Straw Bale Homes

Have you ever heard of building a home out of straw? Afraid of the big bad wolf? My father and I read an article about this about 6 or 7 years ago and loved the idea. Here are some pictures from google of straw bale homes. Why build out of straw?

1. Typical insulation gives you an R20 rating. Straw Bale insulation gives you an R60. This can mean instead of paying 900 to heat your home, you might pay 300. Or it might mean that you don't need to heat or cool your home at all, if you install something like earth pipes, or solar radiant floor heating.
2. Sound. Your home will be much more soundproof than a traditional home, because your walls will be much thicker.
3. The environment. You will be using a 100% natural renewable product, replacing much of your wood and 'chemical insulation'.
4. Cost. If you live in the country, you might already have access straw bales, which are essentially a waste product when you grow grain. Typically, farmers use straw for cattle bedding, since it has no nutritional value.

If you are looking for more information, you might try the Straw Bale Building Coalition, or this page. There is a family that lives roughly 10 minutes from me that runs yearly workshops. If you are looking for more general information about straw bale construction, then check out these quick and easy articles from Muskoka News and Alberta Home and Garden. I'm hoping to build a small straw bale structure with my family some time in the next 3 years. It will probably be a cabin or vault design.