I'll second that. This is our standard practice now--roof first, then bales. Protection from weather, and it gives bale stackers some reference points. Since they're often doing it for the first time, in workshops or bale raisings, this helps maintain straighter walls.<div>
<br></div><div>John<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Aug 5, 2010 at 3:15 PM, Graeme North <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:graeme@ecodesign.co.nz">graeme@ecodesign.co.nz</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
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Hi All<div><br></div><div>I have just seen the thread on thin shell concrete roofs , and the notion of putting up roofs first- </div><div><br></div><div>I have been doing both of these techniques since the mid 70's on and off. I nearly got chucked out of architecture school for suggesting that roofs first were a fantastic idea and used "Winnie the Pooh" as my essay reference. "We take architecture seriously - do you?"</div>
<div><br></div><div>I have placed my thin concrete roofs over hessian (or jute) that I can usually find second hand from carpet manufacturers. This is pinned over a pole roof structure of varying shape, a layer or two of reinforcing using one or two layers of chicken netting depending on span, and away I go with the plaster. Th addition of latex I have not tried yet but it would certainly increase the roofs resistance to cracking and leaking. Adding insulation is another tricky issue, bit I have use light weight concrete toppings (polystyrene balls) and/or internal insulation layers too. I have done spans up to 3.6 m or 12 ft</div>
<div><br></div><div>Great roofs - look great and easily cover such complex shapes such as a reciprocal frame roof, or where a whole bunch of roof support members are bolted to the side of a post and form a rather jagged exterior.</div>
<div><br></div><div>On my own house I put up the roof first (not a concrete shell in this instance) and only lost 2 hours work to the weather in a whole year, and suffered no water damage - and this was in one of those years when it felt like we were living under a waterfall. This is by far the best way to go for earth building and certainly strawbale building, especially in an unpredictable, and often wet, climate . </div>
<div><br></div><div>cheers</div><div><br><br><div> <span style="border-collapse:separate;border-spacing:0px 0px;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;font-weight:normal;letter-spacing:normal;line-height:normal;text-align:auto;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px"><div>
Graeme</div><div>Graeme North Architects</div><div>49 Matthew Road</div><div>RD1</div><div>Warkworth</div><div>tel/fax +64 (0)9 4259305</div><div> </div><div><a href="mailto:graeme@ecodesign.co.nz" target="_blank">graeme@ecodesign.co.nz</a></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>John Swearingen<br>Skillful Means Design & Construction<br>2550 9th Street Suite 209A<br>Berkeley, CA 94710<br>510.849.1800 phone<br>510.849.1900 fax<br><br>Web Site/blog: <a href="http://www.skillful-means.com">http://www.skillful-means.com</a><br>
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