Home-Sustainable Building - Straw Bale - Efficiency

Efficiency and Comfort

Most people are familiar with the term 'R-Value'; the way in which insulation is rated by its resistance to heat flow. All building material is rated. For example, wood has an R-1 per inch rating, and blue board is rated anywhere from R-3 to R-20 depending on its thickness. Framed homes with typical fiberglass insulation are rated between R-18 and R-25, while research on most 2 string strawbales rate between R-40 and R-45. The actual thickness and the way a strawbale house is laid will effect the specific R value. Three string strawbales are valued between R-50 and R-55. These strawbale R Value's do not include the mass and extra insulation gained from the stucco used to cover most strawbale homes.

When combined with passive solar, a good site location and roof insulation, a strawbale home can prove to be one of the most energy efficient living structures available to home buyers today. Most strawbale home owners find that the need for heating in winter is minimal and that their homes maintain naturally cool temperatures during the summer.

The thickness of the walls make for sufficiently thick entry ways and windows. Once plastered, strawbale homes have a soft, quiet feel, lending themselves to a simple aesthetic. Each strawbale home is unique with its own individual character, especially due to the soft lines of the walls and the variety of natural finishes that can be chosen to cover the plaster.