Amazon Nails and straw bales

[Nemesis]

Not quite period property, I know, but I thought worth drawing to wider attention is the straw bale building info and courses run by Amazon Nails.

I like the idea of car tyre foundations... and there's hands on experience to be gained in lime work too with some of the volunteering projects. The National Trust building in Windermere looks of particular interest.

http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/

A free PDF guide to straw bale building, and a list of courses and volunteering opportunities via the courses link at the top of the page.

 

[Moo]

Thanks for that, Evelyn. I shall pass it on to a group of lovely young people who are building a straw-bale hut on their allotment.

 

[Nemesis]

Although hailed as the latest thing, in reality it's a return to traditional construction methods - and a breathing building. Not sure if it would pass muster with Gervase's BCO however.

The PDF is a very informative read.

 

[Penners]

"Dear Building Control Officer,
I'd like to build a house out of straw bales, founded on a pile of old car tyres. That'll be OK with you, won't it?"

"Dear Penners
In order to comply with the building regulations, please advise whether the car tyres will have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm."


Actually, my old dad built a straw-bale stable for my sister's nag about 36 years ago. Just a rough rectangle of bales about 10 ft high, sitting on the surface of the paddock (no foundations whatsoever), with a corrugated iron pent roof and a stable door. No rendering internally or externally.

Venerable parents moved out of the house about 5 years ago and the stable was still standing. To the best of my knowledge it still is.

 

[Moo]

I know some people who keep their aeroplane in a hangar made from straw bales. So there!

 

[Penners]

Excellent idea! Straw bales are probably bullet-proof, so the kite is safe from the luftwaffe.