Real Simple and Mother Earth Magazines are often doing stories about families
that live in Earth
friendly, efficient homes. I have heard lots of good things about them.
My dad built his own straw bale house. It's pretty amazing ... the house itself is just a little loft size/style house. But the fact that it has live plants growing in the kitchen, stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and was built entirely by my father is what is so amazing.
I have an Architectural Digest article about a couple in VT with a straw bale house. Pretty efficient - and keeps them warm in winter - in VT! Makes a lot of sense to me....but expensive to build, I hear.
Depends on how you define expensive. My walls are 18" thick and apx R-50 to R-60. A stick (2x4) wall at best can be R-30. That doesn't even take into account the incredible fire rating of straw bale walls (approved for industrial fire walls), or soundproofing (outside noise? What outside noise?). Straw Bale to conventional stick frame construction is an apples to oranges comparison.
My dad built his own straw bale house. It's pretty amazing ... the house itself is just a little loft size/style house. But the fact that it has live plants growing in the kitchen, stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and was built entirely by my father is what is so amazing.
ReplyDeleteI have an Architectural Digest article about a couple in VT with a straw bale house. Pretty efficient - and keeps them warm in winter - in VT! Makes a lot of sense to me....but expensive to build, I hear.
ReplyDeleteDepends on how you define expensive. My walls are 18" thick and apx R-50 to R-60. A stick (2x4) wall at best can be R-30. That doesn't even take into account the incredible fire rating of straw bale walls (approved for industrial fire walls), or soundproofing (outside noise? What outside noise?). Straw Bale to conventional stick frame construction is an apples to oranges comparison.
ReplyDeleteGlen Hunter