Would you live in a strawbale house?
I told my wife a number of years ago that my dream home would be a solar passive, solar-powered strawbale home. While I'm still not much closer to that dream, it has become much easier in many areas to receive permits to build such homes. I saw a local program on public television last night which claimed that interest in strawbale homes has exploded in the last couple of years, which I was delighted to hear. Would you live in a strawbale house?
posted by Dahcredyns @ 12:17 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
No I wouldn't. Straw is not a great insulator; anything that thick will insulate fairly well, but it compares poorly for insulation value per inch of thickness.
The most expensive thing about installing insulation is the cost of creating the space to put it in, not the cost of the insulating material itself.
Originally proponents of straw-bale houses were using the bale as the structure as well as the insulation - which would be a clever trick. This was based on the old-time methods of building with straw, sod, etc. But you don't see those around much - they were cheap to make temporary housing, not expected to be relatively permanent as we do now. And they didn't bother installing plumbing, wiring etc. which we tend do nowadays.
But modern practice rapidly found the straw bale is not suitable as the structure in a relatively permanent building. So now they put up massive timber structures to create the huge space required for the relatively inefficient insulation block of a straw bale.
It doesn't really make much sense - does it ?
And don't get me started on the tendency of straw to continue its natural cycle of turning into compost.
And straw is not a waste product. In sustainable farming that straw needs to go back into the soil. At least your straw bale house won't interrupt that portion of the life-cycle for very long.
And a straw-bale house has almost no thermal mass. Comfort values in a house are derived from thermal mass more than anything else.
New Dream. Thermal mass as far inside as possible. Insulation as far outside as possible, All thermal mass fully insulated (un-insulated thermal mass is just a cold bridge-the worst of both worlds – that’s one reason against adobe, but don’t get me started...).
It may not excite you as much, but a well-insulated stud home with concrete floor (with high-quality insulation under the whole floor) and, if you can afford the small extra cost, concrete (or adobe if you must) INTERNAL walls provides something people know how to build, how to maintain, that will have a normal life-span, save energy, and keep a resale value.
And there is no reason at all why you shouldn’t orient it properly for passive solar design so it will be fabulous to live in.
Install gadgets (solar water heating, photovoltaics, windmills etc. ) to taste and budget, but they are the cream on the cake. First make a great cake.
Hope that's helpful.
Keep an eye out for my book in the next year or so, which will expand and justify.
All the best with your project.
Gary Vergine
That's very interesting Gary. Please let me know when your book comes out.
I have heard that the R value of strawbale homes was something like R 30, which seems incredible, but you seem to imply that is just because it is so wide?
Also, I've heard and read that most straw is burned. Perhaps it should go into the ground, but most don't seem to be doing that with that their straw. I wonder why?
What do you think about dome homes? I know that many of today's kits have had some problems. Still, I find Buckminster Fuller fascinating. What are your thoughts about dome homes?
Strawbale houses give an r 30+ rating...thats more than most conventional material. The guy above does not know what hes talking about. I should know i am a natural builder by trade.
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