Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Straw Building Material

[David B. Neeley (dneeley]

>> One of the arguments for strawbale construction has always been that it
>> didn't have to go through industrial processes, with all the energy use for
>> treatment, handling and shipping that that implies. Once you go to all this
>> trouble, is straw really a good material, or are there better alternatives?
>> 
>> I suspect the latter.
>
>But another argument for straw bale construction is that it could be a step
>in eliminating our dependencies on big timber.  We don't *need* to build 
>with wood, we just *do* because it's a cultural tradition, comforting,
>stylish, subsidized by the goverment, and a status symbol.  Whereas wood
>*is* a good building material, our dependency on it as a major resource
>is destroying the last great forests in the world, including the old
>growth forests and great rainforest of the pacific northwest.
>
>Personally, I'd take something like gypsum board, made from straw, if it
>reduced the use of wood.  So it isn't optimal, but it might be a good
>intermediate step.  And if *someone* is making money off of it, it'll 
>probably gain acceptance sooner, because someone will spend money to 
>promote it...
>
>Shava Nerad
>shava [at] ns.uoregon.edu
>/* tree hugger...;) */
>
>
I suppose it's obvious, but the material being discussed may be just the
ticket for interior partitions. The straw base is essentially cellulose, and
should therefore have reasonably good insulation and working properties.
Therefore, the question isn't whether straw is a good material per se for
outer construction, but rather whether this panelized material makes sense
rather than sheetrock for internal walls. After all, many folks don't mind
thick outer walls but don't care for the same inside the structure.

..Not to mention the reduced use of trees.

Cheers.