[Strawbale] Re: Strawbale Digest, Vol 25, Issue 13

Tue Oct 23 15:04:09 CEST 2007

Hiya all,

Just to make you aware that Jakub Wihan recently finished his phd thesis
(No; NOT an abreviation for Post Hole Digger!) about moisture in strawbale
buildings. I know he would make it available on his site www.jakubwihan.com,
though I havn't yet noticed it there.
I haven't found time to study the thesis, but it may cover these critters
too?
-At least you can study his previous assignment of computer simulation of
how to make a zero energy SB house...I'll recommend it any time.

On a slight different note: As part engineer studies in Environmental
Management we're making a project about 'Big Bale Building', that is the use
of the 'jumbo' bales of a lengt of around 2 meters/6 feet+. If anyone of you
have information (apart from the buildings in DK, The French/Dutch with
involvement of Noe or Tom and the ones in CH by Schmidt or Germany by
Peter), then plese drop me a private mail with the information about it.
Cheers,
Max Vittrup Jensen

On 10/23/07, strawbale-request at amper....muni.cz <
strawbale-request at amper....muni.cz> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1.  Re: Strawbale Digest, Vol 25, Issue 12 (peter van balen)
>   2. RE:  Re: Strawbale Digest, Vol 25, Issue 12 (paul sheraton)
>   3.  strawbale houses in Brazil (philippe serra)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:21:40 +0200
> From: "peter van balen" <peter at tentotwo...>
> Subject: [Strawbale] Re: Strawbale Digest, Vol 25, Issue 12
> To: <strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
> Cc: leanne at aromanature...
> Message-ID: <001b01c814c7$a160eb30$0a01a8c0 at peter>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Hello Leanne,
>
> I think Paul means with a humidity problem thet your bales may have been
> too
> humid at one stage or another and maybe still are (deep inside)? To test
> that you need a hay/straw humidity-meter; I've got one, which you can
> borrow, but maybe it's easier to borrow one closer to you; normally
> straw-,
> hay- or grain-merchants should have one. Ideally you'll find a figure
> below
> 15% (this is mass percentage NOT relative humidity).
>
> Good luck,
>
> Peter
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:23:05 +0200
> From: "leanne" <leanne at aromanature...>
> Subject: [Strawbale] Re: covered in spots
> To: <strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
> Message-ID: <002001c81417$f640bbe0$5e63fea9 at o2r1s0>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Hello Paul,
>
> >  have you got a website with details of your house on it?
>
> We do, but it is in french and not up to date at all, so will post it when
> its more informative!
>
> >   Prehaps if you gave us a few more details of how it is built including
> the materials and finishs used and the systems installed, for example
> ventilation, heating etc it would be easier for people here to help
> diagnose
> the problems.
>
> Timber frame (douglas fir I think in english), straw bale infill, 2 coats
> of
> earth plaster over the straw (only 1 outside for the moment) consisting of
> earth, sand and chopped straw, terra cotta downstairs and chestnut
> floorboards upstairs, loose cork and egg cartons to insulate between
> floors,
> sheeps wool in the roof, no heating yet (wood stove to come), no actual
> ventilation system.  Almost all finishes such as paint and glue were
> natural
> (a few were not).
> >
> > Do you have plants or animals around you?
>
> We live in the country, so all of the above around us! Closest neighbors
> have a few horses.
>
> >  With a new construction, depending on the materials used, <its quite
> possible for there to be a certain amount of <humidity present within the
> structure initially that you would <not normally "sense", especially when
> using organic building <materials such as strawbales or earth plasters.
> >   this should reduce over time as they dry out and equalize with the
> ambiant enviroment.
> >
> >  If you think there might be a humidity problem where a <part of the
> structure is not able to dry properly or there is <damp penetration then
> again, depending on the types of <materials used, you would either see
> mould
> blooms on <surface materials or if it is right inside the structure it
> might
> <only be detectable with humidity sensoring equipment.
>
> We had mold blooms while the plaster was drying but thats been months now
> and I really don't think we have a humidity problem, but like you say we
> would need a meter to measure that!
>
>
> Leanne in France
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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> Strawbale mailing list
> Strawbale at amper....muni.cz
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>
> End of Strawbale Digest, Vol 25, Issue 12
> *****************************************
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:38:01 +0000
> From: paul sheraton <psheraton at hotmail...>
> Subject: RE: [Strawbale] Re: Strawbale Digest, Vol 25, Issue 12
> To: peter van balen <peter at tentotwo...>,
>        <strawbale at amper....muni.cz>
> Cc: leanne at aromanature...
> Message-ID: <BAY119-W3524EFB0CDD8BB3ED1B5E1A79A0 at phx...>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
>
> thanks peter, thats what I was trying to say!
>
> The moisture content in some parts could be above the magic 20 percent
> (roughley) point and you wouldnt always smell or "sense" it. Im going on the
> evidence Ive seen so far that little animals like capricorn or wood worm or
> similar seem to be more active when moisture content levels are raised, it
> seems to encourage them.
>
> Im wondering about the wool, ive heard quite a number of people here in
> France speak out against unprocessed wool, saying that being treated doesnt
> always work.
> good luck,let us know how you get on
>
> Paul
>
>
>
> > From: peter at tentotwo...> To: strawbale at amper....muni.cz> Date: Mon, 22
> Oct 2007 18:21:40 +0200> CC: leanne at aromanature...> Subject: [Strawbale]
> Re: Strawbale Digest, Vol 25, Issue 12> > Hello Leanne,> > I think Paul
> means with a humidity problem thet your bales may have been too > humid at
> one stage or another and maybe still are (deep inside)? To test > that you
> need a hay/straw humidity-meter; I've got one, which you can > borrow, but
> maybe it's easier to borrow one closer to you; normally straw-, > hay- or
> grain-merchants should have one. Ideally you'll find a figure below > 15%
> (this is mass percentage NOT relative humidity).> > Good luck,> > Peter> >
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------> >
> Message: 1> Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:23:05 +0200> From: "leanne" <
> leanne at aromanature...>> Subject: [Strawbale] Re: covered in spots> To: <
> strawbale at amper....muni.cz>> Message-ID: <
> 002001c81417$f640bbe0$5e63fea9 at o2r1s0>> Content-Type: text/plai!
> n; charset="iso-8859-1"> > Hello Paul,> > > have you got a website with
> details of your house on it?> > We do, but it is in french and not up to
> date at all, so will post it when> its more informative!> > > Prehaps if you
> gave us a few more details of how it is built including> the materials and
> finishs used and the systems installed, for example> ventilation, heating
> etc it would be easier for people here to help diagnose> the problems.> >
> Timber frame (douglas fir I think in english), straw bale infill, 2 coats
> of> earth plaster over the straw (only 1 outside for the moment) consisting
> of> earth, sand and chopped straw, terra cotta downstairs and chestnut>
> floorboards upstairs, loose cork and egg cartons to insulate between
> floors,> sheeps wool in the roof, no heating yet (wood stove to come), no
> actual> ventilation system. Almost all finishes such as paint and glue were
> natural> (a few were not).> >> > Do you have plants or animals around you?>
> > We live in the country, !
> so all of the above around us! Closest neighbors> have a few horses.>
> > > With a new construction, depending on the materials used, <its quite>
> possible for there to be a certain amount of <humidity present within the>
> structure initially that you would <not normally "sense", especially when>
> using organic building <materials such as strawbales or earth plasters.> >
> this should reduce over time as they dry out and equalize with the> ambiant
> enviroment.> >> > If you think there might be a humidity problem where a
> <part of the> structure is not able to dry properly or there is <damp
> penetration then> again, depending on the types of <materials used, you
> would either see mould> blooms on <surface materials or if it is right
> inside the structure it might> <only be detectable with humidity sensoring
> equipment.> > We had mold blooms while the plaster was drying but thats been
> months now> and I really don't think we have a humidity problem, but like
> you say we> would need a meter to measure that!> > > Leanne in France> > > >
> > -----------------------!
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> Digest, Vol 25, Issue 12> *****************************************> > > > >
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> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:57:46 +0000
> From: "philippe serra" <p.serra at caramail...>
> Subject: [Strawbale] strawbale houses in Brazil
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