House made of pressed straw. Straw House: Advanced Technology

Nowadays, many people are trying to build houses from environmentally friendly materials. Speaking of such, thoughts about the tree immediately come to mind. But do not forget about the same clay or even straw. Many may say that straw is a thing of the past and is not reliable. But thanks to modern technologies, such material has acquired not only quality, but also strength. And if you don’t want to spend money on it, then you can also make straw concrete blocks with your own hands.

Straw concrete blocks are a cheap, durable and environmentally friendly material.

But first you need to figure out what it is. This material is produced in the form of rectangular blocks. The block has a standard width (45 cm) and height (35 cm), but the length can vary from 90 to 112 cm. Such a block can weigh from 16 to 30 kg. To ensure that such material retains its shape, the blocks are tied (and some manufacturers even stitched) with polypropylene cords. In agricultural applications, such blocks are assembled into a single whole using wires or natural fibers. But these fastenings are suitable for storing straw, and not for buildings. After all, the wire itself is iron, and iron tends to rust. And over time, the fiber loses its strength due to rotting. Straw also comes in several types, so it is better to use rye or rice for construction. They have optimal properties. If you choose the first option, then it is better if it is winter. This straw has a denser structure.

Requirements

There are certain requirements for straw blocks, namely:

Dryness. Moisture accumulated inside will cause rotting. By the way, it is dry blocks that are so light, and if they have significant weight, then there is a possibility that the straw was not properly dried. If you smell rot or feel moisture with your fingers, then the material is of poor quality.
Straw quality. The stems must be flexible and strong. If it does not break when bent, then it is a quality block. Otherwise, such material will quickly crumble.
High quality press. If the correct technology for pressing the block was followed, then it should not lose its shape. To do this, you can try to insert your fingers under the cord; if more than 3 fingers do not fit, then this is a high-quality press.
Same sizes. The entire batch must be identical. If the blocks differ in size from each other, then it is better to refuse to use this material and find another manufacturer.

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How to create a straw concrete block with your own hands?

When you do something with your own hands, there is always a huge plus - cost savings. In addition, when making your own, you can always be sure of the quality of the materials used. The same applies to straw and concrete blocks. Cement is combined with straw not only for the reason of imparting strength. It helps the organic matter in the straw to convert into sugar, which is easily dissolved in water. But such transformations prevent the straw block from hardening. In order to eliminate this negative effect, physical and chemical methods are used.

The first thing they use is oxidation. To do this, the blocks are placed in open sunlight, under the influence of which substances are oxidized, and they begin to be absorbed into the walls of wood cells. At the same time, some other substances, when interacting with bacteria, are converted into crystals and subsequently form insoluble forms. But for all this to happen at the proper level, a lot of time is needed. The second method is soaking with water. If the unit is left in the rain for a long time, almost all water-soluble substances will come out of it. For this purpose, special containers are also used. But again, it takes considerable time to process the entire batch of straw blocks. The most common method today is treatment with solutions of calcium chloride or liquid glass. On average, they need about 9 kg per cubic meter. This technology is popular for a number of reasons:

Thanks to the liquid component of the glass and calcium chloride, the product quickly hardens. But if we compare the strength of finished blocks of both brands, the latter have this indicator much higher than the former. If you are using calcium, you should know that it is best to use aged straw. But for the use of liquid glass, the type of straw does not play a special role.
Using such additives, provided that the average ambient temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, such blocks can be folded after 24-4 hours, and after 7 days they can be used for construction.

cement – 1700;
slaked lime – 600;
sand – 1550;
straw – 80-105.

But several factors affect water consumption:

what is the required viscosity of the batch and filler;
brand of concrete mortar;
an indicator of the initial moisture content of the straw.

Such proportions will allow you to create a block with a strength index of M-10. Some builders are replacing concrete with clay. Initially, they chop the straw into pieces (0.5 m), after which they soak it in a clay solution. And again, the resulting material is pressed.

The block itself is formed using a baling machine.

You can build it yourself, or you can turn to professional balers or rent a press. If you still decide to seek help, you should know that the quality of the straw largely depends on how it was collected and stored. An important point is its grinding, because if its tubular structure is damaged, then such a material will lose all its properties. Nowadays straw is often sold in the form of rolls, which slightly lengthens the process. After all, such rolls will have to be re-rolled and boiled. And this can lead to disruption of the original structure of the straw. But everyone chooses for themselves what is convenient for them. We must not forget that finished straw blocks are impregnated with special chemical compounds, which significantly affect their strength characteristics.

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Technical features of straw blocks

Construction of a country house always involves some problems, either related to work or finances. But the use of straw blocks helps solve some negative aspects in construction.

And all because they have a number of their own characteristics.

Low cost. Straw is mainly a waste product from agriculture. Therefore, purchasing it will not be difficult. The only thing you will have to spend money on is transporting such material. But if the farm where the straw was purchased has a bale machine, then there will be no need to transport it anywhere.
Low thermal conductivity. Buildings made of such material do not require additional insulation. There are no problems with finishing work either, because, having a rough surface, the material perfectly “clings” to any coating.
But it should also be noted that straw concrete blocks still have a certain “softness”, so floor slabs are not placed on them, as this leads to deformation. This is the main reason why such material is used for the construction of frame houses only.

Since ancient times, straw has been used as the main building material for the construction of houses and huts. Initially, African aborigines built a straw house with their own hands. Then mentions of thatched buildings were found in the scrolls of ancient Rus', and for quite a long time - more than half a millennium.

The history of thatched houses

The first settlers of North America also used this cheap and readily available building material to build temporary and permanent homes. To do this, the straw was packed into bales. In the 19th century in France, straw began to be laid in dense straw blocks, and the construction of thatched houses received its next revival. The blocks consisted of straw stalks cleared of grains and then laid on a clay foundation.

Also, the use of this material was widespread in Australia, and in the Soviet Union less than 50 years ago, thatched houses could be found quite often. The foundation was based on a mixture of clay and straw, which was also used to insulate and cover the roof. Currently, the direction of building environmentally friendly houses has gained popularity. Once again, the use of this material has become widespread and in demand.

Straw blocks, their advantages and disadvantages

Straw refers to the remaining stems after the harvest of grain crops. In addition to construction, it is used for feeding cattle, after additional processing. Therefore, it does not have any particular economic value and often after harvesting, unnecessary straw is simply burned. Considering the scale of our country and the widespread use of land for planting cereals and grain crops, straw reserves can be said to be practically inexhaustible. Indeed, to build one private house with a total area of 60 to 70 square meters, it is enough to use the remaining waste after harvesting from 3 or 4 hectares.

The construction of a house from straw is carried out according to the principle of laying bales, which have dimensions of 500 * 400 * 500-1200 millimeters. Many potential developers are somewhat frightened by the high fire hazard of this building material. However, in blocks the stems are pressed so tightly together that due to lack of oxygen, the ability to ignite is noticeably reduced. The principle is similar to a sheet of paper and a thick thick bundle of papers, where the sheet suddenly ignites and burns out completely without a trace, and the bundle of paper only becomes charred at the edges. For additional safety, straw blocks are plastered, and therefore the fire hazard of such material is an order of magnitude lower than that of wood.

For your information. In addition, the advantages of a straw house definitely include the low cost of the raw material. A set of building blocks is made from a variety of cereals: wheat, rice, rye. The cost of such a block will be approximately 1/10 of the cost of a similar amount of brick. In addition, a house built from straw provides its owner with excellent thermal insulation.

Building a house from straw means living in a warm place, because such a house is several times warmer than a wooden house and retains heat almost ten times better than a brick house. Therefore, the use of straw as a main component for building your own home should be considered seriously, because building materials, as well as prices for the provision of heating services and electrical energy consumption, are in continuous growth.

A significant factor in the preference for straw over other materials is the speed of construction of a residential building. It is quite simple to build a house of clay and straw with your own hands, you only need to understand the process and technology of building such buildings. A fully finished house made of straw blocks can be delivered without special equipment and sophisticated technology. The main condition is the installation of a light foundation and, if possible, edging with a wooden frame, but frameless construction is also acceptable. Therefore, it will take only a few weeks (depending on the number of people and the intensity of work) from the creation of a project to the delivery of a fully finished residential building.

Important! The disadvantages of using such material, of course, include the predisposition to decay and the presence of small rodents.

Although this problem has now been solved, it is enough just to create a pressure in the blocks of 300 kilograms per cubic meter with a press, then the walls are plastered, and such a structure is not subject to the destructive effects of water or the activity of small rodents. But the high pressure created in the blocks is a result of the heavy weight of the blocks and the consumption of more materials, so rodent control requires the use of slaked lime as a powder between layers and an additive to the plaster.

Main stages of construction and choice of material

A house made of straw is built with your own hands in stages:

Determination and selection of building materials;
Creating a support;
Selection of design type;
The process of laying blocks.

Material selection

Before purchasing straw bales, you need to carefully examine them for workmanship, because they will form the basis for your home! For tying bales, the most reasonable solution would be to use polypropylene, because, unlike metal wire, it does not corrode, and rope made from natural materials is prone to rotting. In rare cases, straw is sold in rolls, which is undesirable for construction, because most of the stems will be broken, and this will negatively affect the thermal insulation properties of the dwelling. It is preferable to use rice and rye stalks.

The quality of the production of bales and the straw itself can be indirectly determined by weight. A bale, in which the stems reach a meter in length and with a density of 100 to 140 kilograms per cubic meter, reaches an average of 20 kilograms of weight. In order to avoid buying low-quality goods and marriage in the form of dampness, it is worth feeling the whole bale from the outside and as far as possible from the inside, also wet or rotten straw emits a special smell that is easy enough to catch. It is necessary to check the stems for flexibility, with small bends they should not break, otherwise the straw is old, and you should not buy it in any case!

For your information. A thatched house, like any other, needs support. To do this, you need to make a foundation, the type of which is determined taking into account the analysis of the soil at the construction site. It is necessary to lay the foundation in such a way that the lower straw blocks are slightly higher than the floor. This will ensure the safety of the walls from contact with water in the event of a possible pipe break.

Building a house

After erecting the foundation, you must decide on the structural type of the house: frame or frameless. A frameless thatched house can only have one floor, the length of the wall is no more than 8 meters and the area of all windows and doors should not exceed half of the total area of the walls. This is due to the fact that the entire load-bearing load falls directly on the straw blocks, so in this case it is recommended to use blocks with a higher density. In addition, in a frameless thatched house, it is advisable to build a light roof without wide eaves, since this structure is fixed to the straw blocks using wooden mauerlats.

How to build a frame house that has its own metal or wooden frame? The frame of the house takes on all the loads, so in such houses it is possible to build two or even three floors. The frame also allows for faster construction without wasting time building perfectly straight walls.

The subsequent stages of construction for the two types of houses are identical to each other. Metal rods are driven into the straw blocks, usually laid in four rows. The distance between them should not exceed 50-60 centimeters. And the blocks themselves are usually laid in a checkerboard pattern, so as not to get the rods into the seams between the blocks.

The frame type of construction of a residential building, coupled with high-quality fixation of the blocks with metal rods and brackets, ensures the strength of the building. In addition, it is worth considering that the foundation also contributes to the additional strength of the structure. To do this, during the construction process, metal pins are fixed in the foundation, at intervals of 1 meter, and the first layer of straw blocks is actually fixed on them.

Laying blocks, however, as in the construction of houses from other building materials, starts from the corners, door and window openings. For additional protection against rodents, it is recommended to wrap the first row of blocks in a polymer mesh. If low-density blocks are used in the construction of a house, then the nails simply will not be able to withstand fixing the materials. Therefore, in this case, it is recommended to use a reinforcing mesh, which is fixed with a nylon thread.

Reference. Trimming unnecessary fragments of blocks is usually done with a chainsaw. Then the walls are plastered, while blocks with a density higher than 200 kilograms per cubic meter can be plastered immediately, while blocks with a lower density must stand for some time and become compacted.

A house made from straw blocks is a new fashionable trend in the construction of environmentally friendly housing. But, in addition to this, such buildings are characterized by low cost, increased thermal conductivity, and record-breaking short construction times. Therefore, you should not be afraid of prejudices and before choosing an expensive building material, you should seriously think about its cost-effectiveness.

People who consider the construction of a thatched house to be something frivolous, and the structure itself unsafe, are deeply mistaken. Indeed, their fears are quite understandable, because using straw as a building material is at least strange. At the same time, there are a lot of other materials that have been used for decades and make it possible to build strong and durable houses. But these houses still need to be insulated, and what advantages straw has in this regard will be discussed in today’s article.

For the first time, ancient African tribes began to build thatch houses. In Europe, straw was used only as thermal insulation - it was used to cover attics to insulate the roof. But not so long ago (a little more than a century and a half ago) a completely different technology for constructing houses from straw was developed. It was quite simple: a wooden frame was erected and filled with straw blocks, and the roof was covered with boards.

During the colonization of America, settlers also built houses from straw, but this was rather a necessary measure, since wood was in short supply in the lowland areas. In 1925, the production of straw panels began, in which the stems were tied together with steel wire. The panels themselves were covered with cement-clay mortar. Houses made from such blocks are characterized by durability. By the way, when demolishing them, workers often had to resort to the use of special equipment.

It is worth noting that “straw” construction in some Western countries continues to this day.

Features of the material

Straw is a waste product from growing agricultural crops. It can be used to fertilize the soil and also as feed for cattle, but most of the straw is still burned directly on the fields.

To use straw as a building material, it must be compressed into a block. Such blocks come in different sizes, but usually they are 100x40x50 cm. Average weight is 20-25 kg, density is 110 kg/m³.

Main advantages

Flaws

The straw house has only two of these:

rodents;
rot (at a humidity level of more than 20%).

But these are rather temporary difficulties that are quite easy to cope with. To do this, the blocks are pressed harder (up to approximately 250-270 kg/m²), and a small amount of lime is added to the plaster. But it is worth remembering that the denser the block, the greater its weight.

Important! When laying the blocks, you can additionally sprinkle them with slaked lime.

When building such a house, you need to strictly follow the instructions, and also prepare everything you need in advance:

Stage 1. Material selection

Raw materials must be of high quality. Experts advise using winter rye straw for construction, which is the most suitable option due to the high density of the stem. You also need to ensure that the material is dry and without seeds.

Today, bales that can be used to build a house are tied with plastic cords. Bandaging with natural fibers (they quickly rot and are not very strong) and wire (metal will rust sooner or later) is unacceptable.

Stage 2. Construction of the foundation

The foundation for a thatched house, although lightweight, still needs to be equipped. The choice of one type of foundation or another depends solely on the characteristics of the soil on the site, but the best option, as mentioned earlier, would be a pile structure.

First, geological exploration is carried out to determine the level of soil freezing. Screwed piles must reach this level.
Then the corners of the house are marked, small holes are made in them and corner piles are screwed in. After this, the remaining piles are screwed in symmetrically around the entire perimeter.
The piles are cut at a height of 0.5 m above the ground, and a frame is installed on them.

Important! When cutting piles, you need to use a building level to accurately determine the required height.

If a foundation of a different type is chosen, insulation will be required. For this, it is recommended to use foam plastic slabs with a thickness of at least 10 cm. It is important that the slabs are also installed below the freezing level of the soil.

The “clean floor” of the house should be below the first level of straw blocks - this will protect the walls from getting wet in case of a pipeline leak.

Stage 3. Construction of the frame, assembly of walls

A straw house can be with or without a frame. If you choose a frameless option, then you need to adhere to certain rules:

the length of the walls should not exceed 4 m;
block density must exceed 200 kg/m²;
the roof structure needs to be made somewhat lightweight;
the house should have only one floor.

In a word, you can do without a frame, but in this case there will be restrictions during construction. Therefore, it is better to take care of the frame (metal or wood).

Important! The technology for assembling a frame for a house made of straw is practically no different from a similar procedure for panel buildings.

The frame is made in two rows so that the blocks are placed between the supporting pillars. This should be done in a checkerboard pattern so that there are no seams between the blocks. Each filled span is punched from above with a wooden rod ø6 cm. The bales are pulled together horizontally only after the fourth level.

The assembly of the walls must be started from the corners, heading towards the center. A fine mesh net is installed under the first level of blocks to protect against insects and rodents.

If the foundation is poured, then reinforcing bars with such a height are installed every meter so that only the lower two levels of blocks are mounted on them. To fasten adjacent walls, U-shaped brackets ø3 cm are used, two pieces for each corner.

Then a Mauerlat is constructed around the perimeter of the walls, and a metal pin is installed in one corner of the structure. Take plastic tape, attach it to a pin and tighten it around the entire house.

Stage 4. Openings

Window and door openings are mounted approximately in the center of the installed blocks. The internal surfaces of pre-prepared holes of appropriate sizes are lined with roofing felt and reinforced mesh (the latter extends approximately 30 cm along the edges). The outlets are attached to the wall with a mounting stapler, and boards are nailed on top.

Stage 5. Plaster

Once the walls are assembled, you can begin plastering them. Before starting work, the outer and inner surfaces of the walls are reinforced.

Important! This must be preceded by the installation of all necessary communications, and the electrical wiring must be in special cable channels.

Pipes should not be laid inside thatched walls as this will lead to condensation and therefore rot. After wiring everything necessary, plaster is applied. She may be:

clay-limestone (made of clay, sand and lime in a ratio of 1:3:0.5);
cement-lime (cement + sand in a ratio of 1:4, while stirring, lime mortar is added from time to time until the mixture reaches the required consistency).

Cement plaster is unacceptable in this case, because the walls covered with it will not be able to “breathe,” which is unacceptable for straw. The solution is applied in two layers.

Important! If the density of the material exceeds 200 kg/m², then the plaster can be applied immediately after completion of assembly. If the density is lower, then you should wait a few days for the straw to settle and compact.

The thickness of the first layer should be at least 3 cm, the second - 1-2 cm. After applying the plaster, the walls dry for several days, after which they are painted.

Important! Oil-based or water-based paint is not recommended for the same reason as cement-based plaster.

Video - Plastering a thatched house

Common myths about straw

Myth one. Straw is an ideal habitat for small pests.

Rodents will not be able to penetrate the compressed material covered with reinforcement and plaster. Moreover, they do not eat rye straw at all, and the required humidity that we talked about (no more than 20%) is destructive for insects.

Myth two. Thatched walls are easily destroyed.

In reality, such walls are quite strong. Research was carried out in Canada, during which it was found out that tied straw blocks can withstand up to 350 kgf of lateral load.

Myth three. Straw doesn't last long

History clearly demonstrates the opposite: straw houses built in Western Europe several centuries ago still look great today.

Myth four. Straw is flammable

This was already mentioned at the beginning of the article. The straw can only burn a little, but even this is quite difficult to achieve.

conclusions

Straw houses have many advantages - low cost of construction work, environmental friendliness, low heating costs. And even if such technology is not yet very popular today, there is every chance that it (popularity) will grow over time.

Video – Thatched house (walls)

Today, in the construction of residential buildings, many different building materials are used - both traditional and new ones that have appeared relatively recently. Dwellings are built from brick, gas block, foam block, concrete, stone. Construction using traditional materials and technologies is becoming more expensive every year - building materials are not getting cheaper, and paying construction crews also eats up a large part of the budget. Developers are forced to look for ways to save on construction without compromising quality. This is perhaps one of the main reasons that there has recently been increased interest in the undeservedly forgotten technology of building houses from straw. But this is an excellent option to acquire your own home - warm and reliable, and on a very modest budget. If you strictly adhere to construction technology, the house will turn out warmer, more reliable and even stronger than its stone, brick and concrete counterparts. You can completely build a straw house with your own hands - the main thing is not to rush, choose the right material and strictly adhere to the technology.

A house made of straw: a lot of advantages, a minimum of disadvantages

Of the advantages of such housing, it is first of all necessary to highlight, of course, efficiency. A square meter of “straw” housing will cost around 5,000 rubles. At the same time, the heat and sound insulation of such a house is 4 times higher than that of a wooden house. A straw house is warm in winter and cool in summer. A well-built thatched house can last more than 100 years. During construction, rye straw is most often used, which is not damaged by rodents, and is also slightly susceptible to rotting. Other advantages include the availability of materials and the speed of construction of the building.

If we talk about shortcomings, they lie not in the technology itself, but in its non-compliance. A significant problem is the almost complete lack of experience in building houses from straw in our latitudes. For example, professional builders claim that in Russia it is almost impossible to find a thatched house built earlier than 30-50 years ago, because the technology of a thatched house is the most ancient and should be well studied. So, let's consider the main possible problems, which the developer may encounter during the construction and operation of the finished house:

Straw rotting. With regular exposure to moisture, even concrete is destroyed, let alone straw. If you notice even a small local decay, it must be promptly eliminated by dismantling part of the wall and re-placing it. This will take several days without involving additional workers.

Rodents. We mentioned above that mice do not eat rye straw, and this is true. But if the frame is assembled incorrectly, straw blocks are laid and plastered, in winter you can confidently expect “tenants” who will happily settle in any available voids, cracks and openings.

Load on walls. Sometimes it may be difficult to secure or hang heavy appliances or furniture. For example, fixing an electric boiler to a straw wall can be a real problem. And in order to attach a bookshelf or decorative ornament to the wall, it will be enough to drive a wooden peg 25-30 cm long into the wall, into which you can hammer nails or screw in a self-tapping screw.

Exposure to moisture. The plastered walls of a thatched house need protection from moisture. Every year it is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the walls inside and outside to timely identify and eliminate moisture-damaged areas. To plaster the walls of a thatched house, a mixture of clay with lime and sand can be used. In this case, there is a danger of peeling and sliding of the surface layer of plaster under the influence of precipitation.

Problems with registration and documentation. They may arise during the process of legitimizing your home. You cannot write in the documents that your house was built using innovative straw technology. In this case, you will have to register the housing as a frame house with a 40-50 centimeter insulation layer. In any case, you will have to consult with an architect who will advise on how best to design your home.

Do-it-yourself straw house: step-by-step construction

This construction technology is not yet widespread, but designs for a thatched house can easily be found online, or you can order an individual project from an architect.

The walls of the house are built from straw bales, which are formed using a baler, tied with polypropylene cord.

Bales must be selected carefully. Thus, tying made from steel wire or rope made from natural materials is not suitable, since the wire rusts quite quickly, and natural fibers are susceptible to rotting. Recently, at many agricultural enterprises, straw is collected into rolls, which, in principle, can be rolled out and re-formed into bales, but this should not be done unless absolutely necessary, since the straw will become very wrinkled, which will significantly affect its thermophysical characteristics.

choose the material

Which straw should you choose for building a house? Rice and rye are best. In particular, winter rye straw is the best option, since the rye stem is tall and dense, and winter rye is harvested somewhat earlier than other grain crops. For construction you will need dry, intact straw without seeds. You cannot make bales from wet straw; it must be dried.

How to determine the quality of a straw block? A bale of dry straw no more than a meter long, with a density of approximately 120 kg/sq. m can be lifted by hand, it is not very heavy. Try to stick a few fingers inside the block; when immersed in the straw, you should not feel any moisture. Bring your fingers to your nose and smell – is there a smell of rot? If yes, then such material is definitely not suitable. Remove several stems from the bale and bend them - stems that are too brittle produce old stale straw, which is not advisable to use in construction. The estyuk is pressed well, it does not deform, and it is very difficult to put your fingers under the binding cord.

straw house foundation

A straw house, like any other, needs a foundation, albeit a lightweight one. The type of foundation is determined individually depending on the characteristics of the soil at the construction site. Most often, strip or pile foundations are used.

The strip foundation of a thatched house needs thermal insulation; for this purpose, 100 mm thick sheets of expanded polystyrene are laid on the outside of the foundation. The sheets must be laid below the freezing depth of the soil.

An important point: the floor level in the house should be lower than the first row of straw blocks. This is necessary in case there is a water leak in the house - the straw walls should not get wet.

type of house construction

Straw bale houses are built with or without a frame. In the frameless version, the load-bearing function is performed by the walls themselves; in this case, it is most convenient to use high-density bales - from 200 kg/sq. m.

A thatched house without a frame can have only one floor, the length of the wall should not exceed 8 meters, the total area of window and door openings should be at least 50% of the area of the wall in which they are made. A frameless house needs a lightweight roof structure. The best option is a four-slope structure, the rafters of which rest against a Mauerlat of two beams or boards, which are laid on top of the wall and connected by crossbars with a meter step. Before installing the mauelrat, roofing material is laid on the end of the wall. The roof overhang must be at least 60 centimeters.

The frame for a thatched house can be wooden or metal, and is made similarly to the frame of panel houses.

When building a straw house, they often make a two-row frame and stack bales between the supporting posts. Building straw walls with a frame is much easier and faster than building a frameless wall. Next, we will consider the process of building a thatched house with a frame, especially since the sequence of the process in many respects coincides with the construction of a conventional frame house.

walling

During the construction of walls, the blocks must be tied together. This is done using wooden stakes or metal rods with a diameter of 40-60 mm. They are driven vertically into bales.

The higher the wall, the longer the stakes should be. The tying of bales begins after the fourth row. In addition, metal rods are embedded in the base in one meter increments. They should be long enough to penetrate the first two rows of bales. Alternatively, vertical pins for the entire length of the wall can be embedded in the foundation, and brought out under the Mauerlat. After that, the bales are simply strung on the pins, and from above the wall is pressed against the Mauerlat board using a threaded connection.

Straw bales are laid in the same way as bricks - in a dressing, without matching seams. Horizontal strengthening of walls is also necessary. To do this, the bales are secured with metal pins to the supporting posts of the frame. Neighboring walls are interconnected in each row by two pins bent at right angles - from the outside and inside.

Before you start building walls, you need to make a few simple auxiliary devices: three or four sharp metal hooks for carrying bales, and a press for tying and crimping straw blocks.

The press is a pillar firmly dug into the ground, about a meter high, with a movable wooden lever. At the end of the lever, several grooves are cut into which a nylon rope is attached in the form of a loop. If the bale needs to be cut, it is placed under a press, clamped with a leg placed in a loop and pulled with a cord in the right place, after which it is cut.

To protect against rodents, a fine-mesh steel or polymer mesh is placed under the bales of the first row.

If bales with a density of less than 200 kg/sq.m are used, cardboard or kraft paper is laid after each tier, which will prevent convective heat transfer inside the wall. The straw blocks are leveled using a level made from a rope or construction line stretched between the guides. You can use a board and a heavy hammer to straighten a bale that has shifted. Finished walls should be secured not only with pins, but also tied with plastic tape in one meter increments. Packing tape, which is sold in rolls, is quite suitable for this.

The tape is wrapped around the pins fixed in the base and tightened around the Mauerlat. Metal tape is not used, as it is very rigid, it is difficult to pull it, and you can cut your hands.

In places where window and door openings are made, boxes are made from boards, and they are fixed with the help of temporary wooden crossbars.

After the walls are assembled, they need to be leveled in those places where the blocks protrude strongly. The easiest way to trim straw bales is with a gas or electric saw. Immediately before plastering, all wire communications are installed in the walls. Thatched houses have also not been spared new technologies - wires can be safely hidden inside the wall if they are pulled through a special cable channel made of self-extinguishing polyvinyl chloride.

Heating and water pipes are not installed in thatched walls, as they cause condensation and, as a result, rotting of the straw.

The last stage of work with the walls is the application of several layers of plaster. An important nuance: if high-density blocks were used to build the walls - from 200 kg/sq.m and above, you can plaster them immediately. Otherwise, you will have to wait a couple of weeks until the straw settles and compacts. Cement mortar for straw walls is not used, as it will not allow the wall to "breathe". Solutions based on lime and clay with a small addition of cement, medium fat content are used.

Proportions of clay-lime solution:

Clay – 1 part.
Lime dough – 0.4 parts.
Fine sand – 4 parts.

Proportions of cement-lime mortar:

Cement – 1 part.
Lime milk - until the required consistency is obtained.
Fine sand – 3-4 parts.

Sand and cement are mixed without adding water, then milk of lime is added to the container. Straw walls under plaster must be reinforced. To do this, a metal or plastic mesh with cells no larger than 30 mm is attached to the walls on the outside and inside. The first plaster layer is applied up to 4 centimeters thick - with its help all unevenness is removed.

The second layer, several millimeters thick, is made with a creamy solution.

After the plaster has completely dried, the walls are painted with water-dispersed dyes. Oil paints should not be used, as they interfere with air exchange.

Walls made of straw need to be plastered - attempts to cover the straw with finishing materials - plastic, brick, plasterboard, etc., will create excellent conditions for insects and mice.

Also, external cladding significantly increases the flammability of walls due to the gaps between the finish and the wall. You should not use vapor barrier for straw walls - this will inevitably lead to damage and rotting of the straw.

Safety precautions when building a thatched house

During the construction of walls, up to their complete plastering and clearing of the construction site from straw residues, it is strictly prohibited to carry out welding and other work associated with high temperatures, smoking, using open flame sources, etc. at the workplace. Unpressed straw catches fire very easily, the slightest spark is enough.

Throughout the entire work period, fire-fighting equipment must be available at the construction site - barrels of water, fire extinguishers, and hooks. If a fire cannot be avoided, it is necessary to pull the walls apart with hooks as quickly as possible to prevent the wooden frame from catching fire - straw blocks will cost many times less than a new wooden frame.

In conclusion, I would like to note that straw houses undoubtedly have prospects; this is evidenced by the fact that some enterprises have started producing straw panels.

Moreover, manufacturing companies offer their services in construction - a house made of straw panels will be built for you in the shortest possible time according to an individual project.

Today, the materials used in the construction of houses are extremely diverse. Housing is built from aerated concrete and, or logs, brick or stone. Along with these popular materials, straw has recently become increasingly preferred, making it possible to build a warm and reliable structure on a very modest budget. If all building technologies are strictly followed, a house made of straw can be much warmer, cheaper, stronger and more reliable than its stone and brick “brothers”.

Project of a modern eco-friendly straw house

The first thatched houses began to be built in America in the middle of the 19th century. Very often, the wood that was used in the construction of structures was not enough, but there was an abundance of straw in the fields. The first officially registered house made of straw is considered to be a school building in Nebraska at the end of the 19th century, the walls of which were completely eaten by cows a few years later. This is probably why compressed straw blocks began to be supplemented with a strong frame made of logs in the very near future.

A little later, the construction of houses made of straw for a wide variety of purposes began in full swing, the area of which reached 70 square meters. m. These were schools, shops, residential buildings, cowsheds, vegetable stores and even small luxury estates.

However, already in the middle of the twentieth century, straw house construction, as a result of the advent of more modern construction technologies, began to gradually lose its position. Despite this, the idea of building inexpensive and yet reliable structures did not leave people's minds. At the end of the last millennium, these ideas grew into a whole movement.

The interest of architects was of greatest importance for the popularization of straw houses, thanks to which buildings with the most unusual architectural and planning solutions began to be erected in America. The resurgence of straw bale construction was supported by television and print media, including the New York Times and National Geographic magazine.

Gradually, houses began to be built in a variety of climatic zones and countries: Australia, Chile, Canada, Mexico, France and, naturally, in the USA. In Russia, the very first straw bale house was built in the village of Mayak (near Chelyabinsk) in 1994. Houses made of straw bales with various fillers (clay, sand, slurry) were known in Rus' as adobe houses. In warm regions, such construction is still popular to this day.

How to build a straw house with your own hands

Blocks of pressed straw measuring 35*45*90 cm are used as a building material. They are tied with nylon cord or wire. When making blocks, flax, rye or wheat straw is used; in addition, you can use hay. It is worth noting separately that the straw in blocks is usually pressed so tightly that it is impossible to burn through the bale even with a blowtorch. Thanks to this, straw houses are not exposed to moisture. Raindrops can penetrate the treated walls and roof no deeper than 5 cm.

Blocks for construction are usually made in a rectangular shape. Their size depends on the length of the stem: the longer it is, the larger the block and, accordingly, the more reliable. During construction, you can use not only dry straw blocks, but also those soaked in clay mortar. Before starting installation work, the compressed bale is dipped in a clay solution, and then thoroughly dried for a certain time. Thanks to these actions, it is possible to achieve precise wall geometry, as well as high fire safety and strength.

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