City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

Building with straw bales, a practical manual for self-builders and architects, Barbara Jones

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

Building with straw bales

Barbara Jones

a practical manual for self-builders and architects

Building with Straw Bales explains in straightforward terms the principles of straw bale building. It covers design principles; the different types of foundations; how to raise and stabilise walls and protect them from the weather, including a detailed analysis of how straw performs with humidity; and how strawbale buildings can easily meet Building Regulations requirements. Straw bale building is now entering the mainstream - used by firms who see its value in terms of cost-effectiveness, ease of installation and energy efficiency. Straw has great loadbearing qualities and provides superb insulation at an affordable price. Now in full colour for the first time, the beautiful photographs throughout this book illustrate the techniques described and show-case the diverse possibilities of straw bale building. A book for self-builders as well as architects and construction industry professionals; strawbale building is accessible to many people and provides immense opportunity for creative fun, enabling you to design and build the sort of shape and space you'd really like

ch. 1 Why build with straw bales? -- ch. 2 Affordable houses -- ch. 3 Low environmental impact -- ch. 4 Building techniques explained: load-bearing, infill, hybrid and prefabrication -- ch. 5 Understanding your bale -- ch. 6 Bale plans: designing with the bale in mind -- ch. 7 Cement-free foundations: `a good pair of boots' -- ch. 8 Carpentry for load-bearing buildings -- ch. 9 The roof: `a good hat' -- ch. 10 Keeping the straw dry: `dropping the roof' methods -- ch. 11 Wall raising -- ch. 12 Windows and doors -- ch. 13 Compression -- ch. 14 Services, fixings and alcoves -- ch. 15 Lime and lime plasters -- ch. 16 Clay and clay plasters -- ch. 17 Safety and tools -- ch. 18 Planning permission -- ch. 19 Building regulations -- Appendix -- Appendix 1 Frequently asked questions -- Appendix 2 Resources and references -- Appendix 3 Design and construction drawings. Appendix 5 How to make car-tyre foundations -- Appendix 6 Understanding lime products