Straw Bale Home Construction Instructional Video

[Certiport1]

Now you are talking my kind of home!!! This is great.

[howtofinishabasement]

Yes, it's more of a green building. Love the solar panels on the roof.

[mtt37849]

This is like light green building, if u want dark green building check out an Earthship!

[21centuryg]

How do these homes stand up against bad weather such as tornadoes or hurricanes or earthquakes?

[MrAubery]

doesn't straw decay and get nasty?!

[KoolJust4U]

@MrAubery what you talking about is hay, hay is a food source for animal. straw doesn't decay, but can if chemical are use.

[TransportationSupply]

This video is extremely entertaining and informative! I had no idea that a home so beautiful could exist.

[ThePrezidentialbey]

IMPORTANT MUST SEE!!! What if you could build a Monolithic dome with 2,600 sq ft of living space, costs 10% of a the average home to build, and provides protection and efficiency from its 24in thick wall? Watch "A HOME FIT FOR ROYALTY"

[roboboxB]

But... is it zombie proof? (I say this because I've been playing miecraft and fallout NV a lot recently)

[sookiestackhouse2u]

what a fire hazzard.

[allahtakesituptheass]

@sookiestackhouse2u

Ever tried to burn a phone book? Same principle. The material is so dense that there is insufficient oxygen to support combustion.

[sookiestackhouse2u]

@allahtakesituptheass ... not true. it will burn, dear, burn!

[allahtakesituptheass]

@sookiestackhou

[sookiestackhouse2u]

@allahtakesituptheass ..????

[englishwithlarisa]

I am from Russia, and in my area people build houses from a mixture of mud and straw, and cover it with bricks on the outside. They are very warm. It is very interesting for me to watch Americans build similar homes, and inspirational as well, of course! thank you

[NatureGreenChic]

How much are we really looking at for a straw-bale luxury cottage home?

[GreedIsYourGod]

I wonder what the best straw really is? I hear a lot of really good things about hemp straw but I take it that it is about impossible to get. It is supposed to be moisture resistant and about mold proof. I wonder if papyrus would make a good bale for building?

[pnutty94]

how do these take to fire........wires in the hay seems shady.....

[stodd32]

little pigs little pigs

[jameslikesstuf]

in this video the straw bales take no structural load, but straw bale constructions are entirely capable of being a load bearing surface.

[chuckypud]

these straw houses are fine in every way unless the big bad wolf comes along and huffs and puffs blows the house down.

[longhairrasta]

actaully they are class "A" fire proof and earthquake proof they can with stand double the intensity of the 2005 pakistan earthquake. which was about .4 g's

[oneknothead]

just wondering .... in a real dry climate this might not be an issue ... but what about mold .... bugs ... if this was so good it woyld be in widespread use .... this looks like somthing for a thrird world country

[kakudmi]

While your logic is reasonable, we are still living in a world governed by profit and power interests. With all the technology and knowledge we have today, no one should be poor or hungry. So, the point is, if you see something as good as the straw bale construction, you should try it for yourself and don't expect gov. and media to propagate this. There's no profit in natural, ecological and sustainable life-style. We have to pioneer it. I am starting next year.

[darkherokaze]

Steps for causing a fire in a hayloft/barn.

1. Store damp hay bales

2. Mold grows.

3. Bales get hot, growth of mold generates heat.

4. Bales provide good insulation, allowing heat to build up and catch fire.

5. Rest of bales catch fire. Hayloft burns up and burns down the rest of the barn with it.

The good news is these builders use OLD bales. If they were going to get moldy, it would happen well before 1 year passes and they focus on using old bales that are worth little or nothing to farmr

[darkherokaze]

It might still be a possible danger if the bales were to get wet later.  Although I don't think straw that is old would be as good of food for mold as fresh straw, so risk would be reduced. Hay more than a year old is bad cow-food.

I'm not a builder of these homes, just grew up on a dairy farm and was told what happens and why wet hay cannot be kept.

These videos seem to always take place in dry areas. Places where straw/hay isn't grown. Dryer is safer, but I guess it could work anywhere.

[jameslikesstuf]

its not hay bales is straw bales, theres a difference here. straw generally is the dead stalks of some kind of crop, and is entirely dry allready when compressed into bales. hay bales are usually made from long grass that has been cut down green, dries for a couple of days and then bailed, and usually still has a moisture content. building ya straw bail house with freshy bailed hay would be a rathe rsilly idea, but building with straw poses no danger at all providing the are not damp.

[starkneked]

Quite a few homes were built in the early 1900's in Nebraska out of hay too! Hay works fine. Hay is expensive. Straw, not so much... By the way, the homes in Nebraska are still being lived in! I've been a hay and straw producer a good part of my life.

[jameslikesstuf]

it really depends how dry the hay bales are, generally when bales are stcked, they are still a little damp, which is how some hay shed fires start, i agree hay is expensive, i will be building with straw when i build. (also hay is much messier as the strands of grass withing are much finer) i would be interested to see photos of some of these older straw bale constructions in nebraska, as i have read a bit about them.

[starkneked]

Hay also has seeds and other things of nutritional value, which is conducive of things like insects and rodents finding them tasty. We put our hay up on the very dry side in these parts, just enough moisture to keep the leaves and heads on. I've never put it up with a moisture level high enough to promote mold or fermenting (heating). I've read that when those homes in NE were cut into to add an addition, the horses ate it like candy. This stuff was put up with horses and a stationary baler!

[jameslikesstuf]

true about seeds and rodents. where i am form sometimes the hay has to be baled early, as weatehr is not always so freindly for baling, and such is sometimes bailed rather "green" ive seen one of those stationary balers in action, and t woulda have been alot more work to do a straw house back then than it is now. understanbly a lot easier and cheaper than finding and transporting sparse and labour intensive timber.

[NatureGreenChic]

@starkneked: Well that takes away the purpose. LOL. 

[starkneked]

I believe I read about the homes in NE in THE STRAW BALE HOUSE by Steen, Steen and Bainbridge. That part of NE isn't too far from where I live. I'm sure prairie grass is all they had for hay at the time. It'd be a hell of a lot faster than sod, which is in short supply there. It's all sand! A good well is only 10' deep!

[HISandman]

as long as you can keep the straw dry it will last forever. The Straw is sealed by the cement or adobe making it weather resistant. Ideal in dry climates but look at any thatched roof in Europe and ask again if this is for a third world country..this is possible for anyone to do.. it's just "out of the box" thinking revisited. I would love to live in a home such as this.. beautiful!

[gabosh]

the only problem is fire and tonados and floods... omg...

[Tpekron]

Acually they pack the straw so tight that when they tried to burn it it wouldn't burn Pretty amazing

[starkneked]

And the big bad wolf! ha ha!

[jerryaltman]

The problem is that the straw walls can't handle structural weight, so the weight it's all to the structural pillars, made from wood or steel.

[Mrstevew2]

straw bale walls can go up to 18 feet in arizona per building code without needing any post and beam framing all self supported.They are actually very strong

[jerryaltman]

But I don't refer about just self support. What I mean is that you can't add a perpendicular support to the roof or to a next floor direct in the straw bale. You need to add those things it to the "skeleton" structure and not direct into the straw bale. Straw bale are filler and isolator, but not structure itself.

[angetodac]

you mean I can build my circular dream house without framework?What If I want 2 floors and a terase?

[illtrax]

The wood frame would be your support. The straw is just replacing brick, insolation, and drywall. You can build whatever you want. This is an ancient technique. Houses in the Mediterranean are built the same way except they make a concret frame then fill in the walls with lightweight brink and plaster. Straw would make the houses here too warm.

Nice vid.

[jameslikesstuf]

yes you can build double story with straw bale construction, if you search the net you will see many exapmples.

[firebat9er]

there are things in walls that do more than just support weight.

[angetodac]

like what?hanging a painting?teach me please!I want to build a straw bale house,with a steel framework...but what if the straw get somehow wet from the rain or flood?

[thomasuras]

Didn't one of the 3 little pigs all ready try this?

[calomontt]

yeah and it got blown down by a big bad wolf so i'd be careful if i was the owner

[OBceannette]

did you watch the clip...?

[whisperingsage]

The outside is basically stucco and the bales should be covered in stucco inside and out. They are actually wonderful for wind. And the walls are very thick. We gave up on wood because the goats pried all the wood structures apart. They can't do this with cement. We were going to go with metal buildings, but the cost... and also the heat. The straw is a wonderful R value.

[bigmuso123]

very nice , a great small compilation . I am about to start construction on a S/B house in Australia. Can you recomend any further books or clear resources for us. I have checked out a plethora of information on the net , groan!! , would be good to have a simple start to finnish comprehensive guide.

all the best and well done.

[drummerdude6485]

It's a little different, but I think I will stick with insallation.

[SatNThatJail]

It doesn't become compressed after a while?

[magua73]

The strawbales I have been using were already hard compressed. then on top of that we compressed the strawbale wall with plastic "stripes" vertically, so the hole wall was well compacted and steady.

So as you can see the straw wont compress to the bottom as other kind of fills would, like cellulose or paper.

[rayunseitig]

Interesting. The main point has got to be the insulation properties of the straw. All the structural stuff is still load bearing framing. Like Adobe now adays, structural framing and a veneer or in fill with adobe. What's the point? Glamor or pretending to be green?

[syncronos]

Straw is an excellent insulator (around R-40); they take little energy to manufacture (unlike fiberglass) it is recycling a waste product for farmers, the walls are very thick and aesthetically pleasing (an equivalent wood frame wall would be very expensive and waste of wood; they are easy to stack, so even a novice can do it; and, despite what might make sense, finished straw bale walls are so thick and dense that they have a better fire protection rating than conventional wood-frame walls.

[PakaNoHida]

It's so good of an insulator that in some climates you need no heating what so ever despite it being near or below freezing.

[ThePrezidentialbey]

IMPORTANT MUST SEE!!! What if you could build a Monolithic dome with 2,600 sq ft of living space, costs 10% of a the average home to build, and provides protection and efficiency from its 24in thick wall? Watch "A HOME FIT FOR ROYALTY"

[TokinLamb]

I'm a fan of straw bale houses. But I just realized what a pain in the ass it would be to try and re-wire one. What about possible plumbing problems?

[selfactingmachine]

straw is made of cellulose same as wood. if a bale wall rots the exterior detail is to blame(assumes weathering not interior problem) bales covered in clay/plaster,or concrete are stressed skin pannels.very strong.

[selfactingmachine]

I have built hundreds of stick framed "conventional" homes. and I consider them to be sub-standard,wasteful and weak. common methods simply do not have enough mass/insulation to do the work of a proper shelter

[HTCSWEOD]

What about straw bale chicken coops or live stock buildings? Do have any examples of that? Thanks, this gets the wheels turning. The stucko/mud surfacing material wouldn't handle the hot/cold extremes in the U.S. northeast would it?

[Believia]

I would shot myself before building a strawbale house. That must be full of mice and bugs.

[syncronos]

Straw bale houses have no more bugs or mice than a conventional home. The straw bale walls are sealed on both sides, so it is difficult for anything to get in them. In addition, tests have shown that straw bales homes have a better fire rating than conventional homes. Since the straw is so dense, straw bale walls tend to smolder instead of burn with a flame.

[Believia]

know what you say , sync, your right, i've studyed a little this type of bldngs and i agree is cheap and good. animals do their home in days but man works all life to pay it so a maximum loan period should be 3-5 years, not 25-30, vut, now that i think of it, when mice will finally get there... omg. rammed earth looks better techique than straw...

[gavoau1]

can you line a steel hanger shed for insulation?

[syncronos]

Yes, you could use straw bales for insulation on the walls. The steel shed is already self-standing, so the bales would just be secured to the existing wall.

[gavoau1]

can you set the bales back from the wall about... 4inches and then fill the gap with concrete. Basically using the steel panel and the bales as forms?. It would be a thick solid wall, but how about the condensation?

[invista360]

testing comment reply to troubleshoot. Test.

[kastnmagic]

Do these straw bales not compost??

[syncronos]

Straw will not compost as long as it is kept dry. Straw bale houses can and have lasted for over 100 years.

[visionaire7]

This is a good way to move forward from the housing problem, The farming really needs to be more renewable for the straw. Consider Hemp as it only gets harder and stronger the older it gets.

[MarkB1ngham]

Thank you for this, is it organic straw? Is England too damp for straw bale houses? Can you sell straw bale houses easily?

[syncronos]

Organic straw is the best way to go if it is available in your area. This home is conventional straw. There are straw bale construction organizations in England and many straw bale homes.

[bountyburglar]

im seriously considering this. can it withstand earthquakes?

[syncronos]

Yes, due to the flexible nature of straw bales, it is a promising building material in seismic areas.

[naturalhomes]

You can find out about straw bale building and courses at naturalhomes(dot)org

[FatJan]

I like it!! How re-salable is the house? How easy is it to hang pictures and curtain rods?

[naturalhomes]

Tale a look at Naturalhomes(dot)org there are some adverts for strawbale homes there and you can find courses too

[windhawk20000]

Very helpful. I am highly considering going this route of construction. It is just so much smarter!

[magua73]

What can I say, I want more about this kind of stuff. Like waterless composting toilets, hydronic radiant floor heating, gray water solutions... and so on.

[quantumsolutions]

read the great book, Humanure. You can now find it free on internet. Couldn't be simpler.

[MojoR]

This is fantastic!