It has been a while since we last checked in with one of our best MySietch bloggers Greenspree. He has been hard at work building his very own (and very cool) straw bale home. Here are a couple of his latest exploits.
As of Tuesday, we have our septic system and well installed, temporary power installed and foundation formed/poured c/w air circulation ducts and coloured hardener.
Some communication and weather issues have left us about a week or two behind, but we are hoping that won’t affect the straw bale raising date. The weekend I was to start forming the slab on grade, I went paintballing with my wife’s younger brother and severely sprained my ankle. The ER doctors the next day suspected a torn ligement or ruptured tendon and it was nearly a full two weeks before I could walk again or spend any time on my feet.
Fortunately my wife and father-in-law were able to pick up my slack and I spent as much time doing stationary prep work in the shop cutting stakes and what not. They did all the hard work of driving stakes in and levelling and installing the form lumber. I spent time cutting the ICF’s to work as edge forms, precutting and drilling the cast in sill plates and bending the corner rebar pieces.
Ouch! Read the rest here
The framing of the house was planned so that a 18-19 inch straw bale stacked vertically will fit snugly between the studs spaced at 19.2″ centers. We also lined up all structural elements from the trusses to the studs and floor beams for a direct transmission of forces through to the ground.
The second floor was made of 4×8 spruce beams spaced at 19.2″ c/c and topped with 2×6 T&G v-joint spruce with the v-joint pointed down to become the ceiling of the first floor with exposed beams and the flat side up to be the finish floor of the second floor. All boards were toenailed and then set through the tougue so there are no exposed fasteners.
Check out the rest here, and for some great pictures check his other website here.
Now they are having a staw bale and stucco party!
It seems the straw bales will be cut by the middle of next week as long as the weather cooperates! If the long range forecast is correct we’ll be getting our bales before Wednesday!
That means we’ll be starting ssome bale installation on Wednesday with the main bale raising and stucco party happening on the weekend of the 22nd and 23rd.
If you want to help, drop on over to his MySietch blog and leave him a comment, I am sure you could set something up, and it looks like you might be able to score some free eats, and drinks :)
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