I'm Building My House Out of Straw

[Philly Fin Fan]

This is awesome. I commend you for going green!

I think I am the only TDMMC board member who belongs to the USGBC, (and I am also ready to gain LEED accreditation) and I could go on and on about this, but I don't want to bore anyone.

[Jim Gray]

For those of you that are interested, I've just posted another 44 pictures that take the project through the internal plastering.  Click on the larger image to the left and you can scroll through them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/18026287@N00/sets/72157624928553512/

I have another set of photos ready for posting, but I won't get around to it for a few more days.  The project is a little further along than the pictures indicate.  The external lime plaster base coat is finished, and is in the process of drying.   Unfortunately for us, this plaster needs to dry slowly from the inside out.  For the best results, you want low temps with high humidity and low winds.  Over the weekend, we had record high temps, very low humidity and winds blowing steady from 20 - 30 mph.   To mitigate this, we tarped the whole building with burlap sheets and watered the burlap and walls 3 to 4 times a day. 

[Brian Fein]

Great updated pics.  Really coming along...  Glad to see it.

Just curious on one thing, though...

Why did you build up the foundation on the one end (due to elevation change) rather than digging in on the other end (or some combination thereof)?

[Jim Gray]

Great updated pics.  Really coming along...  Glad to see it.

Just curious on one thing, though...

Why did you build up the foundation on the one end (due to elevation change) rather than digging in on the other end (or some combination thereof)?

We were surprised by how high the foundation is on the eastern end of the house; but there wasn't really any other option.  Digging out the hillside isn't really practical.  The ground is almost solid limestone and excavating is very expensive.  You also have to worry about flooding.   We don't get much rain, but when we do, it's usually very heavy.  If we had a portion of the house below regular ground level, it would be a problem down the road.  On the positive side, the elevated foundation has given us some nice views of the central Texas hill country.

[bsfins]

Wow...I just slide showed all the pics from beginning to the end...It was an enjoyable few minutes,a nice break from a hectic day. Even though I imagine you're ready to be finished,and moved in,it does look like building it has been a very fun experience for you and your wife.For some reason seeing the Straw bales today,gave me flash backs of Hauling hay as a kid,and I started sneezing,thinking about it. 

A couple of questions....
(Sorry I don't mean to jinx you,or put a whammy on you) Other than the weather,has it gone pretty much as you planned,or has it been a lot of unexpected problems?

I'm curious about how if you need to add a plug in,replace plumbing, in the future how easy is it to do?

[Brian Fein]

Makes sense about flooding.  I was assuming the build site was on top of a hill.

In any case, the house looks amazing.  I am super envious.