Strawbale house

2011-04-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

2010-12-28T05:21:00.000-08:00

Please continue to follow my story at this site:

http://ecostrawhouse.com/

Thanks for the reader who suggested I put a twitter and Face book 'follow' button - see above!

I have all kinds of offers, tips, tools, reviews etc on this new site!

Thanks to all who have followed me on this blog - I am moving on to greener pastures to speak!
See you on the other side.......
http://www.EcoStrawHouse.com

2010-11-10T02:36:00.001-08:00

Thanks for all the wonderful comments on this Blog. I would like to respond to them but unfortunately, I am unable to unless you leave your email address in your message.

For the people who asked the question on the paint: I used Eco House, out of New Brunswick and the dilution was from their paint pallet.

Do not use regular paint on this kind of plaster. Also, I used a top coat of sealant from Eco House, which in effect gives the house a 'gortex' effect.

Digging the foundation...

2009-11-10T05:15:00.000-08:00

So we did down at centre front of the house, thru the landscaping, to the stone.
We reach the insulation.
Cut thru the insulation, expect to see gushing water draining from under the house. Nothing. Not even any dampness?!?!?!
The stone is bone dry - no sign of any wet. Absolutely baffling!

We filled it all back in and continued to scratch our heads!

Wet Patches On The Concrete

2009-01-20T13:05:00.000-08:00

Very strange, this past fall, these patches started appearing on the floor (stained concrete), a week or two after the heating system was turned on.
Initially, the obvious was feared, a leak in the radiant floor heating system. After much investigation which included pressure testing the entire floor heating system (everything was fine, and no leaks found) over a period of time.
This problem became baffling (and still is) as we looked into drainage around the house, for the possibility of build up of ground source water etc. We even dug up some of the grading down to the foundation, to see if drainage was the problem. It was bone dry....

Anyway, over the past couple of months these patches are slowly dissppearing and drying out. We still have not figured out what caused them tho.

If anyone has had a similar problem, please comment as this has everyone baffled.

Summer 2008

2008-09-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, haven't added anything for some time, so thought it was time to update this blog.

Finally, in July, I got my full occupancy permit! After a long road of compliance etc, I am now legally able to live in my strawbale house!
Just a few notes on the heating system through the winter:
The radiant floor heating was amazing - kept the house at a constant temperature, whatever I set it at. I was able to supplement with the woodstove but that was mainly for 'cozy' effect.
Here is the big news: I estimate my hydro usage for the heating to be a little under $500 for the winter season!! Amazing! This was to run the geothermal system (pump). Because of the insulation factor of straw bales, the house remained at the constant temperature. It was a very 'comfortable' heat too - never dry, or fluctuating, which I experienced in previous homes, when the furnace would come on.
As far as this summer has gone, the temp inside has not gone over 23 degrees C and was more often around 18 - 20 degrees C - I occasionally run a dehumidifier on the really humid days and that is sufficient to keep it very comfortable in here.

My main projects this year have been to work on getting compliance for the occupancy inspection and on the landscaping, which will be a work in progress for many years to come.

Stay tuned, as there will be an extension going in, hopefully next year, or in 2010.

Don't forget this years Straw Bale tour is on October 4th. Check out the OSBBC site at :

http://www.strawbalebuilding.ca

Final Exterior colour Applied

2007-11-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

This month we completed the exterior protection: it involved sealing any cracks, applying the Eco House primer sealer, then two coats of the Eco House Quartz Guard and finally, a coat of rainsil. This will in effect 'gortex' the exterior.

I chose a yellow ochre, diluted to 5%.
Eco House web site:

www.eco-house.com

The 'almost' finished product

2007-10-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

A beautiful fall sunset, with the colours peaking in the background.

The Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition's annual Straw Bale house tour is tomorrow, October 13th. Check out their web site for more information: http://www.strawbalebuilding.ca/

My home is available for private tours by appointment if you are unable to make the tour. I will not charge a fee, however, I will be collecting a $50 donation to the Orillia SPCA.
Please contact me thru this web site on the comment area to set up a date.

Wood Stove

2007-09-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

Wood stove went in this week - it is a Hearthstone Tribute model. I chose this because it is small (although, it will heat 1300 sq ft approx) and very attractive. It does not dominate the room, as these stove sometimes can.
It is a soapstone stove, which absorbs the high heat of the fire, then radiates it back out in to the room. Once heated, soapstone stays warm for hours to continue warming witha gentle, even, radiant quality of heat that's as comfortable as it is lasting.

Landscaping ready for plants...

2007-08-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Looking west -pathways complete for the first phase.
Pine wood chips
Looking east along the front of the house. Cedar posts, pine woodchips, natural rocks from the property all extending the natural feel of the project.
Front entrance.

More landscaping...

2007-08-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

This is the garage end. Slowly building up the grade and finishing off with pine chips. I would have preferred cedar, but could not source any.
Flower bed beside the main entrance.
Main entrance.
Moving the big rock! Thank goodness for great neighbours with the right equipment for the job!

The Evolution of Landscaping..

2007-08-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Landscaping is taking shape. Using rocks off the property and the cedar posts.
There is plenty of good topsoil from when the site was cleared.
Incorporating old tree roots for texture and height.
Pine chips (also called nuggets apparently) were very hard to source but I finally found some.
Most of these plants are annual and will be lifted in the fall, when I will plant perennials.

Landscaping begins....

2007-07-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Finally, just starting to landscape the front. I am using 16" cedar posts, angled on the top for drainage. This will mark my planting beds.
Plenty of grading and leveling to do!!
Eaves trough are in, so full steam ahead to work on the outside. It is so hot during the day (and the front is full southern exposure), that the only time to work is early in the morning and late afternoon/early evening.

Acknowledgements

2007-07-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

I would like to recognize and acknowledge some of my suppliers and people who contributed to this project.

Firstly, the crew at Orillia Home Depot............ I cannot Thank You all enough, you were always there to help out wherever possible, working with Pat from Havencraft and myself, delivering on time, and doing whatever it took to get the job done.
Bruce, Dan, Jo, all the folks in Shipping, plumbing, electrical and everyone else who came to share a happy smile and Hello with the 'Straw House Lady'! You are all a credit to your industry.

Jim Drury who perservered with me thru the trials and tribulations of getting the permit, and keeping my bales safe until I needed them.

Eric from Aquasafe Water - my lifetime plumber that is for sure! Visit him at http://www.aquasafe-water.com/

The crew from Camels Back Construction for the plaster; My Designer, Dale Brownson, who put up with many plan revisions and had lots of patience with me!

The Engineers: Blackwell Bowick and Slavish Steenhoff

Enzo at Anig Windows. Joe Consilla HVAC, who installed the HRV system. Dave Vinson Well Drilling. Direct Buy of Barrie. Steel Tile. Kent Trusses. Kemiko.

And last but not least, wonderful neighbours, and friends who have supported me through the whole process............ where would I be without you all?

finally............... Pat Marcotte and his crew from Havencraft Natural Homes who have left their legacy here for those who will come after. May our paths bring us together again in the future!

Hallway in the evening

2007-07-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Different lighting shots for the hallway in the evening.

I chose to use sconce lights, on a dimmer, which allows for various 'mood' and ambiance.

The stained concrete floors show well in the evening too.
This is one of the really unique spots in the house.

The posts were taken from the property and are poplar. Coated with a couple of applications of Tung Oil, to keep them as natural looking as possible.

Exterior

2007-07-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

Exterior of the house - no landscaping done yet - awaiting eaves trough and some more excavation to clean up before I can start laying out any flower beds.
The next step for the exterior is to treat the surface cracking (quite normal I am told) with lime wash and then Eco House Silica Dispersion Paint, which will in effect 'gortex' the whole house.

This will be done in the early fall, I extimate.

Hallway

2007-07-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

The finished product!
The barrel vaulted ceiling was constructed using a combination of wood slats, newspaper and diamond lathe. Then, plaster was applied by hand, giving it a comparable 'rough' look to that of the exterior walls.

Posts are poplar, taken from the property last year (see the September archive).

The varied wood doors can just be seen on the left. Purchased from a Canadian supplier, they are a mixture of various woods: cherry, walnut, oak, maple and pine.

Floors are acid stained, using Kemiko product, applied directly to the concrete. The lovely 'mottled' effect is quite spectacular. The floor was coated twice with the stain and then sealed. Very low maintenance - I have found the best way to wash it is with water and vinegar!

Windows on a cloudy day, no flash

2007-07-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Interior shots of the windows, on a cloudy day, with no flash. Light enters in a very different way from conventional style window frames. It tends to 'flow' more gently, being easy on the eyes and soothing.
The windows are produced here in Canada, in Scarborough, by Anig Windows. They are Low E Argon Solarban 60.
Prarie Grill accent.

Exterior doors are also from the same supplier and are made of steel.
Bedroom window
Living room - truth window barely visible on the right.
Living room overlooking the front porch.

The view from my kitchen door

2007-06-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

This was early one morning - the mist was heavy on the ground and I just had to take a picture. The rubble in the front of the picture will soon be transformed to nice landscaping.

Truth window

2007-05-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

It is customary in a straw bale house to have a 'truth window'.
I chose a nautical theme, with an old porthole, with a lovely 'petina'.

Inside I have placed a spirit bear.
Native American legends tell of magical spirits that dwell within the forms of small carved animals. The most powerful of these spirits - strength and well being, are found in the form of the bear.

I felt it was appropriate that this spirit live in my truth window!

Interior Doors

2007-04-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

All the doors are different; this one is a mixture of cherry, walnut and oak.
This one is pine.
This one is pine also, just a different style. All doorways are 36' wide, to be wheelchair friendly, should the need ever arise.
Front door closet and front door.

Kitchen

2007-04-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

The kitchen is manufactured by Kitchencraft and made from rustic alder, which fits very well with the country look and feel of the house. Another very 'neat' addition to the drawers is the Blue Motion, which makes it impossible to slam any drawers as a mechanism prevents them from slamming shut.
Countertops are Acryflek.
Appliances are from GE Faucet from Moen.

Kitchen floors

2007-04-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

Cabinets are in, counter tops on and plumbing working!

Floors were stained with Kemiko Acid etching application, Malay Tan colour. As I wanted a 'tiled' look, we taped off the floor to give that appearance.

Floors stained and sealed

2007-03-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Floor stain turned out really well - great depth of colour and mottled effect.
Stain used was Kemiko and the colour is Malay Tan.

Kitchen - 'tile' pattern effect looks really nice!
Hallway looking towards garage.

INSULATION ALERT

2007-03-10T04:25:00.000-08:00

How is this for a testimonial:
On Thursday morning, March 1st, the crew accidentally disconnected the thermostat for the heating system while preping the drywall. The temperature in the house at that time was 15 degrees C.
This meant there was NO heat in the house for 5 days, until Tuesday morning when they returned to work.
The first weekend in March saw some of the coldest temps yet this year.
By Tuesday morning, the temperature had dropped to................................. 12 degrees C. Only 3 degrees drop in 5 days!! How's that for insulation factor!
For most houses, this would have been a devastating mistake, as plumbing would have been seriously comprimised. Not with a straw bale house tho!

Drywall

2007-02-22T04:41:00.001-08:00

Kitchen: drywall is complete. Next step is mudding and sanding, then staining the floors.
Kitchen has arrived and will be installed mid March.
Hallway almost ready for mudding.

Hallway

2007-02-10T18:50:00.000-08:00

Looking east, towards the garage entrance. This will be a barrel vaulted ceiling hallway.
Looking west down the hallway. This ceiling will be covered with newapaper, then diamond lathe and hand plastered, so compliment the plaster on the bale walls.
Orillia has been hit with huge snowfall this week - here is the proof!
Welcome to winter in the snow belt!

Ceiling finished

2007-02-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

Standing in the kitchen looking thru to the living room. Ceiling complete now - looks great.
Looking thru the hall (to the garage door), which will eventually have a barrel vaulted ceiling.
Looking in to the living room to the front door - milled post on the right (actually, there are 5 of them).
Drop down ladder access to loft area.

Ceiling's up....

2007-01-30T15:06:00.000-08:00

Pine tongue & groove ceiling - this view is over the kitchen

Deidre & Nate installing the ceiling.
Nice job guys!
Ceiling is continued thru the living room, and over the loft area.

Interior framing has begun...

2007-01-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Garage doors are on!
Framing changes the whole feel! This is standing at the garage entrance, looking east.
Standing in the corner of the kitchen, looking west. Ceiling will be vaulted all the way down to the other end of the house.

The posts (middle left) are the ones we harvested last year. The loft floor will come out to that point

Exterior Revealed!

2007-01-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

Tarps are gone - here is the finished product! In the late Spring, we will paint the exterior with a special silica dispersion paint (colour to be decided) which will in effect 'gortex' the finish.
Insullation is in in the ceiling; heat is on (the heat came up to about 18 degrees C in about 24 hours!!) Amazing, given the size of the slab and all that concrete to heat!
The house is now sealed and is drying out nicely. This is the view standing at the garage door, looking west.
This view is standing at the kitchen door, looking towards the garage door entrance (east).
Soffit and facia in being installed.

Final plaster day

2006-12-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

Interior plaster was completed today! This is the window with the masking removed - nice deep window sills! This will dry much lighter than you see it now.
Another view of the completed interior
Plaster will cure over time, some cracking is to be expected. Next summer, the exterior will be painted with a silica based dispersion paint from Eco House. The interior will be lime washed in a couple of months, and then coloured at a later date as and when appropriate.
The last bit of bale work to be plastered....

Bye bye bales!

Second day of plaster

2006-12-24T04:34:00.000-08:00

Wes applies the first coat of plaster.
Tim trowels the first coat.
Pete completes the finishing touches on the first coat.
Final product, after second coat.

Second coat of plaster..

2006-12-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

Tim applies second coat.
Second coat, with the troweller crew following behind to smooth it out.
Lee smoothes out the final coat.
Pete adds the finishing touches........... looks awesome!

.... and so... to plaster!

2006-12-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

Plaster started today. Here we see the first coat, which is applies very roughly.
The plaster is a mixture of lime, cement and sand. The method of application is quite ingenious, invented by the crew of Camels Back. As you will see with the extensive pictures, it is quite a process. Very labour intensive and tiring and they are only able to stop for one break, at lunch, as all the equipment has to be cleaned immediately, so that it does not begin to dry and cake all the equipment.
Close up of the first coat.
Tina, the plaster Queen!
The whold crew worked tirelessly , thru the Christmas Holidays. The whole process took one week, inside and out.
Base coat applied to bales. This will be followed by a second, smooth coat.

Heating system

2006-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Geothermal pipes (black on the right) circulate ethanol out into the field, drawing ground heat from the earth, bringing it back to the house, where it goes thru the heat pump (box on the floor), which in turn heats the hot water tank (white tank to left of heat pump) which then heats the water for the radiant floor heating (pipes t0 the left of the hot water tank).
House is heated from the floor up. Also, passive solar gain will be received due to the orientation of the house, (due south) for maximum utilization of the natural heat from the sun in the winter.
Roof pitch is designed to let in the sun's rays in, in the winter (sun sits lower in the sky in the winter) and to keep them out in the summer (sun sits higher in the sky in the summer).

Bale work almost complete

2006-12-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

North faceing exterior wall, ready for plaster.
Deidre and Jen stuffing in between the bales and trimming the straw, making it ready for the mesh.
Tina filling her baskets with straw for stuffing.
South facing interior walls ready with mesh complete. Plaster comes next week.

Bale work almost complete..... more pictures

2006-12-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Living room and office windows ready for plaster.

How are the bales used in construction?
Depending on the site and design considerations, there are two main types of construction with bales: structural, or load-bearing, and a framed structure using the bales as infill.
My project used modified post and beam, which meant we erected the structure first, with the roof put on ahead of time, and then the bales are put into place as infill.
As my build was postponed until the fall (which happens more often than you'd think!), it was a good job I had gone with modified post and beam, as opposed to load bearing, as the roof was already on and gave the bales the protection they needed in a very wet fall.
Another wall ready for plaster.
Whole house is now tarped and will stay that way until at least mid January so that the plaster process is protected from the elements.
It is December 15th, and the snow we had last week has all melted - current temp today was 7 degrees C!!

May the weather God stay on our side for another week or two!

Why I chose to build with Straw Bales

2006-12-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

I had a comment from a reader, as to why I would build with Straw.
Why build with bales?
There are many different reasons people choose to build with bales. From an environmental perspective, bales are an anually renewable building material, which happens to be essentially a waste product in Canada. Bale building results in voluntary carbon sequestering; several tonne worth. Bale homes are the likely choice for those who understand and care about embodied energy of materials. There are huge energy savings in bale buildings, given that the R-value of the walls is rated at R-40; this allows for great savings in heating and cooling buildings. Some people choose to build with bales due to the ease with which this technology can be learned. It is an extremely accessible form of building, for men, women, childen, and people of all abilities. A common reason for building with bales is the aesthetic value. If you have not seen a bale building, I encourage you to look for Open Houses and house tours. The warmth and depth of a bale wall is inviting, and inspiring. The rounded windows, built in benches, niches, the thick walls that serve to create warmth and quiet, the fact that no two bale houses will ever be the same...all of these are reasons enough to build with bales.
I am attempting, in my own little way, to reduce my footprint on the earth. In an era where we have over populated and over poluted the planet, without concern for future generations or the consequences of these actions, I feel we each have a part to play in making a difference.
Straw is a completely renewable, waste resourse. Straw bale construction uses less wood than conventional construction. There are less VOC's (Volitile Organic Compounds) in Eco Building than conventional building i.e. less/no formaldyhide, arsenics, pesticides, glues, herbicides, etc. The average conventional home takes 25-30 years to 'off gas' which means we live in a chemical filled environment for this time. Don't forget, many people sell and move, often to newer homes; very few ever open their windows (we seem to go from heating season to cooling season) so the house takes a very long time to dissipates these fumes.
A bale typically has an R40 - 50 value
Virtually no cooling is required in summer.
I chose Geo Thermal heat source to take advantage of the earths endless heat source to heat my house. This is done thru the radiant floor heating system, which is viewed in the September archive.
The cost will be comparable to that of a stick frame house, however, the future heating/cooling costs is where the monetary savings will be realised and of course my peace of mind in as much as I will have built a very eco friendly home.

Here are a couple of links if you are interested in more information:

www.strawbalebuilding.ca

This is the Straw Bale Coalition of Ontario web site.

Here is the link to my builders web site:

www.havencraftnaturalhomes.com

Thanks for following along and sharing my journey with me!

Preping the walls for the bales

2006-12-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Attaching the tenax mesh to the frame, then the bales fit snugly up to this mesh, giving a much more even appearance to the walls when plastered.
Diamond lathe mesh attaches around the corners, or wherever the bales come in contact with the frame, then the tenax is applied over top and secured.

Bale work

2006-12-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

Front exterior, verandah portion of bale wall
Sculpting the bales around the kitchen windows
Using a mallet to make the bales nice and snug

Well......... I had to put a few in too!!

Bales finally going in!

2006-12-07T18:50:00.000-08:00

Exterior view, prior to bales.. siding B&B siding completed (roof not quite completed)
Hydro/phone line being buried.
Electrical being installed in bale walls.
Front interior - (kitchen, actually)

Roof's on!

2006-11-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

The roof made of steel and has the look of 'tile'. Quite attractive. Eaves trough to go on at a later date.
Front view of house, with facia board on and all windows in .

Garage facia board.

Windows & Doors

2006-11-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

Windows and doors in; Tyvek on, awaiting roof, which will start this next week.
View of back of house - all windows in.

Porch/Verandah Nov 14 2006

2006-11-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

View down the south side - porch/verandah is being built - peak over front entrance being built too.
Inside, looking west - porch/verandah to the left.

Looking at the front of the house.
Verandah/porch under construction.

Trusses complete

2006-11-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

Trusses complete - awaiting roof measurements.
Looking good!
Building the framing for the veranda.
Strapping the trusses (and working safely too!)

Trusses going up Nov 02

2006-11-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

Now we are talking! What a difference with the roof now taking shape!
Trusses over the main part of the house.
View from the north side
Inside looking up - you can really get a feel for the layout now!

Installing top plate for bales.

2006-10-31T18:58:00.000-08:00

Top sill plate is being installed now, ready for the bales.
Parging the final part of the foundation, oh my, it is like a quagmire right now! Good job I don't have a basement. At least the drainage system is working (believe it or not). It is running in as quickly as it is being drained away!
Here you can see the ledge where the bales will sit.

Framing complete

2006-10-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

So now the framing is complete. View: looking east, from the far west wall.
View: south face of the house.

Slab backfilled

2006-10-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

Backfilling of slab completed and framing on west wall completed.

2006-10-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Meet the crew from Havencraft Natural Homes: (left to right) Jen, Pat (proprietor), Nate and Dan.
Framing started..
Window bucks on the north side.
Framing started.

Septic bed being started

2006-10-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

Boy is the site mucky........ too much rain for sure!

Because of the clay soil, we have to build the septic bed up with different kinds of gravel. This is just the bottom layer.

October 23

2006-10-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

Framing ready to go up...... if only we could have a few days without rain.....
Sill plates on (this is where the bales sit). Excavator in the background is building the septic bed.
This is MY house!! .... well, it will be one day!
My front porch looking out.......... use your imagination now...!!

Milling the posts for inside

2006-10-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

Here are the posts being milled by my neighbour - Thank Goodness for great neighbours!
These will go inside the house. They look Amazing!

Insulating the Foundation

2006-10-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Foundation insulated, now ready to back fill.

Finally.... the full permit

2006-10-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

Well, today we have a full go ahead as we received the full permit yesterday. Ironically, there is a light dusting of snow on the ground. Now we race the weather. Stay tuned... things will happen quickly now....

Slab is poured..

2006-09-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the slab pouring day. Quite the process - they started at 6.15 a.m. and hope to be finished by 6 tonight.

Radiant floor pipes installed

2006-09-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

This week we installed the radiant floor heating system. This will be heated via a heat pump, which will get it's heat from the geo thermal system, which takes the heat from the earth. We are ready to pour the slab, which is slated for next Monday! All inspections have passed so far too!

2006-09-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

Rebar installed, ready for the radiant floor heating system next week.
Had our first township inspection today and everything was OK!

Forming, plumbing and insulation to slab

2006-09-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

Sept 5th.......... here we are, forming, placing the foam insulation over the gravel and installing the plumbing.

2006-09-04T06:11:00.000-07:00

Completion of the first week. Geo is in; gravel is leveled; Forming has begun.

Geothermal lines into the house through these pipes. Forming has been prepared and crushed stone for the foundation has been well packed down.

2006-09-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

Installing the Geo Thermal... I chose to use Next Energy for the Geothermal heating system and as Pat Marcotte from Havencraft is a Next Energy dealer, it made sense to have him do the install.

Two trenches were dug, 300' out into the field and 8' deep, which means that the piping (2000') will lay below the frost line and be constantly exposed to the approximate 10 degrees centigrade temperature that the earth remains at 12 months a year.

The system is a closed loop, which means that a mixture of 25% ethanol and 75% water is constantly pumped (during heating season) through these lines, which cycle through the heat pump located inside the house. This then used that heat to heat up the water for the radiant floor heating system in the house.

Energy bills are estimated to be approximately 25 - 30% of a normal home with regard to heating.
Stay tuned for an update on that next winter!

The earth at this site is solid clay below about 18". According to my building crew, the quality of the clay is excellent for using in earthen plaster applications.
So, if anyone wants to source some good clay for their earthen plaster project, let me know!
Here we are laying out the pipe - three pipes per trench, totalling approximately 2000'.

2006-09-04T06:03:00.000-07:00

Aug 28 2006
Finally we start! The house is a slab on grade.
The site where the house was to go was already prepared by the excavator, when they put the drive way in.
This house will sit on a floating slab of concrete so the house will be bungalow, without a basement or second floor.

2006-09-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

April/May 2006
Debarking the posts.

Boy was this hard work!

2006-09-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

Feb 2006
Harvesting the posts for the interior:
We cut down these poplar trees with the intention of using them in the interior of the house. They will need to be debarked in April time.

2006-09-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

April 2005
The Site.
When I walked the land, I knew.
I knew that this was where my soul wanted to be. This would be the site for my straw balw home.
The rolling hills of Oro Medonte, Ontario, Canada

Strawbale house

Digging the foundation...

Wet Patches On The Concrete

Summer 2008

Final Exterior colour Applied

The 'almost' finished product

Wood Stove

Landscaping ready for plants...

More landscaping...

The Evolution of Landscaping..

Landscaping begins....

Acknowledgements

Hallway in the evening

Exterior

Hallway

Windows on a cloudy day, no flash

The view from my kitchen door

Truth window

Interior Doors

Kitchen

Kitchen floors

Floors stained and sealed

***INSULATION ALERT***

Drywall

Hallway

Ceiling finished

Ceiling's up....

Interior framing has begun...

Exterior Revealed!

Final plaster day

Second day of plaster

Second coat of plaster..

.... and so... to plaster!

Heating system

Bale work almost complete

Bale work almost complete..... more pictures

Why I chose to build with Straw Bales

Preping the walls for the bales

Bale work

Bales finally going in!

Roof's on!

Windows & Doors

Porch/Verandah Nov 14 2006

Trusses complete

Trusses going up Nov 02

Installing top plate for bales.

Framing complete

Slab backfilled

Septic bed being started

October 23

Milling the posts for inside

Insulating the Foundation

Finally.... the full permit

Slab is poured..

Radiant floor pipes installed

Forming, plumbing and insulation to slab

INSULATION ALERT