[Strawbale] 1. Re: Europe's largest strawbale building (Sport Hotel, Jure Pozar)

[asbn]

Dear Jure, just an addition...

>>> 4. I am planning to do floor and roof isolation with straw bales as
>>> well. I can remember a discussion from Belgium that it is not best to
>>> put straw bales in the floor, but can`t remember the explanation why
>>> not. 
If the floor (on poles or pillars or strip foundation) has an airspace of at
least 30 cm underneath ­ so if it is ventilated, strawbales as insulation
even in the floor are a good idea. The only problem is when water (from
bathroom or kitchen) comes in the floor, in some houses we installed an
EPDM-folie in the bathroom to prevent water going in the construction. This
is, what we discussed in Belgium...

>>> ..., or would it be better to put dip the straw bales in
>>> clay before putting them on the roof, so it would such the moisture out
>>> of them?
Dipping strawbales brings much water in the strawbale-construction and lets
the straw easier mould. So if you do that, you should let dry the bales in
the sun before you use them as a building material.

>>> ... there are only a few straw bale houses in Slovenia
>>> and they are all done with infill design which is suitable for certain
>>> regions, but not for where I live where we have big temperature
>>> differences. 
If the wooden construction between the bales is made intelligent (e.g. with
I-joists like Steico or with insulated posts) to prevent warmth-bridges, the
thermal performance of an infill-construction is nearly the same as the
"loadbearing" option.
Due to the possibility to fix boards and other (installation) layers as well
as the facade easily on such a wooden construction an infill-construction
will have a better thermal performance than a wall with just strawbales (of
the same dimension) and plaster on both sides, because the thermal
performance depends on the humidity of the straw and on the airflow in the
insulation layer, too. I would say: much more than on the density of the
straw or some wooden posts in the construction.

Mit lieben Grüßen
Herbert Gruber
-- 
asbn - austrian strawbale network
Österreichisches Netzwerk für Strohballenbau
3720 Ravelsbach, Baierdorf 6
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