Thanks! It has made a huge difference in the stability of the walls. Additional stabilization will take place in conjunction with the box beam install as well. 👍
We had some 35 mph gusts the other day and I was confident about the walls. With the box beam, roof and of course plaster, come on Wolf, give it your best shot! 🤣
Hello from Phoenix, love what you both are doing. I’m learning a lot. You are so good at explaining your process even your corrective measures. Its wonderful to watch your progress.
Thank you Paula! The nice thing about making the videos, besides giving back to a community from which we have learned so much, is that it slows us down and forces us to be both methodical and self critical.
In Colorado years ago we built a straw bale house and used gussets in walls that had no windows or doors. Usually we used 2 2x6s on the inside and outside of the wall. Gave us something substantial to brace the wall until the top plate could be added. You guys are knocking it out. Keep up the good work. God bless.
Thanks for your comments. We will be doing the same thing with 2x4s especially along that problematic portion of the southern wall where our kitchen will be situated. We have friends that did the same thing, 2x4s inside and out, connected through the bales with threaded rod. We also did something similar in our straw bale Toolshed build. We attached 2x4s on the inside only, securing them to the foundation and the box beam. We left them exposed and it gave the walls an interesting Tudor look. Here's a link to a video that might show the inside walls. 👍 ua-cam.com/video/tAPqq856Frg/v-deo.html
Hey guys, we’re really enjoying your close attention to details. Fixing the bowed wall now instead of relying on plaster will save time, effort and materials later. Wind! We know what you’re dealing with! We try to limit our fighting wind to only essential things. Good luck. Be safe guys.
Exactly. The folded side is what we call it. We're fortunate to have very high quality bales with a density that is fantastic. Only downside is they are in that 80+ pound range.
That wind is a hassle for sure. I've tried a couple of different mics with minimal success. I film with my Android phone and have tried lavelier mics and mini directional mics but nothing is a real improvement. I'll admit, I haven't tried anything of real quality ( read : expensive ) cause I've got building materials to buy. One day....I appreciate your comments 👍 Thanks for watching.
@@theupsideofdownsizing I would consider buying a full size dead cat and cutting it down to size and need. Just look up dead cat mic sticker on Amazon abs it should point you in the right direction, just make sure you don’t cover up the mic holes with the sticker, it should fit around the mic holes.
I have always heard that you’re supposed to put straw bales with string sides turned under, not on the outside. I believe it holds the rebar better too. Although wall frames can strengthen it.
Both ways are used commonly in straw bale construction. Strings down as you mentioned make a thicker wall which is beneficial in colder climates. Vertical, as we have done provides plenty of insulation for our region as uses less bales. In addition, the shafts or tubes of the straw will not allow an air flow through them whereas strings down do.
Fixing it when you noticed it was definitely the way to go :) we spent a ton of time persuading :) our walls into straightness. It's so fun to watch you guys build again. Thanks for making the videos even though it must be lots of extra work.
Thanks. I think "persuasion" is just part of the game...though we like to call it "massaging"🤣 Massaging those bales into place until they finally get locked into place like it or not. Making videos does add work to the process, but truth be told, I enjoy it. It started off as a way to keep our families in the loop, but it somehow has turned into a quasi job. But it remains fun.....sort of😉
Absolutely CB, but fortunately the strapping material is our wing man on this phase of the build. Box beam on top is coming up soon and then the trusses. That'll lock it down. Take care my friend.
Your walls are so much straighter than any of ours 😂. I love your attention to detail and seeing different ways of building a straw bale structure. Looking forward to more videos!
Thanks for watching! According to the UA-cam algorithm, they are most effective at the beginning. And we are fighting for every subscriber and viewer we can get. I will make a test to see if it makes a big difference or not. Next Video, for sure.
Hi Bill great job again I have been on your Amazon link to look at the bale ratchet and thats good, but I cant see the Buckles, or the webbing maybe if you link them to your site like the ratchet as I would sooner buy threw yourselves just to help your site out a little.
Do you have plans for insulating the underneath of the floor with some Rockwool or something like that? Needs to be sealed somehow to prevent critters from making it their home too I think.
Thanks for the question. Yes, after all of the mechanical work under the floor is complete, we'll be insulating. Right now I am leaning towards spray foam. A bit more expensive but it'll seal every nook and cranny.
Good morning folks. My question has to do with the shed that you and Yvonne built. How or did you secure your rail road ties to the ground? It appears that they are just laying on the ground and that may be but I'm curious if you anchored them somehow and how? Thanks you so much. Anthony
Hi Anthony. Thanks for watching and your question. The railroad ties are just laying on the ground. There are 2 parallel sets of ties that are pinned together using 3/8" rebar. The ties weighed about 200-250 lbs each. It took 3 of us to get them from the truck to the final location.
Hello guys, thanks for the detailed explanation. Great work. I would like to build a straw bale house in Morocco after the pandemic...is there anything bad about going for the straw panels!? It is a technique used by the company Ecococon.
Thanks for watching and your question. I've only seen a few videos about the pre fab straw bale panels and I thought they looked good and it was a very inovative use of straw. For me, the only downside would be cost. But if that is not a factor, I say go for it. And make some videos along the way because there isn't that much to be found on this technique.
Do you have any suggestions on where to get the straw bales? We are in north west AZ. What should we expect to pay for them? Thanks for all the great education!
I think your best bet, or at least starting point would be your local feed store. The price will be based on time of year ( harvest time) and quality/ quantity of the harvest. Pricing will be region specific as well. Sorry I can't be more specific to your particular situation. Thanks for watching!
It's a strapping material with a break point of 1680 pounds and it's used for bundling large bunks of lumber for example. It's available from Amazon and check out the link in our description to see our Amazon store page for more information.
Been watching several of your videos over the last couple of days, really nice work and nice videos. =) But I have had a question regarding the wall. Here you end up taking down and redoing the section that has buckled. So at first I am wondering if there was any big probles around that, I know you have put rods down in the wal for stability, so did they become a problem now? And also, in a later video you guys put boards on the outside and even the wall by pushing it flush with the boards. Would that not have been enough here, or was the bend to much to simply be pushed out like that? Thancks again for great content. =)
Thanks for your question. I'm thinking about what we did back then. when we put the vertical boards on the outside it gave it a framework for me to pound the bales from the inside. If I didn't have those boards then I would have not had a reference point as far as how far to move the bales. The system really worked out fantastic, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. As far as taking down the wall, the rebar that I had put through the Bales did come out with a little struggle but it allowed me to rebuild the wall and reinsert rebar. I hope that answers your question. Thanks for watching!
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thank you for taking the time to get back and answer me. And thank you again for making interesting and entertaining videos. =)
I'm wondering if anyone has heard of double compressed straw bales? They use the process for hay mostly but now you can find straw bales as well. They are 21"x 16"x 12" bales, compressed much denser than regular bales. I'm wondering if there would be any advantage of using those?
I've never heard of those before. Double as dense would be interesting, but I'm not sure there would be an advantage in building, at least from an R value. I would think that a certain amount of trapped air in the bale would make it more efficient. I could be wrong. The smaller size would be convienent but if it were truly double so dense, it would have considerable weight to them. Our bales are VERY dense and weight in at about 75 pounds.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Apparently the bales at 21x16x12 are 20kg or 44lbs. At 2.33cubic feet per bale, that's about 18 lbs/cu ft. A standard bale is 36x18x14, that's. 5.25 cu ft.
No we didn't. They were from a recent harvest and any moisture content was from the plant and not from being improperly stored. If you could feel the density you would be amazed. That's why I typically need to do a plunge cut with the chainsaw before I can hammer in a vampire stake. I've seen videos of guys carrying straw bales by the twine with one hand....those are definitely NOT our bales😉
Good question. If you recall, we did do additional strapping between the 3rd and fourth row of bales along that longer section of wall for additional stability, and it did make a big difference. You could stay between ties two and three, it wouldn't hurt but we didn't find it necessary. And once the box beam is installed and strapped, the walls firm up immensely. We found the pinning with rebar to be sufficient up though the third row. And again, v it depends on how long that wall is uninterrupted by either door or window bucking, both of which and to the stability of the wall. I hope that makes sense.
Given your current design and materials. 1, will it support the roof weight. 2, wall bracing, vertical, horizontal, corners of the walls. Both internal and externally. Your current design will not survive a 3.0 Earthquake. In turn, catastrophic failure.
I would disagree, first off a 3.0 is almost nothing. Something in the 6-7 range (which can wreck havoc) may shift things a bit, but at one story, I think all that you'd have to do is a lot of patching of cracks. What fails in earthquakes are old, multi-storied buildings that get the 'house of cards' effect. One story homes, barns, sheds, etc usually stat solid. (Cali native, lived through many)
I think you need to read up more on straw bale construction. They will hold the roof no problem. The CMHC (Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation) did some tests a few years ago on compressive and shear strength of straw bale walls. Essentially the plaster takes most of the downward force, and the combination of the plaster and straw gives the wall assembly very impressive seismic ratings.
It depends on the season and the harvest. Check with Benson Feed and Supply for current pricing. Should be between 10 and 13 bucks per bale. These are 3 string bales and VERY DENSE!
Nice update, you folks are making great progress!
Thanks for watching! 😀
I like this sistem! It's very easy to build.🛠️🙋💪
with all that wind you need to get a wind turbine going,,great vid,,the strapping on the 3ed row is smart in my book,,2 thumbs up
Thanks! It has made a huge difference in the stability of the walls. Additional stabilization will take place in conjunction with the box beam install as well. 👍
The big bad Wolf can huff and puff all he wants, not blowing that house down.👍🏼
We had some 35 mph gusts the other day and I was confident about the walls. With the box beam, roof and of course plaster, come on Wolf, give it your best shot! 🤣
Hello from Phoenix, love what you both are doing. I’m learning a lot. You are so good at explaining your process even your corrective measures. Its wonderful to watch your progress.
Thank you Paula! The nice thing about making the videos, besides giving back to a community from which we have learned so much, is that it slows us down and forces us to be both methodical and self critical.
In Colorado years ago we built a straw bale house and used gussets in walls that had no windows or doors. Usually we used 2 2x6s on the inside and outside of the wall. Gave us something substantial to brace the wall until the top plate could be added. You guys are knocking it out. Keep up the good work. God bless.
Thanks for your comments. We will be doing the same thing with 2x4s especially along that problematic portion of the southern wall where our kitchen will be situated. We have friends that did the same thing, 2x4s inside and out, connected through the bales with threaded rod. We also did something similar in our straw bale Toolshed build. We attached 2x4s on the inside only, securing them to the foundation and the box beam. We left them exposed and it gave the walls an interesting Tudor look. Here's a link to a video that might show the inside walls. 👍
ua-cam.com/video/tAPqq856Frg/v-deo.html
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Hope everyone has a great day 😀
❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎
You too! I know Yvonne is having a great time in LA
@@theupsideofdownsizing
LA??? Los Angeles or Louisiana?
I would not want to be in the city right now, or anytime, actually.
Excellent video, I am Georgia, I bought land Cochise county 2 years ago. I am your fan
We moved here from Savannah! Small world. Thanks for watching! 👍
Hey guys, we’re really enjoying your close attention to details. Fixing the bowed wall now instead of relying on plaster will save time, effort and materials later. Wind! We know what you’re dealing with! We try to limit our fighting wind to only essential things. Good luck. Be safe guys.
Super 👍👍👍☺
Vielen Dank 👍
Take a careful look at your bales, they have a cut side and a long side, but they also can have a different edge hardness on the cut side of the bale.
Exactly. The folded side is what we call it. We're fortunate to have very high quality bales with a density that is fantastic. Only downside is they are in that 80+ pound range.
Consider getting a dead cat sock wind shield for the wind noise. Keep it up!
That wind is a hassle for sure. I've tried a couple of different mics with minimal success. I film with my Android phone and have tried lavelier mics and mini directional mics but nothing is a real improvement. I'll admit, I haven't tried anything of real quality ( read : expensive ) cause I've got building materials to buy. One day....I appreciate your comments 👍 Thanks for watching.
@@theupsideofdownsizing I would consider buying a full size dead cat and cutting it down to size and need. Just look up dead cat mic sticker on Amazon abs it should point you in the right direction, just make sure you don’t cover up the mic holes with the sticker, it should fit around the mic holes.
I have always heard that you’re supposed to put straw bales with string sides turned under, not on the outside. I believe it holds the rebar better too. Although wall frames can strengthen it.
Both ways are used commonly in straw bale construction. Strings down as you mentioned make a thicker wall which is beneficial in colder climates. Vertical, as we have done provides plenty of insulation for our region as uses less bales. In addition, the shafts or tubes of the straw will not allow an air flow through them whereas strings down do.
Fixing it when you noticed it was definitely the way to go :) we spent a ton of time persuading :) our walls into straightness. It's so fun to watch you guys build again. Thanks for making the videos even though it must be lots of extra work.
Thanks. I think "persuasion" is just part of the game...though we like to call it "massaging"🤣 Massaging those bales into place until they finally get locked into place like it or not. Making videos does add work to the process, but truth be told, I enjoy it. It started off as a way to keep our families in the loop, but it somehow has turned into a quasi job. But it remains fun.....sort of😉
Wind is not your friend when deal with bales. She is coming right along and looking good. Stay safe over there!
Absolutely CB, but fortunately the strapping material is our wing man on this phase of the build. Box beam on top is coming up soon and then the trusses. That'll lock it down. Take care my friend.
Greetings from the Old Country! Great progress and problem solving. I especially like the detail shots and the dolly up to close the video!
Thanks Cuz. Hope you all are safe and have a great holiday season! Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!
🌻🍃Great Teamwork 🦋Learning so much watching your progress🌻Thank You 🍃🌵💜✌
Thanks for watching! 👍
Your walls are so much straighter than any of ours 😂. I love your attention to detail and seeing different ways of building a straw bale structure. Looking forward to more videos!
Thanks for watching and your comments. 👍
That is looking so nice and straight, great work.
Thanks for watching 👍
Great work you two! The winds, am I right!?🙄😆
Your scaffolding has me thinking about what we're going to do. 😬
Yup wind🤣 our scaffolding is fine for inside, but when we have to plaster the outside, it won't be nearly high enough.
enjoying to see you guys work , good job and waiting for next video. Be safe.
Thanks for watching. Next video should be ready in a day or two at the latest.👍
Love what you guys are doing! Thanks for the great vids.
We appreciate you watching!
Dear people, great vids, love them. But would you please put the words/hashtag at the end of the title, or in the description of the vid? Thank you 😁
Thanks for watching! According to the UA-cam algorithm, they are most effective at the beginning. And we are fighting for every subscriber and viewer we can get. I will make a test to see if it makes a big difference or not. Next Video, for sure.
Windy for sure. It was crazy. Ahhh Chloe.
Dogs already moved in! Dog's thinking..... "What's taking you guys so long!" LOL!
You got that right. And thanks for watching until the very end 👍
👍
Hi Bill great job again I have been on your Amazon link to look at the bale ratchet and thats good, but I cant see the Buckles, or the webbing maybe if you link them to your site like the ratchet as I would sooner buy threw yourselves just to help your site out a little.
Thanks John, will do! We appreciate that. 👍
@@theupsideofdownsizing Cheers Bill your both doing a splendid job
Do you have plans for insulating the underneath of the floor with some Rockwool or something like that? Needs to be sealed somehow to prevent critters from making it their home too I think.
Thanks for the question. Yes, after all of the mechanical work under the floor is complete, we'll be insulating. Right now I am leaning towards spray foam. A bit more expensive but it'll seal every nook and cranny.
@@theupsideofdownsizing great plan. Spray foam will be worth the extra expense I think
Need more twilight settings, with musical intros like this one in the beginning, it was beautiful but too short for me.
Good morning folks. My question has to do with the shed that you and Yvonne built. How or did you secure your rail road ties to the ground? It appears that they are just laying on the ground and that may be but I'm curious if you anchored them somehow and how?
Thanks you so much. Anthony
Hi Anthony. Thanks for watching and your question. The railroad ties are just laying on the ground. There are 2 parallel sets of ties that are pinned together using 3/8" rebar. The ties weighed about 200-250 lbs each. It took 3 of us to get them from the truck to the final location.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thank you Sir.
Hello guys, thanks for the detailed explanation. Great work. I would like to build a straw bale house in Morocco after the pandemic...is there anything bad about going for the straw panels!? It is a technique used by the company Ecococon.
Thanks for watching and your question. I've only seen a few videos about the pre fab straw bale panels and I thought they looked good and it was a very inovative use of straw. For me, the only downside would be cost. But if that is not a factor, I say go for it. And make some videos along the way because there isn't that much to be found on this technique.
Do you have any suggestions on where to get the straw bales? We are in north west AZ. What should we expect to pay for them? Thanks for all the great education!
I think your best bet, or at least starting point would be your local feed store. The price will be based on time of year ( harvest time) and quality/ quantity of the harvest. Pricing will be region specific as well. Sorry I can't be more specific to your particular situation. Thanks for watching!
I'm hoping to go Tuscon to learn but this timing for flying might b limited
Flying is a bit strange right now according to Yvonne who just flew to LA.
What is the strapping that you’re using to cinch the bales down? Looks white?
It's a strapping material with a break point of 1680 pounds and it's used for bundling large bunks of lumber for example. It's available from Amazon and check out the link in our description to see our Amazon store page for more information.
Been watching several of your videos over the last couple of days, really nice work and nice videos. =)
But I have had a question regarding the wall. Here you end up taking down and redoing the section that has buckled. So at first I am wondering if there was any big probles around that, I know you have put rods down in the wal for stability, so did they become a problem now?
And also, in a later video you guys put boards on the outside and even the wall by pushing it flush with the boards. Would that not have been enough here, or was the bend to much to simply be pushed out like that?
Thancks again for great content. =)
Thanks for your question. I'm thinking about what we did back then. when we put the vertical boards on the outside it gave it a framework for me to pound the bales from the inside. If I didn't have those boards then I would have not had a reference point as far as how far to move the bales. The system really worked out fantastic, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. As far as taking down the wall, the rebar that I had put through the Bales did come out with a little struggle but it allowed me to rebuild the wall and reinsert rebar. I hope that answers your question. Thanks for watching!
@@theupsideofdownsizing Thank you for taking the time to get back and answer me. And thank you again for making interesting and entertaining videos. =)
What do you call that type of white strap you put around the Hay bales?
Hi, how do you determine in which bale you are going to insert rebar? Thank you.
No real method except to look at it and decide where the rebar would penetrate the most bales.
Very helpful videos for Strawbale Building but
the pompous words are really not necessary
I'm wondering if anyone has heard of double compressed straw bales? They use the process for hay mostly but now you can find straw bales as well. They are 21"x 16"x 12" bales, compressed much denser than regular bales. I'm wondering if there would be any advantage of using those?
I've never heard of those before. Double as dense would be interesting, but I'm not sure there would be an advantage in building, at least from an R value. I would think that a certain amount of trapped air in the bale would make it more efficient. I could be wrong. The smaller size would be convienent but if it were truly double so dense, it would have considerable weight to them. Our bales are VERY dense and weight in at about 75 pounds.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Apparently the bales at 21x16x12 are 20kg or 44lbs. At 2.33cubic feet per bale, that's about 18 lbs/cu ft. A standard bale is 36x18x14, that's. 5.25 cu ft.
@@theupsideofdownsizing Wow your bales are very heavy! I was reading that standard bales avg 45 lbs. Did you test them for moisture?
FYI, the standard bale size you referenced is for a 2 string bale. Our 3 string bales are 16x24x44 and weigh in at 75-80 lbs each.
No we didn't. They were from a recent harvest and any moisture content was from the plant and not from being improperly stored. If you could feel the density you would be amazed. That's why I typically need to do a plunge cut with the chainsaw before I can hammer in a vampire stake. I've seen videos of guys carrying straw bales by the twine with one hand....those are definitely NOT our bales😉
Could me and my wife come see your house??
Email me at
theupsideofdownsizing@gmail.com
Should a person strap between 2 n 3rd row for extra support?
Good question. If you recall, we did do additional strapping between the 3rd and fourth row of bales along that longer section of wall for additional stability, and it did make a big difference. You could stay between ties two and three, it wouldn't hurt but we didn't find it necessary. And once the box beam is installed and strapped, the walls firm up immensely. We found the pinning with rebar to be sufficient up though the third row. And again, v it depends on how long that wall is uninterrupted by either door or window bucking, both of which and to the stability of the wall. I hope that makes sense.
Given your current design and materials. 1, will it support the roof weight. 2, wall bracing, vertical, horizontal, corners of the walls. Both internal and externally. Your current design will not survive a 3.0 Earthquake. In turn, catastrophic failure.
Hi Jack. It'll support our roof without an issue. Earthquake? I guess only time will tell. Thanks for watching!
@@theupsideofdownsizing GoodLuck!
Thanks Jack!
I would disagree, first off a 3.0 is almost nothing. Something in the 6-7 range (which can wreck havoc) may shift things a bit, but at one story, I think all that you'd have to do is a lot of patching of cracks. What fails in earthquakes are old, multi-storied buildings that get the 'house of cards' effect. One story homes, barns, sheds, etc usually stat solid. (Cali native, lived through many)
I think you need to read up more on straw bale construction. They will hold the roof no problem. The CMHC (Canadian Mortgage Housing Corporation) did some tests a few years ago on compressive and shear strength of straw bale walls. Essentially the plaster takes most of the downward force, and the combination of the plaster and straw gives the wall assembly very impressive seismic ratings.
What’s the cost for 1 straw bale
It depends on the season and the harvest. Check with Benson Feed and Supply for current pricing. Should be between 10 and 13 bucks per bale. These are 3 string bales and VERY DENSE!
How many bales for that house
110 including the extra straw for stuffing the seams and filling in around the windows and doors.