Straw bales were a fairly common building material in the United States between 1895 and 1940. Interest in straw-bale home construction began to re-emerge in the mid-1970s. But it wasn't until the mid- to late-1990s that building codes began to acknowledge it as a viable approach. The rising cost of conventional construction materials, labor and concern for our environment has fueled the growing popular enthusiasm for straw bale home construction.
Two of the current straw bale construction methods include post-and-beam, which uses a structural framework with straw bale in-fill or "Nebraska style," which uses the bearing capacity of the stacked bales to support roof loads.
Proposed straw bale structures still face considerable barriers, including the following:
To find out the building code standards for your state, contact your city or county building code officials. Your state energy office may be able to provide information on energy codes recommended or enforced in your state.
Two of the current straw bale construction methods include post-and-beam, which uses a structural framework with straw bale in-fill or "Nebraska style," which uses the bearing capacity of the stacked bales to support roof loads.
Proposed straw bale structures still face considerable barriers, including the following:
- Local building code approvals
- Building loans
- Mortgages
- Homeowner's insurance
- Community acceptance.
To find out the building code standards for your state, contact your city or county building code officials. Your state energy office may be able to provide information on energy codes recommended or enforced in your state.
XoXo
Simple Pleasures
2 comments:
I definitely think the weather in a particular area is vital. Here on the west coast, approval from city would never happen...way too much rain.
Great post.
I have always thought these were so neat! I think I read an article about them in Countryside mag awhile back.
Post a Comment