Hello everyone,
We are still at the very beginning of planning our future house.
The bank is currently reviewing the possible loan amount, and once that’s settled, we will take a closer look at the zoning plan / building permit and start considering the general design of the house. After that, we will begin searching for a home construction company.
The first important decision will be about the material for the shell of the building:
- Solid construction (e.g., masonry or concrete)
- Timber frame with appropriate insulation
- Timber frame insulated with straw (straw bale house)
We are quite fascinated by the idea of a straw bale house because there are hardly any other building methods with such a good ecological footprint during the construction phase. The insulation provided by the 40 cm (16 inches) thick straw bales alone is very effective and should meet KfW40 standards (yes, we want KfW40, so please no discussion about that here).
According to our current research, the costs are not much lower than other options, but it does offer the opportunity for a lot of DIY work, which we are excited about!
The house will have one full story and an attic with a rather low knee wall (50 cm (20 inches), maybe a bit more). The zoning plan/building permit doesn’t allow for more.
Does anyone here have experience with a straw bale house or something similar?
Best regards,
Specki
We are still at the very beginning of planning our future house.
The bank is currently reviewing the possible loan amount, and once that’s settled, we will take a closer look at the zoning plan / building permit and start considering the general design of the house. After that, we will begin searching for a home construction company.
The first important decision will be about the material for the shell of the building:
- Solid construction (e.g., masonry or concrete)
- Timber frame with appropriate insulation
- Timber frame insulated with straw (straw bale house)
We are quite fascinated by the idea of a straw bale house because there are hardly any other building methods with such a good ecological footprint during the construction phase. The insulation provided by the 40 cm (16 inches) thick straw bales alone is very effective and should meet KfW40 standards (yes, we want KfW40, so please no discussion about that here).
According to our current research, the costs are not much lower than other options, but it does offer the opportunity for a lot of DIY work, which we are excited about!
The house will have one full story and an attic with a rather low knee wall (50 cm (20 inches), maybe a bit more). The zoning plan/building permit doesn’t allow for more.
Does anyone here have experience with a straw bale house or something similar?
Best regards,
Specki
Based on my research so far:
- Settling is no longer a real issue since the bales are compressed and installed tightly.
- No additives are used, only the compressed straw bales (naturally with defined quality).
- Both the interior and exterior are firmly plastered, preventing any pest intrusion.
- There are straw bale houses that have stood for over 100 years without problems.
- Fire protection is not an issue (similar to other wooden houses); with the clay plaster layer, fire resistance class F90 is achieved.
- Mold is reportedly not a problem because the structure remains completely dry.
- Settling is no longer a real issue since the bales are compressed and installed tightly.
- No additives are used, only the compressed straw bales (naturally with defined quality).
- Both the interior and exterior are firmly plastered, preventing any pest intrusion.
- There are straw bale houses that have stood for over 100 years without problems.
- Fire protection is not an issue (similar to other wooden houses); with the clay plaster layer, fire resistance class F90 is achieved.
- Mold is reportedly not a problem because the structure remains completely dry.
A few years ago, we had a broken water pipe in the kitchen, and the water ran through the wall all the way down to the basement. After that, I definitely did not want a timber-frame prefab house. In our case, the pipe was repaired and the masonry wall was dried out; everything was done quickly. I don’t even want to imagine how a straw bale wall would have looked after that.
Best regards,
Sabine
Best regards,
Sabine
borderpuschl schrieb:
I think working with a local carpenter can work very well. But you have to convince them of the idea. No and yes. "Yes" to "local," because without short distances (and by the way also without sustainability), organic would not be the same as eco-friendly. But "no" to the idea of attempting the implementation "with an amateur, even if they are a professional." The construction here is more similar to American prefabricated housing than to German prefab construction (or even more so to shipbuilding), as it involves framing with ribs rather than traditional beam frameworks.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Curly schrieb:
You should also keep in mind that such an "exotic" wall construction might result in a lower resale value. It definitely has its fans – so I see the marketability as less dramatic, provided the house isn’t "special" in terms of design, layout, or features; however,
Specki schrieb:
So the bank is currently checking the possible loan amount made me wonder whether the bank is equally open to this type of construction.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/