That's hay. Straw is much less valuable than hay and if people are willing to pay for it, I'm sure the older style bailing eqipment can be refurbished, calibrated, etc.

Some of the plasterers we've had on the big jobs are a trip. For the interior, high dollar finish, they do a 2 year apprenticeship. The foreman bought pizza for the entire crew of around 40 people when one of his guys graduated.

It's fancy, skilled, and hard work. BIG shoulders on those guys. Frosting a big cake with cement, basically, all day long.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

the way i usually build, a 2x6 wall with fiberglass and plywood or osb sheathing you have about r 22. to get r 28 you could add 3/4" styrofoam on the outside or go to a 2x8 wall with r30 insulation for a total r of about 33. i have built up to 12" thick frame walls with fiberglass insulation.

the hay bale thing sounds appealing, but you have to have a separate structural frame, and give up a lot of floor space to the thick walls. framing and sealing around windows would be an area of concern too. i hope it works out for you, r leo.

for me, i have to be able to get normal contractor types to build things so that my clients can have a predictable price and outcome. experimenting with new methods of construction would be a good way for me to get my a$$ sued out of business if there were problems.

so non professionals have to be the vangard of experimentation. like in many fields.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

AMEN. Detailing around windows/doors is an issue. Some bale structures have significantly recessed windows and doors; any moisture driven into those places can be a real problem. For this structure. my windows are nailed to the framing just like a typically-framed house and will be more or less flush with the outer wall surface. They'll have 1x4 trim around them too.

The alternative is to have deep overhangs (Whiskey Dan's are going to be 8 feet). Super deep eaves weren't an option on this building because we didn't want to remove any trees to build the cabin. Thus, three feet of overhang was the most I could build and still have any floor space.

We did a little experimentation in the framing but a lot of this structure is simply parrotting other strawbale projects that I've found.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

yes, pushing the windows out to the surface is the way to go. then you will have useful ledges inside. if it is possible you might want to create angles on the inside of th walls to allow viewing thru the window from greater angles. the 2' thick walls will really limit views from the inside except from straight back from the windows.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

The straight-sided box sections that are on each side of all the windows and doors support the band beam. Unfortunately, they are already built.

When I build my big house, I'll figure out a way to taper them.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

photos please...

There's a link in the first post or, you can go here:

Strawbale Cabin Project

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Nice thing about SB construction is the walls, insulation and sheathing are all done when the bales are stacked.
There are load bearing SB structures where no frame is needed. Threaded rods are used to compress the bales to the foundation then the walls are topped with a wood or poured concrete bond beam.

Good friend of mine build his SB house and installed siding and sheetrock. You would never know its a SB. He and his wife did all the work. Their utility bills are a fraction of other homes the same size.

There's a number of ways to build a house thats "green", more energy efficient and durable than conventional stick framing. Its just not as quick to go up and may not be code accepted.
Cob, strawbale... even old tires filled with dirt to name a few.

Hope you have a big compessor for the tirolessa.

You might have seen the video of the late Dennis Weaver's (Gunsmoke) "earth ship" house in Colorado. Tires stacked like bricks, filled with compressed dirt as they go, and plastered over. I saw the video in '92 and then a few months later, through a series of coincidences, I was standing a couple hundred feet from it.

I'd gone to Colorado for the Rainbow Gathering outside of Paonia, met a lady in the town, and lived with her for a few months afterwards. She found a TP for sale in Ridgeway, I think -- we went to get it and the seller was a camel and llama breeder who just happened to be Weaver's neighbor and business partner. Real cowboy looking good ol' boy who'd gradually discovered there was serious money to be made in breeding the double humped camels.

Gave us each a bag of carrots and we went out to feed one of them, who ran over to the fence like a big puppy.

The earthship was a trip. Built on a south facing hillside with a maximum eye to passive solar heat.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

The method of construction is very interesting and your documention is great. Thanks for sharing your progress so far. Can't wait to see the rest.

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Thank you. I can hardly wait to sit on that screened porch and sip a refreshing, cold, adult beverage.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

When do you think you'll have it finished?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Good question. I'm hoping that by the end of the year I'll be spending weekends in the place.

I figure that when the framers are done (hopefully, this week), we'll be about 1/3 of the way through the construction. However, that's pretty much the end of the stuff that I can contract out. Everything else, w/exception of the septic and electrical has to be done my me and/or helpers...limiting the work to weekends and holidays. Additionally, it is flat-ass too hot to work out there more than 4-5 hours a day and, in September, we're going to Finland and China for a month.

Once I get back in October, I'll organize a bale stacking party and get the walls in place.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

So, when is the party?

Yeah, Randy, what's the status of this project now? Got some pictures for us to look at?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles