Straw house - Environmentally friendly home healthy home. Pros and cons of the straw roofs The biopositionability of straw houses

We all remember the well-known fairy tale about three piglets, in which poor NiF-Nif and NUF-NUF, which preferred a strong brick structure from straw and branches, ridicule. Meanwhile, in the homeland of these threeth piglets, in the old Good England, as well as, in Germany, the United States and dozens of other countries are actively built at home from straw. To date, one of the most economical, environmentally friendly and reliable building materials. So what is the case, why are we still building from concrete, bricks and a bar? Let's try to debunk the several most common myths and fears related to the construction of housing from straw blocks ...

Myth number 1: lack of strength

The best proof of reliability is the durability of existing buildings from straw blocks. The oldest of them, in the state of Nebraska, about a hundred years, and they are still in excellent condition. But in order to dispel doubts about incredulous, it should probably turn to the results of experiments. The Canadian Financial and Construction Corporation specially conducted a series of tests to find out the degree of reliability of straw houses. For a demonstration experiment, a wall of straw blocks with a height of 2.44 m and a length of 3.66 m, coated with plaster was constructed. This wall sustained without visible signs of destruction of a vertical pressure of 8 thousand kg and a side of 325 kg, which fully satisfies all the construction requirements.

Experts appreciated that these numbers correspond to the following loads:
Payload - 220 kg / m2. Snow loads - 293 kg / m2. Winds load - 78 kg / m2. Permanent loads - 234 kg / m2. The results of experiments show that this construction technique fully deserves confidence. Straw houses could serve a good service in seismically active regions. An example of this house in Wyoming, who absolutely not suffered from the jokes, while the neighboring buildings were damaged.

Myth number 2: What if the fire?

The question of the safety of structures from the straw blocks in the fire is usually always always arises from those who first hear about such a construction technique. And this is a completely natural question, because everyone knows how the straw is burning. Paper also burns great, but try to set up a thick book. This is a rather time consuming. The straw unit, provided that the straw is sufficiently compressed, in many respects it reminds such a book. Especially one should not forget that the straw structures are always covered with a thick layer of plaster, which largely reduces the risk of fire. If you rely on comparative characteristics, the straw houses are far superior to wooden structures in fire plan (log cabins, frame houses, etc.).

High fire safety is confirmed by official tests. The design of the plastered straw wall was officially tested in the United States and Germany and attributed to the F119 fire resistance class. The metal farm, for example, refers to the Fire resistance class F15, i.e. loses the carrying capacity after 15 minutes under the influence of fire. The Canadian National Research Council conducted special tests for plastered straw blocks. The results of the experiments showed that they, in their fire charts, exceeds other generally accepted building materials. The stucco coated straw unit was heated for 4 hours. During all this time, its temperature was only twice rising to 43 ° C, which fully meets all the requirements. The plastered surface withstood the heating to 100 ° C for 2 hours without any traces of cracks.

Here is an excerpt from the report on the results of these experiments: "The wall made of plastered straw blocks is extremely resistant to ignition. The straw blocks contain inside itself enough air in order to provide good thermal insulating qualities, but at the same time, thanks to the press, they do not contain enough air for fire. " However, straw homes can burn like any other, and special attention must first be given to the electrical wiring device. The best strategy is to lay sufficient thick wiring, as well as the use of metal or plastic tubular insulators. The fire usually spreads from top to bottom from the roof or attic, so in the design of the house it is necessary to include a fire barrier, stacked on the top wall plane. Such a barrier can serve as a layer of clay plaster.

Myth number 3: Soloma rotes, spiders, wrath mice will start ...

People who had to disassemble the vintage buildings where the insulation served the usual rye straw, was surprised in excellent preservation of it for 100-150 years. Very often, people worry about the fact that straw houses can become a shelter for all sorts of pests. As an example, skids squealed with mice and other soul-free examples are given. Experience shows that such fears are unfounded. Straw in blocks is subjected to a presses that does not leave rodents of special chances of a housewarming. In addition, the thick layer of plaster is quite good protection against all types of pests, including the smallest - insects. If we compare the straw houses with other generally accepted buildings, then the wicked frame houses represent more interest for unwanted guests due to the space between the walls. A clear confirmation of the ones may be served by a straw house in Massausssettes, who stood without plaster for several years, without feeding any signs that rodents began there. However, in order to be completely calm, it is necessary to keep in mind the following. The straw should be sufficiently compressed, which can be checked, based on the ratio of the size of the blocks to the weight.

Myth number 4: heat will weathered

Straw has a thermal conductivity of 7 times lower than the brick, and 4 times lower than the tree. Accordingly, the volumes of fuel required to warm out the room are reduced at the same time. The straw house is powerful; Fencing structures have a heat transfer coefficient of at least 8 (modern slopes require 2.5).

Energy Indicators: Energy reduction is ensured during construction at least 300 times compared with brick and gas-silicate enclosing structures with modern insulation per 1 m2 of the total area.

The coefficients of the thermal conductivity of the enclosing structures: the thermal conductivity indicator of the straw wall - 0.12 w / m2k, which is comparable to such indicators as: the tree is 0.5 W / m2k, the brick is 0.5-1.5 W / m2k. The need for heating is less than 40 kW * h / m2 per year.

Straw blocks are an excellent heat insulator. Another first settlers in Nebraska, who first applied this construction technique, noted that in the winter in such a house there is extremely warmth. Specially measured the temperature inside the house when 20-degree frosts were hit. The thermometer showed 18 degrees of heat, and the oven did not work at that time. In addition, in the summer, in the straw house is always cooler, rather than outside, regardless of heat. All these qualities make them unusually pleasant for the inhabitants. It must be taken into account and directly benefit. Many of them are those who live in straw houses, note that their heating costs are always two times less than that of the neighbors who live in ordinary homes.

Building a house using straw bales may seem at first glance. crazy idea. And, by the way, for someone, this is one of this is a serious limitation - the risk of signing the "White Voron" on the teeth is not many :) But still it is not the only and not the main drawback and risk in the construction of a straw house.

The straw and pressed straw blocks have three real "enemy" - this is an increased humidity, fire and rodents. Let's call them disadvantages "obvious."

Disadvantages are obvious

1 Risk of reloading with high humidity

Straw with a moisture content of more than 20% begins to mold, pockets and stems are destroyed, so it is so important to keep the straw blocks with dry before the start of construction, dry them and quickly climb plaster.

From here it also follows that straw walls can not be left open. At the same time, the choice of coatings is also limited:

cement-sand plaster
clay-sand plaster
plaster plaster
gypsum sheets
wooden panels

The risk of mold appearance exists for unworthy, and for poorly made walls.
In areas with a constant humid climate, you will need high-quality vapor barrier on the inner surfaces of the outer walls.
From a strong shower, the house will protect wide overwear roofs.

2 fire

Watching pressed straw blocks have high fire resistance, they are officially assigned very much. Properly protected straw wall fire safety surpasses wooden. And here straw scattered in the construction site can easily cause a fire. Especially careful need to be with straw on attic, attics, near the fireplaces.

In confirmation - the story of a woman who has burned down at the construction stage.

"A house for permanent residence (autumn 2005) was built. The plot bought with a ready-made basement floor. The frame was fucked to the foundation by anchors 14x220. The blocks were pulled by two simple twiners, were not conscientious, because During the styling, it was very much ... The outer wall was closed by the CSP, and the inner wastely sewn with a gap.

In the photo you can see to what stage the house was built while it was not burned down (on the second floor they managed to make a draft floor and interior partitions). At this stage, the builders began to lay glass insulation on the foundation, heated by a soldering lamp (April 2006). From their words, the windows were opened on the second floor. After a while, began to smoke under the trim and gender. They began to blow, pour, but could not, the fire spread very quickly and burned the whole house. Versions a lot, but I think there happened a hot air and the most important thing - a violation of fire safety techniques ... "

Prevention measures:

do not smoke at construction site
promptly pick up straw
always have a fire extinguisher at hand
do not use open sources of fire until the walls are plastered
use tightly compressed straw blocks
after laying the blocks to shock them outside, and then inside the house before proceeding with the interior decoration.

3 rodents

"So it will eat his mice" - this is a very common statement about the straw houses. Why is it so raintered? Because mice can really settle in straw in search of feed and heat. True, not in any straw, and not quite in straw :) directly in the straw blocks mice are inconvenient - they are spiny, but in the voids between the block and, for example, a plasterboard plate, may well.

By the way, rodents are not the only small pests that can help you grow your home straws :) There are still birds and insects, which can also choose a straw to their place to habitable.

Prevention measures: Use for insulation a rye or rice straw (her mice do not eat and will not settle it in it), isolate all possible ways to access straw.

Disadvantages are little mentioned, but really existing

4 design restrictions

When using the carrier frame restrictions in design are small, but there are, they relate primarily by quantities, locations, widths and heights of openings.

5 Thick Walls

Makes the walls rather thick. One of the difficulties with the walls of such a thickness becomes the need to expand the foundation and increasing the roof area. In homes with more subtle walls, creating exactly the same useful indoor space requires less resources.

6 little typical projects

Unlike houses under other technologies, there is a clear lack of typical construction schemes from straw blocks. This means that the development of a structural house construction project is most likely to be ordered individually, and the builders who understand the architects-builders will have to search.

In some countries there are still no construction norms (in Belarus is regulated by SNiP, in the Russian Federation and Ukraine also seems to be).

7 Dates and money

You need to immediately have some amount on your hands to quickly solve the "Must-had task". I will give one dialogue from the forum who illustrates this item well.

- ... one but: if I put a log house and money ends - I can live in it intenseedBut the straw house requires both external and interior decoration, and immediately.
- The cost of minimal finishes for living in the house is so insignificant that it does not deserve a separate discussion. If there was money on the frame, roof and windows, then there are crumbs on shuffling.
- Something tells me that it is not less than $ 5 per square will be released, - a lot of squares in the house!
- Be sure! Not less than 5! If the handle itself is not applied, but to walk and poke my finger - here is uneven, smear there ...

8 Dates and money - 2

A suitable straw with us appears closer to August, and if there is not enough money, you can not do everything until winter. And in winter, the external walls are not plastering. Therefore, there is a perspective under the roof of an unfinished house or a housekeeping on the site, and after him - and risk number 1.

9 "FINISTER PRINT"

Due to the fact that the construction technology of straw blocks is not yet very common, it will be much more and more closely to monitor the progress of work compared to building from "traditional" materials: and that the builders do not smoke, did not work with the burner, and that fertilizers are near With straw did not turn out to be (for example, ammonia nitrate - when contacting with sawdust or straw, self-burning is possible), and that the kids with matches do not appear next to ...

P.S. Disadvantages of straw houses with bearing frame

Perhaps you have already heard that the straw house can be built frame and roaming. Honestly, while we have little to imagine the process with this, however, people call the shortcomings of straw construction with the carrier frame, so we note them simply "for the check mark." So, this is an additional expense of time, money, labor, materials for creating a carrier system, when directly blocks could keep the weight of the roof, as well as the need to create a foundation that carry the weight of blocks and concentrated loads from vertical racks.

Do not know global!
Do you know more about shortcomings and risks? Share, please!

Read in the near future:

Myths about the Solomen House
"Straw" superstition

Building straw houses is called eco-building. Probably, all people dream of living in a pure, eco-like area, without exhaust gases, garbage and everything else. Building a straw house, so in an eco-friendly safe area, it looks like some kind of fictional story, especially in our times.

Straw is considered thermal insulating material. It is well used in construction. Wheat and rye straw has significant thermal qualities. The accommodation created from such material has acquired the name "Ekodom" (ecological housing). This raw material is allowed to apply in construction.

One of the most popular questions on the construction of such houses is how quickly and efficiently will be able to build such a house, as well as for what price. In our country, most houses are built from bricks, and those who decided to experiment and make themselves a straw house, it will be useful to learn the details.

It is very important that it is restored by raw materials, which is inexpensive and easy to convert to building material, and with ease processing after a long use. Namely:

leave for overnight in the open sky;
burn;
save.

The experience of building buildings from such a material has long been familiar. Straw was used in Canada, Holland, United States and other states. In the United States, it became popular to create houses from straw in the XIX century. The construction of straw houses today is restored and expanding hard. In Western Europe there are municipal assistance and attention of the authorities to the construction of eco-houses. This project reduces general energy consumption in the production of building materials and low-storey dwellings.

It is allowed to use straw blocks during the construction of country houses, saunas, autogarants. Such blocks are allowed to apply as the basis of the floor in residential rooms. Housing from such material in the final version differs little from buildings from classic building materials.

As a rule, the structures of certain sizes are made of straw (L * W * H): 490x490x355 mm; 902x475x355 mm (m \u003d 20 kg, humidity 15%); 505-1205x505x404 mm.

Important! Blocks are required to be a rectangular shape, length - no less than 2 heights. For the purpose of strong ligation of blocks, this requirement should be followed. The density of the blocks - an average of 120 kg / m3, however, can be located in the range of 100-400 kg / m3. The walls of the apartment building from straw is easier than the brick, 85%. From 1 ton, 77 blocks of straw will be approximately.

To build a building with an area of \u200b\u200b70 square meters. m. Number of straw, assembled from a plot of 2-4 hectares. At the building of the medium size leaving up to 700 units of straw blocks. According to heat engineering data, the material occupies a deserving place among the materials of heat shields: perlite, foam, straw.

Advantages and disadvantages

Straw structures possess their advantages and disadvantages. The benefits include:

There are also some disadvantages of straw houses. Cons of houses from straw blocks:

It is forbidden to implement the protected cladding of the building: this will lead to the cluster of humidity. As a rule, similar houses are plastered. The principle of fire safety should be observed at the highest degree during the construction of the house.
At the time of the construction, it is necessary to plan the placement of suspended furniture to install additional bars. Walls made of clay without additional strengthening are not withstanding suspension furniture.

In the walls can be launched insects and mice, and with moisture 18-20% and above the straw begins to rot.

Let us analyze the short legends of people who face when they want to build a house from straw, and which are told to us for many times.

And surprisingly, people believe in them:

Varieties of technology facilities

The construction of a straw house is divided into types: a frame house (the main component is a wood base); Frameless house (the main component of such a building is not a wood base, but walls of straw blocks).

The main stages of the construction of a skeleton house:

The main stages of the frameless building Approximately the same as during the construction of a frame building, with the exception of the island's design. This kind of housing is created only from straw blocks, according to analogy with a brick wall. For the support of the rafter structures, the top of the walls of the straw systems is made of thick boards.

The roof in this building should be extremely simple and elementary. For the purpose of construction, 2 types of straw structures are used: dried straw compressable in blocks of different sizes and compressed straw blocks treated with clay. The design of the frame building is much stronger than the frameless, however, the price is more expensive due to the use of the greatest number of wood.

Frame straw buildings are allowed to design and construct with a complex system and a different kind of roof, which cannot be made when applying frameless technology.

We often began to handle people interested in straw houses. Here is one of the letters.

"My name is Kovalev Mikhail Konstantinovich, I want to build a house in the Crimea. The choice to go to the straw house. I wanted to know from you, like people who deal with this kind of houses. What are the pros and cons of the straw houses?"

We turned over the answer to the architect and designer Konstantin Bulkov, who designed many straw houses in Ukraine and abroad.

ansambl.dp.ua.

1. Construction and operation of the eco-friendly straw house - "pros and cons".

Most of the reasonable typical projects are suitable, the best results of operation and construction from individual projects designed under a specific customer, architects specializing in frames and ecodoms.
You can build in the climatic zone from the equator to the extreme northern dots where the cereals are sown. In the warmth climate, it is protection against heat, cold - from the cold.
During construction, one of the most energy-saving construction technologies, minimal emissions with the preparation of raw materials, construction, operation and disposal of the server. More eco-friendly only clay houses.
One of the most positively influencing technologies on the tenants of the house can easily compete according to the biopoosive with fires. The microclimate of the house is always friendly and has a beneficial effect on health psychological and physical. It is very suitable for allergic, asthmatic and people with other diseases of the respiratory system.

Building:
1. Less costs for the foundation, the soils may even be the weakest possible, without excessive recalculation of their fixing.
2. Technology can be frame and frameless. With a frame, first the frame is built, the roof is arranged, after which the straw bales are laid, and plastering with clay plaster. With a frameless, as a rule, large bales are used, but a lot of usual, the volume is very quickly built, after the roof is placed.
3. When complying with high energy saving performance.
4. 99% of straw objects can be built without the use of heavy machinery.
5. With a self-service, a very seductive price tag.
6. The technology saves the forest (or it consumes it very much) and in fact it is the construction of agricultural waste that is laying.

Disadvantages:
1. Fire hazard at the construction stage.
2. The presence of a field with rye or wheat in 25 km radius from the construction site.
3. Many plaster works based on clay, cement cannot be applied, but can be based on lime.
4. There are difficulties with commissioning, but they are a particularly large barrier.
5. High cost of manual work, low process mechanization.

1. My opinion:
In the near future, the houses will receive environmental certificates and certificates for energy saving, the higher the class assigned to the house, the greater value on the market it can use, the less its operating costs. Houses from natural materials and, in particular, straw can receive the highest ratings. The straw house is a house that are thinking of successful people about their health, about the safety of the environment, about the future of our planet. Straw houses build those who think about their environmental trail, about a pleasant and unhurried life, about the time that the customer spends in his home with his family.

2. Theoretically noticeable and theoretically at times.

I do not know the research of institutions and scientific work in this direction that would be outlined in Russian. There are no reliable data on which you can rely on and say unequivocally. The heat transfer resistance of the straw wall is equal to 8-10W \\ m 2 * degrees instead of the required SNOP 3W \\ m 2 * hail (for Kiev).

3. Those who intend to build an extract, I recommend to do this:
a) Develop an individual project that corresponded to the lifestyle and philosophy of the family, which will live in this house.
b) Order a house from the straw panels from the enterprise, on this specializing in. The house will gather quickly and it will not be much worse than if you fold into the frame manually. If a person has a high energy efficiency requirement, the house must be folded from bales manually.
c) use the achievements of modern technologies in the autonomization of the house. Insert the heating system of heat pumps, and not gas heating or TT with a boiler.

4. It is worth understanding that this is not a concrete building and he has nuances in design and operation.

A competent project solves all possible problems in operation. The oldest house of straw over 150 years old. Compliance with the construction technology of the straw house ensures reliability and durability of the operation of such technologies. The straw house is not only an extract from natural materials, this is an eco-friendly lifestyle.

For the design of straw houses, please contact Konstantin Bulkov

www.ansambl.dp.ua.

A special fashion today, in Europe and America, use houses from straw, and even with a straw roof. Paradox, we are considered to be a rural house, immortal, there is a sign of straw, only wealthy people can afford it. Why are these topics of Europeans and Americans? Live in concrete boxes, in megalopolis, pleasure is not enough, therefore and the city inhabitants per city are moved. And the best solution to the housing issue, from their point of view, this is a cottage from straw. Wooden frame filled with straw blocks, yes, it is still that the roof of the straw is environmentally friendly and comfortable. What do you need for building such a house? Straw, or rather blocks of pressed straw, board and a bar for a frame, not necessarily new, but should be in excellent condition. All these materials can be purchased quite cheap. The straw walls outside and inside can be deceived by clay (which can be just skipped) the roof, if not to be scrupted, can also be made of straw or reassembly, which can also be considered a peak of ecological fashion. Who does not like can be covered with modern materials. In essence, the straw houses go close to the sacred, in terms of environmental friendliness, prices and comfort, but less durable. However, if not be lazy, it is quite possible, once every 25-30 years, straw walls can be disassembled and the old blocks change to new ones. There will be another reason for housewarming and redevelopment. Such houses beautifulEspecially for generic places.

What causes interest in straw houses? What advantages do they give? Is it dangerous to live in a house built from straw?

Why build a house from straw?

Rising prices, reduced wood availability, environmental impairment and the most consuming consumer interest to an environmentally friendly environment forces new ways and materials for the construction of individual houses. In this context of straw deserves attention as a renewable resource, which is obtained on a regular basis, as a by-product of grain production. Straw is available in most areas, which reduces construction transportation costs, especially since the statistics of developed countries more than 50 percent of all greenhouse gases produced in the construction industry are transported to it.

Despite the fact that the straw is cheaper than such building materials as a brick or wood, the construction of a straw house is usually worth the same as ordinary houses, because the cost of the wall is only from 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of the building.

Nevertheless, you can save on construction by building a house from straw with your own hands, but it is important to understand what you can do on your own, and where you may need help contractor.

Real savings of the straw house lies in its energy efficiency. The plastered straw house provides incredible isolation, it can save up to 75 percent of the means on heating and cooling the house, and this is a huge savings. Walls made of straw provide excellent sound insulation.

Another question is the fire safety of the straw house. It would seem, at home from straw represent a huge danger in this regard, however, they are about three times more fire-resistant ordinary homes. Unpressing straw is really fuel, but bales of straw, of which the house is built, have such a density that they actually increase the resistance of fire. In tightly packaged bales there is no oxygen, which reduces the probability of combustion. Stucco wall adds additional fire-resistant protection. The National Research Center of Canada conducted testing, where the walls made of bales of straw withstood temperatures up to 1010 degrees Celsius for two hours.

Bales for the construction of the house must be made of straw, and not hay. The hay contains a sheet material that eating animals, while straw is not a source of food. Tightly packaged straw, in combination with properly used seals, it makes it difficult to penetrate rodents into the walls of the house. Even if they do it, they have nothing to eat there. Ordinary homes, with their cracks in the walls, are more attractive for rodents.

Straw is naturally breathable material, which in comparison with modern construction materials do not contain formaldehydes and other chemicals.

The main threat to the house of the straw is moisture, but this problem is characteristic of many houses. We learn how to solve this problem in the subsequent sections.

Methods for the construction of a straw house

The house of straw is not just laying of bales of straw. The house should be designed so that nature itself contributes to the effectiveness of the house. Before construction, it is necessary to figure out the wind rose, is there water nearby, where will excessive rainwater leave? Think about how trees and shrubs will help create natural obstacles to wind. These factors will determine how it is better to orient the house.

There are two main ways to build a straw house.

The first method is a frame. Frame houses from a tree that supports the roof, straw is used as an insulation.

The second method - bales of straws are carriers. In this case, the method is not used frame, bales themselves support the roof. The width and density of the bale provide a sufficient fortress, and in the case of a cramped budget, the second method is preferable because it requires less construction skills and uses less resources. However, with the method of construction there are significant restrictions in the design and size of the house. The frameless house can only be one-storey, the length of its walls in any direction should not exceed 8 meters, the area of \u200b\u200bwindows and doors should not exceed 50 percent of the surface of the wall surface.

Home construction

As soon as you have decided on the method of building a straw house, you need to decide on the design of the house, the choice of which is not different from the choice of an ordinary home. For a house of a baoined straw, any kind of foundation or roof can be used, and it is built according to the principle of the skeleton house, between the racks of which bales of straw are stacked.

However, with any type of foundation, bales should be raised above the ground for several centimeters, so they will not absorb moisture from the ground. This can be achieved by means of facilities from bars around the perimeter of the foundation, which are attached to the concrete foundation with a filling of gravel.

After laying bales of straw, plaster walls - cement mortar on the outside of the building, and a gypsum or lime mortar inside the house. The first layer of plaster should be applied directly on the straw on the plaster grid, followed by the application of two more layers of plaster. Waterproofing material on the walls of straw is not used. Moisture will go naturally through the stucco. When painting the walls you need to use "breathable" paints.

The proper use of plaster and paint will help that moisture does not affect the straw.

Straw house problems

As already mentioned in this article, the moisture is the greatest problem of the house of straw, it causes a mold that leads to rotting.

Therefore, precautions must be taken from the moment of buying bales of straw. Store bales with straw is needed outdoors, clusted with a tarpaullet or film. On a rainy day, construction is not conducted, and measures are taken to protect the already erected moisture.

During the design and construction, you need to pay special attention to the removal of water from the house - drainage around the foundation, sink roofs, waterproofs, window sills.

Since the construction technologies of the straw house are not common in the world, problems may arise in the application of construction standards and rules. Therefore, perhaps you will have to work more closely with officials to get the necessary documents for construction.

Banks and insurance companies may not want to risk on financing and insurance of such experimental construction.

Photos of old straw houses are interested in interest - probably because there are few of them recently stumbled upon the next such work, if not just a photo, but an article published in the magazine with a description of the house and technology. And next to the house in its current state ... Publication date is May 1921. Magazine - "Science and Life" in our opinion. An article under the heading "Fresh in summer, warm in winter - straw houses are very economical":