Straw Bale House in Morin Heights Qc.
Why Straw Bale?
There are a few points that attracted us to using straw as an insulator.
1. The idea of using straw and clay instead of manufactured construction materials creates a more gentle footprint on the environment
2. Straw itself is a great insulator with an insulation value surpassing the conventional home. The house stays cool in the summer and holds its heat for a long time in the winter once it is warm.
3. The materials lend themselves well to shaping and rounded edges - which give a lot of comfort and character to the living space.
4. The walls are thick, 14 inches of straw covered by another inch of clay on both sides makes for a 16-inch wall. This makes the house very quiet and creates interesting and deep window ledges. It also gives the feeling of being in a castle!
5. Being in the forest, the straw bale house is actually a good choice for fire resistance. The thick clay walls offer an excellent barrier to fires; taking about two hours for fire to penetrate. Even the straw bales themselves are very compact and therefore do not contain enough oxygen for combustion. It is similar to trying to light a phone book that is covered in thick dry mud.
Straw Bale Links:
Archibio: Montreal organization for ecological construction.
Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition: Provides information, support efforts and fosters a community surrounding straw bale building.
Camel’s Back Construction: Chris Magwood, Peter Mack and Tina Therrien site about straw Bale construction.
A House of Straw: Website related to the Book “House of Straw” by Carolyn Roberts. The site features a load-bearing straw bale house.
Building with Awareness: Learn how to build green homes with straw bale and natural materials. DVD and Book. Topics include straw bale home design, straw bale building, and the use of solar energy
The Last Straw: The international quarterly journal of straw bale and natural Building.
This Straw House: Website about a straw house in Alberta that includes photos during the construction.
Planet Friendly: more links and resources for building with Strawbale.
The Straw House Blog: Detailed site about an off-grid straw bale house.
The Last Straw Cottage: Beautiful straw bale house in New Zealand that is also available for rent.
