Here in Ontario, there’s been a bit of a buzz forming around straw bale homes. Yes, that’s right – homes that are built out of straw. However, unlike in the fairy-tale stories where straw houses blow away, these homes are built to last, and built to be very eco-friendly.
According to a recent article from The Record, a family right here in Kitchener built their addition out of straw bales. And three years later, they seem to be quite satisfied:
“But we soon realized those weren’t concerns,” she said. The plaster is actually a strong barrier against fire, she said.
It took about four months to build the addition. Now the family has extra space, and the peace of mind they save on energy costs.
The straw’s R-value — or measure of thermal resistance — is about double the insulation of a standard house.
That’s a good reason to consider straw bales environmentally friendly, but they may also be quite cost effective. According to the Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition:
The cost is no higher than conventional construction. In fact, the materials themselves (straw and plaster) are very low-cost, so owner/builders can save up to 50% of their wall costs. But even built by professionals, you can expect to pay no more for bale walls than for standard wood framed walls, but you’ll be getting more than twice the insulation value and great aesthetic potential. And savings in energy costs will stay with you for the life of the building.
Many other advantages, from terrific fire ratings (good enough to be used as a fire wall in an industrial building!) to excellent sound insulation to a positive impact on local farming economies all make bale building a choice that’s hard to beat.
So, readers – are you convinced? Are straw bales the building blocks of the future, or too good to be true? Let me know in the comments.
