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How to build a

straw bale home

While tending the

garden.



Building site in February

House site in February



House site in May.



Looking west across

building site.



They look so fresh



The hole



Compacting complete



The batter boards determine the layout



Orienting the house to

the sun is very important.



This part was really pleasant



Marking out the footings.



Building the footing forms was less fun.



Intricate intersections, lots of leveling and bending rebar .



We get the barley straw on the

hottest day of the year.



Two trailers and a breakdown



This took the whole day, 500 bales at 38 degrees.



You may think the bales are a little premature.

W h t t th f ti th l ti b ttl t



We have yet to pour the footings, the plastic bottles are to

keep the site safe, impaling an eyeball is not in the budget.



Suddenly, the forms are pouredand dry, the plastic bottles are

still in place to protect us.



We are now ready to put insulation

and vapor barrier on the ground.



Viola 2.5 inches of foam.



ow we pour some concrete on the foam.



ICF’s are really

popular now, it is a

great way to pour

oundation walls.



Checking that the

op of the

oundation wall is

level.



As if by magic the

foundation walls are inplace.



e pony walls will hold

the TJI’s , and that is

at holds up the floor.



The temperature now is around 40

degrees so an umbrella is very helpful.



5000 screws and no squeaks. If

possible everything is on wheels,

umbrella, plywood and us.



The river is useful

for cooling down.

Some framers help us to



Some framers help us to

stand up the trusses



he roof line is a bit complex.



The framing is complete.



Strapping the roof took way too long.



Shirley backfills, and I stay

on the roof for a month.



ome help, and then……….



Skin the roof



It might look like I’m resting, but

we stacked ‘em to the rafters.



Finally a roof.



The straw has all been tested

ith a moisture meter.



This is a big moment,

he first bale.



There were many of these moments,

measuring and cutting took up to one

and a half hours per bale.



Gradually the walls take shape.



The house is held up by post

and beams, with many

diagonals preventing the

whole thing from falling over.



In some places the bales slide right in.



e have four 45 degree angles in this house, it

is not recommended but we did it anyway.



The straw part is really coming along.



No straw bale builder can get by

ithout a straw mallet.



The construction site is

ery unconventional.



We are getting tired of straw now.



From across the river it looks….. Strange.



We surround the house with tarps so

work can continue all winter.



Tar paper is placed over

all the exposed wood.



Inside, we apply stucco mesh

and sew it to the bales.



Once the mesh is done, the second huge

obs begins……….plastering.



Shirley mixed ALL the

plaster so as to keep a

consistent mix.

s my hat says I unleashed



s my hat says, I unleashed

my creativity and it

escaped.



The bales beg to be finished.



Notice the boxes above thewindows, these we designed to

help light travel up as it comes

through the windows.



Me travelling through a window to

get onto an icy roof in November.



Our first Christmas at 15 below.



Laying out the interior walls before

plastering, it’s too cold to plaster anyway.



A good look at the window detail.



A view from the bluff’s



This photo was taken in the summer 2009 after

the windows and laster were finished.



The End

Although lots of finishing is

yet to be done on the house…….

strawbale2-091112205345-phpapp01

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