Save Our Forests--Build With Straw Bales!
by Victoria Ries
There are many advantages to building with straw bales. Besides the
ease and simplicity of construction, eco-friendly straw is an
annually renewable crop; a by-product of the fields; whether it be
wheat, oat, rice or barley straw. Few tools are required during
construction, which makes the site child-safe; even the kids can help
build! They especially like slapping stucco onto the exterior walls
and getting well splattered in the process!
In the Nebraska sand hills, the pioneers made good use of straw-bale
construction; few trees were available for lumber on those grassy
plains. Straw-bale homes were built out of necessity to shelter
families from harsh winters and unrelenting winds. Some of these
original bale-built homes still stand today; time-tested for
durability and strength.
A hollow tube, or cylinder; known to be one of the strongest
geometric shapes, gives the common tube of straw strength and
resilience. Straw bales, being so tightly packed, are difficult to
burn as fire cannot exist without oxygen.
The porosity of a straw-bale house, at 55% allow the walls to
breathe, whilst eliminating the moisture problem in most parts of the
world. A straw-bale home, is ideal for the environmentally-conscious
family. The rough texture and neutral colors of the exterior walls,
blend in with, and don't spoil the land's natural beauty, making it
easy on the eye and in harmony with nature.
Trees and forests are needlessly cut down in order to build the
conventional frame house; yet the lowly straw-bale home wins, hands
down, when it comes to cost, availability, energy efficiency, and ease of
handling and soundproofing. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough,
in that I was invited into a home constructed of straw-bales. It was
beautiful inside and out; I wouldn't have believed it was built with
straw-bales! The house had a warm, comfortable and aesthetically
pleasing atmosphere. Window ledges were extra-large and home to her
many thriving houseplants. This added to the overall appeal of the
home. Even though it was winter at the time of my visit, the house
was cozy and warm, but no fire crackled in her woodstove, which was
tidily tucked away in an alcove. The heat source was due to passive
solar radiation from arcadia doors on the south facing side of the
house.
Three hundred straw-bales will provide a spacious 2,000-sq. ft. home
for your family. Buy the bales inexpensively at harvest-time direct
from the farmer; move in and be cozy by Halloween! The insulate
qualities of a straw-bale house are superb at R-50 or above. Energy
savings, compared to those of a frame-built house, are increased by
50%, proving straw-bale construction economically and environmentally
sound.
The straw-bale house is a quiet refuge from the harsh elements
outside. There's a grounding, earthy peacefulness inside the home,
which calms the mind and soothes the soul. Think twice about building
that frame house, and turn your thoughts to natural straw-bale
construction, the globally friendly alternative. Your grandchildren
will be glad you did.
Copyright 2000 © Victoria Ries All rights Reserved
Victoria Ries is a freelance writer, living in the heartland of the American Midwest.
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