edge of the tiles and the Brothers Chemical (Orange, CA,
plaster surface is often filled in with some 714-998-8800), the Sinak Corporation (San
additional plaster, once the adhesive is fully Diego, CA, 619-231-1771), and El Rey
set. If a "finish" coat is to be used, it can be Stucco Co. (505-873-1180).
thickened slightly around the tiles, leaving
them flush with the final surface.
Surfacing the Walls Page 110
should also work directly over bales. by troweling with a steel trowel, for a
smoother finish, or by floating with a sponge
Mixing and Application float, for a grainy finish.
These plasters can be mixed either by hand or
by machine. In Great Britain, they have Curing
traditionally been hand-mixed and then Since lime-based plasters cure and harden
pounded with the end of a tool that resembles through contact with the atmosphere, they
a baseball bat. The later process insures that should be allowed to dry and set up between
all the sand grains become coated with wet coats.
lime. They are typically troweled on by hand,
although use has been made of the previously
Decorating
mentioned, hand-powered, "rough-casting" Many of the techniques for decoration
device (see page 106). mentioned in the detailed discussion of
As with cement-based plasters, the first cement-based plasters can be adapted for
coat should be scratched before it becomes use with lime-based plasters, keeping in
too hard. When the "scratch" coat has set, the mind that the latter often have less cohesion.
"brown" coat can be applied onto a slightly Only limeproof mineral pigments should be
dampened surface. Unless compacted it will used as an admixture for the "finish" coat mix
often crack as the putty shrinks. This is or to color a limewash. A colored limewash
normally done a day after the coat has been used over lime-based plaster by the above-
applied, with a wooden float (trowel). Some mentioned Pedro Sanchez, consisted of 2
oldtimers would drive a nail through the float, sacks of lime (presumably 50 Ib [22.7 kg]
such that the point was barely exposed on the bags of Type N) and a 1 Ib [0.45 kg] bag of
face, so that shallow scratches would be left cement-and-mortar colorant. It was applied
to enhance the adhesion of the third coat. with a compressor-driven sprayer.
The "finish" coat can be compacted either
Clay-Based Plasters
available materials.
(Non-)Recipes Start experimenting early enough, so that
Soils can differ greatly in the amount and type you'll have the recipe worked out before the
of clay that they contain. For this reason, any walls are ready to plaster. Your final soil
specific recipe, whether from a book or from mixture will probably end being about 65 to
a friend, must be considered suspect, unless 80% sand and small pebbles, and 20 to 35%
you will be using exactly the same materials fine material (about half of which should be
as were used by the person that developed the clay). As a general rule, too high a clay
recipe. For the same reason, we have chosen content will cause cracking as the plaster
to risk your wrath by providing not formulas, dries, while too little will result in an
but rather a brief guide for creating your own, unacceptably weak final product. In practice,
by systematically experimenting with locally it is generally easier and less expensive to
Page 113 Surfacing the Walls
find and adjust a soil that has too much clay, will suggest how much sand (or sand and
than to "fix" one that has too little. straw) must be added. If the cracking is
A quick method for estimating the clay minimal and shallow, try three test mixtures
content of a soil is described in Tibbets (1989, ranging from 1 part soil with 1/2 part sand, to
page 48). Another, the so-called "jar test", 1 part soil with 1-1/2 parts sand. If the
which gives an idea of the ratio of sand to silt cracking is closely spaced and/or deep, try
to clay in a soil sample, is described on page three mixtures bracketing 1 part soil with 4
110 of the same source. parts sand. If the cracking is moderate, try
A more direct way to assess the plaster- three samples bracketing 1 part soil with 2-1/2
potential of a soil is described below: parts sand. You get the idea, eh?
Put your soil sample through a 1/4 inch Finding the "ideal" soil mixture often
[about 6 mm] screen to remove twigs, cigar requires considerable trial and error, but it's
butts, larger pebbles, etc. Mix about a quart worth the effort. When water is added to it,
[about 1 liter] of this screened soil sample the result is a plaster that applies easily and
with water. sticks well to straw (has good adhesion) and
Adjust the ratio of soil to water to create to itself (has good cohesion). The final result
a material that can be "smeared" on the side will be a multi-layer coating that is strong,
of a bale, with either your hand or a trowel. durable, and free from cracks.
Create a patch about a foot square [30 by 30
cm], with a thickness of about a half inch
Stabilizing
[1.25 cm]. If the material won't stay on or A bewildering array of compounds, both
doesn't have enough cohesion to maintain natural and synthetic, have been added to
itself in a layer of this thickness, it has too earthen plasters (with varying degrees of
little clay. You can chose to add various success) to reduce their erodability (i.e.,
amounts of clay (either found or purchased) to increase their resistance to rain that hits and
this soil, but unless this is your last, best runs down the wall [see Tibbets 1989, pages
hope, eliminate this one and start again with a 80-83]). The purpose of these "stabilizers" is
soil sample from a different location. to keep the surface from absorbing water and
If the material does meet the above again becoming "mud", which is easily
requirements, allow the test patch to dry washed away. The characteristics of an ideal
completely and then examine the results. stabilizer would include that it be:
Start by breaking off a chunk from one edge. inexpensive, if not free;
If it breaks easily and the chunk crushes easily non-toxic, easy and safe to use;
when squeezed between a thumb and low in embodied energy;
forefinger, the clay content is too low. As made from something other than petro-
above, consider eliminating it, at least leum;
temporarily. able to "waterproof the surface without
Let us assume that the patch offers diminishing its vapor permeability (a.k.a.
adequate resistance to breaking and crushing breathability);
(what degree of resistance is "adequate", only water soluble initially, but insoluble after
you can decide). Examine the surface for the plaster has dried.
cracking. The spacing and depth of the cracks natural, rather than synthetic, and usable
without extensive processing;
Surfacing the Walls Page 114
free from negative effects on the color amount of water needed to bring 7 shovels of
and appearance of the plaster; the soil/sand mix to the proper consistency for
resistant to solar radiation; plastering.
effective with a wide range of soil types; Multiply this quantity of water by 10 to
and, regionally available, worldwide. determine the correct amount for 70 shovels.
So there's the challenge. Come up with a To a plaster mixer (a real labor-saver that
stabilizer that meets even most of these can often be rented), add 3/4 of the amount of
criteria and the Nobel Prize for chemistry, or water as determined immediately above, then
naturalchemy, is yours. In the meantime, the add 2-1/2 gallons [9.5 liters] of emulsified
options aren't great. Until something better is asphalt.
found, the most commonly used stabilizer, at Now add 70 shovels of your mix, or the
least in the overdeveloped world, will be correct number of shovelfuls of sand and soil
emulsified asphalt (e.g., Chevron CSS-1). Be that maintain the proper ratio of sand to soil
advised that the asphalt will darken the plaster and that add up to 70.
slightly, chilling the warm earth tones a little. While continuing to mix, add water in
For many sand/soil mixes, the amount of small amounts until the desired consistency is
emulsion needed falls in the range of from 3% reached.
to 5.5% of the weight of the dry mix. Going Test the "recipe" for erodability by
higher than 6% can significantly weaken the spraying water on dry test patches using a
plaster. Knowing that these emulsions weigh garden hose and pistol-grip nozzle. Spray a
about 8.3 pounds per gallon [1 kg per liter], patch of unstabilized plaster for comparison.
will enable you to convert from weight Clark Sanders of E. Meredith, NY, a
required to volume required. veteran of three, owner-built, bale structures,
Adobe bricks are considered fully stabilized has experimented with linseed oil as a
when they absorb no more than 2.5% of their stabilizer. His recipe involved 20 shovels of
initial dry weight when they sit on a water- an earthen plaster mix, 5 gallons [about 19
saturated-surface for 7 days. A method for liters] of chopped straw, 1 quart [about 1 liter]
finding the minimum percentage of emulsion of boiled linseed oil, and water. Test panels
needed to achieve this degree of stabilization were done with the recipe shown above, with
in bricks is described in Tibbets (1989, page this recipe minus the oil, and with this recipe
120). With minor adaptations, it can be used minus both the oil and the straw. Testing
to test plaster samples as well. indicates that both the oil and the straw help
A less rigorous approach involves adopting decrease the erodability of plaster and that the
a procedure used successfully by someone straw also helps to reduce cracking. He has
else, in hopes that it will also work with your concerns, however, about the degree to which
soil. You might try this one, adapted from the oil, in an amount sufficient to significantly
pages 81 and 82 of the above-mentioned reduce the erodability, will reduce the
source: breathability.
Use the trial-and-error process described
earlier to develop a "proper" mix of clay-rich
Mixing and Application
soil and sand. Clay-based plasters can be mixed by hand or
Determine, by experimentation, the by machine. Although usually applied by
Page 115 Surfacing the Walls
hand (with either the hand or a trowel), they the plaster will enable more heavily built-up
are occasionally "blown" on, using pumpers areas and projections to stay attached to the
adapted especially for this purpose. wall. Some practioners have pushed slivers
Variations of this product have been referred of bamboo into the wall, forming a kind of
to as Ablobe and Gun-Earth. The hopper "armature" onto which the straw-heavy plaster
gun described on page 106 has also been used is applied when considerable overhangs are
to blow on a soupy, earthen plaster mix to wanted. Photo-illustrated books on
create a thin, well-integrated "scratch" coat. international earth architecture (especially that
In common practice, each coat is allowed to from Africa) provide wonderful inspiration for
dry completely. This allows any cracking to the builders ready to turn their mud-plastered
take place before the surface is dampened and walls into a riot of color and texture (see
covered with the next coat. The dampening is Courtney-Clarke 1990).
critical to ensure a good "mud to mud" bond. Rubbing Pigments onto a Light-Colored
Any dried coat which contains emulsified Finish CoatThe cover story of Issue 9 of
asphalt as a stabilizer will not absorb water The Last Straw describes a technique used by
(and turn to "mud"), so some users prefer to Santa Fe owner-builder Mark Cherry to create
stabilize only the "finish" coat. some of the most beautiful wall surfaces that
Curing author Matts has ever seen. In a nutshell,
when his finish coat of buff-colored mud
Since earthen plasters harden by drying out,
plaster had dried enough to be firm, but was
they need no moist curing. However, to
still damp, he used the palm of his hand to
reduce cracking of a thick coat, time the
rub natural mineral oxides (e.g., red iron
application so that it will stay shaded from
oxide) into the drying plaster. Following this
direct sunlight as long as possible and dry up later with a hand applied coat of a Livos
more slowly.
brand oil, he sealed the entire surface and
Decorating then developed a slight sheen in certain areas
PaintingStandard, water- and oil-based by applying a second coat of oil. The results
paints do not adhere well to earthen plasters. are enviable!
To provide a paint-friendly surface on interior Using a Clay "Slip" on the Finish CoatFor
mud plaster, author Steve has brushed on a the uninitiated, "slip" might connote a
thick, creamy mixture of drywall joint mistake or a piece of lingerie, but for Carole
compound (a gypsum-based material). It Crews and other aficionados of this technique,
adheres well to earth plaster and interior latex it means a creamy suspension of clay and
paints are compatible with it. Limewashes other ingredients in water. Carole's
(see page 111) have traditionally been used in home-based business in Taos, NM, specializes
Mexico as a "paint" for adobe brick and in the enhancement of mud-plastered walls
mud-plastered surfaces. through the use of sculpting and of slips that
Texturing/SculptingBecause of the good smooth, seal and brighten/lighten the walls.
cohesion of earthen plasters, and because For ingredients, her slips generally include:
their "set" can be delayed simply by keeping clay, either found locally or purchased
them moist, they are ideal for this type of from a supplier of pottery materials (e.g.,
decorating. The addition of chopped straw to white kaolin, especially good for making
Surfacing the Walls Page 116
unless you want the surface to have a sheen. called "Adobe Protector" that has been
Sealers are used on exterior walls to sprayed onto the mud plaster covering at least
water-proof the mud plaster or glue the one straw-bale house. Several years after
surface particles together, thus preventing application, the user reported that it seemed to
erosion. A waterproofing-type sealer have been effective in preventing erosion,
recommended by its manufacturer for use on except where water was able to get into
"earthen structures" is Crown 310 (El Rey cracks and freeze. Since the effectiveness of
Stucco Co. Albuquerque, NM). According to any sealer may differ from one soil mixture to
their literature, it "allows substrate to another, buy a small amount and test it on
breathe". They also make a gluing-type sealer your plaster before making a big investment.
Step 8. Finishing Touches
c l c n g C I to create interior and exterior environments that are low-maintenance,
low-cost, flexible, practical, healthy, comfortable, visually pleasing, personal and nurturing.
light not necessary for cement- or gypsum-based plaster, drill hole, insert nail; or
drill hole, install plastic insert, attach something with a screw
for clay-based plaster, drill hole for dowel,
pound in dowel add screw on end for hanging' r
or once dowel in wall, attach something to it /"- /
(e.g., telephone jack) phone jack owe
medium highly
Gringo Grip (see page 87 for access info) laster
advisable
May be O.K. for heavier loads, also. '
-j stake
advisable ^""y^l" r^Y1f) rml ^tnke with flit <dHe vertirnl '
or horizontal, depending on bale density ?
^plaster '
V '" _
1 ^
> r^ \
plaster^ nf'"gH , T^l ' \"
attached to 1 1 1 \d h H
stake ; attached to
piaster^ wooden stake
vertical 2"X4"
super-heavy required ^^, [5X1 Ocm]
j i ^ "washer" in notch
- -T 1 [1 !! i
-it ii
/
ledgers in notch on Y y
inside surface, |
connected to "washer"
with threaded rod
Page 121 Finishing Touches
shelf
metal
bracket
stake
bale wall metal
track
plaster
plaster
\| /
1. Measure and cut vertical elements (2"X4" -f ^slightly
[5X10 cm]) for slightly loose fit. roundee
""_/ insulated -7^1
2. Attach metal tracks.
3. Insert pin (e.g., nail with head removed) at
top of one vertical element into small hole
drilled at measured location in the drywall
I n shelf v
Mlff/S^, s^-~?-:^
f&-
ceiling. . [_^
4. Move bottom end in toward wall until 's- x- bale wall > A flat
metal / surface
vertical. bracket - vertical
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all vertical element
elements. ' ' -,-\ / metal/
6. Add brackets and shelves. plaster track wall
Finishing Touches Page 122
vines at east
well-insulated
window for
door
summer shading
Step 1. Foundations*
Challenge; to provide the same stable, durable base as in a loadbearing design.
The details will differ, however, since the roof weight is now transmitted to the foundations
by some kind of framework. If the framework involves widely spaced vertical posts, the
foundations must be designed to handle the concentrated loads transferred at these points.
The foundation must also properly elevate and carry the bale walls.
* As explained near the end of page 1, you really need to study the loadbearing approach first, to learn the generic
techniques for working with bales. Having done that, return to this section for details unique to the
non-loadbearing approach.
Step 2. Building the Framework
Challenge! to create a rigid, loadbearing framework to carry the roof weight and
transfer it to the foundation. It should safely resist any horizontal (a.k.a. lateral) loads from
wind or earthquakes. Multistory structures become easily possible.
Simpson #HD2A
or the equivalent
stirrup-type
post base
Bales on Edge
I
infill' posts fully exposed
between inside or outside of
posts bale walls
In 1992, Lloyd Dennis and Katherine Wells, Velarde,
NM, used bale walls as forming and support for
poured concrete posts and bond beam (see The Last
Homemade Alternative: Straw #9, pp. 25-26). formed concrete bond beam
box-beam modified
poured same time as holes
post stuffed foam-filled,
with straw stress-skin
after bolting panel. teeth cut
with
to floor. 2"X4" ' hacksaw
[5X10 cm] holes drilled with
plywoo< 4" [10 cm]
aluminum pipe
attached to
hand-held power holes drilled into marked
posthole auger bale before laying
option: option:
insulated double |~ insulated
shutter covers single shutter
vent plus half of covers only Top View
window screened vent lath
bale
rough frame
screened vent glass-
window frame
fixed double-pane glass shutter -'
rabbet plaster
option:
well-sharpened #3
rebar (bent against
column until 1 st
course in place) option: expanded metal
lath pinned to top of bale
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Hybrid design
with straw-bale
walls carrying
half the weight of
each shed roof.
Out On Bale
workshop
participants
raising
eight-course-high
structural walls,
using three-string
bales layed flat.
Index
bales laid "on edge", 4, 15, 18, "blood lath", see expanded
A 21,85, 126 metal lath
Ablobe, 115
bales laid "flat" versus "on borate solution, 10
admixtures, 104 edge", 129 borax, 19, 116
adobe, 12, 13, 22, 29, 93, 97,
bale, kinky laying options, 64 boric acid, 19
110, 112, 115
bale laying "rules of thumb", 63 Bowerbird Construction, 106
Adobe Protector, 117 bale layout, 34, 35, 36 breaking strength of cable and
Africa, 115 bale, mini-, 34, 61 strapping, 72
Agriboard, Inc., 48, 80, 86 bale modifying, 56 breathability, 99, 109, 113, 114
air barriers, 100 bale needle, 57, 61,92 brick trowel, 104, 106
air exchanger, 11, 25, 32, 100
bale pinning, 1, 57, 60, 84, 126 "brown" coat, 102
air quality, indoors, 11, 100
bale quality, 17 building code, 2, 6, 16, 27, 28,
Alabama, 10
bale reconstituted, 16 31,45,58,91,93, 101, 124
all-weather wood, 54
bale, rounded, 60 building contractors, 9, 38, 105,
Almstedt, Friderike, 126
bale shortening, 64 107
aluminum sulfate, 19
bale, stacking, 1,13, 30, 58, 65, building code officials, 12, 21,
animal shelters, 119 101, 126 27,28,37,51,70
ARCHIBIO, 32, 77, 110
bale storage, 38, 39, 57 building layout, 44, 45
architects, 6, 27, 31, 37, 50, 72, bale suppliers, 18 building materials list, 38
73,74 bale, thinking like a, 29 building permit, 37
Arizona, 6, 12, 31, 37, 107, 126 bale, three-tie, 8, 9, 15, 20, 21, building site, 2, 10, 17, 19, 26,
arson, 19
27,29,34,35,44, 126 38
artificial wetlands, 32
bale tweaking, 16, 59 building site cleanup, 57
asphalt emulsion, 98
bale tweaking tools, 84 building site, sloping, 48
bale, two-tie, 9, 15, 17, 21, 24, Burke House, 5
B 27, 29, 34, 44, 126, 129 burlap fabric, 96, 101, 110
backpack sprayer, 19 bale "vital statistics", 15 Burritt Mansion, 5, 10
Bainbridge, David, 6 bale walls, prestressing, 73 Butchart, Ted, 73, 108
bale(s), angled, 60, 63 bale walls, deformation of, 17 buttressing walls, 59, 130
bale availability, 8 BaleBlock, 127
bale benches, 20 baler, horse-powered, 4
bale composition, 19 baler, steam-powered, 4
baling wire, 30 CD, see calculated density
bale, construction grade, 8
bamboo, 85, 115, 125 cabinets, 83, 89, 118, 119
bale cost, 18
bamboo pins, 60, 61, 62, 79, 92 cactus mucilage as a plaster
bale, custom, 17, 30, 34, 44, 57,
banding, 46 stabilizer, 110
61
barley, 17 cage clip pliers, 92
bale density, see calculated
basements, 22, 30, 54, 81 calcined gypsum, 96
density
bathrooms, 11,25 calculated density, 9, 16, 17
bales, estimating the number of,
batter boards, 44 calculated dry density,
20
bean stalks, 19 minimum, 3 1
bale frenzy, 58, 59
bedrooms, 25, 118, 131 California, 6, 9, 86, 109, 124,
bales, idiosyncrasies of, 11
binder, 85, 95, 96, 98, 99, 116 126
bale infill, 11,22
BioFab, 79, 86 Canada, 10, 73
bales laid "flat", 4, 15, 16, 21,
Birkani Architects, 127 Canello Project, 96
29, 30, 44, 77, 83, 85, 94,
Bissett, Bob, 126 Carabelli, Virginia, 7
126
Black, Eric, 12 carrousel pump, 107
.
Index Page 140
fiberglass insulation, 12, 43, 48, furring strips, 89, 126, 131 infill panel, 130
62, 80, 88 future additions, 25 insects, 10
fiberglass rebar, 43, 62 insulation, 9, 13, 23, 25, 37, 79,
Fibrehouse, Bob and Linda, 73 80
financing, 9, 12,21 insurance, 10, 12,21, 101
"finish" coat, 93, 94, 103, 109, glazing, 13,25, 82 interior finishing, 9
glue-laminated beams, 125 Iowa, 48
115
finishing touches, 118 Gould, Curtis, 130
grade beam, 44 J
finishing trowel, 104
gray water, 32 James Hardy Co., 111
fire, 10, 16, 18, 19,57,60,79,
Great Britain, 111 jar test, 113
80, 129
Great Plains, 4, 11 J-strip, 90
fire retardants, 18
GreenFire Institute, 73 jute net staples, 92
fire testing, 18
flammability, 1, 18, 77 Gringo Grip, 87, 120
Cripple, 73
float trowel, 107
Gun-Earth, 115
K
floor plan, 32, 34, 35, 37, 118 kaolin, 116
floors, 11,26,30,32,34,47,48, Gunite, 12, 107
Keene's cement, 110
52,77,81,82,84,85,88, Kemble, Steve, 6, 37
89,97, 118, 119, 121, 127, H King Arthur Tools, 83
131 habitat for wildlife, 26 kitchens, 11,25
floors, brick, 84 half bales, 30, 34 Klippenstein, Amy, 3
floors, earth, 84 Hammond, Jon, 6 KMG Minerals, 116
floors, fired adobe, 84 hanging things on straw-bale Knox, Judy, 6
floors, insulating, 88 walls, 121 Kraft paper, 43, 90
floors, high-mass, 84 Hansen Kramer Stuccoing, Inc.,
floors, rammed earth, 84 103
floors, soil-cement, 84 "hawk", plasterer's, 105, 106 labor cost, 9
floors, tile, 84 Lacinski, Paul, 3
hay, 4, 6, 10, 11, 15,109
foamboard, 47, 80, 88 hay saw, 63, 129 Lancelot, 83, 129
foam insulation, 47 landscaping, 26, 119
heating, 12, 13
foundation plans, 37 Hill Brothers Chemical, 109 lateral forces, 32, 62
foundations, 9, 10, 11, 13, 21, hopper gun, 19, 106, 107, 115 latex paint, 112, 118
22,27,28,33,34,35,37, hose level, 44 lattias, 79
43, 44, 45,46,47, 50, 52, layout squaring technique, 43,
housewraps, 39, 100, 109
53, 57, 58, 59, 65, 66, 70, HUD, see US Dept. Housing 45
73,81,82,91,97,124,125, lime, 4, 10, 12,43,95,96,97,
and Urban Development
126 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104,
humidity, 10, 11
foundations, cold climate, 50 108,110, 111
hurricane ties, 74
foundations, dimensioning, 44 hybrid designs, 30 lime, hydrated, 96, 110
foundations, gabion, 49 hybrid structures, 22 lime slurry, 10
foundations, railroad ties, 49 lime, Type N hydrated, 96, 111
hybrids, "compositional", 23
foundations, sandbag, 49 lime, Type S hydrated, 96, 103
hybrids, "structural", 22, 24
foundations, shipping pallet, 49 limewashes, 115
hybrids, "temporal", 23, 124
foundations, slab, 44, 45,47, 50, lintel, angle-iron, 53, 54, 55
hydrous calcium sulfate, 96
80,81,84,91 hypersensitivity, 26 lintel, channel-block, 54
foundations, tire, 49 lintels, 28, 32, 52, 53, 54, 55,
foundations, toed-up, 44, 47, 58, 58, 60, 65
73,81,91, 126 I lintels, "rule of thumb" for
frost heaving, 51 Idaho, 126 placement, 60
frost line, 28, 43, 50, 51 identified low-flying object, 65 live load, 31,54, 73, 126
fungi, 10, 15, 30 imbalers, 37,43, 44, 57, 58 livestock, 131
fungicide, 19 infill options, 85 Livos brand oil, 115
Page 141 Index
loadbearing, 1, 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, New Mexico, 6, 7, 12, 16,80, plaster, clay-based, 12, 97, 98,
17, 19,21,22,27,28,29, 110, 115, 116, 117, 124, 127 101,112,113,114,115,120
30,31,33,41,42,52,54, New York, 114 plaster, cracking, 50, 95, 101,
59, 60, 62, 65, 70, 76, 77, niches, 64, 83 104,107,112,113,114,115
86, 124, 125, 128, 131 Nochar's "Fire Preventer", 19 plaster, defined, 94
loadbearing design constraints, non-loadbearing, 2, 6, 9, 11, 15, plaster erodability, 97, 114
31 16,21,27,34,52,53,54, plaster, gypsum-based, 12, 96,
Luddite, 92 55, 58, 59, 60, 65, 70, 82, 97,111,112,120
lumber kiln, 119 123, 124, 126, 127 plaster, lime-based, 12, 96, 98,
notches, tools for cutting, 129 103, 110, 111
plaster maintenance, 99
M plaster mixer, 103, 104
MacDonald, Nena, 6 plaster reinforcement, 101
MacDonald, Orien, 6 oats, 17, 19 plaster strength, 99
making your house a home, 119 off-the-grid homes, 26 plaster workability, 99
Malin, Nadav, 26 Ohio, 107 plastic mesh, 101
masonry, 9, 12, 23, 29, 108, 109 opening, maximum area of, 31 plastic sheeting, 38, 43, 57, 79,
Marts' method, 86 openings, angled, 34, 52, 56, 63 88, 100, 105, 107, 112, 119
mechanical plan, 37 openings, placement of, 21 Platts, Bob, 73
Mexico, 106, 110, 115 openings, sizing, 52 plumbing, 37, 43, 47, 75, 82,
mica, 116 OSB board, 80 118, 119
milo, 19 Out On Bale, 6, 28, 31 poor man's sifter, 104
mini-pumper, 107 porches, 33, 78, 97, 119, 122
Minnesota, 37 p Portland cement, 45, 95, 109,
mixing trough, 104 110
model making, 35 Pacific Gold Board, 86
parapets, 12, 74, 75 Portland Cement Association,
moisture, 10, 15, 17, 29, 30, 31, 105
32,74,93, 107, 108, 131 partition walls, 25, 37, 43, 82,
83,85,86,87, 118 Porter, Marley, 130
moisture barriers, 10, 100, 131 post-and-beam, 6, 11, 22,28,
moisture, maximum, 31 partition walls, attaching, 87
passive heating and cooling, 13, 126
moisture meter, 17 post-and-pole, 125
moisture protection strategies, 25
pay-as-you-build, 12 poultry netting, 91, 101
32 prickly pear cactus, 110
Mongolia, 27, 68, 88 perimeter drainage, 88
perimeter insulation, 10, 28, 37, privacy walls, 107, 119, 122
mortar hoe, 104 pump house, 119
mortgage, 12, 26 43,44,51
permafrost, 28, 43 purlins, 74
mouse, see rodents
mud plasters, see "clay-based" PGB3, 79
plasters photovoltaic systems, 122
mulch, 20, 57 pipe installation, 45 quicklime, 96
multi-story structures, 30, 125 plaster, 10, 13, 16, 18,21, 30, Quikspray, Inc., 107
Murphy's Law, 39 70,74,83,85,89,90,91,
92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98,
99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, R
N 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, radiant floors, 32
National Association of Home 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, Raikes, Arlen, 50
Builders Research Center, 51 115,116, 117, 118, 120 rammed earth, 12, 13, 85
Naturall Fiber Board, 79 plaster availability, 99 RBA, see roof-bearing assembly
Nebraska, 4, 5,6,21,70, 77, plaster breathability, 99 rebar, 29, 37, 43, 44, 45, 57, 58,
109 plaster, cement-based, 12, 95, 62,71,92, 129
Nevada, 6 98, 103, 105, 107, 108, 109, rebar cutter, 44
111,112, 120 recycled materials, 9, 77
Index Page 142
thermal mass, 13, 23, 33, 85, Walk-Through, 3, 43, 52, 57, Wisconsin, 50
118 65,74,81,89, 118 Woodin, John, 111
Three-D Home Architect, 36 wall captain, 57, 59 working drawings, 3, 37
Tibbets, Joe, 103, 105, 112, 113, wall elevations, 20, 35, 36, 37, Wright, Frank Lloyd, 50
114 44
tie-downs, wall, 21, 37, 46, 47, wall height, maximum, 31
58,65,66,70,71,72,73, wall length, maximum, 31
74,81,91,93, 125 wall map, 59
tie-downs, wire, 71 wall paneling, 12, 100
tile, 13,54,77,84, 109, 116 wallpaper paste, 116
timber frame, 125 wall-raising, 9, 18, 36, 38, 39,
TJI, see truss joist I-beam 52,66
toxicity, 26 wall surfacing, 9, 10, 16, 72, 89
troweling, 44 wall surfacing, considerations,
truss joist I-beam, 67, 68, 71, 78 100
trusses, 36, 65, 66, 74, 76, 78, wall surfacing, decision-making,
85, 128 100
trusses, fink, 77 wall team, 59
trusses, Howe, 77 Wanek, Catherine, 6
trusses, mansard, 77 Washington State University, 29
trusses, raised-heel, 80 waste water, 32
trusses, scissors, 77 water damage, 32, 59, 98
trusses, Super, 77 water harvesting, 32, 77
truth windows, 93 water, liquid, 17, 30, 58, 88, 91,
twine, natural fiber, 30, 151 100
twine, polypropylene, 15, 30, water pipes, 82, 118
102 waterproof covering, 38, 59, 60
two-story structures, 22 waterproof membrane, 74, 81
Tyvek Stucco-Wrap, 58 water storage, 48
water vapor, 10, 58, 88, 89, 96,
100, 109
U Watt, John, 92
U.S. Gypsum, 97 wattle and daub, 85
unbuttressed walls, 21 Weed Whacker, 83
unwanted critters, 10 Wells, Katherine, 127
Welsch, Roger, 4, 6
v
vandals, 89, 131
wheat, 17, 19, 79, 116
wheat paste, 116, 117
vapor barrier paints, 100 WheatSheet, 79, 85
vapor permeability, 109, 113 wheelbarrow, 104, 105, 106
vaults, 75, 77, 78, 80 willow pins, 60
veneer, 119, 121 wind loading, 6, 11, 16, 32, 39,
venting, 32, 74, 76, 118, 119, 65, 72, 73, 100, 109, 125
128 window, clerestory, 32, 78
ventilation, 25, 32, 33, 88 window frames, 10, 25, 31, 36,
vermin, 10, 89, 131 47,52,59,63,65,81,90,
vigas, 65, 79 101, 128
window openings, 11, see also
w openings
window seats, 56, 129
Wakeman, Jim, 128 window sills, 32
wire wheel, 83
HERE'S WHAT SOME FOLKS IN
THE KNOW ARE SAYING ABOUT
BUILD IT WITH BALES - VERSION TWO
David Eisenberg, co-author of The Straw Bale House, Tucson, AZ "You hold in
your hands that rarest of books - one that combines inspiration, wisdom, and humor with
practicality - the best new techniques, presented in the context of simplicity, affordability
and resource efficiency."
c The Authors MATTS MYHRMAN has, since 1989, been co-partners with his wife
Judy Knox in Out On Bale, (un)Ltd., an international resource center for
straw-bale construction. They publish The Last Straw Journal and facilitate
workshops focused on path-changing, using straw-bale construction as
ISBN 0-9642821-1-9
a vehicle.
90000>
STEVE MACDONALD and his wife, Nena, built their house of straw in 1988
in southwestern New Mexico. For many, including Matts and Judy, it
became their starting point in the straw-bale revival. His Straw-Bale Primer,
9"780964"282117" also illustrated by son Orien, helped many early practitioners and became the
basis for the first version of this book.