Bale Wall, by E. Arbour, 2000.
Design Approach for Load-Bearing Strawbale Walls, K.J. Dick and M.G. Britton, 2002.
Resistance to Shear in Stuccoed Straw Bale Walls, by Lisa Stepnuk, 2002. All three papers available from Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 5V6, Canada, 204-474-6033, <www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/afs/biosystems_engineering/overview.html>
6) Other Test Documents
The following tests have been performed at university labs or by interested individuals. Many of these people will, understandably, ask for a fee for their document(s):
A Comparison of the Load-Bearing Capacity and Behaviour of Earth- and Cement-Rendered Straw Bale Walls, by M.A. Faine and John Zhang, University of Western Australia, <[email protected]>
House of Straw: Straw Bale Building Comes of Age, by the U.S. Dept. of Energy, 1995. Available online only at <www.eren.doe.gove/EE/strawhouse/>. This report studies thermal performance and construction cost issues, with positive results.
Straw Bale Exterior Pinning Report, by Sustainability International, 1998. Contact Bob Bolles to purchase copies <[email protected]>. Engineering results on a rebar-exterior-pinning system which gained approval from the Tucson/Pima County building department.
Moisture Control in Straw Bale Homes: Report to Ontario Building Code Commission, John Straube, 1999. Building Engineering Group, Civil Engineering Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON., Canada, N2L 3G1. An important look at how straw bale walls handle moisture
Community-Built Housing Solution: A Model Strawbale Home Design, by David Riley and Sergio Palleroni, 1999.
Strength Testing of Stucco and Plaster Veneer Straw Bale Walls, by D. Riley, G. MacRae, and J.C. Ramirez, 1998. Contact Prof. David Riley, Dept. of Architectural Engineering, Penn State, 104 Engineering Unit A, University Park, PA 16802, USA, <[email protected]>.
Moisture in Straw Bale Housing - Nova Scotia, by S.H.E. Consultants, 1998. Contact S.H.E. Consultants, RR#3, Comp. 308, Wolfville, NS, Canada. Blower door tests on several bale homes, and a “refining” of the term “breathable walls.”
Investigation of Environmental Impacts: Straw Bale Construction, by Ann V. Edminster, 1995. Contact Ann Edminster, 115 Angelita Ave, Pacifica, CA 94044, <[email protected]>
Evaluation of a Straw Bale Composite Wall, by Edwin R. Schmeckpepper and Joe Allen, 1999. Contact Joe Allen, PE, Allen Engineering, 917-10th Street, Clarkson, WA 99403. Tests performed on an unusual light-gauge steel/straw bale wall system.
7) Code Testing Video
Straw Bale Code Testing, Black Range Films 1996. This video documents the Arizona compression and lateral loading tests (three-string bales), the 1993 Nova Scotia moisture testing, and the NM lateral load and E-119 fire tests (two-string bales) with very positive results. Includes interviews with code officials. Available from Natural Building Resources, <www.StrawBaleCentral.com>.
This list was compiled by Chris Magwood, with extensive help from Mark Piepkorn, Lars Keller, André de Bouter, and many of the testers themselves. A version of this list appeared in The Last Straw, issue #40.
CHAPTER 5
The Hotly Debated, Often-Distorted Question of Cost
So what does one of those straw bale houses cost?” Such a common question, such a difficult answer. The issue of cost is complex, and while bale building can be done less expensively than conventional framing, so much is up to you.
Much that is written, and even more that is rumored, about straw bale building hails it as the perfect option for people wanting to build on the cheap. Before we get into the specifics of designing and building your straw bale house, we’d like to address the hotly debated, often-distorted question of cost.
All About Money
There is No Such Thing as Cheap
Building a house is an expensive proposition. This is true whether you are using straw bales or any other materials. From the cost of the property on which you build, to permit and start-up costs, right through to the hinges, knobs, and handrails of the finished house, the list of expenses is long and weighty. There is no way to avoid expense, especially when you are building for longevity, efficiency, and to meet codes.
The Less Expensive House
Since truly cheap housing methods — lean-tos, shacks, or tents — are not what is commonly deemed “suitable” in much of North America, we prefer to use the term “less expensive” housing when talking about straw bale building. Many people have heard of the $10-per-square-foot straw bale house. Be assured, a $10-per-square-foot house is very simple, roughly finished, not necessarily efficient, and definitely not erected where a building code is enforced. Building a home to modern building code standards can never be considered cheap.
Money — or lack thereof! — is always a central concern when you design and build your house. Building your house is going to absorb whatever budget you allocate. Rather than focusing on how cheap straw bale building can be, it makes more sense to focus on creating a building that can be completed within your means. This can often mean keeping the size down and planning to expand in the future. At every juncture in this book, we will be assessing costs and trying to point out ways to save money.
How Can Bales Save Money?
Straw bale buildings can certainly hold a cost advantage over conventional styles. By replacing both wall-framing lumber and insulation — plus vapor barriers, nails, glues, etc. — with a single, inexpensive material, the cost of building super-insulated walls can be lowered. The interior and exterior plaster cladding, depending on the choice of ingredients and method of its application, can be comparable with other cladding systems such as drywall, vinyl or wood siding, or brick.
You might also save money on framing labor. Because bales are more user-friendly than other wall systems, many people are encouraged to put up their own walls, which can cut down on costs. But if you are hiring people to build straw walls for you, you won’t necessarily save money on labor. The cost of hiring labor for frame homes and bale homes is very similar.
The Buck Stops at the Top of Your Wall — Underneath It, Too!
With the exception of the exterior walls, the rest of the construction costs for a straw bale house can be identical to any other building style. Most contractors estimate the cost of the wall system at about 10 to 15 percent of the total budget. As a building material, your straw bales are going to directly affect only that percentage of the total cost. To truly save money, a straw bale builder must turn his or her attention to all the other aspects of the building and lower costs at each stage. Fortunately, straw bale construction lends itself to the use of plenty of alternatives that can reduce the overall cost of
