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Straw bale houses provide their occupants with many benefits. Before listing some, I'll describe these houses for you. Their walls are built out of bales of straw. The straw needs to be kept dry so it is covered with plaster, on both the exterior and interior sides. An overhang is often added to the outside of the house, providing shade and additional protection to the house.

Typically a straw bale house is built so that the bales are filled in around the framework of the house, which is lumber constructed in a manner called post and beam. Because the bales do not support the load of the roof in this method, it is called non-load-bearing. In most places, building codes require this approach.

The other construction method gives you a load-bearing straw bale house. In this approach, the roof rests directly on the compacted straw bales. Since this method requires less lumber, it is more ecological, but you do have to be careful during construction that the weight of the roof is properly set on the bales.

This method is simpler for beginners. It is amazing how quickly those straw bale walls can go up! Still, after they are in place, there is plenty more work to do.

Building with bales of straw is most common in the southwestern United States. There are specific building codes that describe what is acceptable, and some banks make loans for straw bale houses.

So now, what are some benefits of building or living in a straw bale house?

1. Insulation: With its thicker walls providing excellent insulation, a straw bale house stays more comfortable year round, cooler in summer and warmer in winter. This saves considerably on energy costs. Of course, this savings continues, year in and year out, and so it will make a real difference in the cost of living in the home.

2. Renewable resources: Straw is something which can be grown just about anywhere, so it is a relatively local resource and it does not deplete our reserves. So ecologically minded people are attracted to straw bale houses for this reason. More and more people are becoming aware of the importance of building sustainably.

3. Living in straw bale houses is a joy: The beauty of the hand-finished walls with their lovely plasters, the thick walls, and other features make the experience of living in such a home very nice indeed. An added benefit of the thick walls is that it is quieter inside the house because of the insulation.

In sum, building a straw bale house offers environmental and quality-of-life benefits. People who know little about building can learn to do a lot of the construction themselves. Sure, building any house is a lot of work, but if you go the straw bale route, look what you end up with... something very special indeed!

About: If you think you could to build a straw bale house, visit Rosana Hart's website on straw bale houses and her other resource on load bearing straw bale houses.

Article Source: WalterVictor.com - Articles