So while building houses out of straw bales would seem a little more apropos to those Woos in far-flung parts of the world, Clare and I tried it out this past Saturday, just a stone's throw from the Capitol. The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (www.eesi.org) organized a Congressional Hearing led by leaders in the sustainable building field, followed the next day by a hands-on workshop. For those of you not familiar with the process, and concerned with how you're going to get a house without an ARM, it goes a little something like this:
1. Measure out the bale length you need and if necessary, divide the bale up into two separate bales using a large bale needles and twine, as modeled by Clare:
2. Shave down the ends of the bale to right angles using what looks like an oversized cheese grater (or powered grinder...which they wouldn't let me use...good call) so that the bales fit well together
3. Stack the bales together in a frame, and compress them together using the frame or compression strapping.
4. Cover the interior and exterior faces in slip (watered down clay) to hold straw together and allow to dry. Slip allows comes in handy as a sunscreen, as I model below.
5. Apply plaster (clay, sand, water, chopped straw) and smooth with trowel. Special instructions for those under the age of 8: a. Throw clay at wall b. Become bored with trowel and c. Throw clay at strange man with beard.
6. Allow to dry and await failed US foreign policy (concocted in 501 memo) to bring poverty and strife to your home. Rinse and repeat.
Unfortunately, since only Clare and I were the workhorses on this one (others stepped in from time to time), we didn't get as far as the folks had hoped. I'm pretty sure a Big Bad Wolf could take this one down pretty quick, regardless of the hair on my chinny chin chin:
1 comment:
With those guns, "Hurricane Frank" Norcross could blow it down for sure.
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