If you want to learn various construction techniques, building with straw bales. Strawbale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw commonly wheat, rice, rye and oats straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both. Projects that incorporate some volunteer or workshopbased construction can deliver cost savings. In 1991 i founded a straw bale construction company in albuquerque new mexico. The complete stepbystep guide ebook written by chris magwood. The latest research in the field of straw bale design and construction is presented. Recommended reading casba california straw building. This book offers the nuts and bolts of rammed earth and straw bale building techniques, and why they are so spectacular, durable, and earth. There are some great reference books, volunteer workshops and courses on hand, making it easy to get involved in the community and to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the initiated. Straw bale construction is a green building method that uses whole or partial bales of straw as a major part of a homes walls. Some builders construct frames around the bales and use the bales for insulation, while others eliminate the framing altogether. Experimentation with straw bale construction continues. By paul lacinski and michel bergeron, chelsea green publishing company, 2000. This new edition of the book building with straw bales by our director barbara jones contains the most up to date strawbale building techniques, including.
This practical guide is written especially for the ownerbuilder and provides stepbystep instructions supported by diagrams and photographs. Serious straw bale and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. These are the construction techniques i have used and finetuned over the years building, teaching, and consulting on hundreds of straw bale projects from. In other jurisdictions without specific strawbale codes, straw bale construction is often approved under the building code provisions for alternate methods and materials.
Our uniquely handcrafted designs are to ensure fast assembly while reducing construction waste. Research has shown that strawbale construction is a sustainable method for building, from the standpoint of both materials and energy. Bergeron and lacinskis new book serious straw bale is the first to look carefully at the specific design considerations critical to success with a straw bale building in more extreme climateswhere seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity create special stresses that builders must understand and address. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Top 8 advantages and challenges of straw bale construction. This book is a pictorial howto guide on strawbale construction basics that emphasizes lowcost methods to help those in the greatest need for affordable. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read more straw bale building. Soon he was bringing me books and sending me links pointing to the favorability of straw bale as a homebuilding material. Innovative tips and techniques on all phases of wall building from design to finish. Unlike many other straw bale construction books on the market, this one looks at building design issues from the perspective of straw bale builders and considers the particular needs of the medium. Straw bale has caught my attention and imagination for many years but the lack of information on damp climate straw bale construction has made me very hesitant to do more than read about it.
Straw bale constructiontechniquesfoundations wikibooks, open. The ebook rings in at 214 pages, contains 1 photographs to outline various points and steps, and has 22 professionally drawn architectural details created by chris keefe of organicforms design. This is a witty, candid look at the issues that must be considered if building with bales in a damp climate. When packed and tied into tightly compressed bales, this material turns into excellent building blocks, fireresistant and highly insulating. Plans are commonly required to be stamped by a licenced structural engineer. The authors dedication shows through in every page. They are easily retied to make half or custom sized bales. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar living book. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or brown construction projects. Whether you build an entire house or something more modesta home office or studio, a retreat cabin or guest cottageplastered straw bale construction is an exceptionally durable and inexpensive option.
A practical manual for selfbuilders and architects. Strawbale construction does, however, guarantee deep windowsillsthe result of superthick walls. Stepbystep practical instructions on how to build a straw bale house. However, there are also pitfalls to using straw bales for construction. I use this book all the time and refer it people who are interested in building with straw. Building with awareness how to build a solar straw bale. One mans journey from conventional construction to the methods and materials. Along the way, i realized i had to stop idealizing straw bale as a building material and start looking at it critically. The original nebraska strawbale building technique was one in which walls of strawbales actually provided the support for the roofstructure above, so these are now referred to as loadbearing, and strawbale homes of this style continue to be built and permitted. The last straw journal po box 1809 paonia, co 81428. Straw bale construction can be used in almost any climate to create a comfortable home.
Several different techniques are discussed, focusing much information on the needs of those building in wet andor cold environments. He also presents a new straw bale construction system that has substantial benefits over current methods. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar living book at. The straw bale house is a great introduction to straw bale building.
It uses a stepbystep approach, ensuring every critical part is outlined and that the manual remains easy to follow. The most common straw bale construction method is known as the nebraska technique. The authors draw upon years of experience with natural materials and experimental techniques, and present a compelling rationale for building with strawone of natures. The original nebraska strawbale building technique was one in which walls of strawbales actually provided the support for the. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar living book paul lacinski, michel bergeron on. The first rule of building with straw is to keep it dry good hat and goot boots. Humidity the arch enemy of any straw bale construction will accumulate inside bales covered in cement stucco. Available for your residential or commercial projects. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read essential hempcrete construction. Building your straw bale home, brian hodge, 9780643093867. If you want to make sure you are buying a valuable resource, here are the best books about straw bale houses available today. Constructing a straw bale solar home requires the merging of solar design with alternative building techniques.
Books are useful for accessing information on these topics quickly and easily, while videos are a great way to show actual building methods and techniques firsthand. Practical straw bale building, murray hollis, 9780643092143. Athena and bill steen, coauthors of the straw bale house chelsea green, 1994, a book widely credited with popularizing and legitimizing straw bale construction, celebrate in gorgeous color photography the accomplishments of straw bale artisans. Straw bale is a low cost material but requires labourintensive construction techniques.
Straw bales are a highly insulative, lowembodiedenergy, natural building material made from an agricultural waste product. The cabin can be the perfect art studio, meditation space, guest cabin, quiet getaway, or even a tiny house. This book introduced me to the techniques of straw bale building, and it was very informative and useful to me as a beginner. If you want a chance to get a free copy, be sure to read this whole post or skip to the end if you prefer. Everything you need to know about straw bale design. Straw bales can be used as structural elements, insulation or both. Macdonald out on bale 1997 a stepbystep guide to straw bale construction. The red feather construction handbook corum, nathaniel, goodall, jane on. Straw is easy to work with for people new to construction as they are flexible and can be very forgiving.
Building a home using straw bale construction mother. Straw bale construction is a relatively sustainable construction method, with straw being a renewable material that is readily available. The disadvantages of straw bale construction hunker. Straw bale constructiontechniqueswalls wikibooks, open books. The book explores many variations on the straw bale theme, with honest evaluations of the pros and cons of each. Selecting from a variety of building types and applications, they vividly portray the sensuous versatility and crosscultural appeal of this most. Click download or read online button to get straw bale construction book now. In a modern look at straw bale construction, i have presented. Since it is not a conventional building material, the contractor or doityourselfer will need to learn new construction techniques.
Straw bale house construction dancing rabbit ecovillage. Straw bale may only be a small part of the book, but the other building methods discussed feed your imagination and much of the detailed information is relevant no matter the type of building you are constructing. Straw bale house construction why build a straw bale house. A great deal of information is provided with many details and techniques.
The material is ecofriendly, fairly affordable, and reasonably easy to work with, making it an appealing approach to building a home. A good deal of standardization and refinement in regard to techniques, tools, and. If straw bale building codes are not part of your local codes, it may be a bit more work to get your plans approved. Straw bale construction download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. Clay plaster allow higher water vapour permeability through the walls than lime plaster, which in turn is much more than cement plasters. Constructing a straw bale solar house requires the merging of solar design with alternative building techniques. However, some early straw bale designs and construction methods resulted in. Whats more, its fun, because the technique is easy to learn and easy to do yourself. The straw bale house a real goods independent living book. Well, i did just that, and then the idea expanded and this book was born. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar.
The use of straw bales is typically found in natural building projects, or earthen construction, and while historically it has been a common. These are the construction techniques i have used and finetuned over the years building, teaching, and consulting on hundreds of straw bale projects from australia to europe and canada to the united states. An excellent addition to the literature on strawbale, especially appropriate for those in wet, cold climates. Unlike many other straw bale construction books on the market, this one. After the edible part of grains have been harvested, their stalks are disposed of by farmers and in many areas, they are burned.
A home construction guide for all climates real goods. Building your straw bale home by hodge, brian ebook. I contacted chris keefe of organicforms design and asked him to help me with the drawings, as he is an excellent straw bale designer. Field bales are often laid in stretcher bond like bricks. A basic primer and a howto manual on specific techniques and detailing. It covers the construction process from site preparation through to foundations, concrete slabs, strip footings and stumps. Special techniques for straw bale construction and the integration of these techniques with those of conventional house building. Books are great for acquiring information on these topics quickly and easily, while videos are essential for showing the actual building methods and techniques firsthand. Details on the latest straw bale engineering, window flashing, electrical wiring, and much more. Straw bale construction is a method of building that uses bales or bundles of straw. Ive written this straw bale book so that you can get a precise look at the details i recommend for building a high quality, long lasting straw bale home. Straw bale constructiontechniquesfinishes wikibooks.
A construction manual and inspiring story all wrapped into one, building a straw bale house. Building your straw bale home this book is a good reference for anyone who has a desire to understand building construction or a desire to build a straw bale house to a high standard using wellresearched methods. Building a straw bale house green homes mother earth. For many, they are locally available and affordable. In practical straw bale building, murray hollis uses simple, easy to understand language to describe the established techniques of straw bale construction and ways in which they can be improved. Straw bale building details and millions of other books are available for. Straw bale constructiontechniqueswalls wikibooks, open.
Straw bale construction designing buildings wiki share your construction industry knowledge. Building with straw was a very unknown building method at the time, so i had to invent a lot of the techniques as i went. Having designed over 40 straw bale homes, he has a ton of experience. This book highlights various benefits and critical points, allowing you to decide if this construction alternative is right for you. Ive written this book so that you can get a precise look at the details i recommend for building a high quality, long lasting straw bale home. It includes special construction requirements of earth and straw, design capabilities and limitations of these materials, and documentation of testing data for use in addressing the concerns of officials. The straw bale house a real goods independent living book steen. My brand new straw bale book, a modern look at straw bale construction is complete. Straw is the stems of cereal crops, left over after grains such as rice, wheat, barley and oats have been harvested. This beautiful and simple cabin is ideal for anyone interested in learning straw bale construction techniques andor wanting a special space on their property. Covers the entire process of building a straw bale structure. The red feather construction handbook is an important resource for anyone looking to build a straw bale house. Highly recommend for anyone considering straw bale construction.