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fwiw I agree too. You want a shed to store tools'n'such, build a shed ... shuttering ply/scrap etc or straight from the garden centre. It'd take (relatively) ages to build one from SB and a shed doesn't need all those SB properties and characteristics. cheers Donald > > I think that I agree. I am a keen SB supporter but probably not in > this application. > > Have you considered cob. > You can stop work at any stage without having to bother about bales > getting wet or vandalised. > There is not the danger of crushing feet and fingers that there is > with rammed earth. > Best of all for your application in an elementary school, it can be > un-believably messy.... > > > Regards > Patrick > > > > > > > There are a number of straw bale sheds built, mostly as demo projects. > > I would generally recommend against it, except for that purpose. > > > > One of the big advantages of SB is the high insulation value. > > Meaningless in a shed, generally. Same goes for most of the value of > > thermal mass & hydrophilic plasters, and to some degree air quality. A > > highly-breathable shed is a very forgiving thing. > > > > The interior finish of SB is not so cheap (materially), and (both > > interior and exterior are) VERY labor intensive. Sheds don't typically > > have an interior finish. > > > > IMO you need large overhangs, and some structure that keeps the SB off > > the ground: typically 12-18" (I would advocate more in the 18"+ for > > anything but the dryest climes). > > > > If you do the math, and especially if you value your volunteer energy, > > it's not a great fit. UNLESS: you put a high value on the demo aspect > > (are you in a good SB environment?), for example, a larger SB project > > is on the horizon. > > > > I can't stress enough how important free labor is to make SB even > > faintly competitive with almost anything else. Compressed (possibly > > stabilized) earth blocks made onsite could be another local natural > > materials approach that could go faster/cheaper, if you can find/build > > a press. > > > > Full disclosure: I work with/around SB quite a bit, and I really love > > certain aspects, but am weary of it being oversold. > > > > Keith > > > > > >> Hello! > >> I am a teacher at South Hill elementary school. We have a small > >> organic orchard on site, and I'd love to build a shed for educational > >> and maintenece materials. I was wondering about the cost/viability of > >> building a straw bale structure at the school. The district would take > >> a lot of convincing, I'm betting, but it is worth a try. Is there a > >> local person I could talk to, or, even better, who would like to help > >> on such a project? > >> I'm looking to write a grant to cover the costs and community support is > >> a must. > >> Thanks, > >> Carolyn Belle New Windows 7: Find the right PC for you. Learn more. |