Have you thought of alternative housing? Do you look for a house option which stands out of the modern building cannons, can be DIY, and is capable of providing you efficient insulation and all modern comfort you need? Then consider obtaining and building a straw-bale house, which may be exactly what you are looking for. Actually, the straw bale construction technique has undergone a revival recently because of the high insulation quality of the building material, and finds multiple uses not just in housing but also in churches, public buildings, well houses, and others.
Despite the straw long history in housing, nowadays straw bale construction employes new techniques and standards. The straw bale may have three main building applications: as a construction material of natural buildings also called “Nebraska style”; as an insulation and filling in a post-beam construction, or in “hybrid” constructions combining both previous. It may also be applied in wall panels and other sheet materials. The straw can be of dry barley, oats, rice, rye, wheat, etc. which farmers will sell as a waste byproduct after the harvest. Nowadays, the bales will be precompressed as straw blocks of higher density than the typical machine baling, which makes them capable of supporting heavier loads. The cover is made of lime or earth stucco.
Let’s list the main advantages and downsides of the straw bale housing:
- Lower cost due to both material and labour as it does not necessarily require a professional. Of course, the straw bale cost will depend on the harvest season and transport distance, and there is also some stucco related cost
- Accessibility, as the building material can be found almost anywhere
- Renewable character and biodegradability
- Durability in case of proper maintenance: a straw bale house can last for centuries
- Environmental value concerning energy as the building process only requires energy for bailing and transport
- Insulation efficiency especially in extreme climates depending on the bale thickness
- Fire-retention more than the traditional timber framed constructions, due to bales density
- Added aesthetic value of thick walls house that is hardly achievable otherwise, including additional comfort from details such as window seats and increased sunlight reflection throughout a premise. Moreover, the design style choices are multiple, and can be implemented by DIY: it is possible to choose from a variety of architectural styles with such a building, knife carve the walls, etc.
- Easy to DIY by even a novice with some supervision if using the trickier Nebraska style
- Of course it is not always pink with the straw bale housing. Some downsides may be:
- The straw base walls are more susceptible to rotting and structural moving which may cause plaster cracks and wetting
- There are extremely high requirements regarding moisture avoiding and regular maintenance including the exterior layer of earth or lime
- That type of construction are inappropriate in highly humid areas
- The straw bales take lots of space of the building
- You could hardly find a professional builder for such a non-conventional housing if you do not want to DIY
- You may have difficulties in finding local professionals among those who are to approve your building plans.
- The resale value of your straw bale house is uncertain
- It is almost impossible to get a mortgage and insurance for a straw bale house
As already pointed, DIY a straw bale house is easy even for a non-professional. The Nebraska-style technology requires bales or stacking rows, capillary break or other moisture barrier within the ball wall, and a raised foundation. Wood, rebar, surface wire, or bamboo pins can be your bale tiding material. The plaster or stucco can be of clay/earth, lime based or even cement-based. If you want to keep natural you may choose adobe flooring.
In case of a structural frame, which is the preferred case for northern and wetter climates the application of vapor-retention finishes usually cement-based stucco is imperative. The structural frame itself can be of timber or limber, with some metal inclusion. In that case, the roof is constructed before bale raising, and protects them from wetting during the building process.
If you are indecisive about DIY a straw bale house, maybe the sample of the cozy and unique 3,000 GBP Welsh “Hobbit House” of Simon Dale may be an inspiration as an illustration of all the positives of that type of housing.
Source: Reliable North West London Moving Services can help you with the moving.