Straw Bale Wall 97

7/29/2019 Straw Bale Wall 97

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Advantages


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Advantages.

exceptional thermal insulation. With an average R-30 when stacked flat, straw balehouses are considered to be 'super-insulated' and require significantly less energyto heat or cool;

highly environmentally-friendly. Straw is a waste product much of which getsburned or ploughed back into the ground each year; (enough straw is burned eachyear in the USA to build five million houses)

excellent fire resistance. Straw bale walls have a fire rating of between one andtwo hours (depending on the type of plaster used) which far exceeds the 20-minuterating for conventional 'stick frame' construction;

excellent acoustic insulation. Straw bale houses are very quiet inside due to theconstruction of the walls (plaster-straw-plaster) which absorbs high levels of noise;

very healthy air quality when plastered with natural materials;

impressive seismic strength. Recent tests have shown that straw bale walls canwithstand twice the g-forces recorded in the most powerful earthquakes;

relatively easy to work with. Straw bale construction requires little technicalknowledge or skill. However, as with any system, a sound understanding of theconstruction methods is advisable;

relatively cheap. In north America bales can be bought for about $3.00 each. Whencompared to the cost of conventional materials required to build to the same levelof thermal insulation, this represents a significant saving;

bio-degradable. At the end of the building's life the straw can be returned to theearth as compost, and;

solid. The bale walls are almost two feet thick, providing a sense of solidity andnice wide window alcoves in which to sit


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Documents

Straw Bale Wall 97