This concept is new to me: the strawbale house. From what I can gather, it’s a type of house construction that uses hay bales as walls. The walls are plastered with a clay mix. The house foundation and roof are built like any other home: a concrete basement or slab, a wooden joist floor, a sill with wood studs that support a roof. Bales are placed in between the wood studs of the walls.
The strawbale homes are acclaimed for their insulating abilities, and many builders also add energy-efficient systems (like solar panels) to the house.
Is this really a good way to construct a home? Honestly, I have my doubts. I mean… hay?? When I think of hay, I think of dusty, moldy, scratchy bales of yellow hay. Hay gets wet, it absorbs humidity, it degrades, doesn’t it? And laying plaster on the bales of hay seems impermanent. Plaster cracks, from subsurface movement, the drying of wood framing over the years, from winds, and from movement within the house. And where would the electrical wiring and plumbing go? I’m as baffled about this as I am about unlocked cell phones– what are those?
So I found this video about strawbale homes. It didn’t give me a lot of answers, honestly.
I am 100% in favor of alternative housing materials. I hate all the toxic chemicals being dumped into our homes. But to me, hay seems like another problem. It isn’t permanent, is it? I’m sure a house with hay in the walls must be very warm, but what if a person has allergies? Or if mold starts to grow? Or if a roof leak causes water to seep between the walls? Or you have a plumbing leak, or a wire short in an outlet receptacle? And do you need a special type of business permit for this? It seems so unconventional!
I checked my local library for any information about this unusual home building system, but found nothing in any library across 5 counties. Then again, I wouldn’t expect strawbale hoems to be veyr popular in a wet, intemperate climate such as Upstate New York. So I’m off to investigate more about this, on the Internet. If you have any input, I’d love to hear– leave a comment! 
21. September 2008 at 9:01 am
Have you been to this blog?
http://budafoods.com.au/strawbalehouse/
Mark and Rosalba are building a strawbale house in Australia.
22. September 2008 at 9:51 am
I heard they are some already built around here – upstate ny that is.
22. September 2008 at 10:18 am
Hi Carole. Yes, I did see that blog. That’s where I got the link to the video, actually. I looked around there and didn’t find much in regards to the idea behind a strawbale house. Thanks for the link, maybe I’ll email them or something.
Memorialgraden— really? That sounds cool.
Luxor the White Cat sent me a link to a strawbale house out in New Mexico. It looks lovely (and it has electric!). I just wonder about how the house “works.” It’s all very curious to me. When I have time, I’m going to investigate further.