[Strawbale] Re: underground bales

[Rene Dalmeijer]

Walter,

All and even more measures you suggest have been tried without success 
until sofar. I have been in quite a few SB houses that clearly illustrate 
the failure of underground or bermed bales. You should also read the mails 
about the miserable failures of bales as ground floor insulation. One of 
the main reasons being that moisture condenses from the inside against the 
generally cooler outside surface. I suggest you have a look at the CMHC 
website http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/index.html for 
more info on basements. They don't have anything specific on strawbales in 
basements but probably it is the best collection of info about the building 
physics of basements. (and many other topics)

At 07:38 AM 8/2/03, you wrote:
>About the underground bales: I think that if you don't
>go below groundwaterlevels, use a sillicate in your
>plaster and provide good drainage along the face of
>your walls (e.a. put some gravel between the wall and
>the sand), it might be possible. Too bad I haven't got
>the facilities to try such a setup out. :(


Rene Dalmeijer