Avery El

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/332-McGowan-Rd_Enosburg-Falls_VT_05450_M98760-86393?ex=2941930780

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We are moving overseas for work and leaving behind and well loved and well constructed cruck framed round wood frame (maple) with a cedar shake roof. Included is all the straw needed to finish the house. All permits, septic system, and drilled artesian well (with a hand pump for faster access). Backs up to 3000 acres of uninterrupted forest. So much wildlife. Deer hunting. Greenhouse. 10 minutes to Canadian border. Vermont is a permie friendly state, for sure. Email me or contact our real estate agent.
averyplee@gmail.com

Mike Haasl wrote:Hi Avery, welcome to Permies!  I have a relation with a straw bale house in Wyoming.  I'm pretty sure strawbale is good for cold, wind and snow.  The one issue I know they have is that the bales go above the roof (Spanish mission style?) so there are bales exposed to the sky.  They have plaster on them but a single crack up there leads to water in the bales.

So I think that, based on their experience, if you have a roof over it with good overhangs you should be in good shape.  Rain splashes up at least 18" onto walls so you may want to have the foundation or stonework come up at least a foot and a half above grade before you start with the bales.

Mike, thank you for your reply. Can I ask how old the house is? I have read about the good overhang and splash protection and so are planning for these features. I can only imagine the amount of work/diligence it takes to keep their bales dry. That's commitment to a "style" that I don't have. :)

Hello Everyone, I live in No Vermont, (lots of rain, lots of snow, cold). We are considering strawbale insulation in a timber frame and I wanted to hear from people who have built with strawbale. Has it held up? Was moisture inevitable? I don't drink koolaid and so feel a bit of an ideological slant when people wax poetic about a particular eco-building method. We want to do what is healthy for our bodies, and healthy for the planet, as well as work with materials that feel accessible and "real" to us but definitely want negative and positive and neutral info. Thank you for taking time (if you do).