The Piggy that built his house out of straw!
Why straw?
Straw bale houses are made when you stack hay bales as the structural building blocks of the home. The outside of the walls is finished with plaster, cement or adobe. It is a natural way to construct a building.
The first straw bale buildings were not meant to be permanent. One of the oldest recorded straw bale house was ate by cows in 1896. It was a schoolhouse in Nebraska. Building with straw bales died out after World War I when cement became popular.
One of the reasons we are looking into this type of construction is its ability to withstand high winds. Where we are moving, it is very windy. This type of construction is very cost effective, as straw is very cheap. It is fireproof, resists mold and is a highly effective insulator. This will mostly eliminate the need for additional heating and cooling for most of the year.
