Thread: Strawbale house

Originally Posted by robri

Anyone built a strawbale house - paticularly in Vic?
Rob

A lot of people -see back issues of -owner builder ,earth garden ,sanctuary ,etc
.
Have seen something on tv recently -hot property , the story was about the owners of earth garden magazine building a new office from straw bale
http://www.earthgarden.com.au/strawbale/faq.html
Regards , Bela

"Hot property" featured one on tonights program, check out their web site they may have information on it.. it was built in victoria

Mate has one out at Kinglake, there's a builder up there that did it to get experience with it.
Do you want the contact?

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Mate has one out at Kinglake, there's a builder up there that did it to get experience with it.
Do you want the contact?

I would like to know ,perhaps pm ,me.Regards ,Bela

google it in au. i researched it myself a while back and there's a stack of aussi info out there...

Originally Posted by Clinton1

Mate has one out at Kinglake, there's a builder up there that did it to get experience with it.
Do you want the contact?

Would love the contact - pm me if you think it would be better

I am curious, what is the facination with strawbale houses. I know that they have phenomal insulation properties but after watching Hot Property they seem alot of work and they siad that the office they built cost $120k. Surely you can build something using traditional methods for cheaper than that?
Please note, I am not bagging strawbale buildings just can't understand why all the rave reviews.

Originally Posted by Wood Butcher

they said that the office they built cost $120k. Surely you can build something using traditional methods for cheaper than that?

But they also said that it was substantially cheaper (approx $ 50K if I remember correctly) than a convential building and it was built by a builder during winter and he was prepared to pay extra to have it finished quickly whilst he was on his second holiday.

Apart from being cheaper, better insulated and soundproofed it can easily be built by an owner builder. Also it is much easier than building with mudbricks.

Peter.

What Sturdee said, plus good fireproofing due to the lack of air in the walls. Easy to build, and cheap.

Old mate just up the road is trying to build one. Meeses is causing real havoc

I kid you not.

I'm inclined to think that in a fire situation the cement render over the bales would fall away due to the heat thus exposing the straw and then you'd lose everything.

I have some photos from ash wednesday showing buildings with solid concrete block walls that just disinegrated from the radiant heat.

Originally Posted by Wood Butcher

Please note, I am not bagging strawbale buildings .

:confused: You have to bag them.
Or render them at least.

Al :confused:

Originally Posted by echnidna

I'm inclined to think that in a fire situation the cement render over the bales would fall away due to the heat thus exposing the straw and then you'd lose everything.

I have some photos from ash wednesday showing buildings with solid concrete block walls that just disinegrated from the radiant heat.

If done correctly, they have a 1 hour fire rating.

Al

We have been studing these for about 4 years. The big holdup is capital is now involved in new business not new house Cement render will crack under extreme heat but using a mud/earth/clay render and the first coat really rubbed into the bales allowed try dry properly then 2 & 3 coat you WILL have a excellent rendered wall.

The savings can be made in doing a lot of it yourself ... would suggest visiting open days advertised in Owner Builder mag. Victoria is the most prolofic (?)nazis:eek: area for strawbale houses

The big fasination is the LOOOONNNG term heating & cooling savings I know one in Adelaide hill temp varies between 15-26 all year and this has computer readouts from several parts of the house
and its the FEEL of the place.
Wood Butcher its just that the feeling

I could go on do google searches on strawbales....& strawbale houses and anything else around that area there is piles of it a lot from unintelligent fartarses but a lot of very good stuff VISIT A STRAW BALE HOUSE.

I could go on and on etc etc Tony