[Strawbale]Part 1: How to Dry Moldy Bales . . .

["rikki nitzkin" <rnitzkin@hotmail...>]

Here´s an interesting experiment: take a bunch of wet, rotting, moldy bales. 
 Build a hut out of them.  Plaster them with a straw/clay plaster.  Take a 
long, hot summer (temp. up to 50ºC)
and watch how the clay sucks the water out of them.

This is a real experiment done by a young builder/physicist in spain.  It 
took about 4 months for the plaster to dry (despite the hot temperatures), 
but the building survived and the straw dried!

This man believes that a clay plaster is capable of actually drying the 
straw.

Does anyone know if any of the houses that have had problems with wet bales 
were plastered with clay . . .? Maybe the straw only rots under lime or 
cement plaster? What are your (collective) thoughts on the matter.

Rikki