If you are looking for more information on straw bale house then, you’ve come to the right place.

An Introduction To Straw Bale House

Classic Straw Bale House

Straw bale construction is a technique which essentially involves the use of baled straw typically from sources such as wheat, rye, barley, rice and oats in walls covered by lime or cement stucco. Straw bale is a by product of agriculture and is resulted from the dead or mature plant or sometimes even harvested stock which is usually not buried further as manure and is either sold or burnt.

Burning straw results in high air pollution of the region and is not usually resorted only in case when all other alternative means of disposal are exhausted. Hay can often be mistaken as straw by the untrained eye. Though similar in appearance, hay is not viable for construction and is usually the by-product of living and often young plants.

The Construction

Inside Of This Eco Friendly House

As the name suggests, they are the houses which are typically constructed using the construction practices described above, mostly employing wheat straw as the for it’s added insulation properties. These houses are highly durable and fit in perfectly with any landscape or neighborhood and offer unmatched comfort even in regions of low energy availability.

The first documented use of straw bales in the construction was nearly 400 years ago in Germany.

Modern Straw Bale House

Back then however they were simply strewn across the roof and did not form an integral part of the building as a whole. It was only in the late 1800’s, after the invention of the mechanical hay baler that straw was actually used in the composition of the walls as well. Initially it was just one layer of straw being used in between the outer and inner layer of the wall. However with advancements in construction techniques, a modern day straw bale house has bales of straw plastered into the wall during the time of construction.

Why Straw Bale House?

Team Work!

Straw bale houses are a preferred option and are quickly catching on as an economical and environmentally friendly alternative method of home insulation. Unlike other insulation methods, the use of straw bale in the walls does not require any skilled labor. The insulation offered by the straw bale is not dependent on the energy availability of the region and provides optimum comfort even in periods when you run out of gas or electricity. Once the straw bales are finally plastered into the walls of the house, the strength of the house is good enough to withstand even the strongest and coldest of all the winter winds.

Possible Drawbacks And A Few Tips

Procuring construction permits for a stale bale house could be a difficult task in certain municipalities as they are do not follow conventional construction techniques. Since you might face issues with procuring the construction permit, there might also be difficulties in acquiring a loan form a local bank.

A Design By EarthFlow.com

It is therefore essential that you approach the local municipality and thoroughly evaluate the viability of such a construction on the neighborhood.

Sometimes making minor changes in the overall construction plan like inculcating 24 inch wide concrete foundations for the walls could help you in getting the construction permit. The cost of the straw bale depends on the time of the year and is usually cheaper in the harvest season and more expensive throughout the rest of the year as the availability of straw goes down once the harvest season is over. Ensure that there is adequate provision for plumbing lines while constructing the walls of the house.