[Greenbuilding] building a wall (not a building) out of strawbales

[Rob Dickinson]

I live a few miles down the road from Aprovecho, a "sustainability
education center" where, as part of their Natural Building Program, they
build a lot with cob.  Cob, as you know, is comprised of straw, clay, and
sand.  They have built some beautiful garden walls with cob. Because the
straw is just there to provide fiber to integrate everything together, kind
of like natural rebar, and not the primary ingredient, it doesn't hold as
much moisture.

People seem to find cob works well even here in the rainy Pacific
Northwest.

Rob
 On Oct 9, 2014 7:51 AM, "Reuben Deumling" <9watts at gmail.com> wrote:

> out climate is dry in the summer (no rain, low humidity) and high humidity
> pretty much the rest of the year. We get about forty inches of rain, that
> used to mostly fall between October and April, but these days it is hard to
> know when to expect it.
> Rob's suggestion of planting trees is looking more promising. Thanks for
> the suggestions.
>
> On Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 4:39 AM, Frank Tettemer <frank at livingsol.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Sam's Straw Bale mantra is true for all buildings, of course. Also true
>> for straw bale and cob walls.
>>
>> Here in Ontario, Canada, the climate, as such, is too frequently rainy
>> for long-term life of an exposed straw bale wall, in my opinion.  Arizona
>> would elicit a different response.
>>
>> I've attached a photo of what may be a successfully sustainable straw
>> bale wall, here in Ontario. Time will tell us more. The owners have built
>> this only this year.
>>
>> The first question, really: What's your climate like, Reuben?
>>
>> Frank Tettemer
>> Living Sol ~ Building and Design
>> www.livingsol.com
>> 613 756 3884
>>
>> On Oct 9, 2014 4:49 AM, Sam Ewbank wrote:
>> The mantra of the strawbale builder I know is "hat and boots".
>> Get the bales up off the ground and and big enough roof overhangs to
>> protect the wall.
>> A lime plaster finish or add some horse pucky for strength.
>>
>> Sam
>>
>> On Oct 9, 2014 12:42 AM, "Reuben Deumling" <9watts at gmail.com <mailto:
>> 9watts at gmail.com>> wrote:
>> I'm not a member of any strawbale forum so I'll pose my question here
>> since we used to talk about strawbale construction quite a bit here on the
>> greenbuilding list and some of you surely know enough to set me straight.
>>
>>  I'm considering surrounding a large garden with a wall to keep the deer
>> out. Since strawbales are plentiful and cheap around these parts I thought
>> of them first. To keep the wall from disintegrating (assuming the plan to
>> use straw bales for the purpose has merit) I'm expecting to seal up the
>> wall with plaster or some equivalent layer. Is this difficult? Foolish?
>> Necessary? Will I need a roof over the top of the wall or can I plaster the
>> top as well as the sides?
>>
>> --
>>
>>
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>
>
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