Building a Staw Bale House

(Page 10 of 10)

December/January 1995
By Athena and Bill Steen 
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STEP 6 ROOF PLATE OR BOND BEAM

RELATED CONTENT

Protect top of walls from rodents and moisture with black paper and metal lath. Construct and install roof plate or bond beam. Attach roof plate to the foundation via all-thread, wire cable, or polyester cord strapping. Precompress the walls if desired.

STEP 7 THE ROOF

Construct roof framework—rafters, trusses, etc. Install insulation, ceiling, and roof surfacing.

IN-FILL BALE WALLS

STEP 4 THE STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK

Engineer the structure to meet local requirements. Construct post and beam, modified post and beam, timber frame, masonry columns with wood or concrete beams, steel frame or bamboo structure.

STEP 5 THE ROOF

Construct the roof, leaving the space above the bale walls open to facilitate pinning the last course of bales.

STEP 6 DOOR AND WINDOW BUCKS

Build the window and door bucks if they are not already part of the structural framework. Install the door bucks.

STEP 7 BALE WALLS

Stack bales and notch to accommodate any columns. posts, or elements of the structure as needed. Starting each course at the corners and door or window bucks can be helpful. Set window bucks in place as the walls go up and lintels if needed. Pin the bale walls with rebar, wood, or bamboo, two per bale, so as to penetrate at least two and 1/2 courses of bales. Protect the tops of the walls from rodents and moisture. Moisture-proof the tops of the window sills.

common to both load bearing and in-fill walls

STEP 8 WALL PREPARATIONS

Trim and curve bales at corners and openings. Trim bale wall surfaces to get a good plastering surface (weed-eaters work well), especially if not using stucco wire. Fill any cavities in the wall with loose straw or a straw and mud mixture. Install electrical boxes and wiring. Provide attachment points for cabinets, shelves, or siding/Sheetrock. Apply stucco netting to walls. Apply black paper and expanded metal lath to any wood surface that will be plastered or stuccoed.

STEP 9 SURFACING THE WALLS

Allow building to fully settle (3-10 weeks) if not precompressed. Apply stucco, plaster, siding, Sheetrock or paneling.

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