Straw bale construction is a relatively sustainable construction method, with straw being a renewable material that is readily available. Our uniquely handcrafted designs are to ensure fast assembly while reducing construction waste. 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. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar living book. If you want to make sure you are buying a valuable resource, here are the best books about straw bale houses available today. Straw bale construction can be used in almost any climate to create a comfortable home. How to plan, design and build with straw ebook written by chris magwood, peter mack. Straw bale house construction why build a straw bale house. This practical guide is written especially for the ownerbuilder and provides stepbystep instructions supported by diagrams and photographs. 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. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar living book at.
Practical straw bale building, murray hollis, 9780643092143. Straw bale constructiontechniquesfoundations wikibooks, open. Serious straw bale and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. When packed and tied into tightly compressed bales, this material turns into excellent building blocks, fireresistant and highly insulating. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read more straw bale building. Straw bale house construction dancing rabbit ecovillage. The low afternoon sun cast a warm, rich light on the straw. Stepbystep practical instructions on how to build a straw bale house. If you want to learn various construction techniques, building with straw bales. The straw bale house a real goods independent living book steen.
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. It uses a stepbystep approach, ensuring every critical part is outlined and that the manual remains easy to follow. 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. Along the way, i realized i had to stop idealizing straw bale as a building material and start looking at it critically. One mans journey from conventional construction to the methods and materials. Recommended reading casba california straw building. Straw is the stems of cereal crops, left over after grains such as rice, wheat, barley and oats have been harvested. These are the construction techniques i have used and finetuned over the years building, teaching, and consulting on hundreds of straw bale projects from. A practical manual for selfbuilders and architects. The red feather construction handbook is an important resource for anyone looking to build a straw bale house. Projects that incorporate some volunteer or workshopbased construction can deliver cost savings. Well, i did just that, and then the idea expanded and this book was born. Constructing a straw bale solar home requires the merging of solar design with alternative building techniques. Since it is not a conventional building material, the contractor or doityourselfer will need to learn new construction techniques.
Research has shown that strawbale construction is a sustainable method for building, from the standpoint of both materials and energy. Some builders construct frames around the bales and use the bales for insulation, while others eliminate the framing altogether. Strawbale construction does, however, guarantee deep windowsillsthe result of superthick walls. In other jurisdictions without specific strawbale codes, straw bale construction is often approved under the building code provisions for alternate methods and materials. Humidity the arch enemy of any straw bale construction will accumulate inside bales covered in cement stucco. They are easily retied to make half or custom sized bales. Highly recommend for anyone considering straw bale construction. This is a witty, candid look at the issues that must be considered if building with bales in a damp climate. 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. 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. The most common straw bale construction method is known as the nebraska technique. 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. Click download or read online button to get straw bale construction book now. A construction manual and inspiring story all wrapped into one, building a straw bale house. Straw bale constructiontechniquesfinishes wikibooks. 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. 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. Building a straw bale house green homes mother earth. This book introduced me to the techniques of straw bale building, and it was very informative and useful to me as a beginner.
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. The material is ecofriendly, fairly affordable, and reasonably easy to work with, making it an appealing approach to building a home. 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. The original nebraska strawbale building technique was one in which walls of strawbales actually provided the support for the. 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. 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.
A good deal of standardization and refinement in regard to techniques, tools, and. Straw bales are a highly insulative, lowembodiedenergy, natural building material made from an agricultural waste product. The latest research in the field of straw bale design and construction is presented. Innovative tips and techniques on all phases of wall building from design to finish. Straw bale constructiontechniqueswalls wikibooks, open. Special techniques for straw bale construction and the integration of these techniques with those of conventional house building. For many, they are locally available and affordable. The disadvantages of straw bale construction hunker. Building a home using straw bale construction mother.
Building your straw bale home by hodge, brian ebook. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar. This book is a pictorial howto guide on strawbale construction basics that emphasizes lowcost methods to help those in the greatest need for affordable. The straw bale house is a great introduction to straw bale building. Plans are commonly required to be stamped by a licenced structural engineer. The complete stepbystep guide ebook written by chris magwood. Details on the latest straw bale engineering, window flashing, electrical wiring, and much more. If straw bale building codes are not part of your local codes, it may be a bit more work to get your plans approved. The use of straw bales is typically found in natural building projects, or earthen construction, and while historically it has been a common. 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. This beautiful and simple cabin is ideal for anyone interested in learning straw bale construction techniques andor wanting a special space on their property. Having designed over 40 straw bale homes, he has a ton of experience. A great deal of information is provided with many details and techniques.
The authors dedication shows through in every page. However, some early straw bale designs and construction methods resulted in. Building with awareness how to build a solar straw bale. By paul lacinski and michel bergeron, chelsea green publishing company, 2000. 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.
I contacted chris keefe of organicforms design and asked him to help me with the drawings, as he is an excellent straw bale designer. Macdonald out on bale 1997 a stepbystep guide to straw bale construction. The first rule of building with straw is to keep it dry good hat and goot boots. Experimentation with straw bale construction continues. Everything you need to know about straw bale design. A home construction guide for all climates real goods solar living book paul lacinski, michel bergeron on. Field bales are often laid in stretcher bond like bricks. Straw bale construction designing buildings wiki share your construction industry knowledge. For those who prefer using natural materials, building a straw bale house may seem like a great option. The authors draw upon years of experience with natural materials and experimental techniques, and present a compelling rationale for building with strawone of natures. 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. The straw bale house a real goods independent living book.
The cabin can be the perfect art studio, meditation space, guest cabin, quiet getaway, or even a tiny house. Top 8 advantages and challenges of straw bale construction. Straw bales can be used as structural elements, insulation or both. Available for your residential or commercial projects. Clay plaster allow higher water vapour permeability through the walls than lime plaster, which in turn is much more than cement plasters. After the edible part of grains have been harvested, their stalks are disposed of by farmers and in many areas, they are burned. Whats more, its fun, because the technique is easy to learn and easy to do yourself. Straw bale construction is a green building method that uses whole or partial bales of straw as a major part of a homes walls. A home construction guide for all climates real goods. 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 looks at building design issues from the perspective of straw bale builders and considers the particular needs of the medium. Unlike many other straw bale construction books on the market, this one. Straw bale constructiontechniqueswalls wikibooks, open books. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read essential hempcrete construction.
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. The book explores many variations on the straw bale theme, with honest evaluations of the pros and cons of each. Constructing a straw bale solar house requires the merging of solar design with alternative building techniques. In 1991 i founded a straw bale construction company in albuquerque new mexico.
The last straw journal po box 1809 paonia, co 81428. I use this book all the time and refer it people who are interested in building with straw. Selecting from a variety of building types and applications, they vividly portray the sensuous versatility and crosscultural appeal of this most. However, there are also pitfalls to using straw bales for construction. Covers the entire process of building a straw bale structure. 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 is easy to work with for people new to construction as they are flexible and can be very forgiving.
It covers the construction process from site preparation through to foundations, concrete slabs, strip footings and stumps. A basic primer and a howto manual on specific techniques and detailing. Building your straw bale home, brian hodge, 9780643093867. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or brown construction projects. The red feather construction handbook corum, nathaniel, goodall, jane on. Soon he was bringing me books and sending me links pointing to the favorability of straw bale as a homebuilding material.
Straw bale building details and millions of other books are available for. My brand new straw bale book, a modern look at straw bale construction is complete. Straw bale construction is a method of building that uses bales or bundles of straw. 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. This book offers the nuts and bolts of rammed earth and straw bale building techniques, and why they are so spectacular, durable, and earth. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
671 581 360 450 1537 509 783 1571 933 823 1329 958 584 643 1386 1303 356 1349 321 625 672 832 1349 523 1149 1157 623 1372 423 1151 1427 966 1478