[GSBN] Question for you

[Chris Magwood]

  Joyce,

That same question can be asked about all too many systems that are 
significant improvements on their mainstream counterparts, not just 
straw bale. So there's a meta-answer to that question, and then there 
are straw bale specific answers.

The meta-answer has to do with our natural human tendency to keep doing 
what we've always done and improve it in small, measurable ways rather 
than change to new systems. To sum it all up: Humans are good at doing 
things better, but lousy at doing better things. We'd rather tinker with 
slightly improved cars than figure out a new transportation system. Etc.

The straw bale specific answer is one I've thought lots about. The 
bottom line is it's just too messy and inexact a technique to be put 
into widespread, mainstream use. It's next to impossible to train people 
to do straw bale without lots and lots of on-site experience. There are 
too many ways to do it, too many variables and inconsistencies. From 
getting the bales (which are always differently shaped, sized, weighted 
and priced) to the different kinds of framing, plastering, etc, the 
whole process is well suited to owner-builders or committed 
professionals, but no so friendly to the guy (and yes, I'm being gender 
specific here!) who just wants to build some houses for a living, or the 
developers who want to hire him to do that. We all love these parts of 
straw bale building because we're attracted to innovation, creativity 
and community involvement in building. We are a minority. And if you're 
not one of us, the whole thing is just too much to bother with. And 
having spent a long time making a living as a builder, I know that it 
was only because my clients were highly predisposed to want a bale 
building and were willing to put up with all the hiccups a bale building 
entails (tarps, mess, plaster finishes...) for all the advantages we 
know and love. But for most builders and homeowners, the scales just 
don't tip in that direction.

This is the reason I've been so keen to develop the prefab strategy I've 
been working on. This year, we built walls for our Habitat for Humanity 
build that were cheaper than their conventionally framed option and 
still had all the benefits of bale building. They are now interested in 
buying bale walls for future projects. But this is only because they 
show up pre-plastered, and fit perfectly according to the plans. There's 
no way the same organization would consider using site baled walls.

So I think the honest answer you need to give your questioner is that 
there are too many disadvantages to bale walls. They don't detract from 
all the things we see as advantages... those advantages are real and 
should be weighted heavily. But everybody has to weigh up their options, 
and from a mainstream point of view, the scale still tips towards bale's 
disadvantages.

Chris

On 10-10-17 12:15 PM, Joyce Coppinger wrote:
> The other day I was asked this question:
>
> If strawbale is such a good building method and material, can pass codes,
> can be insured, can be funded through mortgage or other lending, uses a crop
> residue that is annually renewable and might otherwise go to waste, has a
> high energy-efficiency value, can be built in most climates, if not all, can
> be built rather easily by owner/builders or professional builders, why
> aren't there more straw-bale buildings being constructed?
>
>
> Joyce
> ---------------
> Joyce Coppinger
> Managing Editor/Publisher
> The Last Straw, the international journal
> of strawbale and natural building
> PO Box 22706, Lincoln NE 68542-2706
> Phone 402.483.5135
> <thelaststraw at thelaststraw.org>
> web site: www.thelaststraw.org
> and our new blog at http://thelaststrawblog.org
>
>
>
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>
>
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www.chrismagwood.ca