The answer comes from an old farm fencing trick. Have you ever looked at barbed wire fencing on an old farm? If you check out the last section, at the corners, you will often see a rotting old stick wound up in the wire. That stick is the answer. It is called an apron tie. The stick is used to twist the wire tight and then is left in place to hold the fence tight. This same concept works with bale ends. I use a bale hook to scrape away some of the straw on the ends and then pull out the rest of what I need out by hand. Then using either a stick, a piece of rebar or bamboo, or a nail, I twist the baling twine tight with the apron tie. A 20d nail works well because once it is twisted tight, you can stick the nail into the bale to hold it in place. The larger items like rebar and sticks are a bit stronger and often easier to twist, but require additional anchoring to hold them in place. If you use the larger twists then use a landscape pin to hold the tie in place.

This concept will provide really strong bales to attach the mesh to and will easily clean up those “growing corners” as I like to call them. Of course, keeping your corners plumb and in check from the start is always the best plan, but it is good to know you can fix them if they are not set up properly.

The best part of a buttress wall is that you can support your main wall while still keeping an open feel in the house. The buttress can be used to hold plants or display other items that make sense in the room. The walls can also be filled in so they do not step, but are a diagonal slope if that look is preferred. There are many things one can do with a buttress wall to both support your main walls and improve the design of your house.

Anything over a ratio of 13:1, that’s 25′ for a standard 3 string bale as pointed out above, should be supported by an intersecting wall. A buttress can be designed so that the bottom course is roughly a bale long, the second course is 3/4 bale long, the third a 1/2 bale and so on. The width of that wall (length on the buttress but it looks like width in comparison to the main wall) is determined by the height of the main wall. Figure how many courses you have with the top course ending up flush with the main wall and then work out by 1/4 bale length at a course from there. That will determine how long the bottom section needs to be.

Buttress walls have been used for years in masonry and other forms of construction. They are a time tested tool that can be used to improve the strength and design of your straw bale house. Have fun with them. Make them a part of your dream, not a bummer of a wall you don’t want but need to keep your building safe.

Here are some common mistakes:

1. Flashing installed from the top down, allowing water to get behind the layers of flashing.
2. No counter flashing installed. This is the flashing placed before the window is installed.
3. Wrapping the layers of waterproofing in the wrong order which allows water in.
4. Nail thought the flashing close to the window, thus penetrating the seal.
5. Nailing through the flashing as described above and then pulling the nail out to reposition it.
6. (SB specific) Insetting the windows from the exterior face of the wall.

The most common mistake is not installing counter flashing at all. The belief is that today’s flashing is so good that we no longer need to counter flash our openings. I disagree. For the 5 minutes per window it takes and the $2 in materials per window, I believe it is worthy insurance. Without it, you are relying 100% on the single layer of flashing to hold up without any wiggle room for leaks or failure. Know this: water has an uncanny knack for finding its way into houses. Do whatever you can to protect your investment well.

A quick discussion on window placement. Many folks love the adobe look created by setting windows roughly 6″ back into the bale wall. This exterior sill gives the home facade some texture and depth; however, it increases the risk of failure. Although I like the look of this architectural detail, I do not build that way. I place my windows flush to the exterior of the wall. Here’s my reason. If the flashing fails in the inset window, any water will leak directly onto the top of the bales below the opening. This means the water will soak into the sponge-like bale for months if not years before you know you have a leak. The section of wall beneath and adjacent to that leaky window will be ruined by the time you know there is a problem. If the flashing fails in a flush mounted window, the leak will drain directly into the plaster. You will start to notice staining below the window in the plaster or even a constantly wet section of plaster. This will be an early clue that something is wrong and will allow you to address the problem before it is too late.

The following steps to applying proper counter flashing are better learned in person. I will attempt to detail it for you here:

1. Use adhesive bitch-a-theen (I have no idea how to spell that properly so I went phonetically!) This material is black and fully adhesive. It works best when it is warm and pliable.
2. Cut squares off the roll for each corner. You will need 2 pieces per corner.
3. Start at the bottom and place one square in the corner. Cut one side of it diagonally from the corner to the joint of the sill/trimmer stud. Stick it down.
4. Use another square and cut from the opposite corner of the square to the same joint. Stick it down. Make sure no wood shows in the corner. By placing two squares cut in opposite directions, you should have completely seal the corner.
5. Do the other bottom corner the same way.
6. Cut a piece to fit the bottom sill. It will wrap into the window opening a bit and overhang the trimmer stud on each side by about 6″.
7. Cut lengths for the uprights of the window opening. Apply them to the trimmer stud so they wrap into the window opening and overhang the bottom piece by 4″ or so.
8. Install upper corners like the bottom corners.
9. install the head piece across the entire top of the flashing. It will wrap into the window opening and will overhang the trimmer studs enough to fully cover the side lengths of flashing.

I know that is a really hard way to learn counter flashing. Sorry. I teach this in my workshops, and you can certainly visit a contractor on site and ask for a quick lesson or just watch what they do. Make sure your contractor/teacher knows what they are doing. Take this blog entry as notes to ensure they are tip top.

Andrew
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Hi. I’m looking to get into straw bale building, and am a bit lost. I had set up a work trade this summer but unfortunately that had been postponed. So I would like to try, if possible to set up another or possibly an internship. Do you know of any one needing an extra pair of hands? I am very portable, love meeting new people and most importantly a very dedicated worker.

I am a very hands on person and completed a month long cob workshop in Baja Mexico, through Cob works, this spring where I learned, built and understood earthen floors, roofing, foundation, natural plastering and more. Now I would like to immerse myself in straw bale. So here is my cry for help, I need some experience. Or if there is any wisdom or knowledge you could pass my way, or names of people who might be able to help please let me know.

many thanks

Mandi

I heard on NPR yesterday that Exxon/Mobil posted the highest second quarter profit of any corporation in history. ANY corporation EVER! Somehow this seems crazy when the cost of fuel keeps rising and the average consumer is struggling in a failing economy. They posted nearly a $12 BILLION profit in the second quarter alone.


I do not know what can be done to speak out for the average person, but I want to at least call to action anyone willing to speak up about such imbalance in our World. I drive my vehicles on BioDiesel. I purchase it in bulk to try and save money. I purchased my last order about a month ago and I paid over $5.25 per gallon. The cost of diesel in my local market is roughly $4.89 per gallon. I am not sure about the cost of gasoline as I don’t use it for anything in large quantities. I believe it is about $4.39 per gallon for 89 octane. All this with talk of shortages, refinery closures, etc.. all the while that Exxon rakes in the billions. My understanding is that the cost of fuel in Europe and other parts of the World is even higher.

The silver lining: people are feeling the effects of high gas prices. Necessity drives innovation. I believe that the high fuel prices are a good thing in the long run. I believe that we as a nation and as a World need this wake up call. Perhaps it will allow us to create the technologies that have been sleeping for so long.

On July 17, 2008 Vice President Al Gore (or President Gore depending on your point of view) challenged the United States to produce 100% of its energy from renewable resources like wind and solar within 10 years. Some people think this is crazy and unattainable. I disagree. People thought that JFK was crazy about landing on the moon in the time frame he offered. We did that. Why can’t we do this? I believe that old saying that “things sometimes have to get worse before they can get better.” I believe we are in the middle of the “worse” and are about to move into the “better.” If we don’t move and move quickly, all may be lost.

On October 16, 2007 I wrote a post about the record high price of oil when it first hit $88/barrel. Today, that price stands around $124 per barrel. Again, I think this is ultimately a good thing; however, I want to see some accountability from the oil companies. I read and hear daily about the energy crisis in the United States. It is not a crisis because company officials are getting wealthy. It is something much more devilish than a crisis. I believe the companies should be brought to task on how they can post such huge profits while we the people are struggling to make ends meet. I know many people who cannot afford to drive to work anymore. Again, ultimately a good thing, and yet, the oil companies get away scott free in the meantime.

Getting back to Al Gore’s challenge. I hope that such a move can be made here and abroad. I yearn for the day when our human footprint is not so large and our ability to leave a clean and healthy planet to our children is a reality. For those of you who have not seen this incredibly moving speech at the United Nations by a thirteen year old Canadian girl, I hope you choose to watch it now. In all the darkness currently surrounding us, it is the smallest pillars of light that shine the brightest.

As a friend of mine said every day as he signed off of his radio show: “”Do what you can do.” That is all one can ask.

“Kindness will find you when darkness is falling around your bend.” -Beck

We are five weeks away from the seven day intensive straw bale workshop in Bainbridge, New York and there has been such a large show of interest that I have opened up 5 additional spots in the workshop.


That means that only five more people will get a chance to join us for the only East Coast workshop I have planned for 2008. You can still sign up on my website: www.StrawBaleWorkshops.com while the spots last. As soon as I have a full workshop, I will post it on the site so that you will know. Until you see the word “FULL,” you will know you can still join us. Again, there are only 5 spots left and those only exist because I added additional space to the workshop to answer the high demand. So if you are sitting on the fence, here’s your chance to jump off and play!

With just a week break, I will be back in Jacksonville, Oregon for another seven day intensive straw bale workshop from September 15-21. There are still spots left in that workshop as well, but as this will be the final workshop of the year (at least what is scheduled right now), I imagine the spots will go away soon. As of today, I have only 6 spots left in that workshop. I hope to see many of you soon.

I am starting to plan my 2009 season and will hopefully be making stops in New Zealand, Australia, Europe, and the United States. If you know of an area you would like to see a workshop, please let me know. Also, if you are interested in hosting a workshop, let me know and we can discuss the details of what is involved.

Thanks for your patience everyone. I have been swamped and unable to make another entry in my blog for some time. Today I want to talk about what it is like to work with your local building department while acting as your own general contractor. You might think that in the progression of events the next piece of the puzzle would be working with your bank, not the building department. After all, you won’t be working with your building department until you are actually ready to build and you won’t be ready until you have the bank funding. Actually, although a common theory, this is totally wrong in my opinion.

I suggest that people talk with their local building department and use them as a resource. Most people think the building departments are out to ruin the experience of building a home, that they are all angry people who want nothing more than to make a builder’s life miserable. Of course, their are a few inspectors and plan reviewers out there like that, but they are NOT the norm. Most building department employees are trying to help people build a safe home to the best quality possible. Use their knowledge to your advantage. If you have questions about floor joist sizes, beam spans, window sizes and location, anything building related, don’t hesitate to ask the people who will be inspecting your work later on.

Creating a good relationship with the building department is a fabulous idea. If you have a friendly relationship and a relationship of trust with the folks at the building department, you will find it very easy to move forward through your project. If you bump heads with the department from the start, you may be in for a rough ride. Keep in mind that they may not be well versed in straw bale construction. As a result, you may need to educate them on the advantages of the technique. If they say you cannot build with bales in their jurisdiction, they are probably just afraid of an unknown building practice and not comfortable signing off on it. Instead of getting mad or depressed, become a teacher. Let them know that you totally understand their hesitation. In fact, if I were a building inspector or plan checker and someone came to me wanting to build with straw, I would probably say no way myself if I had never heard of it before, wouldn’t you?

There is so much information available these days about building with bales. Send them to this website or to the technical work on www.ecobuildnetwork.org. Let them see images of completed homes. Let them read case studies and independent testing results. Let them read other state approved codes so that they can see the validity of what you want to do. If you become the teacher, you can open them up to new ideas and help them see the value of this practice, especially in this time of “green building” where everyone wants on the wagon. Let them become cutting edge under your instruction. I have found this approach to be very useful in the past and continue to use it today.

Getting back to an earlier point: when you ask the building department for help, it is important that you balance your requests with a show of your own knowledge. In other words, be sure to instill in them a sense of your level of comfort with contracting and or building the home. If they feel you are clueless about how to build, that will not serve you well. If they feel you are well educated in the trades and process, and simply have some questions you want to ask to further your education and dedication to doing things right the first time, they will admire that.

Here’s a final tip for the initial contact with your building department. Knowing that you want to build with bales is great. Knowing how the building department feels about bale construction before you present it to them is priceless. Call up anonymously and ask about getting a permit for a straw bale house. If they laugh at you or hang up on you because they think you are kidding, you know you have some work to do before you make your own presentation. The reason for this is that there are still some areas, around the World I am sure, where the building departments will be so closed minded, you will never get your building approved. In those areas, it is important to know that so you can take a different approach to getting your plans approved. It may mean that you build a post and beam house with cellulose insulation if you are actually building a straw bale, post and beam in fill home. Or you may build a “masonry wall system” home if working with load bearing straw bale walls. The point is, you can use different words to describe what you are doing 1. without lying and 2. without raising red flags. I always advocate bringing straw bale construction out in the open, but not when it faces certain denial from the building department. Build under an approved code section like “alternative forms of construction,” and keep your wording simple and nondescript.

In summary, the biggest thing to remember, whether you are building with bales or a conventional home, is that the building department can be looked upon as an asset, a help to you as you move forward. Building a quality relationship with them will serve you well. Be knowledgeable and friendly. Ask for help when you need it. Be honest and trustworthy. If you hold all these pieces in front of you, you will gain an ally in your quest for the perfect home.