Build a Straw Bale House

Building a straw bale house is great. It is a very low carbon method of creating a home. This is a VERY ROUGH GUIDE to the things and methods you might need to build one.

Once built the structure could last 100's of years and is very efficient to run.

For the purpose of simplicity this article will not include instruction on the installation of services, such as water and electrics. So these are instructions on how to build a shell.

Steps

 * 1)  Make a plan: how big, how many rooms, what services do you want, where are the windows and doors going to go.Strawbalehouse.jpeg
 * 2)  Prepare the foundations on a level piece of ground. This could incorporate many methods, you may even wish to build your house on a timber frame, up off of the ground. Alternately, you could build the house on a concrete pad, through which you would pass services and water pipes etc. The pipes etc should pop out of the concrete where they are needed so, before you do this you should develop a floor plan of your building.
 * 3)  Timber frame: You should build the frame so a multiple of the bale length will fit within it, so as to avoid cutting a lot of bails. The timber frame transfers the load of the roof done on to the foundation, and so be strong enough for this purpose. Various bracings should be used to prevent lateral movement within the frame, the base of each upright timber should be anchored well to the foundation.
 * 4)  Put the roof on: You don't want your bails to get wet during construction so put the roof on before going any further.
 * 5)  The walls are made of straw bales and these need to remain a)dry less than 20% moisture content, and b) tightly bound to prevent air getting in. Both these factors are important in the preventing the rooting of the bails after construction. To build the wall you start by sharpening some staves (inch thick willow stems) and then securing them vertically in the concrete base (you will need to dill a hole, or perhaps poke them in when the concrete is still wet). Bales should then be further re-enforced "U" shaped will pins, See below for instructions on how to make these. Consequent layers or courses of bails are stacked up with consequent pinning until you have reached your desired height, during this process staves of willow should be driven down through alternate bails to fix it to the bail below. This is especial important on the top course. When the desired height has been reached some kind of strap should be placed around the entire wall (yop to bottom) to add further strength.
 * 6)  Put in the windows and doors. You should have left holes for these bridged with lintels (look it up), put the frames in and secure them to the walls. I would guess again using staves and than fixing the frames to the staves.
 * 7)  Plastering there are many type soft plaster that can be used, choose the best one for your climate. Apply with special tools for a smooth finish or with hands for a rustic finish, make sure you cover ever last bit of the straw. Non should be showing, otherwise fire, damp or vermin can get in. The exterior should be only painted with a breathable paint because the damp need to be able to get out of the walls.

Tips

 * Making a willow stave U pin. Take a 1 meter willow stave mark the stave at 33cm from each end, take a big hammer and bash the stave on these marks until the fibers of the wood are split apart. These bashed areas are then bendy, Bend the stave in to U shape and then get to work.
 * Straw bail is big in the US. Type in "Appendix M Straw-Bale Structures" for some more detailed info, from US standards.

Warnings

 * This knowledge is not definitive, it is just here as guidance always get a secound opinion.
 * Always consult a structural engineer before building anything.
 * Always make sure you have the relevant planning permissions.
 * make sure you follow health and safety regulations to avoid hurting yourself.

Things You'll Need

 * Enough straw bails to build the area of wall you wish to build.
 * Lots of things to make the foundations for the house. Concrete, shuttering, maybe a excavator.
 * Willow Staves to fix the bails together.
 * Plaster: Lime plaster perhaps.
 * Some tools: A bill hook to sharpen the staves, a saw for trimming bails, a lump hammer for mashing the staves to make them bendy.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Build a House
 * How to Build Your Own Home (US)