[Strawbale] Fwd: Futility of quantifying properties of natural materials (was Re: compressing or not

[Menno Houtstra]

dear max,
i am very sorry to hear about your terrifying experience,
it was not my intention to promote unplastered walls.

although i must say that in the cases that i described it is about a compressed strawbale wall inside a concrete building. i already figured it out that it made sense to plaster it in some way but i prefer not to do it in the traditional thickness. IF this thickness for getting it enough fire resistant is, by accident, the same as what is recommended for delivering structural strength and longevity for outside walls, than i rest my case.
but this was also the reason i asked for testing reports..

all the best,
menno




On Tuesday, March 18, 2014 9:35 PM, Max Vittrup Jensen <Max at PermaLot.org> wrote:
 
Hi,
>
>
>
>From my talk to a fire victim:
>The (plastered) Danish SB house which burned to the ground some 10+ years ago was just about finished and inhabitet. The fire started when a kid moved a candle close to a Velux window which hadn't been finalised and instead had some 'blue tarp (the cheap plastic polypropylene ones) which had a few loose 'threads'. The little flame crawled upwards, found the unplastered side of the bales under the roof, where a smoldering fire initiated.
>
>When the fire brigade arrived they couldn't access the fire. They used a large digging machine to pull of the large barn type sheet metal roofing which caused the otherwise solid wooden construction to be tweaked, allowing more oxygene in...and the rest is history. Only the Finnish mass oven (and the inhabitants) survived.
>
>Menno, I personally support Belgiums laws which basically leaves it upon the individual to take their own life if they so choose. I don't know how it is in your country? The problem of your intentions of living within the high risk of unplastered walls is that it also jeopodizes all of the surrounding neighbors life, along with the image of straw bale building in the Netherlands and abroad...
>
>Yes:  $#!+ happens.
>
>Cheers,
>Max
>
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