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.Straw-bale is a new material for modern construction, and there are some important things to learn and understand about working with bales.

In this section, we'll give some basic tips about working with straw

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strawbale/tips & resources

Why use strawbles?
Introduction to Strawbale
FAQ's for strawbale
First Piggy's Reminders on the Proper Way to Stack Bales
First Piggy's Practical Guide to Keeping Strawbale Houses
   Warm and Dry
T
ips on Keeping your Stack Dry
Earth Floors
Staining Stucco with Ferrous Sulfate
Tips on holding workshops and baleraisings
Checklist for a baleraising
CASBA--the California Straw Building Association
      Other strawbale associations
California Building Code for Strawbale Consctuction
     Other Codes for Strawbale





First Piggy's Stacking Tips  
First Piggy wants you to have fun at your bale raising, but she's been distressed at some of the silly mistakes humans make when they get caught up in "Bale Frenzy". She offers these suggestions for stacking a good wall.

Check the bale before you use it. If it's bent, straighten it. If it's loose or has damp spots, set it aside to use for retied bales, flakes or compost.

Make a wall map which shows each bale and where the windows, doors and other features will go. Then check the map frequently as you stack so you won't forget to put in the windows. Start from the corners and doors and move inward.

Leave a finger-width between bales--don't cram or squeeze the bales to make them fit. Don't leave gaps greater then two inches. Cut and retie new bales(s) to make everyting fit well. Soft spots in the wall can lead to water intrusion, and will lower the insulation value of the wall.

After a course is set, stomp on it. You can do this solo or with a partner, and can sing stomping songs if you like.

If pins are used, check the wall for straightness, and the corners for plumb, before pinning. Use a long stick to see if the bale face if flat. Fix your bales before pinning.

After pinning, stuff gaps between the bales with flakes. Pound them in with a piece of wood, but don't over-stuff, as that will push out the corners.

Work safely.

Be careful with tools. Don't leave them on top of walls. Try not to loose them in the straw.

Keep fire and sparks away from loose straw. Clean-up often.

Have fun, enjoy yourself.


 


First Piggy's Tips on Storing Your Bales
Bales are big and bulky, and are vulnerable to rain, fog and condensation until they are resting safely under your roof. A little thought about logistics and protection early on could save a lot trouble and aggravation later. Any sailor can tell you that the weather is unpredictable and any good sailor is always prepared for the worst. Bale builders should likewise be prepared. Here are some suggestions:

Before your bales even arrive, it's wise to purchase and have ready a good tarp and plastic to cover your bales in case of a squall, a storm or other threatening weather. It's very cheap insurance.

When your bales arrive, stack them where they can easily be reached when it comes time to build. We prefer to schedule our bale delivery the week of the bale raising. This saves us the time and trouble of keeping the bales dry at the building site.

We set our bales on palettes or lumber to keep them off the ground. We avoid putting plastic under the stack, because a plastic floor will hold any moisture or condensation against the bale bottoms and quickly lead to rot. If the ground is especially moist, put plastic on the ground, but keep an air space between the bales and the plastic.

For best weather protection, make the bale stack tall and narrow rather than flat and wide, minimizing the flat area exposed to sun and rain. The top of the stack can be peaked or rounded to increase water run-off. We cover bales first with large plastic sheeting, and then use tarps to protect and tie down the sheeting. Normal morning fog or condensation will not damage bales significantly, but watch for tucks or folds in the tarp which might collect the dew and dump it onto the bales, causing problems over time. If you don't cover the sides of the stack, it's a good idea to hold the edges of the tarp away from the sides to allow dew or rain to drip directly onto the ground.

If the bales will be stored for over a month, it's a good idea to allow some air to circulate around the stack. We put lumber on top of the stack to hold the plastic off the straw. Sometimes the sun will heat the stack, baking moisture out of the ground and the bales. That moisture is moved by convection to the top of the stack where it will condense against the plastic. A little air gap prevents this.

If storms are predicted, lash your tarp thoroughly. We get plenty of rope and truss the bales by wrapping around and around the sides of the stack. Do not rely on weights to secure your tarp. Even a heavy boulder is no match for a flapping tarp. If the tarp can't flip off the boulder, it will often tear itself loose in a heavy wind.

Once your bale walls have been stacked, and before the roof and plaster are on, your bales continue to be vulnerable and the cost of replacing them is much greater in time and aggravation. Replacing wet bales in a wall is not nearly as much fun as stacking dry bales.

Ok, so what if the bales are stacked and then a storm hits? If you have a small building, it may be possible to have a tarp on hand, which will cover the entire building if weather threatens. Most moisture damage comes from water entering the top of the bale wall, usually following a path made by the pins holding the top plate to the bales. A simple precaution, then, would be to lay tarpaper or plastic over the top of the bale wall and/or over the top plate. This can be a temporary cover or can be designed to be left in place when the building is finished off.

Generally the sides of a well-stacked bale wall can endure significant rain with only slight damage, but watch for conditions which would funnel and/or concentrate large quantities of water into or along the bales. These areas might occur around window openings or as the result of folds in the tarp, or could happen where wind might blow otherwise benign run-off into the bale wall. Notched-in-place posts and beams create pathways for water to enter deep into the bales. If your building has a lot of these areas, particularly on the weather side, consider draping a plastic sheet over the wall during construction.

Suppose your bales get wet, what then? Well, it depends. Wet bales eventually will dry out, but if they take a long time to dry out, some damage to the straw may occur--that is, fungi may have digested some of the straw. Opinions differ about how much to worry about this.

One school holds that once a bale has gotten wet it should be summarily thrown out. The notion is that even if very little damage has occurred, the bale is now "charged" with spores, and that any further moisture exposure will activate these spores and trigger widespread fungal growth. I believe this argument is specious. Although it never hurts to toss out a questionable bale (if you have extras), fungi are omnipresent in dry and damp bales alike, and are entirely dependent upon humidity to grow. Fungi grow when humidity is present, and don't grow without humidity. Fungi will not spontaneously spread through a bale like multiplying bacteria unless the bale is damp.

If bales do get wet, they should be evaluated in two ways: (1) have the straw fibers been damaged by fungal activity, and (2) will the bale dry sufficiently before the building is completed? It's pretty easy to tell if a bale is damaged--it's likely to show some blackening, and it might smell or be warm. If you have any doubts, set the bale aside to use as a half-bale and when you open the bale up to make the custom bale you can assess the condition in the center of the bale. Given the right weather conditions, a bale might be soaked on the inside, but the outside might appear dry. A moisture probe is very useful in checking for these conditions, but you can also stick your hand between bales and feel for moisture.

Not surprisingly, bales dry faster in hot, dry weather than in cold, damp weather. A bale might dry in a couple of weeks during the summer--and never dry out during the winter. Damp edges dry quickly, but damp centers may be very slow to dry out. Small, localized areas of damp may not cause significant damage to the wall, even if the area composts before drying out. But large wet areas or widespread damp can jeopardize your building. Significant rot might occur before the bales dry, or in extreme cases extensive composting could become self-sustaining.

If a wall gets wet, but might be possible to delay plastering until the warm winds of summer have had a chance to caress your building. Bleach can be applied to reduce damage to the straw, but the bales still need to dry out. The best thing might be to locate wet bales and replace them with dry ones. This is generally not very difficult once the decision is made. After plastering, bale walls absorb moisture from the plaster, then continue to dry as weather permits. Walls have been successfully force-dried by drilling holes in the wall and forcing air through the damp bales. We had poor results blowing air through small holes, but we’ve heard of successful experiences sucking air out of a damp area and also blowing hot, dry air through bigger holes. Nevertheless, an ounce of prevention is worth pounds of hot air. Keep your tarp handy, your rope ready, and your eye on the sky.



Workshops 
Workshops provide in-depth instruction and hands-on experience of straw-bale methods and techniques.

Although you don't need a workshop to build with straw-bale, workshops can certainly help in making your project fun and rewarding.

 Learning from the mistakes and experience of others, sharing information, and exploring new possibilities, as well as gathering essential information--these are vital activities of the building process which workshops are designed to facilitate.
upcoming workshops!

TipsONWorkshops

A successful workshop requires a great deal of work to produce, and good organization. Publicity, registration, food and logistics all require time and good planning skills. 

Cost

Workshops cost to produce. Publicity costs include mailings, printing, and phone calls. Registration costs can add to your phone bill, and answering questions about you workshop can take a lot of time. Most workshop leaders are compensated for their time and energy, and food and/or refreshments are usually provided. You may need to provide tents, audio-visual equipment or other facilities. Establish enrollment fees and attendance to assure that these costs will be covered.

 Publicity

We've found that a key to successful attendance is good advance publicity. Publicity should be begun well in advance of the workshop, allowing time for word-of-mouth networks to function, and enabling participants to arrange their own schedules to attend. Most people work full-time, and the dates and times of workshops should accommodate their schedules.

 Logistics

Careful planning is the key to a successful bale-raising. Adjust your construction schedule to assure that you will be ready in time for the workshop. Make sure everything is on hand at the site, and that everyone who is going to help is clear about their jobs. The bale-raising itself is best planned by an experienced choreographer, and meeting with wall-captains and supervisors the day before is very helpful. On the day of the bale-raising, be prepared to accommodate children, tourists, local inspectors and builders, and the media--as well as the workshop participants.


BALEraisings!Bale-raisings, where family, friends and neighbors come together to help build a home, are the heart and soul of the straw-bale revival.

Consider organizing a bale-raising party as part of your construction project. All you need provide is some food and refreshments and some adult supervision.

Bale-raisings are hands-on, with minimal instruction, and are great for gathering friends who just want to help. They also attract straw-bale enthusiasts who want to gain experience.
up-coming bale-raisings!


Tips on BaleRaisings

Bale-raisings can be whatever you want them to be. Some people want to invite the entire county to come, learn about straw-bale, and have a roaring good time. Others want a quiet affair with family and friends.

 Costs and Fee

Many bale-raisings are free, but some are given for a fee which covers expenses. Food is often pot-luck, with refreshments provided. Sometimes food and refreshments are covered by a fee.

 Publicity

How you publicise your bail-raising depends a great deal on how many people you want to come. Sometimes word-of-mouth is sufficient, but for larger events advance publicity--posters and announcements--is important.

 Organization

Careful planning is the key to a successful bale-raising. Adjust your construction schedule to assure that you will be ready in time for the workshop. Make sure everything is on hand at the site, and that everyone who is going to help is clear about their jobs. The bale-raising itself is best planned by an experienced choreographer, and meeting with wall-captains and supervisors the day before is very helpful. On the day of the bale-raising, be prepared to accommodate children, tourists, local inspectors and builders, and the media--as well as the workshop participants.


FindingWorkshop Leaders

You will need an experienced instructor for a workshop. Though not essential for a bale-raising, experienced leaders can be help in making a successful and fun bale-raising. Here are some places to look for one: 

The Staff of Skillful Means is experienced in leading workshops and bale-raisings, and we'd be glad to talk with you about your project.  

CASBA, the California Straw Building Association, will be giving workshops throughout the year, and can be contacted about organizing a workshop around your project.  

 Real Goods sometimes is looking for workshop sites in the Ukiah area of California.



Checklist for a Baleraising

Materials

  • Pins, rebar or bamboo
  • Corner Staples 8" legs, 16" wide, two at each bale corner.
  • Bale Twine polypropeleyne twine for retying bales.
  • Tyvek or Felt Paper 3' wide for covering bottom course of bales.
  • Spray Paint for marking posts, etc.
  • 20d Nails for plates over wood decks
  • 12" Spikes for attaching window and door bucks
  • 5/8" Dowels for attaching window and door bucks
  • Pea Gravel for between sill plates
  • Hold-down devices for compressing the bales

 

Tools and Supplies

  • Bale Needles
  • Hay Saws
  • Chain Saw
  • Weed Whacker
  • Hedge Clippers, Serrated knives, etc.
  • Utility Knives and spare blades
  • Grinder w/Lancelot wheel
  • Hose, Fire Extinguishers
  • Levels
  • Hand Cart/Wheelbarrow
  • Single Jacks (hand sledge hammers)
  • Sledge hammer
  • Roto hammer with rod driving bit
  • Ladders
  • Broom
  • Dust masks
  • Gloves
  • First Aid Kit 

Have Ready at the Site

  • Window and door bucks
  • Box beam
  • Corner boards
  • Posts