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STRAWBALE HOUSE
TxDDDR
Above is the site for the building of our strawbale house, started in 1995 and hopefully to be completed in 1999. We work on it as time and money permits..usually a little in the spring and fall of each year. It is a labor of pure love : the cost is minimal and the joy is maximum......

CONTENTS
PHOTOS OF BALE HOUSE BEING BUILT.
HOPEFULLY , DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT YOU SEE.
A FEW LINKS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO CHECK OUT.
Beginning of Strawbale construction.

To begin our project we had difficulty finding a backhoe without a flat tire..So we chose the area which was level enough to build on without artificial leveling. This right away seemed good to us, and has been a factor in the way we have chosen to build our house. We marked off the site using twine thread and wooden stakes..We put up 2x4's using wooden stakes to keep them straight, and poured our concrete foundation mixing in a wheel- barrow which poured about 3 1/2 feet per mix. As we poured we imbedded 3/8x6" bolts an inch from the edge for attaching 2x4's later..we also placed 4 foot lengths of rebar at 3 ft. intervals to seat the 1st course of bales on, and inserted 3 ft. lengths of 1/2 inch threaded rod every 6 feet . This was used to tie down or connect the roof plate and foundation. We made a 6 inch footing which was reinforced with wire. We used a mix of 3 parts portland cement to 15 parts sand and gravel mix. All of the sand and gravel we used ,came directly from a local river bed.
BELOW YOU SEE THE FIRST BALES BEING PLACED.
You may also notice a bandage on my left hand, this covers a broken finger, but as my hammering skills encreased..I had only smashed fingernails and blood blisters after that.
HERE WE ARE MAKING THE DOOR FRAMES AND CONSIDERING USING CORNER BRACES (just temporary) WE ARE WORKING ON THE 3rd COURSE OF BALES.
AS YOU CAN SEE ( BELOW ) IN THIS PHOTO...WE DID USE THE CORNER BRACES, THEY WORKED OUT GOOD....WE HAD SOME PROBLEM CUSTOMIZING BALES TO FIT WHERE HALF BALES WERE TOO LARGE, HOWEVER, JACKIE HAD MADE US A BALE NEEDLE AND IT WAS A LIFESAVER ...
JASON AND JACKIE MAKING WINDOW FRAMES..............
THE DOORS AND WINDOWS ARE FRAMED HERE, THE WINDOW FRAMES ARE MADE OF 2x8'S , OUR WINDOWS ARE SMALL..24x36 inches. THE FRAMES ARE HELD IN PLACE BY DRILLING HOLES IN THE SIDES, AS WELL AS THE TOP AND BOTTOM, AND USING 1" WOODEN DOWELS TO SECURE THEM TO WALLS. THE DOORS WERE ALSO MADE WITH 2x8'S AND SECURED WITH WOODEN DOWELS; THEY WERE MADE A LITTLE LARGER THAN THE WINDOWS....APPROX. 34"X7' .

BELOW... JACKIE AND SANDOVAL ARE BUILDING THE ROOFPLATE ON THE TOP OF THE BALE WALLS !! I LOVE THE GREAT LADDER THE GUYS MADE....SO FAR , WE ARE USING 2x4'S FOR EVERYTHING. MOST OF IT OLD, WARPED, BUT CHEAP....
THE TOP PLATE BELOW IS MADE OF 2X4'S , CROSS PEICES ARE LINED UP FOR ATTACHING ROOF TRUSSES. 30 GRADE ROOFING FELT WAS PLACED ON TOP OF BALE WALLS PRIOR TO MAKING THE PLATE, AND ONCE THE THREADED RODS WERE SECURED AND TIGHTENED DOWN THE WALLS WERE LEFT TO SETTLE , AND AFTER THE SETTLING PROCESS A 1 1/2 INCH CONCRETE SEAL WAS POURED ON TOP OF THE PLATE TO ADD STABILITY AND KEEP OUT INSECTS AND PESTS.
I IMAGINE THAT BALE WALLS SETTLE IN 4 TO 6 WEEKS..........HOWEVER. WE PUT THE TRUSSES UP ON THE 2 FRONT ROOMS PUT A TIN ROOF ON , COVERED THE OPEN WALLS WITH PLASTIC WHICH WE WEIGHTED DOWN WITH STONE, PUT MINIMAL BRACES UP AT THE CORNERS AND THR LONGER BARE WALL...AND TOOK WHAT WE THOUGHT TO BE A SEASONS BREAK , ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS. THIS ENDED UP TO BE A PERIOD OF OVER 1 YEAR . BELOW IS HOW WE LEFT THE HOUSE.
This page will be sorted out, and a step by step account of our building will be in with the photos very soon..check back for more photos, less chaos, and lots of detail...Thank you.
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Photo 2
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