<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><br></div><div><br></div><div lang="DA" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div><div>Michael Joergensen in Denmark sent me the note below, which has a number of questions. I'm pretty buried right now, so ask if anyone (Lars?) wants to chime in and help Michael with his problems.</div></div><div><br></div><div>Please use "reply all", as both Michael and most of GSBN will want to see your answers.</div><div><br></div><div>Michael: GSBN is an invitation-only global email list of straw bale "elders". Everyone on this list (and now hopefully reading your note) is both pretty modest and very knowledgeable. You won't find a better straw bale resource. Good luck!</div><div><br></div></div><div apple-content-edited="true"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">Thanks,</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; font-size: 12px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">Bruce King, PE</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">Director of <font class="Apple-style-span" face="Sketcher" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; ">EBNet</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Sketcher" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; ">Ecological Building Network</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><b><i>the art and science of building well</i></b></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><a href="mailto:bruce@ecobuildnetwork.org">bruce@ecobuildnetwork.org</a> </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">PO Box 6397</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">San Rafael, CA 94903 USA</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">(415) 987-7271</div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">follow us on Twitter: @EBNetwork</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; font-size: 12px; ">blog: <a href="http://bruceking.posterous.com/">http://bruceking.posterous.com/</a></div></div></span></div></span></div> </div><br><div><div>On Oct 2, 2011, at 2:59 PM, Michael M. Jørgensen wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div lang="DA" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; "><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Hi Bruce,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">According to EBNet website, I should contact you if I have a topic, I would like to discuss on the Build Well Forum.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Well, I do.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">My wife and I build a strawbale house in Lyngby, close to Copenhagen in Denmark in 2001. At the time we didn´t think a lot about it, just rushed right out into it…as one should, when you are young and ready to learn new stuff :o) You can see a few pics of the building times and the house.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Today, 2011, after having experienced a major rainfall on 2<sup>nd</sup><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>July, the largest in Denmark in more than 100 years, which flooded our fine house, we are probably less openminded and more focused on finding the right way instead of the right experiment. Not that we have made some bad choices, not at all, but this time we need to make sure not to.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">We have a great insurance company which takes good care of us, so we are fine. Things take time, but that is ok, as long as they happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">I have some specific questions for the bale-experts, which I haven’t found answers for anywhere:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Do we have to use welded chicken net/wire – we did the last time, but we have also heard of a method of using straw mats, example:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><a href="http://www.hiss-reet.de/produkte/naturbaustoffe/unterputzgewebe.html" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; "><span lang="EN-US">http://www.hiss-reet.de/produkte/naturbaustoffe/unterputzgewebe.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">My thoughts are that the bales and the mats are the same material, and using the mats to close the gaps over wooden joints etc. ought to ensure a wall that does not work in different ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Will this ensure a rendered wall without cracks and tears or should we stay with the chicken nets?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">If we end up using the chicken nets – should we then cover all bale surfaces with the nets? Or only the wooden joint parts?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">We intend to build the new walls in bales, but start with a not-water-absorbing material for the first 50-60 cm from the base – no reason to invite disaster a second time. Should the joint of the two materials be separated by a water repellent material like to avoid ascending moisture or will that force any moisture in the bottom strawbale to stay there thus causing problems in the bottom strawbale. The direct reason for this question lies in the construction of the last wall, which was mounted on a wooden bench of 2 by 4 inch beams parallel to the house deck and elevated about 30 cm above ground and actually fully ventilated from below given the bench construction (should have been a bit further up, as we realize now, but no one knew at the time). That construction ensured that no water could accumulate in the bottom strawbale. It there any technical advice on this?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">In your experience will bigbales have a relatively better insulation effect than the small traditional ones. My thoughts are that they are very heavily tightened and there the free floating air inside is less than in the small bales (relatively). Am I wrong? What do you recommend and what do you use yourself?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">That is all for now.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Hope you will let me bring my story, picas and questions – or just the questions :o)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">All the best from Denmark<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Cheers<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black; ">Michael<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: black; ">Michael M. Joergensen<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">Om Kaeret 4A<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; ">DK- 2800 Lyngby<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><a href="http://g.co/maps/ff6pp" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://g.co/maps/ff6pp</a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; "><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; "><o:p> </o:p></span></div><span><fotos fra om kæret byggeproces.pdf></span><span><om kæret inde 032005 006.jpg></span><span><om kæret inde 032005 007.jpg></span><span><IMG_0263.JPG></span></div></div></span></blockquote></div><br></body></html>