Bryan Nichols

Jim,

Thank you again for the excellent information. I didn't realize that the plaster was approximately 2" thick! That is substantial and I can see how that thermal mass would greatly change the equation in a favorable direction for straw bale.

It's funny you mention Jacob because as I was reading your reply I was recalling information from a book I have in my library, The Natural Building Companion, which just so happens to be co-authored by Jacob. In the beginning it talks in great detail about embodied energy and it was through this publication I became aware of some of the embodied energy numbers surrounding specific materials. One example I was surprised to learn was just how toxic burning PVC can be for the environment.

I took a look back in the book and it looks like even though cellulose is a low embodied energy material, straw is roughly 1/8 the embodied energy by comparison so this is another argument in your favor. A chart in the book compares the two with cellulose at 2.12 and straw at 0.24. This is a dramatic difference!

On that note, I can see how there is a reasonable trade off to be made where straw is basically unsuited for the job like gable walls. Preferring rockwool over fiberglass when needed also make sense given its substantially lower embodied energy compared to fiberglass (16.8 vs 28)

Thanks again for the info!

Jim, this is great. Thank you for the thorough reply and for confirming some of the veracity of the article. It's good to know your thoughts. I also appreciate the additional perspective you offer with regard that R-value isn't the whole story. This makes a lot of sense and it seems that the modeling that the building industry uses to gauge effectiveness of a set of climate moderating technologies working in concert is not quite up to the task.

You mentioned the NE in your reply, which is where I live. This is part of the reason that I was considering R-value more in-depth just considering what the code requires here. Here the winters are very cold and not having proper insulation could result in a serious issue so it is understandable that the code would require more stringent (higher) numbers than where I am originally from in the PNW.

Your post brings to mind a few more questions:

With consideration of the embodied energy of straw vs cellulose, why would one want to bother with the additional "concerns" of straw if cellulose offers a reasonable alternative and is a well understood insulation medium? Maybe this is another way of asking "what makes cellulose 'bad'"?
Does using cellulose on the outside of bales add additional considerations that a builder needs to be concerned with? framing, vapor barriers, etc?
How much thermal mass does the internal plastering add to a wall? I've only ever thought of it as a coating vs something like cob or earth bag where there is a very significant mass but I could be mistaken in this regard.

While reading an article in Mother Earth News about building straw bale in the city, I was doing some additional internet searching and came across an article / perspective I had not heard before regarding straw bale

https://riversonghousewright.wordpress.com/about/18-straw-bale-wall-r-value-controversy/

In the article, the author argues that the methodology used to gauge the true R-value of straw bales has been somewhat controversial and I am curious what Jim and Bob have to say in response to these arguments. Before reading the article I had heard the 50+ R-value and had taken that at face value. After reading the article and more on the actual methodology and tests conducted on straw bale to determine the R-value, I am not longer convinced these (high) numbers are accurate.

That's rad! Nice job on both the stove and the video!

Hahaha pretty great stuff! Enjoyed it thoroughly.

One of my favorites is The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk

Ben's very practical and his book covers all the bases of the homestead. There is just a ton of information from earthworks to medicinals and everything in between. His climate in Vermont is similar to where I live in the PNW. Very good book well worth the money!

Thanks Peter, I will take a look!

Thank you for sharing your expertise!

What is a good way to introduce kids to the wonderful world of fungi?

There is so much potential for broadening of our knowledge of these organisms. As a father of homeschoolers, I'd love to get my kids interested early and I think it would be really neat to have ways to incorporate experiments/learning/eating of various forms of fungi into our education. Learning about fungi identification, strengths, uses, and how different species grow in different conditions seems like it could be really valuable. Even learning how kids can apply their knowledge at a microlevel in our home seems fun and do-able.

Are there good resources, both literature and physical (like spores or inoculated substrate) that a family could use to learn together? Are there any ideas on experiments or other practical applications of knowledge of fungi?

I think that counts as homesteading. , or at least a variant of it if you are a purist.

I think that homesteading is definable but it is also an ideal of sorts. Taking a road less traveled and becoming (more) self sufficient seem to run true to it's core. Often it seems that with that road less traveled you face adversity that most people don't. Those experiences aren't something that you can plan for necessarily but never-the-less it can come down to make or break the deal. I find it helpful to draw on that collective knowledge of what it took others to overcome that adversity.