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NO WOLVES AROUND

Living green has become a hot topic recently, and now the lifestyle has moved to the home you live in. It goes beyond separating paper, plastic, and glass or using those curly energy-efficient bulbs; it comes down to the real nitty-gritty of building a home from scratch using materials that are renewable resources. There are many ways to build green homes, but one alternative stacks up against the others.

Most people are familiar with the story, The Three Little Pigs. The big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew down the house made of straw. But today, you can build a house made of straw that will not only stand sturdy for years, but will provide an eco-friendly alternative to conventional building.

Straw is a natural byproduct left on the field after crops such as barley and wheat have been harvested. Although it can be used as animal bedding or feed, and even crafty purposes like fall decorations or basket-weaving, the use of straw as a building material is becoming more popular.

Building a straw bale home requires laying a cement pad base and setting a framework, like post and beam. Bales are tied tightly and stacked between the posts to the desired height and length. Rods are inserted through to hold them together. Finally, the bales are covered with plaster which creates a strong wall.

Aside from advantageous tree-saving, the benefits to building with straw bales are numerous. First, building materials are much cheaper. Wood for the posts can be taken from salvaged scraps, as long as they are solid. If you can find a farmer who has more straw than he knows what to do with, you may be able to buy it at a lower price, or even get some free for the hauling. Second, straw provides superb, much healthier insulation, and saves on household heating costs. Third, the plaster keeps the straw dry and sealed, preventing fire hazards, bug infestations, and mold.

Once the home is built, furnishings can be customized. For those who wish to delve deep into the green life, a composting toilet, solar panels, and graywater recycling offer environmentally-conscious options to conventional housing set-ups.

If straw bale homes interest you, there are a number of web sites that can provide you with helpful information to get started. As with building any home, there is much to do. Unfortunately, many areas are leery of new concepts in building, so research codes, stand your ground, and choose what is right for you.

www.strawbale.com
www.green homebuilding.com/strawbale.htm
www.buildingwithawareness.com/ guidebook1.htm
www.epsea.org/st raw.html

Learn more about this author, Marisa Hefflefinger.
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