<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><br></div>I've been following Stramit for a long time. I can't put my fingers on hard numbers, but am extremely skeptical of the R-3+ per inch claim. I'd expect something more like R-1.2 per inch, or so.<div><br></div><div>Anyone else have insight or new data?<br><div apple-content-edited="true">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; 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-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; 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-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; 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-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; font-size: 12px; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="margin: 0px; "><div style="margin: 0px; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">Thanks,</div><div style="margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; ">Bruce King</div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; 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-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; 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-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; 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"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; font-size: 12px; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="margin: 0px; "><div style="margin: 0px; ">(415) 987-7271</div><div style="margin: 0px; ">Skype: brucekingokok</div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; ">Twitter: @brucekinggreen </span></div></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; 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-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><a href="http://www.housetalkgreen.com">http://www.housetalkgreen.com</a></div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><a href="http://bruce-king.com/" target="_blank">http://bruce-king.com/</a></div><div><br></div></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; 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"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; font-size: 12px; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><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; border-spacing: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<br><div><div>On Apr 21, 2013, at 7:12 PM, <a href="mailto:ejgeorge@riseup.net">ejgeorge@riseup.net</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">Hey again all. This question came up on the NBNE list from Tristan Roberts of BuildingGreen. Robert Riversong's response is included below Tristan's post, but I thought someone over here might also have more information on the purported Stramit lab test.<br><br>----- Forwarded message from <a href="mailto:tristan@buildinggreen.com">tristan@buildinggreen.com</a> -----<br><br><br>Hi,<br><br>Does anyone have insight into the R-value of compressed straw panels such as Stramit (currently produced in Texas) or Agriboard (no longer being produced)?<br><br>Stramit USA claims R-3.03/inch, and I have even seen press releases claiming R-3.35. However, the company can't produce a lab test to prove this to me, and there is history of R-value inflation in compressed straw, as this old EBN article talks about:<br><br><a href="http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/1998/1/1/Agriboard-s-Inflated-R-value-Claims/">http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/1998/1/1/Agriboard-s-Inflated-R-value-Claims/</a><br><br>I supposed there might be less convective loops in a compressed straw panel compared with a bale, but intuitively it's hard for me to picture how compressed straw has higher R-value.<br><br>It's probably a longshot, but I wondered if anyone has any insight (or maybe you know someone who might). Also, if you have any recent experience with Stramit, I'd like to talk with you.<br><br>thanks!<br><br>Tristan<br><br><br>____________<br>Tristan Roberts<br>Editorial Director<br>BuildingGreen, Inc.<br>http://www.BuildingGreen.com<br>http://www.LEEDuser.com<br><br>(802) 257-7300 x121<br>tristan@buildinggreen.com<br><br>-----------end forwarded message -----------<br><br>Robert's reply:<br><br>Loose fibrous materials often increase in R-value per inch with increased density - up to a point of diminishing returns - and I have no reason to doubt that compressed straw would be more insulative than straw bales.<br><br>Loose-fill fiberglass, for instance, is about R-2.5/inch, while fiberglass batts, which used to be about R-3.14/inch for standard R-11 batts, were increased to R-13 (3.7/inch) in "high-density batts", and semi-rigid fiberglass board as well as dense-pack Spider is about R-4/inch.<br><br>Similarly, loose fill cellulose is about R-3.4/inch at 1.4 pcf density, while dense-pack cellulose at 3+ pcf can be as much as R-3.8/inch.<br><br>But the density range that Stramit specs of 15.6-40.5 pcf puts it at about the same density range as solid wood, which is about R-1.25/inch. So I also question their claim of R-3.35/inch.<br><br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>GSBN mailing list<br>GSBN@sustainablesources.com<br>http://sustainablesources.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/GSBN<br></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>