John Wilkinson

Mmmm.

I stopped using soap in the shower about 20 years ago except for when I'm really grimy from a particular dirty job.  I'm late 50's and work as an artisan boat builder and run a small holding.  When I stopped using soap I found I rarely got spots or rashes, my skin sensitivity reduced significantly and my skin stopped feeling dry.
I'd used a variety of soaps over the years.
My hands and forearms do get good soaping at times because they do get grubby.

I stopped using shampoo about 10 years ago.  My hair felt pretty thick and grimy for a few weeks and then it was fine.  Occasionally I've had to do work that has meant my hair needed a dam good wash - such as when I lime rendered a straw bale barn and had the lime dust was deep into my hair.  One good was with a general shampoo for normal hair sorts it out and I'm back to water washing again.

Can't see the point in stripping your hair and skin of natural oils when they manage themselves well without intervention.

I am pretty social and run various workshops and used to work as a full time school teacher (so I'm not a smelly hermit) and never had issues with people avoiding my or holding their noses.  

Fox James wrote:If you punch into Google ‘straw bale building permies’ just make sue you add  permies ….. and it comes up with 10 or so threads…. Here is one …. https://permies.com/t/197320/rocket-stove-straw-bale-building

Excellent,

Thanks for the redirection.

Matt McSpadden wrote:Hi John,
Fox has already pointed you to another thread. I was just wondering what piece you are wondering about for RMH and Straw bale building? The fire hazard? If that is the case, I would point out that they built a RMH in a mobile home that is arguably as flammable as a strawbale house with lime plaster.

Yes, that is the main issue.  Wall proximity and protection would be the things I want to get right.

Thanks

Hi All,

I have read myself back and forward through loads of material on RMH and I can't find anything relating to using them in a straw bale building with interior Lime rendered walls.
The floor is timber joists which I am aware I will probably have to add support to to take weight.

Anyone direct me to information on the straw bale issue?

Any help hugely appreciated.

John

Steve Picker wrote:For those of you using wool as a mulch it has a great fertilizer analysis, 9-0-2.

Hi Steve, What does 9-0-2 refer to?

Dave Pence wrote: A leaf blower and hose system was rigged up to blow the wool into the void.  It worked really well, fluffing up the wool as it traveled through the flexible pipe.

What an excellent innovation for installing the wool.  My intention was hand installing knowing it would be a tedious job.

Do you know if the wool was treated first?

John

Beau M. Davidson wrote:I use raw wool in all my outbuildings, and sometimes even in our home.

I say raw, but I actually ferment it in a large trough of water for a few weeks, rinse it in rainwater or the creek, and let it sun-dry on a concrete slab.  It is my understanding that this cleans some, but not all the lanolin off, removing grime, and leaving an even protective coating.  

It started as an experiment 5 years ago, and I have been pleasantly surprised to have zero problems.  No pest, no odor, just an incredibly high-performing loose-fill insulation material.

Thank you for this comment Beau.  Very encouraging!

Nancy Reading wrote:I'm very interested in how you get on John - we have similar issues here with waste fleece and expensive sheep' wool insulation. As well as the processing to make the fleece into a homogeneous product I gather most are also mixed with plastic fibres to give consistent loft. It does seem like a real opportunity to join the circle making use of a waste product  - win-win, but certainly in a house (which we are considering) I am worried about the possibilities of moths moving in.
I think the main problems with Borax are to do with it being used in laundry and the associated contamination of water, so if you were using it for building and didn't have too much liquid waste to dispose of you may be able to buy and use it OK. I did find at least one site online here, which might be worth a try. They do say:

This product has been reclassified by the ECHA as Reprotoxic Category 2 and as such is not available to the general permies. Borax can only be purchased by Professionals and by trade and business users or for scientific research.

but I don't know what checks they might do, so it may be worth a shot as a known good treatment that isn't too toxic when used responsibly.

Hi Nancy,

Slightly worryingly, I went to the site you had provided a link to and ordered 5kg of the stuff.  The order went through without any questions or checks!

Next hurdle will be to see if it is allowed to be sent to me across the Irish Sea!

Thanks again.

John

I’ve been building the workshop mostly single handed for nearly three years.  I’m resigned to the insulation in the roof being a slow job!

Willowing the fleece may do me some good having watched the video!  I’m a firm believer in the ‘Slow’ movement.

r ranson wrote:That's a tricky bit.  here borax is a common laundry item and necessary soil amendment so I can buy it by the kilogram at the grocery store or by the 25kilo at the farm store.

I wonder if it's "restricted" in the same way that many things here are.  If you can prove it's for agricultural or building use, you can buy it.  Might be worth asking at the local farm shop.  

I will give this a go.  My local farm shop is very helpful.