[Strawbale]RE: strawmud sauna

[Rene Dalmeijer]

Rikkert,

I don't want to dampen your spirit but SB is not a very suitable material 
for a sauna for the following reason. The earthplaster walls have a 
relatively high thermal capacity ie they require a lot of heat to warm up. 
This means to have a comfortable surrounding you have to put in a lot of 
heat for a long time before you can use your sauna. If the Sauna is used 
continuously it is a different matter but I don't suppose this is your 
intention. Besides this very practical reason there is the other of 
moisture in bales ie a sauna is not a good environment for SB but if only 
used for a short time and then well ventilataed this might be not so much 
of a problem.

To get around the first issue the high mass of the plaster I suggest 
putting a low mass surface in front of the interior plaster Like a very 
light corrugated transparent material (kunstof golfplaat) You can wrap this 
around the whole area maybe not even completely from wall to ceiling to 
allow good ventilation. Next I would make ventilation channels through the 
SB walls near the floor that you could open after use. Obviously the 
reciprocal roof will have a vented opening at the top. When the sauna is in 
use you close the vents as required.

Don't worry too much about the hay. When using the hay though make sure it 
is dry and stored properly before building. I suggest dipping them a la 
French dip before use allow them to dry some what before stacking makes a 
big difference. A good dry start of life is essential specifically with 
hay. Some of the oldest SB buildings were actually built using hay and not 
straw.

As I understand from your description you want to build low cost so keep in 
mind that it is an experiment and be prepared to accept failure. In 
practice though many old buildings were such experiments and they outlived 
there initial builders.

At 07:36 AM 7/22/04, you wrote:
>Hi people i wil give  a workshop whith building a expirimental strawbale 
>mudsauna .
>
> >
> >
> >  So what it say it is a expiriment so i wonder of some people have
> >  already some expiriments and maybe tips. I was wondering of it is already
> >  done .
> >
> >  It would be a round sauna one caretire foundation whit recipro roof   .
> >  I want try loadbearing on edge , somebody try this before sugestion ?
> >  And we can get for free hay is this posible to use?
> >
> >  when people want more info about the workhop email: rikkertx at ilse...


Rene Dalmeijer