See our straw bale holiday accomodation: www.strawcottage.co.uk

Building the Straw Bale Cabin

 

>> Please click here to see a VIDEO of the straw cabin being built

 

During the construction of the Straw Bale Cabin we tried very hard to use local materials and services as much as possible. Renewable, recycled and recyclable materials were also chosen to minimise the environmental impact of the construction. We wanted to support local producers and tradesmen and to minimise carbon dioxide emissions arising from energy hungry production processes and long distance transport.

 

 

 

The wheat straw we used for the Straw Bale Cabin came from a neighbouring farm. In August 2005 it was baled dry into standard two string bales 475mm wide, 400mm high and approximately 1000mm long by a New Holland baler. The bales were led off the field before it rained and stored dry in a barn at Village Farm until construction began in June 2006. The bales were made as tightly as possible. Their average density was 120 kg/m3.

 

 

 

The Straw Bale Cabin is 10 metres long by 4 metres wide on the outside and approximately 9 metres by 3 metres on the inside. The walls were built with 96 full bales and 45 half bales using the load bearing method. In other words, the bales themselves bear the weight of the roof. There is no timber frame.

 

You can read more about the construction of Cabin in Chapter 2 of Carol’s thesis.

 

 

 

 

Renewable materials used in the construction of the Straw Bale Cabin include:

• Straw (for the super-insulated walls)
• Coppiced hazel (to stabilise the walls whilst building)
• Western red cedar shingles (for the roof)
• Sheep’s wool (for insulating the base of the walls, the floor, ceiling, internal walls and sometimes to stuff gaps between bales)
• Timber (floor joists, roof rafters, windows, floor boards, doors, cupboards)
• Wood fibre board (internal walls and ceilings)
• Hemp (chopped in the lime render and clay plaster for strength and to prevent cracking)
• Linseed (for mastic around windows and doors and in the marmoleum flooring)
• Cork (an insulating layer beneath the floor boards, also helping prevent “squeaking” and an ingredient in the marmoleum flooring)
• Hessian (used to prevent cracking in plaster where wood joins straw, in corners, over pipes, around windows and over wall straps)
• Paints and oils made from plant extracts

 

Recycled items include:

• an old barn door (unused for over 20 years) used to make beams in the lounge and bedroom, edging above all windows and doors and coat rail
• bathroom and bedroom doors bought from a small ad in the Goole Times. They were once part of a local nursing home.
• hanging rails in the wardrobe. They were once pipes in the milking parlour (unused for over 20 years)
• plastic tubes from the centre of silage wrap made perfect drain pipes to take away surplus rain water from the roof water
• reclaimed railway sleepers, hardcore and paving stones for the path
• off cuts of marmoleum which make an ideal, easily wiped lining for the cupboard shelves
• furniture, curtains, books, games, crockery, cutlery and kitchen equipment acquired from charity shops, small ads, friends and family.

 

Due to planning difficulties, the Straw Bale Cabin is a temporary building – a caravan in fact. It was built on a steel, twin axle chassis. Although not a renewable material, it is UK steel from a local supplier and is recyclable at the end of its useful life.

 

 

When the Cabin comes to the end of its useful life (hopefully not for at least 50 years), there will be no permanent impact on the land. The chassis can be wheeled away and the grass will grow again. There are no lumps of concrete to remove from the field. The natural materials used in the building will biodegrade when exposed to the elements.

 

 

 

Renewable energy

The Straw Bale Cabin’s south facing aspect is ideal for the Worcester Bosch solar hot water panel and the BP solar photovoltaic (pv) panel. The Eclectic D400 direct-drive micro wind turbine is located 30 metres away in the field to the east of the cabin.

 

 

 

 

The solar hot water panel provides hot water on sunny days throughout the year. Insulated pipes deliver hot water to the taps in seconds. Cold water pipes are also insulated to keep them cold. The plumbing (kitchen and bathroom) is located in the centre of the building so if there are leaks at any time, water will not damage the straw walls. Locating the sinks and shower close together also minimises the length of copper pipe required and the insulation needed to keep the pipes hot or cold.

 

 

 

 

 

The pv panel (see below) and the micro wind turbine generate electricity which is stored in a bank of 4 batteries that provide power for the lights and the fridge in the Cabin. There is also sufficient power to run appliances with small electricity demand such as lamps, a laptop or mobile phone charger. The Cabin also has a number of 12V appliances including a travel kettle, slow cooker and dvd player.

 

 

The Cabin also has wind-up gadgets including a torch, lantern and radio (see above). The Ranger wind up radio in the Cabin will play for 35 minutes per 30 seconds of winding. These are widely available, inexpensive forms of renewable energy.