Why a Straw House?

To expound a little on a previous entry, I wanted to highlight some advantages of straw house building. Using straw as a building material is not a 'new age,' hyper-ecological idea. It actually came about sometime in the mid to late 1800's. Some sources say as early as 1800, but most point to later in that century.

Why did people start to build with straw? Two main reasons: 1) Straw was (and still is) an easily attainable agricultural byproduct; and 2) the late 1800's saw the advent of mechanized farming, allowing relatively large amounts of this byproduct to be collected.

Straw construction almost completely stopped in the early to mid 1900's as mass manufactured building material became inexpensive and widely available. It is commonly believed that the energy crisis of the 1970's prompted this method of building to be resurrected.

What are some advantages of building a straw house?

• Raw materials availability - In most of North America straw is easily available.
• Raw materials cost - Since straw is typically considered a waste material, the cost of build material is typically very low.
• High insulating R value - Typical straw bale walls have an R value of 40. Some, with high quality, tightly fitting compact bales can have an R value of up to 60.
• Flexible building options - Straw can be a very flexible material, allowing construction of buildings with conventional design through the gamut to artistic flowing designs.
• Build as you go - Building with straw allows the builder to easily complete part of a building while other parts are un-started.
• Ease of modification - Adding a room or garage or additional storage space is relatively easy with straw construction.
• Straw is natural - Being a natural agricultural byproduct of growing oats, wheat, rye and other grass type grains, straw is natural.
  
• Sound attenuation - Straw bales are very good acoustic insulators.
• Non-specialized construction - Building straw bale structures require little training and few tools.
• Fire resistance - Surprisingly, straw has a relatively high fire retardant ability due to the bales' ability to minimize air flow.

With all of these advantages, straw buildings may be an option for new farmers moving back to the country, or onto their own piece of land. Many areas are now recognizing the value of this construction medium and make allowances for it within building codes. However, before building anything, check your state, county and local building codes. It is also a good idea to discuss your building plans with your insurance agent.

Happy baling!