[GSBN] Article on Retrofitting with SB

[Joyce Coppinger]

Continuing in my catch-up mode today, I am working on an article about the
pros and cons, best methods, techniques for retrofitting buildings with
bales.

Of course, I have Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House: Bringing
Your Home into Harmony with Nature by Carol Venolia and Kelly
Lerner that features the Myhrman/Knox house in Tucson which was retrofitted
with straw bales. 

Some other information I hope to include:

• foundation to support the bales,
• roof overhang to cover the bale wall,
• method to tie the bales to the existing wall,
• should or should not coat side of bale that fits to the existing structure
(moisture and fire preventive),
• how to deal with existing windows and doors so that the tunnel
effect will not reduce daylighting (light coming in through
windows) for the interior spaces,
• should siding on the existing structure be removed (or left on)
before the bales are added,
• how to deal with incoming plumbing, electrical or other utility
lines,
• any regulations or code concerns locally should be checked
before the project is started
• check into homeowner's insurance coverage
before beginning the project

I would welcome any information you have to send - and any articles you
would like to contribute. If you don't want to write an article but want to
contribute to one and have photographs (and captions) showing various
aspects of a project, a techniques, a method, a solution... please let me
know.

With the current interest in energy-efficiency in homes, this has become a
more popular question here at TLS and on the lists. I'm sure others of you
have been receiving this type of question, too.

Thanks for any help or contributions!


Joyce
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Joyce Coppinger, Managing Editor
The Last Straw journal
GPFS/TLS, PO Box 22706, Lincoln NE 68542-2706 USA
402.483.5135, fax 402.483.5161
<thelaststraw at thelaststraw.org>
www.thelaststraw.org