Straw bale houses provide their occupants with many benefits. Before listing some, I’ll describe these houses for you. Their walls are built out of bales of straw. The straw needs to be kept dry so it is covered with plaster, on both the exterior and interior sides. An overhang is often added to the outside of the house, providing shade and additional protection to the house.
Most frequently, straw bale houses are built with a post-and-beam framework made of lumber. The bales are used as infill. This method is described as non-load-bearing since the weight (load) of the roof does not bear down on the straw. Building codes that address straw bale building are likely to require this technique.
In contrast, a “load-bearing” straw bale house has the roof resting right on the straw bales. This requires care in construction so that the weight is properly balanced. This method is more ecological, as it uses less wood.
This approach is considered easier for beginners to tackle. The straw bale walls go up very rapidly, which is pleasing to everyone working on the project. Naturally, they still have much more to do, like wiring and plastering!
Straw bale building is probably most popular in the southwestern desert states of the US, but it is now being done in many other places too. Building codes exist that directly address the specifics of straw bale construction, and some banks will make loans for straw bale houses.
What benefits does a straw bale house offer its occupants?
1. Insulation: Because of its thick walls, a straw bale house will be slower to heat up in summer or cool off in the winter. This means energy savings, often considerable ones, every year…. a very nice bonus that the homeowners will probably gloat about to their friends!
2. Renewable resources: Since straw is easy to grow, it does not need to be brought in from far away and it is probably being grown anyway. It does not diminish our forests. People who care about building sustainably — more and more people all the time — find this very attractive.
3. The experience of living: Straw bale houses tend to be beautiful, with their thick walls and handmade aspects. The walls make the inside of the house very quiet, with outside noise coming in much less than in a conventional house. The plasters used to cover the bales are lovely, often natural tones.
In sum, building a straw bale house offers environmental and quality-of-life benefits. People who know little about building can learn to do a lot of the construction themselves. Sure, building any house is a lot of work, but if you go the straw bale route, look what you end up with… something very special indeed!