Riverstone Studios Straw Light Clay Building How To
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- How to build alternatively with straw bale using straw light clay method or SLC. This in depth video shows step-by-step how to use any type of fiber to infill walls. SLC originates back to Germany over 700 years ago and is one of the most diverse, simplest forms of alternative construction well suited for northern climates.
How we built our SLC Tumbler. Download free instructions from www.tribenatura...
Feel free to email us directly from our site at riverstonenatu... or ask a question in the comments section below if you have any specific questions.
We've spent a lot of time, effort, and research ourselves to find out the good, the bad, and the ugly of SLC. Also, CMHC here in Canada has great information: www.cmhc-schl.g.... Google search "CMHC SLC" Cheers!
Amazing! The kick demonstration really drives it home for me. Also, this is the MOST informational video on straw light clay I have seen so far. Thank you.
Wow what a fantastic way to build a wall. After looking at straw bale and hempcrete this stuff seems like the middle ground but the material is so much easier for me to get as I already have everything on my property. Thanks mate great tutorial.
Dave Drewett did you do it then ??
I watched the video of the interior of your house and what a lovely home you live in! So warm and cozy! Awesome job! Peace and be well!
"They're all bent up and outta shape but, that's just life." 😊 so true
Thank you for your kind words. Peace as well!
At first I was a bit freaked cause of the skirt, but damn! If it works do it, I really like the work you have done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jason Shuyler Thanks man. My wife was actually the one who said "Go for it" and now in summer I'll never go back. Skirts rock - it's just hard to find ones that don't look too fem.
Syph1l1S Let's see, buried my 1st wife from cancer at the age of 32...was left with a 16 month old son born with a life threatening disease, and building an off grid house...Dude - There is NOTHING conventional about my life. If you EVER call my new girl a *itch again you'll be pulling my steel toed skirted boot out from your hairy @ss!...but thanks for the comment :)
Riverstone Studios / Riverstone Naturals - Organic Skincare I didn’t even notice you were wearing a skirt I was so focused on what you were teaching me! It totally goes hand-in-hand with the building because it’s all about what works best, what feels good and what is the most natural. Good for you! I love the way you think and your videos!
great video. wonderful explanations. freaking sweet
Build for your climate with local materials Jclabart. I've spent time in the Dominican...SLC would not be a good fit. Tropical storms and driving rain as well has higher levels of humidity (depending on how far inland you plan to build) means you are going to have issues trying to keep the walls under 30% moisture. Any higher than that for extended periods will result in mold issues. Because the temp never drops below freezing, I'd look more so at doing Adobe or Cob there as a alternative way.
Riverstone Studios / Riverstone Naturals - Organic Skincare I found the answer to my question. Thanks.
Stucco is a texture, plaster is what you use to make the texture.
Wonder about the insulating properties of wood chips...which we have a lot of in Oregon...vs straw and hay...Anything you know?
Thank you Jett, I haven't worked or experimented with wood chips to know ratios of what you would need for a good solid wall...but being in Oregon, I wouldn't recommend using straw or hay. Much too wet and cool of a climate too much of the year for any type of straw construction. Wood chips would definitely be a better product to use, but unfortunately, I haven't spent any time working with chips - I just know it is very possible to use them.
@@Naturally-Kelly I did a Double Wattle clay straw wall hut - based on 3400 BCE archaeology find. th-cam.com/video/CUQRFlD2UuQ/w-d-xo.html Yes this is great for northern arctic weather. thanks
Very helpful. What happens if there is some organic matter in the clay?
Hey Andrew, thanks for the question. Clay makes a really good glue, but organic matter like black dirt has a tendency to fall apart and makes for a much weaker wall. As much as possible you try to aim for a high clay content.
How do you finish the top of the wall since you can't get in there to tamp it? Sorry if you already answered this.
Hey Erik, the best is if you can build the walls THEN sheet the roof...but like in our case - that doesn't always happen with weather and timing. In the event you already have the roof closed over, you go as high as you can from the top. Once you can't get any more working height, close off the outside all the way to the roof line with form boards and you press it in sideways and with as much downward force as you can from the inside using your hands. I also find a 2 lb hammer works wonders as well. We typically add about 10 - 15% more clay for a heavier mix that will stay in place a bit better to hold as it sets up. Much easier if the roof isn't sheeted - but not impossible.
Hi Any chance of doing the same procedure but having the forms set on the sides of a quonset hut . Any ideas on how to protect it from later getting wet from rains or is this basically water proof after it dries & a coat of rebar & ferro cement is added on top of it along with ferrocement & rebar on the inner walls .Ive not started my project yet so am open to any suggestions for the exterior of the building
Unknown territory for me. Can't help you there.
Excellent videos. What is your insulation method for the ceilings?
Hey David, We are using Rock Wool made by Roxul. I really like it because it is cheap, easy to use, safe on your lungs unlike (fiberglass insulation) and can be made from a waste product of smelting steel. We'll use 7" of batts which should give us a R value close to R22. It would be nice to have closer to R30 but we simply don't have the space in our roof structure to accommodate more. www.roxul.com/ There are lots of options for insulation, but Roxul is by far the cheapest bang for our buck and I refuse to use Styrofoam or spray foam in our house.
I would think that adding lime to the mixture would perform well. Like hempcrete.
Great idea. This summer, I'd like to try a couple of sample walls with lime and see the results.
Hi:
If you had continued your pour in the wall, could you went all the way to the top in one por. Would it be self supporting or do you do several feet at a time, then wait several days before you add several more feet on top of it???? Thanks
Yes and no. Depends on the thickness of your wall, density of your mix, etc. I work on two sections at a time. Pour one then move to the next and fill it, back to 1st then to the 2nd moving the forms up each time I've completed a fill. That gives enough set time for the wall the "cure" strong enough (about 1 hour). I've done to the roof before continuously and it can be done as long as you don't tightly pack the walls. If you start pounding too hard, the section below your forms will begin to bulge out which makes finishing with plaster harder to achieve a nice look.
In Poland, I think the climate may be similar to Canada. How in practice I may store the straw after a farmer deliver to me? Not on the ground as it may start to rot. Try to cover the ground with some pallets? Then cover with some tarps? Initially I wanted a hempcrete. But the straw is cheaper and easier locally to get. The hempcrete is a mixture with lime. I do not mind use clay which I have my own. Now I worry about straw rotting. My sample rotted within couple of days. Before I commit to use it I want to master using light clay straw. Any advise welcome. Thanks
would this type of build be suitable for coastal regions, i have a river front lot about 2 miles from the beach. So its a salty , sandy, somewhat humid area (southern coast in Uruguay)? If so where can I read up on this or find instructions or videos to learn how to do this type of build?
Hey Mauricio, I just replied to you on another one of our videos. Please check it out. SLC would not be my first pick for construction techniques along a coastal area. I would look at a building technique with less natural fibre in it such as cob, adobe brick, or cordwood. SLC really likes drier climates or climates where only parts of the year are humid. It originated in Germany and was used about 700 years ago from my research. We used it here in Saskatchewan and got really good results, but the climates between Germany and Central Canada are very similiar.
thanks for the info, my plan wasa cob rendered fire brick wall on the outside then timberframe and SLC with cob render on the inside. never did one before so not sure if that would be a good combo for the place i described. would be a shame because the technique is very appealing.
thumbs up!!!
Great video. I’m going through all of them now. Regarding a tropical climate. What would you recommend if not this method? I’m interested in building a house that stays cool from the heat.
You'd have to research what traditional types of buildings were/are built for your climate. For example, with us, SLC is a very old method that actually comes from Germany. Saskatchewan and Germany have very similar climates so that's what drew us to the idea of SLC. Other ideas we tested that didn't work for us were things like cob. Great for the UK and for Mexico - but neither place gets our -30 temperatures. Sorry, but I haven't done any research for tropical building styles.
Riverstone Studios / Riverstone Naturals - Organic Skincare Thanks. I will do some research. I’m going on there to Mexico next month. I was watching your videos going yes yes yes that’s what I’m going to do and then was kind of disappointed when I realized I can’t really do that in Mexico.
@@divinemamagaia1727 It may work for you in Mexico, but I don't have experience or testing to say yes or no. You'd have to find similar history built like this style or do some testing yourself. I always say build for your location. I heard of a couple in BC who live in the middle of the forest. They cut down trees to make room to build a straw bale house. They had to haul bales in from Alberta and then it rotted within 10 years because of their damp, cool climate buried in the woods. I think they should have built of wood. And in Saskatchewan, lumber is hauled in from 2000 km away in BC and the chaff from all the crops gets burned in the fall as waste. Some of the things we do as humans just don't make sense LOL.
I've been to the Eastern, Northern and Western sides of Mexico. Most of what I've seen have been Adobe Haciendas and lots of cob and lime wash finishes. I'm assuming most of that style was brought across from Spain. In Spain, they would have commercialized brick early on, but in the new world, they modified that style with what they had. Most of what I know of Mexico (a few miles inland) looks like very poor soil conditions - Clay and sand which makes sense to use that ample product as a starting block. SLC might work there, but yeah, I just don't have any experience there to tell you for sure. Hope this helps.
Awesome video!! I was wondering: a) is there a foundation under all of that?, and b) if so, what is it/how is it built? I think I keep seeing people (online) constructing light straw clay walls straight onto wood and without formal foundations, but I'm thinking if I want to make a studio in southwestern PA, that's not a great idea. We get all kinds of whacked out weather in these parts. Also your skirt is a good idea. Good for internal climate control!
Hey Natalie, Yes, we have a concrete footer poured under the wall. The footer sits 3.5" higher than our floor so that in the event we ever have broken pipes/flooding, etc. in our house there is little chance of the water wicking up into the bales. Also, concrete absorbs moisture so we made sure to use a liquid sealer on the concrete. I've seen people use different vapour barrier products. There are lots of choices. Basically, follow the same guidelines and code for your area as if you were building a regular wood frame house. All the same rules apply, Just think of SLC as your wall insulation, inner and outer wall sheathing and siding all wrapped into one :) but your basic construction frame is the same. I've also seen people use ICF Styrofoam forms, and straight wood foundations. On the wood, it would have to be raised off the ground to protect from water and rot.
riverstonestudios
Concrete will wick water, so a moisture barrier of some kind is needed. In standard construction we normally use foam tape under the wood, but I have also used strips cut from left-over asphalt shingles, stapled onto the sill plates.
Thanks so much for posting this video it. I was thinking that the hempcrete formulation would work for any type of fiber, as well. Have you considered a strawcrete? I'm in Iowa so this technique would work well with the climate but my concern is radon. Have you heard of or had experience with clay off gassing? Work that skirt:h
Hey Shapeshifter, Hadn't thought about strawcrete but I agree, it probably would be even more robust than the SLC. We don't have a huge problem with radon here although building code in Saskatchewan now requires radon collection tubes run through the foundations of all new home builds. At the depth I'm pulling the clay locally, radon isn't a concern. It's all been from 10' or closer to the surface. I also like to pile it for a year before using so even if there was a chance of radon being in it would have well gassed off.
You are so cool.
Very informative, clear instructions! Thanks! On a side note, is that a skirt?
Nice how to video. Hould love to try thid but can't download the instructions.
Hey skoi12345678, sorry - due to spamming you can only get it from our store if you are in North America. Here is a link you can download it from directly: www.tribenaturalliving.com/SLC-Tumbler-Plans.pdf Cheers!
Very good video. Thank you. However, it seems to me that the only advantage over stacking up new straw bales is as in your case, to use a huge pile of weathered straw bales that otherwise would be wasted. Yes it fills the nooks and crannies completely but the amount of labor involved and lower speed is a turn off for me.
C. J. Thanks. There is a give and take to SLC and straw bale. 1. In our area almost no square balers exist any longer so square bales are hard to source and if you can find them, they're about $5/bale...a 1000 lb round bale is easy to source for $30. 2. SLC is slower to form up...but much faster for finishing. It was the best option for us, but in the end, it really comes down to preference. There are so many building styles, SLC is just another.
@@Naturally-Kelly would u say this is a far cheaper option then a SB build? im in Minnesota thanks so much your video is one of the best in SLC build!
@@TwoTrees777 Thank you. Cost doesn't really factor into the construction. The straw will be the cheapest part of your build regardless. Availability of square bales is probably a larger concern. There is some savings in straw costs though. Currently, if you can find square bales here in Saskatchewan, they are going for $5 /bale. That's maybe 30 lbs of straw. SLC can use round bales which are $30 for 600 lbs of straw. But foundation, framing, roof, electricals - all that is where the majority of your costs will come from - and there is no difference in those costs with either method.
After building one house straw bale and the other with SLC, I see a lot more benefits to SLC. 1. Round bales are cheaper and easier to source than square bales. 2. You are working with a continuous material from floor to ceiling so it's a much more consistent material that is solid from top to bottom. 3. It is flexible for thickness - from 4" thick right up to 12" (ours is actually 24") 4. Because it is formed, finishing is far faster and superior. Pulling off the forms, the material is smooth and ready for stucco/plaster with no need for mesh or tying through walls. If given the choice between both methods if I were to construct another building, I would chose SLC personally - but everyone has their own reasons and both methods with get you a house in the end.
directional mic would have helped. hard to watch the the noisy wind drowning out what you were trying to say.
Hi!! Thank you for your tutorial... I tried to download ,but I can't find!! I want to build my house in Greece , they never tried this method here... I love to know more about.... Thanks again...🙏🙏🌎
excelent video. At the end of it , you mention a caution for tropical climate. I would like to build ecological in a sunny but humid area of dominican republic...would you consider or disguard this technique?
does theese tipes of wall with lime plaster needs additional ventilation, does theese walls breathe?
These walls breathe. No additional ventilation...but always build and adapt methods for your own climate. In Canada, we actually paint the inside wall plasters to seal them as we require a vapour barrier. Where hot and cold meet...you will get condensation in winter seasons...so we seal the inside and use more porous finishes on the exteriors so the walls breathe to the outside. After almost 10 years...no issues in our 1st build :)
How do you deal with moisture? Does it lead to mold? Do you leave any drain "weep" holes or have your walls get moist and dry out naturally? Good work!
Hey Leahjag, we live in a pretty dry climate. 2 months a year we hit 80%+ humidity...but most of the year we are less than 10% (Most houses commercially built houses here have humidifiers built into the heating units). Never an issue with mold here. The walls naturally draw out any moisture.
The secret is generally 30% or less humidity for at least 6 months of the year. Anyone living in a more humid climate than that should really look at a different building style. Lots to pick from - We just happen to like straw :)
krummel monster: Weil es sie gepackt hält sehr gut . Wir haben viel zu experimentieren mit versuchen, die Struktur auseinander brechen. Hält sehr gut .
Because it it packed it holds extremely well. We did a lot of experimenting including trying to break the structure apart. Holds very well.
maybe adding close captioning would help the road noise/wind noise - is that possible to add after the video is done?
Tim Lutz Thank you. We get so much wind out here, I'm always struggling trying to get good sound outside. Good Idea. Project for this winter. :)
We are planning on retrofitting a steel building with strawbales. That means that the corrugated steel panels on the outside of the building are staying in place. How would one go about using this method up against an existing wall? Just a 3 sided form instead of 4?
Sorry Nettie, I haven't got experience on a retrofit like you are wanting to do. You are correct in building forms...but you'd also have to have some way of anchoring the SLC to the steel wall otherwise it would run the risk of pulling away from the corrogated metal. Second issue would be ensuring your roof line extends past the straw. You'll have to add onto your roof. I saw a retrofit done with square bales a few years back with mixed results. Not saying it can't be done and done well, but I personally would look at insulating frome the inside. I would wood frame the interior and then SLC that frame.
Sorry Nettie, I haven't got experience on a retrofit like you are wanting to do. You are correct in building forms...but you'd also have to have some way of anchoring the SLC to the steel wall otherwise it would run the risk of pulling away from the corrogated metal. Second issue would be ensuring your roof line extends past the straw. You'll have to add onto your roof. I saw a retrofit done with square bales a few years back with mixed results. Not saying it can't be done and done well, but I personally would look at insulating frome the inside. I would wood frame the interior and then SLC that frame.
riverstonestudios I read that if I use 2"x2" wood strips running vertical down the corrugated steel on the ridges every 2 feet, then I can attach 1/4" hard ware cloth. The SLC will be rammed between the hardware cloth and the forms, leaving a air gap between the SLC and the metal. The air gap is important so it will dry. I think I will do a test mini-wall and see what I am dealing with in real time.
Sounds like you've got a good plan going Nettie. Good luck and a test is always the best bet. Love to hear how it turns out for you. Cheers!
Can you please send me the tumbler plans (for an SLC project in Italy). Great work you guys are doing and love the man-skirt (perfect for summer).
Hey plugrules, thanks for the encouragement and comment. Here is a direct link to the plans - www.tribenaturalliving.com/SLC-Tumbler-Plans.pdf. We also have a better video showing how it is constructed on our TH-cam channel here: th-cam.com/video/JUuClXG2mQE/w-d-xo.html Wishing you much success with your build :)
for a more humid climate like guatemala highlands, would pumice-crete or air-crete be a similar option but without mold issues?
Really good question. I don't have experience with those mixes. If there is no organic matter in the mix, mold shouldn't be an issue...but again, I've never worked with pumice or air crete. You could try making a small test wall and see what happens with it. Best of luck.
Hi, Great videos on SLC which have been very useful in making the decision to use this type of material. Originally we were going to use straw bales but obtaining them locally has proved impossible. I'm hoping to start my SLC build in the near future an am deliberating over the type of foundations. We are hoping to have earth floors but the stem wall is the main problem. I don't want to use cement or even cement blocks if possible. Have you any suggestions? We have little to no stone and it isn't easy to get around where we live in the Limousin area of France. Any suggestions you have would be apreciated. Thanks, Paul
Thanks Paul, as far as foundation, cement and stone rubble are the most popular, but you could look at a treated wood frame filled with packed gravel. In any case, make sure that you have a vapour barrier between your foundation and the straw to reduce the risk of moisture wick from the ground.
Thanks, that would be an option, keep following your progress, Paul
I've been looking into building my own green place - sigh-. I've read Serious Straw Bale A Home Construction Guide for All Climates. Living in New Hampshire my building time will be short and weather unpredictable so I was wondering about SLC. I haven't found as much reading on it as straw bale which says to keep metals out of the walls. Though I see metal mesh and wire being used inside to help hold the clays to wood like you have. What are you;r thoughts? Is the condensations element a problem or not?
Breathability becomes more of an issue in wetter climates. Being in New Hampshire, I'm assuming you have wet winters with snow and cool wet summers. In the Mid West, winters are cold, snowy with dry air - Summers are hot and dry with rain every week or so so there is ample time for moisture to breath in and out of the structure. This is what makes straw buildings work in the West. The rule of thumb is that any natural fiber wall requires less than 30% humidity for more time of the year than wet times in order to resist natural breaking down (aka - rot/mould). Metal isn't an issue unless it's a direct connection from outside to the middle of the wall. In freezing temps, the metal will conduct the cold and where hot and cold meet, you get condensation which results in rot...but using metal in walls typically isn't an issue unless you have things like conduit running from the outside right through the wall or metal clad windows embedded into the straw, etc.
I apologize for the poor audio at the beginning of the video. We live about 400' off a major highway on the way to Regina. You should never try to video anything outside on a Rough Rider game day!!! After 6 years of living here, I'm still shocked at the number of people who drive this highway to go see a football game :)
In Europe we have over 100 yr old same houses.
+Marc King , Thank you Marc. In North America, not many people know about SLC so we are trying to spread the word that it's well suited for our weather conditions. Thank you for the re-reinforcement :)
GlockLord any type of straw product needs to have more months of the year below 30% humidity than above. In Saskatchewan we have cold winters with lots of snow...but the relative humidity can stay below 10% all winter. Most people have to have humidifiers in their houses. This is excellent for straw because it draws out any moisture that permeated in during the summer months with 80% humidity levels. For Georgia, winters are much milder so high insulating value wouldn't be as much of an issue. If you are interested in natural styles of building, I'd look at cob, adobe, etc. Cheers!
Are you guys on WWOOF Canada by any chance ?
Sorry, due to health issues, we've pulled back from the public for awhile :(
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Your skirt slay me! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Great house!
I mean it! Good job
May Devone Thank You!
I wished my fam had the drive, and a fraction of land to do this.
May Devone
You just start and they will probably pitch in.
Good concept, but I don not know!
BTW the hat is cool too, if it keeps you cool, LOL.
So I've read in a few places that 12" is the max wall thickness you should try to acheive with CLS, yours looks more like 14-16".. How do you prevent rotting?
Where I am only has about 3-4 months a year that are cold'ish - around 0 at nights for maybe a month or two
Hey Dan, Thanks for the question. You are right and I don't recommend going thicker than 12" either with SLC. The building we are working on is actually 18" thick. The post and beam we had structured was actually designed for square bale - not SLC but we weren't willing to restructure the framing. We chose to switch gears and do SLC after discovering this method and testing it for a couple of seasons before infilling our walls.
Anything greater than 12" is just over kill and extra work plus you are right, if you have high enough humidity levels for a long enough period of time, you won't get the breathability required to keep it under 30%. We aren't too concerned about that. Our biggest issue here on the Saskatchewan prairies is actually being too dry in the winter. May - July is the only time we ever get humidity levels 80%+ August - October is less than 50%, rest of the year with temps dropping below -30 C humidity levels can be below 10% so maintaining enough humidity in homes is sometimes a larger issue. It works for us here, but for sure - I normally wouldn't recommend any thicker than 12" especially in a milder climate like yours. The goal is to always keep your walls at 30% humidity or less for the majority of the year and decomposition should never be an issue.
Cheers. I just had a look at month to month yearly average humidity levels 60-90 %... :\
Yeah! Not the right method for your area :(
but but but :(((((((((((((((((((((((
There is two other people about to build straw bale house with couple kms from me and another 60kms away.. Are they all likely to have problems?
Ouch! I can't tell you for certain - but with the info you gave me about your climate, I'd look for other natural methods other than Straw Bale or SLC. I always say build for your climate. These methods originate from Germany, Prussia, Russia and other colder northern countries. They were used along with sod houses when settlers came to North America because they copied what they knew to work back home and didn't have a lot of choices around them. The Spanish built Cob / clay brick / Adobe when they landed in the lower parts of North America - because that was the material and climate they were used to back home. clay, cob, and Adobe don't work for us because of the lack of insulation. (I know, some die hard cobbers out there will beat me up on that comment) SLC is basically cob with the ratios tipped upside down. Because you never get colder than 0 C, I'd research those methods a bit more. Anyone I've known or read about in Canada who built in BC (Pacific Coast) or Ontario (warmer wet winters close to the Great Lakes) have fought with mould issues. Rule of thumb - anything under 30% humidity in the walls can't decompose. Moisture levels above that are not an issue...as long as there is enough air movement through the wall (thinner is better if you don't need the insulating value) and of course - you'd want to use natural finishes with a lot of lime to shed water and draw out moisture. Personally though, I'd look at older parts of the world and match methods that have been standing for hundreds of years in a climate similar to my own - that's how we stumbled across SLC.
how flammable is SLC? i would think it would burn very fast, but is this a non-issue relative to mainstream building materials?
+iamtweety90 Thanks for the comment - you can find research done on flammability testing at: www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/?lang=en&cat=45&itm=7246236519
CMHC here in Canada did a burn test using a propane torch (900 degrees at 12" from wall. After 2 hours, fire penetration was 51mm (aprox 2")...it doesn't burn - it slowly smolders as there is little room for O2. Having said that, walls are the least of the issue when it comes to fire - typically, fabrics, furniture, flooring and everything else are bigger concerns. We just had a building in our area made from Straw Bale construction burn down from an electrical fire. All the wood finishing did the building in - The walls were still standing after everything else was gone. The fire was already through the roof by the time the fire department arrived on site. The supporting structure was made of fir timbers with a pine finished roof. All the wood made for good kindling.
It looks like that link was removed. What was the name of the test?
Interesting. With 21 inches what do you think your R value will be? As a first timer, I'd be worried I was screwing up my R value with a poor mix...but I worry about everything!
Thanks for the comment John, We've already constructed a post and beam straw bale house that we've been living in for 5 years. We are very impressed with how it has been performing for our climate. SLC is simply a variation of straw bale tweaked. Canadian Mortgage & Housing (CMHC) has done research on this form of construction and in their testing they show 1.6 R value per inch based on 40 psi density - regardless of the infill used so the walls should be performing at better than R30. One of the beautiful things we enjoy about this type of construction is that is much more forgiving than many other forms of building - including straw bale. If your wall is too dense - you gain on structural strength. If your wall isn't packed enough - you lose a bit of structural strength but gain on insulation. The walls are infill so the roof is not held up by it. If you do have a loose packed wall, it just means your stucco may have a few more cracks. Not a big deal at all. I believe everyone can and should be able to build their own home. Just like riding a bike, it just takes some practice to do it better. Cheers!
riverstonestudios Thanks. We are looking at building near Niagara Falls. Had been looking at straw bale but after looking at this and doing other research, am thinking this may be a better way to go. Is there a rule of thumb for determining how much straw and clay you need to source for a certain sized wall?
John Latham Hi John, Yes. The easiest way to figure out how much straw you need is to match it to a bale size by cubit feet. ie: A round straw bale is 5'x5' so the amount of straw you have is h x pi x r2 so 5 x 3.14 x 2.5 sq = 98 cu ft. If I was building a wall with 2x8" framing and the wall was 8' high I would figure out the volume of the cavity I'm filling 8" deep (0.75 ft) x height x length. Using this calculation you would be able to fill a wall that was 8' h x 16' long x 8" deep with one round bale. Clay is about 10% of the mix so you would need about 9.8 cu ft in that same wall mix. It's not exact, but a really good ball park method. Compare the volume of your bale size with the volume of your wall you are filling.Remember that your bales vary in size whether they are square or round, every farmer and every baler produces something different.
riverstonestudios Very helpful, thank you!
Riverstone Studios - Eco-Body Care So I have another question! Building inspectors....do they give you a hard time with this? I understand that with straw bale or SLC you want air flow through the wall, so do you use vapour barrier? If not, do you have a difficult time convincing your building inspector to sign off on it?
Hey man, awesome walk through. Wondering your opinion/findings on SLC versus Cob? And why you chose SLC?
Awesome question Benjamin, Cob or possibly Adobe Brick was something we seriously considered and both are really good building methods, but the amount of clay content doesn't lend itself well with our climate. Similar to building with brick, stone, or cement, we would have had to use some form of artificial insulation like fibreglass or rock wool to get enough insulation to keep warm in the winters (-30 C). Cob is a very dense product which requires a lot of thickness to give R value. Plus we already had a wood frame structure 3/4 built when we lost our original straw bale construction during a horrific wind storm. Cob and Adobe are more suited for structural rather than infill so SLC made sense on both those issues - 1. We already had structure partially built for straw bale design and 2. We needed a hefty amount of insulating value for our climate.
sweet man... thanks! This was my first introduction to SLC and I'm impressed by the ease of working with it (likely due to it not needing to be structural).
Yeah, though if you had good straw bales aren't they just much easier to make a wall? I mean I think I could do a wall in a week what's the advantage?
Yep. But faster isn't always better. Our first house we built is straw bale...learned lots. 1. square bales are getting harder to source. 2. They are getting expensive (at least around here) Square - $3 per 30 lb square bale or $30 for 1200 lb round bale. 3. SLC is a much denser wall that packs much tighter with less finishing which means less cracking over the years and less than a 1/4 of the finishing work. 4. You can build walls from 2x4 thickness right up to 24" thick...straw bale you are limited in width. 5. SLC lends itself well to automated machines to cut down on the labour. 6. If you don't have the strength, lifting 30 lb bales over you head as you get up the wall isn't so easy so this gives people who want to build straw some options. There are lots of ways of building. This is another and my personal favorite - Not necessarily better - but it does have some advantages.
He's wrong about the r value of conventional insulation. The r value of fiberglass insulation is between 3 and 4. So the straw/clay uses twice the space for the same amount of insulation. Its still probably a really good value since its so cheap but the floor space that the insulation uses needs to be factored in to the cost.
Thanks Self Help Dude. You're right, the manufacture's rating is 3-4, the 1.6 per inch is based off CMHC's physical tests. I equate it the same as how car companies come up with their magic numbers :) anyhow you nailed it right on. Lot's of ways of building, tons of types of insulating. No right or wrong ways - you just have to find what works best for your need and your area. Lots to factor in when choosing how to build. On an acreage with lots of space, 1 foot thick wall isn't an issue - in a city, it would be a cold day in hell before I gave up 1' of real estate on an expensive lot for a wall :) Cheers!
could you use hardwood saw dust
I've never experimented with it. I'm sure there are methods out there - but I don't think this SLC method would work based on my own experience and understanding. This method lends itself well to materials that are stranded fibres or larger, bulky chips that can lock and hold air pockets rather than a denser smaller particle like saw dust.
why the heck is he wearing a skirt?
, yes that's a skirt, first I thought it was one of those new fashion shorts that have got an ample scrotch but no, it is a skirt, and he's not from scottland???
Joel Anibal Ah yes! During a conversion, my wife asked "Why can't guys wear skirts?" I didn't really have a bright answer. Looking back through history I found out war, industrial sweat shops and slavery were the reasons we guys stopped wearing gowns, robes, and yes, skirts. So it's my non-political, political sort of way of revolting...plus it feels damn good on the boys! Don't knock it till ya rock it!
What a superficial comment. Who cares what people wear?
@@Naturally-Kelly Went down an identical path! The fact that certain genders are limited to certain items of clothing really baffles me. Guys, don't be sheep. Wear whatever feels comfortable, not what society or the latest "fashion trend" tells you to wear.
@@RudeboyJackson I love my jock strap, just need to not forget the sunblock.
seems like it's a nice way to stay fresh
This is giant size cob or adobe
How well has it held up?
Kelly Bancroft we've been living full time in straw buildings for 7 years no issues. It's been long enough that it's almost time for a fresh coat of paint 😊 We've been very pleased with the cost savings and performance.
Sorry but the audio was quite poor. Couldn't hear what was being said.
The guys wearing a fricken skirt and nice coordinating top, but the hat is a little masculine, cowboy!
Nothing wrong with people representing both aspects of themselves ^_^
How does that stuff not compost? Is it magic?
Hey jksaatte, the secret is humidity - 30% or less for a good portion of the year will last indefinitely. If you build a house like this in a coastal area or somewhere with substantially large amounts of yearly precipitation, they won't stand up. Mould will be an issue over time. In summer here in Saskatchewan our humidity levels are typically around 85% but we actually have to add humidity to our interior air during winter months to keep our wood finish from cracking because the humidity is usually below 10%. for 4 or 5 months. This is why our walls last.
Kelly n Audrey Taylor-Faye
So it must really dry between putting the wall up and the covering. These are not really new methods so I believe last I have a hard time imagining how though. Thanks for the response. Janice
nice video but your audio is very bad not able to warch
I see all the work including the extra amount of lumber required for thicker walls to accommodate the straw, just to save on some fiberglass insulation. In looking I would say the extra lumber costs more than regular framing and insulation would. Questionable value unless the r value is very high.
Harvey Holloway About R19 for 12" thick
MrFakit Fibergalss is R22 for 6 in thick.
Harvey Holloway Hey Harvey, from research done through CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing) R value is roughly 1.6 per inch. You are absolutely correct as far as a insulating value. One might say the same for building with brick, stone, adobe, etc. There are all sorts of reasons for the way people build and what materials are available to them. This is just another way to build and it is extremely adaptable to many countries where fibreglass, milled dimensional lumber and OSB/plywood sheathing may not available. SLC accounts for the infill, insulation, interior and exteriors of the walls. Parging is done directly onto the straw so its more than just about insulating. A stucco or plaster finish inside and out eliminates the need for drywall, taping and mudding, outer sheathing, house wrap, and siding.
+Harvey Holloway (Healer)
Yes, but you can't grow fibreglass. Trees n straw grow in your backyard.
wind!
this dudes wearin a skirt lol.... wow