[Strawbale]Re: bales on the side

[forum at lamaisonenpaille...]

I totally agree with Catherine,

I have used SB on edge and will use it again.

- Plaster sticks well to SB on edge.
- the wall compresses less and dispite having a slimmer wall, it is more stable.

When cladding is used on the extérior, a vented airspace is needed between the
cladding and the insulation (be it straw or not). Put a fire beneath this
vented airspace and we can call it a chimney!
So do plaster (even behind cladding) for all the reasons catherine mentionned.

Greetings,

André

La Maison en Paille
www.lamaisonenpaille.com


Selon Catherine Wanek <blackrange at zianet...>:

> At 05:03 PM 3/8/05 +0100, you wrote:
> >....bales on edge - would that not provide a more difficult key for the
> >eventual plaster, the key being the shoot-ends of the material? i wonder
> >how the walls settle? ....
>
> Plaster will key in between the bales and does stick to the bale itself --
> these walls should NOT settle.  Both due to the rigidity of the  plaster,
> and because of the orientation of the straw.  A bale on edge has straw
> oriented like it grows in the field.... like a tree, vertical straw is less
> compressible than horizontal straw.
>
>
> >...... cladding of another sort could then be considered - for instance,
> >[external] the transparent corrugated rainshield as was used in the sarah
> >wigglesworth house in islington. .......less 'pure', i know, but we dont
> >need to remain purists, eh?
>
> There are many reasons to plaster a bale wall.  The plaster seals the bales
> from air infiltration -- which will seriously affect comfort and energy
> efficiency.  Also the plaster finish seals against insects and
> rodents.  Also, the plaster seals against potential fire damage.  The NM
> building code was amended to require plaster on walls that would eventually
> be clad with wood, after a fire was started by a plumber, on a SB home
> under construction..... and the fire raced up in the space between the wood
> finish and the unprotected straw wall.
>
>   While the transparent corrugated rainshield produces an interesting
> aesthetic, it does not replace all of the functions of a plaster finish.
>
>
> Best regards,
> Catherine Wanek
>
> Black Range Films &
> Natural Building Resources
> 119 Main St. , Kingston, NM 88042
> 505-895-3389 / fax 505-895-3326
> <blackrange at zianet...>
> www.strawbalecentral.com
>
>
>
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