July 14th, 2009 
Tushar Mathur The structural building block of a straw bale home is straw bales. The straw bale walls are then finished with plaster. This type of house construction is getting more awareness around many parts of the world as a natural building method. The straw bale acts as natural insulators.
There are basically two types of straw bale homes:
1. Load-bearing straw bale wall homes- This includes the plaster interior and exterior wall coverings. It supports the house roof and can manage lateral loads such as wind.
2. Non-load bearing straw bale wall homes- This only consists of a post and beam structure which supports the roof and lateral loads. This construction is then in-filled with straw bales for insulation.
The advantages of building homes with straw bales are:
1. High thermal insulation value- The thick walls of a straw bale home gives very good insulation. It can keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. They can easily keep heat in or out, depending on your specific need. The straw bale walls, finished by plaster, have a high R-value of approximately R-30 to R-35. Annually a straw bale home can save up to 75% on heating and cooling costs.
2. High sound insulation value- The straw bale houses are very quiet. The thick walls provide excellent soundproofing. So, straw bale building can be used as recording studios and is a preferred choice for homes which are very near to busy highways.¬
3. Fire Resistance- – The straw bale houses provide around three times the fire resistance of any conventional house. The tightly packed bales increase fire resistance as there’s no oxygen, which decreases the chance for combustion. And the plaster coating of these walls adds to its fire-resistant quality.
4. Natural building material- They are low-toxicity building materials which are usually available anywhere locally.
5. Strong- The homes can withstand the high winds as well.
6. Appropriate for a wide variety of climates.
7. Cost savings vary with climate and are mainly related to home heating costs.
8. Generally farmers use straw to fertilize the ground, but most of the straw otherwise goes to waste. So, straw bales have gained attention as a renewable resource.
9. As straw is available in most parts of the country, so it reduces transportation costs also.
10. It also has the ability to store water.
The real cost savings of straw bale building relate to energy efficiency. This represents a huge savings over the life of the house. These savings can be significant as more than 50% of all greenhouse gases are produced by the construction industry and the transportation related to it.
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