James:- ' Our challenge has been how to construct a relatively toxin free, strawbale and timber dwelling with clay and lime wall plasters and a clay floor within our budget and within the planning framework. The ethos was always to spend time on the research/design phase so that our final plans might be of help to others wishing to follow a natural building path through the present consents system. Thats not to say that we are turning our back on all modern building materials or techniques; it's just that we think certain unadulerated natural materials, and their respective well proven applications, have a place alongside certain synthetic materials in a modern house.
However, there are still areas that are causing us to reconsider constantly; as to whether we should use natural or synthetic. Insulation and foundations design are good examples . Forums are full of the pros and cons of the range of products available so won't go down that path. But here are a few thoughts:-what if certain companies have achieved the evironmental standard ISO 14001 for their whole production process and their product satisfies our most important requirements yet it is synthetic? How natural is natural..................what if a 'natural product' includes synthetics too or a company hasn't achieved ISO 14001?
Should sub-slab insulation in central Otago be no more than dry earth (apparently a very poor conductor of heat) , or possibly the ultimate in XPS poly..........or even wine bottles on their sides?
How far should one follow their preferred foundation design of, for instance, a rubble trench (a natural building 'must-have') through the buidling regs; considering the seismic issues involved, the potential cost of finding supporting expertise outside of NZ; should that energy be spent on investigating the potential of crushed glass aggregate or fibreglass rebars within a bog standard concrete footing? Or neither?
Is ridding a house of treated timber, through very careful design, really worth the the time expended on it? Or should time have been spent on researching 'untreated' aussie hardwood poles, that I now find to be treated with 'Dieldrin' prior to being imported to NZ many years ago? (Google it..........its pretty potent stuff.)
I could continue for hours along similar lines but i just wanted to share a few conumdrums i've experienced.
Over and out
2 comments:
Hi James and Nicky
I read, with inspiration, about your project in the local rag. I too have a straw bale building project(retrofit)which is nearing readyness for council. I am looking at an earth floor - but I am also looking for more elegant solutions to polystyrene insulation and the required plastic moisture membrane (breathability issues)as part of the subfloor structure. I am also looking at the use of cob for some internal walls - well covered in NZS 4297-9. Most external rendering of straw in NZ appears to be cement based and my preference would be to use a soil based material (our site material appears to be perfect possibly even without modification!) but a lime plaster or similar breathable finnish coat would be anticipated. Did I gather that you will be clay plastering on both the interior and exterior straw walls? I would be most keen to hear of your experience/thoughts on this before I submit to council on this one. Regards
Graham
Graham, apologies that we have not responded sooner - I have only just realised that we had any comments on the site. If you saw the article in the local rag I guess you must be Wanaka based. We are on site much of the time if you want to swing round for coffee and a chat.
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