Thanks for sharing this info. Too bad most Americans won't live within their means instead of enslaving themselves to huge mortgages and all that economically and politically come with them. Your video is so detailed and helpful.
Hi Caroline. I have a few questions. First, could you put any kind of outside metal siding on this type of house. Second, what is the property tax a year on this house. Third, do you smell the bale ? Fourth, the people that helped you...did they volunteer or get paid....wondering because of your tight budget Fifth and last does that kind of house support strong winds. If so, how much wind ?? Thanks in advance and that's how you roll up your sleeves. Frank - New York City
@ExclusiveLM First, use stucco not siding. Second, property tax like any other house. Third, bales are completely covered-no smell. Fourth, volunteer except the builder/consultant is paid. Fifth, two foot walls covered with thick adobe or stucco - incredibly strong and quiet. Tests done for 100mph to establish our building code.
Wow! You are amazing. You make some good points here. We offer free professional help for people that want to build their own home. Our goal is to help as many people as possible in 2012! Check out our channel if you get a chance. Take care, ArmchairBuilder
StawLady - You wrote to me sometime back because of my concern about the humidity and straw-bales here in Ohio. In an energy class I found out for regular construction as well as straw-bales, that isn't a big issue in Ohio if the construction is done right in that its dry and the walls are able to breath. There are handful here from Lake Erie to the Ohio River doing quite well. ;-)
This is still the best thing I've done (other than my boys). It has been cold in Tucson - 30's at night and 50's in the day, but I open the french doors and let the sunlight blaze into the sunroom to warm the house. I close it off at night and the insulation of the straw, plus the thermal mass of the plasters hold the warmth all night. The earthen floor is still a bit of a pain to maintain, but that's the only issue I have. Thanks for all your wonderful, supportive comments - Happy New Year!
@strawladyhouse I see the giant head view.. .in the background....the rock...I know it is not called the giant head..but it looks like one to me lol.......we are neighbors:) I was doing research on straw bale gardening and came across your video..we too would like to build a straw bale house someday..thanks for sharing!
What a neat idea! Congrats on this wonderful accomplishment. Any updates to this video, i.e. any problems with the overall build, things you would have done differently, etc?
Thank you for posting this! I'm not a single Mum but when I start our earthbag home I may as well be as my husband is not practical at all. He's not lazy just finds practical things difficult and very stressful :( So it's my project and I can't wait. I was concerned that doing everything without his help would be too hard for me but you have proved overwise! Thank you!
I am SO impressed with what you accomplished. At first I thought you did everything yourself, but I was glad to see you did hire a builder and had volunteers for the wallraising and plastering. I'm glad you also had someone else build the porches. I thought, as I looked at the interior that some things would be too heavy to lift. I am also glad to see you did get others to do the roof scaffolding. You're my new hero!
Hi. Well done i love it. I just built 12 months ago my own house but it had to be modern for council regulations, but i have lived in 5 sheds 4 houses and a renovated shearing shed .now have a farm Have a great day. Anthony.
Wonderful video!! =) Compact with allot of hard facts. Not just blabbering, like you see so often in other youtube information clips. Thanks for making this video, and sharing your knowledge... Youre a very strong person, good work!!! Cheers from Sweden! =)
@Farmer2492 No concrete - there is earthen plaster - clay, chopped straw and water mixture - over the bales. Now, I have a lime plaster covering on top of the earthen plasters. It all breathes, so if the bales get wet, they can dry out.
Wonderful work. May I ask you about how you puncture earthen plaster walls, for example with a nail to hang picture frames? Do you have to do that while the earth mixture is wet? Thanks.
@fralican To hang a picture, you just get out a hammer and a 6" nail and pound it in. If you hit any resistance that might possibly be an electric wire, then stop and move the nail. =)
@bakednapkin Thank you! I'm getting very tired of the fire fears and Big Bad Wolf comments. Thick earthen plasters coat the bales and there is no straw exposed.
@strawladyhouse true! Also, straw bales are pressed and have very few oxygen inside, they can't burn inside the plaster coating even at extremely high temperature... straw bale buildings are the best in the world. In Europe we have 3 floor buildings with more than 150 years and they are in perfect condition. Yours is a WONDERFUL WORK!
@bakednapkin That is not true. I have an undergraduate in Fire & Safety Engineering and a Masters in Risk Management (now retired after 25 yrs). What you said is dangerously misleading. Tests have shown that hay bales can be ignited through earthen walls by a simple process of fire/heat transfer called conduction.
@thescrimshaw No, fire is not an issue; the straw is covered with either adobe or plaster. If the bales were to burn, they would smolder, because fire requires oxygen. During the construction, we are careful to pick up the loose straw and of course, don't plumb with blow torches and be a little careful until the straw is covered. Good luck!
@eotto2001 The bales are raised a foot on CMU block and covered with thick adobe plasters. No straw is visible in the end product. Most people cover their bales with stucco.
@strawladyhouse Thanks for the reply. I found out that there are some here in Ohio which surprises me because moist here. They must have worked it out, too.
@eotto2001, I counter with: How do you keep them out of sheetrock (drywall)?
The premise a strawbale home would be more attractive to mice and critters is a total misconception. This is not loose hay or straw like in a barn. In fact, if done ideally the bales are harvested (baled) in the morning still slightly damp. When they dry and are finished with mud or plaster etc this results in an extremely tight building material that's ultra energy efficient. Many have achieved R40 + in this way.
@bluefrenchfries With fiberglass insulation in regular construction, you can have a lot of problems with moisture and insects like carpenter ants. I need more information on it from the people here who have built your way. We have 80% humidity during our summers. I can't wrap my head around though the structures seem to be working. When you used different construction materials, they all have their unique issues and fixes. I like your house. It has a good "feel" to it.
What are the benefits of strawbale construction?? Faaaar too many to mention here. A few are efficiency, cost, flexibility, sustainability, easy of construction, ease of repair, and most noticeably when inside it just "feels" right to many (cozy factor). There are many, many books and websites dedicated to strawbale and it's many benefits. When combined with sustainable designs such as passive solar (as mentioned by Carolyn) it's incredibly hard to beat. Have a look! : )
@kinoptika your best bet would be to talk to an electrician they know what the codes and rules are for your area. The hay house i helped a friend build we had to run conduit for the ac wiring, but again it depends on the building code for your area.
"the red is paint, not blood... although partly blood" lol. Looks like you did a fantastic job on your house, congratulations! I hope to do something similar someday. Take care.
You have to keep straw the straw dry, so usually you plumb through the floor. I used pex plumbing with no joints in the walls. As far as smoldering, if you mean fire, that requires oxygen and the straw is covered with thick earthen plasters or stucco.
Yes, fire is unfortunately another common misconception associated with strawbale construction. Stick frame with sheetrock is actually ideal for fire with it's large air pockets and plentiful ignition sources. Strawbale construction with tight bales and plastered walls is the opposite of what fire loves. It may smolder (think cigar) but there are documented cases of it taking 3 days to finally burn through a wall--obviously plenty of time to get everyone out. Easy repair too.
Nicely done. The video mentioned minimal electric cost. Can you go totally off grid if you want? And what sort of other fixed costs do you have for the house in Arizona. (All utilities, property taxes, insurance (better or worse than conventional building?),
If you had your own power source (however configured) would you still be paying for anything other than property taxes?
@majik2hanz This house uses 5-10kwh per day; I think the average house uses about 35kwh. The electric use is largely from refrig, computer, tv, stereo and such - it would be easy to take this off the grid with its low usage and tons of sunshine here. My total utilities come to under $100 per month - water, electric, propane. Insurance is wrapped into my mortage - not sure - through the Farm Bureau. Depends on building small and how much cash you begin with and have to borrow. It's all low.
@majik2hanz Also see Michael Reynolds & Earthship homes--in New Mexico! Totally off-grid, grow food in your living room, even composting toilets, water-catchment system, etc. Put in the youtube dot com and a slash, then: watch?v=sRvTWlv_Jeg&feature=colike
So you said you live in tucson? were also in arizona and I was wondering how well this home keeps itself cool, do you also have and A/C unit? what kind and about how much power do you use compared to a conventional home?
@smoothjamskillmoure I have a cooler in the shade of the north porch and a window A/C that I can turn on in August, if I need to. My house uses between 5 kwh and 10kwh per day, and most of that is from my refrigerator and other appliances. Conventional homes really vary (my son is actually working on this at UA) and I think the average is about 35kwh per day, but much depends on appliances, computers, large tv's, along with cooling and heating - and the size of the house.
@strawladyhouse nice, thats a good low amount of energy use. I think If it was just me, I could do a small cooler and keep around the same. The only energy heavy thing is use is my computer because it requires an large power supply for all of its fancy shinnaniganery. I went to ASU for architecture for a bit, had a class on renewable resources, ever since I've wanted to build a strawbale home running off solar, too cool.
@smoothjamskillmoure heat resistance is the time it take to climb 1deg in in 1 hr per inch of thickness .. if memory serves me right a bale of hay is = r24 or a little higher new homes are ussaully r 20 in the walls if they are 2x6 construction, i am not sure what the local building code is for attic insulation but the more you have the better off you are, and the better your attic air flow the more comfort you will have.
so the bale wall was braced diagonally corner to corner with wire or wood or metal rods i guess, i thought the purpose of such bracing was usually to prevent collapse of box shaped structures , but the bales can not collapse , they are full of straw.
@orangestoneface My walls have no diagonal bracing; I am not in an earthquake area. The metal rods are vertical and my roof rests on the straw. In California, with a post and beam house, the roof rests on the beams and the posts have diagonal bracing. The straw is then filled inside the posts and becomes the walls, but not the roof support.
how are the bales prevented from falling down in a quake or car crash, guess the roof holds the top of the wall, any binding pegs between bales, or through them, bamboo might work or metal rods or wood beams up and down on the wall in two places at least inside and out. or interior walls coming to hthe bale wall at an angle
@orangestoneface California has an earthquake strawbale building code and it involves diagonal bracing. I think they don't allow load-bearing, but only post and beam houses. Some people would prefer bamboo to metal rods for support, but I don't know which building codes allow that. Much of what you said is already involved in the building - ventilation is from plasters that are vapor-permeable. You can study more by reading "Serious Straw Bale" or other books.
@shfbdfi1273 This is actually an extremely solid, thick house. There are thick plasters (mine has earthen, many have stucco) on either side of the straw bales and each bale weighs about 90 pounds. The walls are two feet thick. It would be far, far easier to punch a hole in a regular house wall - most of them are styrofoam and chickenwire - than to get through the wall of this house.
Wow, when I first read the 50000 part I though she has to be crazy, I could build a house much much less...until I seen the video. Great job! How do you overcome molding though ? Im guessing your walls are made of hay or straw, but dosent it mold?
@littlelogcabins Straw will mold if you let it get wet and stay wet, so I don't do that. I live in a dry area and have no plumbing joints in the wall, so I won't get leaks. So yes, one of the important parts is not letting the straw get wet and have a chance to mildew.
@strawladyhouse was the top of the bale wall covered with plastic or something waterproof , or just the roof . is the bale wall wentilated with holes ,one up one down on each wall or so, and fan maybe. so it can dry if leaking, some walls here are made like that .
@bill65761 I think you are asking if you could build an earth berm around this house or dig the house into the earth for added insulation. You wouldn't want to dig a straw bale house into the earth; It is important to keep straw dry. But you can build hybrid homes where part is earth-berm and part is straw bale.
hello.i am from far away, wanted to tell you that i like your house lot and i want to ask you about the flooring of the house, how it was done, it looks very good. i wonder if it is also ecologic.i would be thankfull if you could tell me more about the flooring inside the living room.my email address is g_manthor@yahoo.com if you think you need it. thank you.
If it helps anyone to understand inspections, When building anything new. You have to get it inspected each step along the way, for example, putting in a footer in takes 3 steps itself, The footers forms put in, after gravel for drainage is added in, and a final time once the footer is poured to make sure it was done right. Does not make sense to some, but if done right the first time. Saves you money, and will last at least your lifetime, if not also your kids. Least, Corry PA inspected each.
@DengarTime Thank you. Yes, I was given a list of 23 inspections to pass during the construction period at each phase of the building. This comes when you get your permit to build and at the end of all the inspections, I got the occupancy permit. That then enabled me to get a mortgage and pay back all the money I borrowed to get the house built.
The straw is completely dry - it is not hay - packed very tightly and completely covered with thick plasters. It is so strong and tight it has held up my roof for ten years now. The bales weigh about 90 pounds each. There is no smell.
Well I'm used to living in a city so I just have one question, doesn't that house smell or has the straw already dried so much that it doesn't smell anything and is really hard?
@dodgyhingst There is a way to accomplish anything you want structurally...for example placing rebar as structural fasteners to stabilize heavy straw and this is exactly what was done. Logic (and building code) dictates a home in hurricane zone uses structural materials and siding that is know by law to withstand a hurricane. If you live in a hurricane zone, you'll simply need to build additional structure. Straw is organic material and breaks down naturally so no landfill needed.
Inspirational lady I wish suburban communities were more conscience of the need to share the work loads for home building. something is sorely wrong that we must rent living spaces to people for decades or pay mortgage's for life times to have freedom from the elements.
I am thinking of building my house using straw bales (actually it was my husband who suggested it). I added your video to my favourites so I can show it to him later. I love your house.
@TheGreenfrog140 I taped this several years ago and my base electric rate has gone up to more like $40, I notice. Kilowatt hours would be a better measure than cost. I only use central heat or A/C to heat and cool on rare occasions; have solar water heater and small tankless. I still run my frig and all appliances, so that's my electric bill. No huge flat screen tv here!
@strawladyhouse Hi, How is your house heated? do you have solar electricity or is your house heated just by the hey stack.
also, if your house is just made of hey.. if there is an unjust enemy wants to burn down your house.. isn't it very easy for them to burn it down? (god forbid).
I am considering making a house out of containers.. what do you think about that? have you ever thought about it.?
@TheGreenfrog140 Burning down this house would be like burning down an adobe house - not easy. The porch might burn. And is it straw, not hay. I think containers, if you mean transportation containers, would be inexpensive, but about as well insulated as a mobile home. Depends what you need.
I had never heard of this until seeing your video. Amazing! Thanks for posting and narrating throughout...:*))) I am wondering about people who have allergies though.
@Harmony6284 I built this partially because I am sensitive to chemicals and it is very chemical-free, plus fresh air can filter through the walls. Straw is not on the wall surface after it is completed - it is covered with plasters, but the loose straw is hard on asthmatics during construction.
Your home is just lovely! I think it's funny how 1200 ft is considered "building small" these days. My first childhood home couldn't have been more than 1200 ft (in fact I don't think anybody on my street had a house bigger than that) and 7 people lived in it! I don't recall ever thinking it was too small or feeling I needed more space. It's sad to me, these days it seems like people have children and then spend all their time trying to figure out how to get awy from them!
Let's talk about fire resistance. What it keeping the thing from going up like a house made of straw? The idea of having electrical wiring running through it is what concerns me.
I can definitely see this as a viable construction material, but in all honesty I can think of a few ways to improve it.
You have a good idea using the bales like building blocks, however it seems it might be better to have a mixture of mud and straw that have been formed into bales and then dried.
That was absolutely gorgeous! I never even knew you could build a house of straw. What State are you in? I bet you couldn't do that here in California. I love your home it's beautiful. Thanks for sharing this with us. God Bless
@mammal46 Thank you! Yes, you can and many have built them in California, but you have earthquake requirements, so you build post and beam with lateral bracing and the straw is mostly insulation while the posts hold up the roof.
@strawladyhouse Awesome house - I look forward to starting my own strawbale house here in New Zealand but have to see about all the rules and regulations seeing as we are very earthquake prone here - fingers crossed we can do it as it has been my dream for a long time!
For all the owner work done constructing the house and for the size, $50,000 actually sounds expensive. Can you break down the costs that get you up to that number?
Energy costs are very reasonable, but what about other maintenance?
I am inspired to build a house like this for myself. I am also a single parent. Can you share with me the type of maintenance this house needs at any given time? I currently have a 1900's built house and it is a lot of maintenance. Yard, trees, snow, roof, plumbing and the heating bills...
I hope that a greener type home would allow me more flexibility in my bills and maintenance. thank you for sharing your advice. I hope to come to Tucson soon to build this type of home.
@tandmllc This house itself doesn't require any special maintenance. My rainwater collection requires manually switching a valve when there is no water in the tanks. Much of the key to a strong, maintenance-free house, I think, is to study well before you build. Earthen plasters require protection from the weather and I have now coated mine with lime - I think that is a good idea for long-term durability. Get a good builder as a guide, so you build something durable.
What part of the Alps? I just went there for the first time and hiked Bernese Oberland - I thought it was amazingly beautiful. Good luck with the straw bale hotel! Tell me where it is and I hope some day I can come visit.
how did your house handle the heat and humidity this year? Do you also use air conditioning or swap cooler? I live in vail, considering moving to cochise county. would like to build a combo small house of straw bale and cob.
@wheelori814 Sure has been hot and humid, hasn't it? I have a small window AC that I run on low when the humidity gets too high. It does a fine job. I mostly use the cooler and ceiling fans. I keep the cooler in the shade of the north porch, which helps keep the water cool, I think. Insulate the ceiling really well, too!
I read your book and enjoyed every minute of it. I admire you.
This is still one of my great dreams in life, to build a straw bale home. You moved me a little closer to seeing that all things are possible. Thanks
You are one amazing lady, i'm happy for you.
62rome 3 days ago
awesome
DrewAnti1960 4 days ago
fantastic.
lerawconteur 4 days ago
Very cool.
kennygtexas 1 week ago
Thanks for sharing this info. Too bad most Americans won't live within their means instead of enslaving themselves to huge mortgages and all that economically and politically come with them. Your video is so detailed and helpful.
FoundInBetween 1 week ago
Hi Caroline. I have a few questions. First, could you put any kind of outside metal siding on this type of house. Second, what is the property tax a year on this house. Third, do you smell the bale ? Fourth, the people that helped you...did they volunteer or get paid....wondering because of your tight budget Fifth and last does that kind of house support strong winds. If so, how much wind ?? Thanks in advance and that's how you roll up your sleeves. Frank - New York City
ExclusiveLM 1 week ago
@ExclusiveLM First, use stucco not siding. Second, property tax like any other house. Third, bales are completely covered-no smell. Fourth, volunteer except the builder/consultant is paid. Fifth, two foot walls covered with thick adobe or stucco - incredibly strong and quiet. Tests done for 100mph to establish our building code.
strawladyhouse 1 week ago
@strawladyhouse wow, very interesting. thanks.
ExclusiveLM 1 week ago
Wow! You are amazing. You make some good points here. We offer free professional help for people that want to build their own home. Our goal is to help as many people as possible in 2012! Check out our channel if you get a chance. Take care, ArmchairBuilder
ArmchairBuilder 2 weeks ago
Beware the little piggy who built her house of straw :)
Thanks for sharing ur beautiful house
GaoGeGreg 2 weeks ago
StawLady - You wrote to me sometime back because of my concern about the humidity and straw-bales here in Ohio. In an energy class I found out for regular construction as well as straw-bales, that isn't a big issue in Ohio if the construction is done right in that its dry and the walls are able to breath. There are handful here from Lake Erie to the Ohio River doing quite well. ;-)
eottoe2001 3 weeks ago
@eottoe2001 Great - glad to hear it - thanks for getting back to me.
strawladyhouse 3 weeks ago
Thank you and Happy New Year to you all, too!
strawladyhouse 3 weeks ago
thats outstanding WELL DONE may you and your boys have many HAPPY years.. all the best for 2012... wildland firefighter iain younger U.K
truck501 3 weeks ago
woman ! you sure know how to make a home
bagoodtube 3 weeks ago
awesome .. As cool as the plastic bottle homes.. with clear bottle windows in the ceiling..
kst82276 3 weeks ago
This is still the best thing I've done (other than my boys). It has been cold in Tucson - 30's at night and 50's in the day, but I open the french doors and let the sunlight blaze into the sunroom to warm the house. I close it off at night and the insulation of the straw, plus the thermal mass of the plasters hold the warmth all night. The earthen floor is still a bit of a pain to maintain, but that's the only issue I have. Thanks for all your wonderful, supportive comments - Happy New Year!
strawladyhouse 4 weeks ago
@strawladyhouse I see the giant head view.. .in the background....the rock...I know it is not called the giant head..but it looks like one to me lol.......we are neighbors:) I was doing research on straw bale gardening and came across your video..we too would like to build a straw bale house someday..thanks for sharing!
giddymoon 3 weeks ago
@strawladyhouse Very impressive, good for you!
parkert51 3 weeks ago
What a neat idea! Congrats on this wonderful accomplishment. Any updates to this video, i.e. any problems with the overall build, things you would have done differently, etc?
KnowYourRealEstate 4 weeks ago
what´s the web site???
gaianish 1 month ago
@gaianish I can't seem to post the ULR. It is houseofstraw with a .com after it. Let's see if this works. =)
strawladyhouse 1 month ago
@strawladyhouse worked just fine. thx. and congrats on this great job!
gaianish 1 month ago
Thank you for posting this! I'm not a single Mum but when I start our earthbag home I may as well be as my husband is not practical at all. He's not lazy just finds practical things difficult and very stressful :( So it's my project and I can't wait. I was concerned that doing everything without his help would be too hard for me but you have proved overwise! Thank you!
Nene1192 1 month ago
great work...empowers all the women to go for it.
maoribica 1 month ago
I am SO impressed with what you accomplished. At first I thought you did everything yourself, but I was glad to see you did hire a builder and had volunteers for the wallraising and plastering. I'm glad you also had someone else build the porches. I thought, as I looked at the interior that some things would be too heavy to lift. I am also glad to see you did get others to do the roof scaffolding. You're my new hero!
NancyToday 1 month ago
BRAVO!!!!!! fantastic
royalmaster203 1 month ago
Hi. Well done i love it. I just built 12 months ago my own house but it had to be modern for council regulations, but i have lived in 5 sheds 4 houses and a renovated shearing shed .now have a farm Have a great day. Anthony.
Farmer2492 2 months ago
Wonderful video!! =) Compact with allot of hard facts. Not just blabbering, like you see so often in other youtube information clips. Thanks for making this video, and sharing your knowledge... Youre a very strong person, good work!!! Cheers from Sweden! =)
henryzimmer 2 months ago
Fantastic job. did you spray concrete on over the bales. Regards Anthony.
Farmer2492 2 months ago
@Farmer2492 No concrete - there is earthen plaster - clay, chopped straw and water mixture - over the bales. Now, I have a lime plaster covering on top of the earthen plasters. It all breathes, so if the bales get wet, they can dry out.
strawladyhouse 2 months ago
Wonderful work. May I ask you about how you puncture earthen plaster walls, for example with a nail to hang picture frames? Do you have to do that while the earth mixture is wet? Thanks.
fralican 2 months ago
@fralican To hang a picture, you just get out a hammer and a 6" nail and pound it in. If you hit any resistance that might possibly be an electric wire, then stop and move the nail. =)
strawladyhouse 2 months ago
@strawladyhouse Thanks for the quick answer. In my mind, I thought the earthen wall would crack. I see now that it does not.
fralican 2 months ago
straw bale walls have grade A in fire protection( grade A is standerd in large buildings stairwells so it protects great against fires
bakednapkin 3 months ago
@bakednapkin Thank you! I'm getting very tired of the fire fears and Big Bad Wolf comments. Thick earthen plasters coat the bales and there is no straw exposed.
strawladyhouse 3 months ago
@strawladyhouse no oxygen, no fire!
blooddonor70 2 months ago
@strawladyhouse true! Also, straw bales are pressed and have very few oxygen inside, they can't burn inside the plaster coating even at extremely high temperature... straw bale buildings are the best in the world. In Europe we have 3 floor buildings with more than 150 years and they are in perfect condition. Yours is a WONDERFUL WORK!
ghostdog7575 2 months ago
@bakednapkin That is not true. I have an undergraduate in Fire & Safety Engineering and a Masters in Risk Management (now retired after 25 yrs). What you said is dangerously misleading. Tests have shown that hay bales can be ignited through earthen walls by a simple process of fire/heat transfer called conduction.
BigHeadFarm 1 month ago
Fabulous!
NapaValleyEstates 3 months ago
Well done! Glad you are enjoying a sweet home, looking to build something similar myself, thanks for the video and info...
Darkyodajedi 3 months ago 2
You've got a beautiful home, one you can definitely be proud of.
I think it's a great idea for insulation. Is there a situation with an added threat of runaway fire? That is my concern.
I recently found this organization.....It's called Redfeather Development group.
Building similar style homes on reservations to help alleviate housing problems.
I am very excited, because I have been looking for just this kind of effort to financially support.
thescrimshaw 3 months ago
@thescrimshaw No, fire is not an issue; the straw is covered with either adobe or plaster. If the bales were to burn, they would smolder, because fire requires oxygen. During the construction, we are careful to pick up the loose straw and of course, don't plumb with blow torches and be a little careful until the straw is covered. Good luck!
strawladyhouse 3 months ago
Very good. Thank you.
drjohnes 4 months ago
Thank you for the post. How do you keep the mice and critters out of it?
eotto2001 4 months ago
@eotto2001 The bales are raised a foot on CMU block and covered with thick adobe plasters. No straw is visible in the end product. Most people cover their bales with stucco.
strawladyhouse 4 months ago
@strawladyhouse Thanks for the reply. I found out that there are some here in Ohio which surprises me because moist here. They must have worked it out, too.
eotto2001 4 months ago
@eotto2001, I counter with: How do you keep them out of sheetrock (drywall)?
The premise a strawbale home would be more attractive to mice and critters is a total misconception. This is not loose hay or straw like in a barn. In fact, if done ideally the bales are harvested (baled) in the morning still slightly damp. When they dry and are finished with mud or plaster etc this results in an extremely tight building material that's ultra energy efficient. Many have achieved R40 + in this way.
bluefrenchfries 4 months ago
@bluefrenchfries With fiberglass insulation in regular construction, you can have a lot of problems with moisture and insects like carpenter ants. I need more information on it from the people here who have built your way. We have 80% humidity during our summers. I can't wrap my head around though the structures seem to be working. When you used different construction materials, they all have their unique issues and fixes. I like your house. It has a good "feel" to it.
eotto2001 4 months ago
I LIKE!!! I think this is what I'm going to build on my property once I finish the underground shelter phase.
hrdknox2000 4 months ago
What part of Tucson is this? if u don't mind telling.
canbuyu 4 months ago
@canbuyu Picture Rocks
strawladyhouse 4 months ago
Impressive.
ThePoleBarnsMan 5 months ago
wow, you're incredible!
rwcorson 5 months ago in playlist Eco Home
I live in Tucson and I'm interested in the same. What are the benefits of such a home?
JewLoco 5 months ago
@JewLoco
What are the benefits of strawbale construction?? Faaaar too many to mention here. A few are efficiency, cost, flexibility, sustainability, easy of construction, ease of repair, and most noticeably when inside it just "feels" right to many (cozy factor). There are many, many books and websites dedicated to strawbale and it's many benefits. When combined with sustainable designs such as passive solar (as mentioned by Carolyn) it's incredibly hard to beat. Have a look! : )
bluefrenchfries 4 months ago
Great video made by a real person who tells it like it is.
uratrick 5 months ago
Thank you! I laughed out loud when you said partly blood. haha. Thats comedy right there!
Vegemighty 6 months ago
What an incredible vision and effort. I can't even imagine trying to do that. Great job!
biggsterboy 6 months ago
You are as beautiful as your home, THANK YOU for all of your great tips and sharing your process!
NominatedShortFilm 6 months ago
Great house and lots of hard work!
danzak44 7 months ago
I was wondering about the fire hazard that the electrical system might bring. How is that prevented?
kinoptika 7 months ago
@kinoptika there should not be a fire issuses if the wiring is not over taxed, not any more thatn a stick built house..
kinkyboyxxcdn 6 months ago
if the wiring was done to code and the electrical system is not over taxed there should be no issues
kinkyboyxxcdn 6 months ago
@kinkyboyxxcdn So, how'd you do it? is what i wanted to know... I'm in Spain
kinoptika 6 months ago
@kinoptika your best bet would be to talk to an electrician they know what the codes and rules are for your area. The hay house i helped a friend build we had to run conduit for the ac wiring, but again it depends on the building code for your area.
kinkyboyxxcdn 6 months ago
@kinkyboyxxcdn
HAY is for HORSES!!
STRAW is for homes. ; )
bluefrenchfries 4 months ago
"the red is paint, not blood... although partly blood" lol. Looks like you did a fantastic job on your house, congratulations! I hope to do something similar someday. Take care.
soul0luos 7 months ago 2
You have to keep straw the straw dry, so usually you plumb through the floor. I used pex plumbing with no joints in the walls. As far as smoldering, if you mean fire, that requires oxygen and the straw is covered with thick earthen plasters or stucco.
strawladyhouse 7 months ago
@strawladyhouse
Yes, fire is unfortunately another common misconception associated with strawbale construction. Stick frame with sheetrock is actually ideal for fire with it's large air pockets and plentiful ignition sources. Strawbale construction with tight bales and plastered walls is the opposite of what fire loves. It may smolder (think cigar) but there are documented cases of it taking 3 days to finally burn through a wall--obviously plenty of time to get everyone out. Easy repair too.
bluefrenchfries 4 months ago
How about probability of straw smoldering or moldering within the wall?
currishev 7 months ago
Beautiful!!!!
malranch 7 months ago
Nicely done. The video mentioned minimal electric cost. Can you go totally off grid if you want? And what sort of other fixed costs do you have for the house in Arizona. (All utilities, property taxes, insurance (better or worse than conventional building?),
If you had your own power source (however configured) would you still be paying for anything other than property taxes?
majik2hanz 8 months ago
@majik2hanz This house uses 5-10kwh per day; I think the average house uses about 35kwh. The electric use is largely from refrig, computer, tv, stereo and such - it would be easy to take this off the grid with its low usage and tons of sunshine here. My total utilities come to under $100 per month - water, electric, propane. Insurance is wrapped into my mortage - not sure - through the Farm Bureau. Depends on building small and how much cash you begin with and have to borrow. It's all low.
strawladyhouse 8 months ago
@majik2hanz Also see Michael Reynolds & Earthship homes--in New Mexico! Totally off-grid, grow food in your living room, even composting toilets, water-catchment system, etc. Put in the youtube dot com and a slash, then: watch?v=sRvTWlv_Jeg&feature=colike
gardenoflia 4 months ago
Respond to this video... Thank you! A "total" education & very well-done.
gardenoflia 4 months ago
way to go mam and all the helpers, great job
1liveandlearn11 8 months ago
Middle aged... Ha ha...
AWankingWeasel 8 months ago
good for her!
BeantownJim 8 months ago
$50,000 is still beyond our family's budget but go you :D
TanjaEubanks 8 months ago
damn girl
ammer1010 8 months ago
wow, thats pretty impressive, great job!
Demingosan 8 months ago
Truly and amazing home and beautiful as well.
Ana Mancini
AnaTranny1 9 months ago
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xdfgsdgflastname 9 months ago
So you said you live in tucson? were also in arizona and I was wondering how well this home keeps itself cool, do you also have and A/C unit? what kind and about how much power do you use compared to a conventional home?
smoothjamskillmoure 9 months ago
@smoothjamskillmoure I have a cooler in the shade of the north porch and a window A/C that I can turn on in August, if I need to. My house uses between 5 kwh and 10kwh per day, and most of that is from my refrigerator and other appliances. Conventional homes really vary (my son is actually working on this at UA) and I think the average is about 35kwh per day, but much depends on appliances, computers, large tv's, along with cooling and heating - and the size of the house.
strawladyhouse 9 months ago
@strawladyhouse nice, thats a good low amount of energy use. I think If it was just me, I could do a small cooler and keep around the same. The only energy heavy thing is use is my computer because it requires an large power supply for all of its fancy shinnaniganery. I went to ASU for architecture for a bit, had a class on renewable resources, ever since I've wanted to build a strawbale home running off solar, too cool.
smoothjamskillmoure 9 months ago
@smoothjamskillmoure heat resistance is the time it take to climb 1deg in in 1 hr per inch of thickness .. if memory serves me right a bale of hay is = r24 or a little higher new homes are ussaully r 20 in the walls if they are 2x6 construction, i am not sure what the local building code is for attic insulation but the more you have the better off you are, and the better your attic air flow the more comfort you will have.
kinkyboyxxcdn 6 months ago
so the bale wall was braced diagonally corner to corner with wire or wood or metal rods i guess, i thought the purpose of such bracing was usually to prevent collapse of box shaped structures , but the bales can not collapse , they are full of straw.
orangestoneface 9 months ago
@orangestoneface My walls have no diagonal bracing; I am not in an earthquake area. The metal rods are vertical and my roof rests on the straw. In California, with a post and beam house, the roof rests on the beams and the posts have diagonal bracing. The straw is then filled inside the posts and becomes the walls, but not the roof support.
strawladyhouse 9 months ago
how are the bales prevented from falling down in a quake or car crash, guess the roof holds the top of the wall, any binding pegs between bales, or through them, bamboo might work or metal rods or wood beams up and down on the wall in two places at least inside and out. or interior walls coming to hthe bale wall at an angle
orangestoneface 9 months ago
@orangestoneface California has an earthquake strawbale building code and it involves diagonal bracing. I think they don't allow load-bearing, but only post and beam houses. Some people would prefer bamboo to metal rods for support, but I don't know which building codes allow that. Much of what you said is already involved in the building - ventilation is from plasters that are vapor-permeable. You can study more by reading "Serious Straw Bale" or other books.
strawladyhouse 9 months ago
Very cool. Thank you for posting this. You have a beautiful home.
LarryC213 9 months ago
It doesn't look safe, what if someone dig through the wall.
shfbdfi1273 9 months ago
@shfbdfi1273 This is actually an extremely solid, thick house. There are thick plasters (mine has earthen, many have stucco) on either side of the straw bales and each bale weighs about 90 pounds. The walls are two feet thick. It would be far, far easier to punch a hole in a regular house wall - most of them are styrofoam and chickenwire - than to get through the wall of this house.
strawladyhouse 9 months ago
Thanks to you all for your wonderful, encouraging comments!
strawladyhouse 10 months ago
Interesting, thanks for posting. not my style, but its still very cool.
wheelbaron 10 months ago
Wow, when I first read the 50000 part I though she has to be crazy, I could build a house much much less...until I seen the video. Great job! How do you overcome molding though ? Im guessing your walls are made of hay or straw, but dosent it mold?
littlelogcabins 10 months ago
@littlelogcabins Straw will mold if you let it get wet and stay wet, so I don't do that. I live in a dry area and have no plumbing joints in the wall, so I won't get leaks. So yes, one of the important parts is not letting the straw get wet and have a chance to mildew.
strawladyhouse 10 months ago
@strawladyhouse was the top of the bale wall covered with plastic or something waterproof , or just the roof . is the bale wall wentilated with holes ,one up one down on each wall or so, and fan maybe. so it can dry if leaking, some walls here are made like that .
orangestoneface 9 months ago
Wonderful! Many compliments for the idea and the house :D
MisterPapageno 10 months ago
Wow your amazing !!
Waterman117 10 months ago
What a beautiful story and what a beautiful, hardworking lady. Hats off!
Damis10001 10 months ago
Can this be earth-bermed?
bill65761 10 months ago
@bill65761 I think you are asking if you could build an earth berm around this house or dig the house into the earth for added insulation. You wouldn't want to dig a straw bale house into the earth; It is important to keep straw dry. But you can build hybrid homes where part is earth-berm and part is straw bale.
strawladyhouse 10 months ago
hello.i am from far away, wanted to tell you that i like your house lot and i want to ask you about the flooring of the house, how it was done, it looks very good. i wonder if it is also ecologic.i would be thankfull if you could tell me more about the flooring inside the living room.my email address is g_manthor@yahoo.com if you think you need it. thank you.
gavaal1306 10 months ago
That's amazing!
mrosner87 10 months ago
Comment removed
CassiusChrysanthe 10 months ago
beautiful work! i have been building straw bale houses for about six years now, and i am firmly convinced its the only way to go.
rustymuckybottoms 11 months ago
WHO could even THINK of giving this a 'thumb-down' !!?? YOU are one AMAZING Lady !!!
looloorex 11 months ago
Beautiful Job! As a General Contractor and Electrical Contractor I can appreciate how daunting this must have looked at the beginning. Nicely Done.
catexan 1 year ago
@catexan Thanks - good to hear from you. I have great respect for what you do now!
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
your a true inspiration,l hope to do this soon.
bettytoo2 1 year ago
If it helps anyone to understand inspections, When building anything new. You have to get it inspected each step along the way, for example, putting in a footer in takes 3 steps itself, The footers forms put in, after gravel for drainage is added in, and a final time once the footer is poured to make sure it was done right. Does not make sense to some, but if done right the first time. Saves you money, and will last at least your lifetime, if not also your kids. Least, Corry PA inspected each.
DengarTime 1 year ago
@DengarTime Thank you. Yes, I was given a list of 23 inspections to pass during the construction period at each phase of the building. This comes when you get your permit to build and at the end of all the inspections, I got the occupancy permit. That then enabled me to get a mortgage and pay back all the money I borrowed to get the house built.
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
So beautiful, in so many ways. I'm really impressed!
torpedofish 1 year ago
What part of NM is this?
MrEhud77 1 year ago
@MrEhud77 The Tucson, Arizona part
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
@strawladyhouse lol, Thought the zia symbol was indicating NM, guess not
MrEhud77 1 year ago
@MrEhud77 You are absolutely right about the symbol, but I just used it because I liked it. =)
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
@strawladyhouse Well it looks like you did a magnificint job
MrEhud77 1 year ago
The straw is completely dry - it is not hay - packed very tightly and completely covered with thick plasters. It is so strong and tight it has held up my roof for ten years now. The bales weigh about 90 pounds each. There is no smell.
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
Well I'm used to living in a city so I just have one question, doesn't that house smell or has the straw already dried so much that it doesn't smell anything and is really hard?
Blood69Tiger 1 year ago
23 inspections!? WHAT!?
kja5 1 year ago
wow!!!
gunken166 1 year ago
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nagulramesh 1 year ago
@dodgyhingst There is a way to accomplish anything you want structurally...for example placing rebar as structural fasteners to stabilize heavy straw and this is exactly what was done. Logic (and building code) dictates a home in hurricane zone uses structural materials and siding that is know by law to withstand a hurricane. If you live in a hurricane zone, you'll simply need to build additional structure. Straw is organic material and breaks down naturally so no landfill needed.
donsjuand 1 year ago
Good work! Kudos to you for putting in the leg work and planning.
donsjuand 1 year ago
Inspirational lady I wish suburban communities were more conscience of the need to share the work loads for home building. something is sorely wrong that we must rent living spaces to people for decades or pay mortgage's for life times to have freedom from the elements.
andreagus1 1 year ago
wow !!!!!!!!!
04bedoura 1 year ago
Amazing work.
✭✭✭✭✭
WORLD PATRIOTS PREVAIL ツ
KASPLARFO 1 year ago
I am thinking of building my house using straw bales (actually it was my husband who suggested it). I added your video to my favourites so I can show it to him later. I love your house.
mrsotter19 1 year ago
how is your electric bill only $ 35 dollars. ? its very interesting.. thank you.
TheGreenfrog140 1 year ago
@TheGreenfrog140 I taped this several years ago and my base electric rate has gone up to more like $40, I notice. Kilowatt hours would be a better measure than cost. I only use central heat or A/C to heat and cool on rare occasions; have solar water heater and small tankless. I still run my frig and all appliances, so that's my electric bill. No huge flat screen tv here!
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
@strawladyhouse Hi, How is your house heated? do you have solar electricity or is your house heated just by the hey stack.
also, if your house is just made of hey.. if there is an unjust enemy wants to burn down your house.. isn't it very easy for them to burn it down? (god forbid).
I am considering making a house out of containers.. what do you think about that? have you ever thought about it.?
TheGreenfrog140 1 year ago
@TheGreenfrog140 Burning down this house would be like burning down an adobe house - not easy. The porch might burn. And is it straw, not hay. I think containers, if you mean transportation containers, would be inexpensive, but about as well insulated as a mobile home. Depends what you need.
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
Great video, your house is lovely!!
oaklegh 1 year ago
NICE HOUSE! Where do you get your water from? Well? How deep is the well?
younitehumanity 1 year ago
@younitehumanity I am on county water - no well
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
amazing :))
TheGargamel007 1 year ago
You are an inspiration and an amazing woman. Your house is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this video
MsHoppytoad 1 year ago
Fantstic job. You're a real inspiration - thank you.
corkkyle 1 year ago
There was a TV program on bail houses about 10 years ago, very cool.
People build houses out of tires as wall as full bags of cement.
carlosmurphy4u 1 year ago
@carlosmurphy4u
the tire/cement houses you are refering to are called earthships. a concept pioneered by Micheal Reynolds (the garbage warrior). very cool stuff too!
badmuthaearthboy 1 year ago
super beau et hot...perfect.
joecash2010 1 year ago
wow, i am amazed. That was excellent planning and work.. it turned out beautiful.
leonscorpio19 1 year ago
Awesome house and awesome job on the video. Two thumbs up!
bigbossimmotal 1 year ago
I had never heard of this until seeing your video. Amazing! Thanks for posting and narrating throughout...:*))) I am wondering about people who have allergies though.
Harmony6284 1 year ago
@Harmony6284 I built this partially because I am sensitive to chemicals and it is very chemical-free, plus fresh air can filter through the walls. Straw is not on the wall surface after it is completed - it is covered with plasters, but the loose straw is hard on asthmatics during construction.
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
@Harmony6284 That makes perfect sense! Thanks for replying and hope you enjoy your lovely home. I also love Arizona and the City of Tuscon.
Harmony6284 1 year ago
Lovely home! Good for you!
guavaflower1 1 year ago
I have never seen (OK heard) such a large amount of information packed into such a short amount of time. Bravo!!!! Thank you for posting.
jeremyneilkelley 1 year ago
You are my heroine. Your house is awesome.
Thank you for posting the details. What is the unit at 4:39?
johnlvs2run 1 year ago
thanks for this, I plan on staring a project like this after I get my civil engineering degree for my best friend and her kids.
Dudeamis 1 year ago
Your home is just lovely! I think it's funny how 1200 ft is considered "building small" these days. My first childhood home couldn't have been more than 1200 ft (in fact I don't think anybody on my street had a house bigger than that) and 7 people lived in it! I don't recall ever thinking it was too small or feeling I needed more space. It's sad to me, these days it seems like people have children and then spend all their time trying to figure out how to get awy from them!
JayKay62969 1 year ago
Beautiful Home!
Looks warm and inviting!!
Your friends must love to gather there....
WhatsUpWithGORDIE 1 year ago
wow you shur did a awsome job your house is beautiful
cherd1971 1 year ago
this is fantastic, so much energy and good will put into a house!!!!!!!!!!
Wish u MANY happy years in this house.!
bear46no 1 year ago
Let's talk about fire resistance. What it keeping the thing from going up like a house made of straw? The idea of having electrical wiring running through it is what concerns me.
I can definitely see this as a viable construction material, but in all honesty I can think of a few ways to improve it.
You have a good idea using the bales like building blocks, however it seems it might be better to have a mixture of mud and straw that have been formed into bales and then dried.
DaedalEVE 1 year ago
@DaedalEVE i agree with you , but she worked hard.. good job.
Arabstain 1 year ago
brilliant
ekundayowt 1 year ago
That was absolutely gorgeous! I never even knew you could build a house of straw. What State are you in? I bet you couldn't do that here in California. I love your home it's beautiful. Thanks for sharing this with us. God Bless
mammal46 1 year ago
@mammal46 Thank you! Yes, you can and many have built them in California, but you have earthquake requirements, so you build post and beam with lateral bracing and the straw is mostly insulation while the posts hold up the roof.
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
@strawladyhouse Awesome house - I look forward to starting my own strawbale house here in New Zealand but have to see about all the rules and regulations seeing as we are very earthquake prone here - fingers crossed we can do it as it has been my dream for a long time!
slugworm6 1 year ago
A lot of hard work and research but that look terrific. Congrates and enjoy your home for years to come. Great view of a mountain.
ForPropertyInvestors 1 year ago
35 per month ..shit that's cheap for electric wow and a very nice house
IslandLifePete 1 year ago
For all the owner work done constructing the house and for the size, $50,000 actually sounds expensive. Can you break down the costs that get you up to that number?
Energy costs are very reasonable, but what about other maintenance?
JDARJISJ 1 year ago
great video
homertalk 1 year ago
I am inspired to build a house like this for myself. I am also a single parent. Can you share with me the type of maintenance this house needs at any given time? I currently have a 1900's built house and it is a lot of maintenance. Yard, trees, snow, roof, plumbing and the heating bills...
I hope that a greener type home would allow me more flexibility in my bills and maintenance. thank you for sharing your advice. I hope to come to Tucson soon to build this type of home.
tandmllc 1 year ago
@tandmllc This house itself doesn't require any special maintenance. My rainwater collection requires manually switching a valve when there is no water in the tanks. Much of the key to a strong, maintenance-free house, I think, is to study well before you build. Earthen plasters require protection from the weather and I have now coated mine with lime - I think that is a good idea for long-term durability. Get a good builder as a guide, so you build something durable.
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
What part of the Alps? I just went there for the first time and hiked Bernese Oberland - I thought it was amazingly beautiful. Good luck with the straw bale hotel! Tell me where it is and I hope some day I can come visit.
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
We are about to built a hotel as a straw bale construction.
Our architect who has built dozens of straw bale houses promised that the houses will last even for future generations.
We will built it in the Swiss Alps on 4000 feet in the mountains and it still will need no heating.
lamdaki 1 year ago
Very cool!!! Thanks for doing a great video to share!!
EarthREALTOR 1 year ago
how did your house handle the heat and humidity this year? Do you also use air conditioning or swap cooler? I live in vail, considering moving to cochise county. would like to build a combo small house of straw bale and cob.
wheelori814 1 year ago
@wheelori814 Sure has been hot and humid, hasn't it? I have a small window AC that I run on low when the humidity gets too high. It does a fine job. I mostly use the cooler and ceiling fans. I keep the cooler in the shade of the north porch, which helps keep the water cool, I think. Insulate the ceiling really well, too!
strawladyhouse 1 year ago
esta bien chingon..
luckygirl9973 1 year ago
Your house is darling; reminds me of a European cottage. Thanks for the inspiration!
posyplanter 1 year ago
I read your book and enjoyed every minute of it. I admire you.
This is still one of my great dreams in life, to build a straw bale home. You moved me a little closer to seeing that all things are possible. Thanks
jobirgheidi 1 year ago