[Strawbale] Strawbale and brick walls

[asbn]

Dear Marcus

When the bricks are on the inside of the strawbales, there is no problem
with moisture. Bricks have a higher density (for damp) than straw, each
layer from inside to outside has to have less density, then there will be no
problem. 
There are a lot of brick-houses covered with strawbales as renovation and
insulation, in Austria as in Czech Republic. Even Matts Myhrman did it as he
renovated his house.
Damp will also turn to water, when the bricks are colder (condensation), and
they are, if they are the layer outside but not, if they are inside.
We know the problem of condensation primarly from (cold) metal in
strawbalewalls and sometimes from old brick-houses without foundation. But
not from bricks (insulation against moisture from the ground) in new built
houses.

Best wishes,
Herbert, ASBN

> Hi there,
> 
> I am helping a friend who is planning a new two storeyed brick/strawbale house
> with an earth roof. We have knocked down an older building on the existing
> site and have a lot of bricks. What he has in mind is to use the bricks to
> build the load bearing part of the structure and use strawbales for
> insulation. So the walls will be very thick.
> 
> The query is... that an architect friend said he wouldn't recommend putting
> strawbales in contact with the brick wall as moisture will wick from the brick
> walls into the straw causing a damp problem. He based his theory on the fact
> that wooden beams in Germany are known to be susceptible to rot when they go
> through brick walls. I can imagine that with an older house with
> insufficient damp-proofing, moisture can wick up the walls to the height of
> the beams and cause a problem BUT... with a new house, with good damp
> proofing, I can't see where the moisture would come from.
> 
> The house would have earth plaster on the inside and outside (with a limewash
> finish) so there wouldn't be any barrier to stop vapour going through the
> walls.
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas about this or have heard any experience of people
> cladding brick houses with straw.
> 
> Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Marcus
> 
> Utazások Erotikában - Vámos Miklós nemsokára megjelenő regényét előre
> megrendelheti nálunk.
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