<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi to all balers outside<div><br></div><div>A great THANK YOU for your answers, it helps a lot!</div><div><br></div><div>As I thought (and feared), the certification in a country</div><div>* gives safety to carpenters (if they use these certified bales) and helps them with their responsibility.</div><div>* but seems to start a parallel process, that uncertified bales will be forbidden with the argument, </div><div> that there are certified bales available on the market (even when they are not available).</div><div><br></div><div>In Austria we have a situation now, where only skilled builders (and that means with a special education and qualification)</div><div>are allowed to take responsibility for a building, and even if I want my own responsibility,</div><div>I cannot take it as a self-builder without these special qualifications, even for a small experimental building.</div><div>This situation stops innovation, as only prooven and tested techniques (and materials) are allowed.</div><div><br></div><div><div>I agree, that this supports "industry" and bigger companies, which are able to afford tests and certification processes.</div></div><div>And in long terms it stops all self-builders from building on the basis of experience, long known knowledge and tradition.</div><div><br></div><div>I personally think therefore, that establishing a national building code - like in France - is the much better way as a certification process.</div><div>Although I know, that it is much more work and needs much more effort than a (simple) test and quality management.</div><div><br></div><div>And my personal recommendation: If you think about a certification in your country, nevertheless (which is not my first choice), </div><div>do it like FASBA in Germany or (with restriction) the GrAT in Austria do,</div><div>try to find a non-profit organisation, which makes a mobile certification on bales of your choice, independently from the season of the year,</div><div>otherwise you always depend on the amounts of certified straw bales, a company has stored.</div><div><br></div><div><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div>yours sincerely</div><div>Herbert</div><div>-----------------</div><div>asbn - austrian strawbale network</div><div>3720 Ravelsbach, Baierdorf 6</div><div>Tel. 02958-83640</div><div><a href="mailto:asbn@baubiologie.at">asbn@baubiologie.at</a></div><div><a href="http://www.baubiologie.at">www.baubiologie.at</a></div></div><div><br></div></div></span></div></div></body></html>