Building Your Straw Bale Home :
From Foundations to the Roof
PDF | 281 pages | English | 6,4 MB
This practical guide is written especially for the owner-builder and provides step-by-step instructions supported by diagrams and photographs.
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 are also covered, including floors, timber wall-frames, ceilings and roof framing. Advice is offered on plumbing and electrical work in a straw bale house.
Straw bale is a renewable resource. Compared with timber, which is regenerated typically every 20 to 30 years, straw is generated once or twice per year. As long as people need grain as a food source, straw will be generated as a by-product.
Straw in many parts of the world is still regarded as a waste. Even its disposal has become an environmental issue, like burning in the field. On the other hand, straw has certain excellent properties as a building material, such as its thermal capacity. In baled form, it keeps its integrity reasonably well. Once rendered, straw is durable and strong.
