We all remember the famous tale of the three little pigs, which ridicules the poor Nif-nif and Nuf-nuf, who preferred flimsy structures made of straw and branches to a solid brick structure. Meanwhile, in the homeland of these same three piglets, in good old England, as well as in Germany, the USA and dozens of other countries, straw houses are being actively built. Today - one of the most economical, environmentally friendly and reliable building materials. So what was the matter, why are we still building from concrete, brick and timber? Let's try to debunk some of the most common myths and fears regarding the construction of straw blocks...
Myth #1: Lack of strength
The best proof of reliability is the durability of existing straw block buildings. The oldest of these, in Nebraska, are about a hundred years old and still in excellent condition. But in order to dispel the doubts of the incredulous, one should probably turn to the results of experiments. The Canadian Finance and Construction Corporation specifically conducted a series of tests to find out the reliability of thatched houses. For the demonstration experiment, a wall of straw blocks 2.44 m high and 3.66 m long, covered with plaster, was built. This wall has withstood visible signs destruction, a vertical pressure of 8 thousand kg and a lateral pressure of 325 kg, which fully meets all construction requirements.
The experts assessed that these figures correspond to the following loads:
Payload - 220 kg/m2. Snow loads- 293 kg/m2. Wind loads- 78 kg/m2. Permanent loads - 234 kg/m2. The results of the experiments show that this construction technique is fully trustworthy. Thatched houses could do a good job in seismically active regions. An example of this is a house in Wyoming, which was completely unaffected by the aftershocks, while neighboring buildings were damaged.
Myth #2: What if there's a fire?
The question of the safety of structures made of straw blocks in relation to fire usually always arises among those who first hear about such a construction technique. And this is a completely natural question, because everyone knows perfectly well how straw burns. Paper also burns wonderfully, but try setting fire to a thick book. This is a rather laborious task. A straw block, provided the straw is sufficiently compacted, resembles such a book in many respects. Moreover, we should not forget that thatched buildings are always covered with a thick layer of plaster, which greatly reduces the risk of fire. If you rely on comparative characteristics, thatched houses are far superior in terms of fire protection wooden structures(log cabins, frame houses etc.).
High fire safety is confirmed by official tests. The stucco thatched wall design has been officially tested in the US and Germany and rated F119 fire rated. metal truss, for example, belongs to the fire resistance class F15, i.e. loses its bearing capacity after 15 minutes under the influence of fire. The Canadian National Research Council has carried out special tests on stucco straw blocks. The results of the experiments showed that they, in terms of their fire-fighting characteristics, are superior to other generally accepted Construction Materials. A plastered straw block was heated for 4 hours. During all this time, its temperature has only risen to 43 ° C twice, which fully meets all the requirements. The plastered surface withstood heating up to 100 °C for 2 hours without any trace of cracks.
Here is an excerpt from a report on the results of these experiments: “The wall, made of plastered straw blocks, is unusually resistant to fire. Straw bales contain enough air inside to provide good insulating qualities, but at the same time, due to the pressing, they do not contain enough air to ignite. ” However, thatched houses can burn like any other, and Special attention, first of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the wiring device. The best strategy is to lay down enough thick wiring, and use metal or plastic tubular insulators. Fire usually spreads from top to bottom from the roof or attic, so a fire barrier must be included in the design of the house, laid on the top plane of the wall. Such a barrier can be a layer of clay plaster.
Myth #3: Straw will rot, spider bugs, rat mice will start...
People who had to dismantle old buildings, where ordinary rye straw served as a heater, were surprised at its excellent preservation for 100-150 years. Very often, people worry that straw houses can become a haven for all sorts of pests. Stacks swarming with mice and other chilling examples are given as an example. Experience shows that such fears are unfounded. Straw in blocks is subjected to pressing, which does not leave rodents much chance for housewarming. In addition, a thick layer of plaster is enough good protection from all types of pests, including the smallest - insects. If we compare thatched houses with other conventional buildings, then sheathed frame houses are of greater interest to unwanted guests, due to the space between the walls. A clear confirmation of the above can serve as a thatched house in Massachusetts, which stood without plaster for several years, showing no signs that rodents were wound up there. However, in order to be completely calm, one must bear in mind the following. The straw must be sufficiently compacted, which can be verified by the ratio of block size to weight.
Myth #4: Heat will dissipate
Straw has a thermal conductivity 7 times lower than brick and 4 times lower than wood. Accordingly, the amount of fuel required to heat the room is reduced by the same amount. The straw house is energy-passive; building envelopes have a heat transfer resistance coefficient of at least 8 (modern SNiPs require 2.5).
Energy performance: energy consumption during construction is reduced by at least 300 times compared to brick and gas silicate building envelopes with modern insulation per 1 m2 of the total area.
The coefficients of thermal conductivity of enclosing structures: the thermal conductivity of a straw wall is 0.12 W / m2K, which is comparable to such indicators as: wood 0.5 W / m2K, brick 0.5–1.5 W / m2K. The energy requirement for heating is less than 40 kWh/m2 per year.
Straw blocks are an excellent heat insulator. Even the first settlers in Nebraska, who first applied this construction technique, noted that in winter it was unusually warm in such a house. They specially measured the temperature inside the house when it hit 20-degree frosts. The thermometer showed 18 degrees Celsius, and the stove was not working at that time. In addition, in the summer it is always cooler inside a straw house than outside, regardless of the heat. All these qualities make them unusually pleasant for the inhabitants. At the same time, the direct benefit must also be taken into account. Many of those who live in thatched houses note that their heating costs are always half that of their neighbors who live in ordinary houses.
Terminology
The most valuable thing in a person's life is his health. Everyone understands that it is impossible without a healthy lifestyle. Human health is influenced by many environmental factors. What we eat, what we ride, where we live - all this is of decisive importance.
A healthy lifestyle is not possible in an environment filled with harmful substances. Consequently, in the pursuit of health, we come to the need to use environmentally friendly building materials. Unfortunately, many of those who prioritize healthy lifestyle life, do not see the difference between environmentally friendly and environmentally friendly materials.
Environmentally friendly materials are materials that do not have a detrimental effect on environment. But only those materials that do not cause any harm to the environment can be called absolutely environmentally friendly.
About the need to use straw
The use of environmentally friendly materials is not enough to save the environment. The fact is that when creating such materials, technologies that harm nature are often used. For example, when using different devices and aggregates, the need for electricity increases, the production of which may be associated with "dirty" processes. In addition, the amount of resources needed to maintain production is increasing. This includes the creation and use of lubricants, spare parts, as well as waste from related production processes.
Brick, mineral wool, natural stone and other environmentally friendly building materials require a lot of energy and resources to manufacture. The use of wood, as one of the most environmentally friendly materials, leads to a rapid reduction in forests on the planet. Therefore, the use of wood cannot be called an environmentally friendly approach to construction.
Combination of convenience and environmental friendliness
The logical conclusion is to reduce the amount of wood in the construction of buildings to the minimum possible. This issue has already been partially resolved - "frame" construction is gaining more and more popularity. The share of wood used in this technology is only about 15% of the total wall material.
(Compare with a log house, where wood is 100% of the material. For the construction of one house with an area of 150 square meters a quarter of a hectare of forest needs to be cut down. For reference: it takes 30-50 years to grow a tree suitable for cutting boards of six meters in length).
The walls of buildings frame technology consist of wooden "ribs", the space between which is filled with some kind of insulation. Most often it is mineral wool or expanded polystyrene, better known as polystyrene. And he and the other insulation can not be called environmentally friendly. During operation, they can emit harmful substances into the atmosphere. In addition, the installation of insulation from mineral wool poses a risk of damage skin and mucous membranes of humans.
Perhaps the only insulating material that has the right to be called environmentally friendly can be called ordinary straw. It is an annually renewable resource. Moreover, it appears as a by-product in the cultivation of cereals.
Therefore, there is no need to create a separate production for straw. After all, straw remains on the field after harvesting - wheat, rye and the like. It just needs to be assembled.
In the production of wall panels, it is best to use rye straw. It is not suitable for the household - due to its rigidity, it is not even suitable for laying the floor in animal rooms. Often it is simply left to rot in the fields. In addition to this, straw has excellent sound and heat insulation qualities. It is three times more effective pine wood and 10 times more effective than brick.
Therefore, rye straw, as a raw material for construction, has three key advantages: annual renewability (remains in the fields), no energy-intensive production (costs only for straw collection) and fiber structure (thermal insulation). Thanks to these advantages, straw insulation is out of competition in terms of environmental friendliness compared to other materials.
Historical reference
People have been using straw to build houses for thousands of years. The first mention of thatched houses (in surviving sources) came to us from ancient egypt(about 5000 BC). Since then, straw building technology has come a long way from adobe houses to multi-storey buildings with straw insulation.
Initially, these were walls made of straw, covered with clay for strength and weather resistance. Then came houses made of bricks made from a mixture of straw, clay, sand, earth and water. Later, straw pressing was invented, which made it possible to erect the walls of one-story buildings from straw briquettes, and then cover them with plaster. To date, the development of technology has reached the creation of wall panels with straw inside, ready to be installed and formed walls.
Today, straw technology is used in many areas of Eurasia (from the Kuban to Great Britain), North America(USA, Canada) and others.
Not afraid of water or teeth
Straw, which is used as insulation, is not subject to decay. First, the rye that has not yet been harvested is washed by rain and then dried by the wind. Secondly, it is collected only in dry sunny weather. Thirdly, after pressing into the wall panel, the straw is plastered on both sides with a layer of moisture-proof material: clay or gypsum. This plaster protects from moisture, but at the same time perfectly passes steam. Thanks to this, straw insulation is very durable.
In addition, rodents do not start in rye straw. There are also several reasons for this. The first is that the straw goes to the production of panels after harvesting. These are simply dry stems remaining after threshing, they are freed from leaves, inflorescences and seeds. There is nothing for rodents to eat in this straw. The second is that straw contains a substance called lignin, which rodents really do not like. Third, rye straw is so hard and prickly that it cuts the skin. Therefore, straw is not suitable for housing either - it is uncomfortable to sleep on it.
In addition to this, straw contains 2-3 times more silica than wood. This makes it more durable and resistant to fungal attack.
Brief description of technology
Straw is collected from the field using an automatic baler. He leaves behind bales, which workers manually reload into the back of a tractor. After that, the straw is delivered to the edge of the field, where it is transferred to a truck that carries the straw to the production of panels.
In the workshop at this time, the frame for the panels is being assembled. Using pre-prepared boards (dried and sanded), frames of future panels are formed. Then the straw is pressed into the assembled frames to a density of 140 kg/m3. With this degree of pressing, the straw becomes an absolutely non-combustible material.
When creating one standard wall panel 1.25 m wide, 2.5 m high and 0.42 m thick, 15 rectangular bales 30*50*80 cm in size are required. Taking into account the weight of the dried wood, the finished panel weighs 230 kg. The plastered panel weighs almost 600 kg.
The last step in creating a wall panel is coating front sides panels with plaster. At the same stage, cable and ventilation ducts. As a result, a finished panel comes out of the production line, suitable for mounting walls or ceilings at the construction site.
Such panels allow you to build houses up to 3 floors high. If, when assembling the panel, metal is added to the tree, the number of storeys of the building with straw insulation can be increased up to 5 floors. Such houses can often be found, for example, in Germany.
A building assembled from such wall panels can withstand an earthquake of magnitude 10.
Assembly finished house
Wall panels, assembled using the latest achievements in the field of straw construction, have such important qualities as durability and reliability. They are self-supporting. In addition, the technology allows you to set up production for the production of panels of various formats.
Thanks to the proven technology, the finished panels are easy to install, and also have a primary finish. To the side of the panel facing the inside of the house, you can immediately attach decorative elements and light furniture.
The technology allows you to assemble the house at any time of the year, observing the only condition - dry weather.
Not afraid of water and fire
The plaster that covers the straw consists only of natural materials. Its main components: gypsum or clay, which have the same properties. Other components of the plaster serve to stiffen it - salt, lime, or are added as heat-insulating fillers: chopped straw, sawdust, sand, vermiculite, expanded clay.
In addition, clay additionally preserves the entire structure. They say that thanks to this very property, a few decades after the construction, when dismantling such a house, a tree completely unspoiled by time is found in the thickness of the wall.
But clay has another unique property: it maintains ideal humidity in the room, absorbing excess moisture or giving it back if necessary.
Class fire safety wall panel - K0 (30). This means that the plastered panel will withstand exposure to open fire for 30 minutes. Only after that, the straw insulation inside the panel will heat up and begin to smolder. Without further heating, the smoldering of the straw will stop.
Humidity inside panel house with straw insulation is maintained in the range from 40 to 60%. This indicator is comfortable for a person in the warm season. Therefore, the humidity inside such a house will be comfortable all year round.
Today is easier
For a long time, building with straw was very labor intensive. Collecting straw, laying in walls, covering with clay - all this required a lot of time and effort from the builder. The formation of straw briquettes with a baler directly on the field did not save the builder from manually stacking briquettes to form walls, as well as from plastering. Now, using presses in the workshop, the process of assembling panels has been greatly simplified and accelerated.
Straw house building is the most environmentally friendly.
A house built using straw has many positive aspects. Straw insulation does not require large energy costs to create. Straw does not create inconvenience during installation, like mineral wool insulation. She does not highlight harmful substances and does not serve as a pollutant remaining after construction.
In addition, straw has excellent sound and heat insulation. She happens to be the best basis to create a passive autonomous home. It allows you to significantly, up to 50%, reduce energy consumption to maintain the temperature. According to statistics, 27% of the energy generated in the world is spent on space heating during the cold season and cooling during the warm season.
Considering all the listed features of straw insulation, we can conclude that this is an absolutely biopositive material. Its extraction, production, use and disposal do not cause any harm to the environment.
To keep up with the times
A house in which rye straw is used for insulation is not only environmentally friendly. Such a house will be the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly of all possible. By building such houses, we protect nature from pollution. Thanks to the development of technology, today's straw-insulated house has nothing to do with the hut that crumbled from the breath of a wolf in a well-known fairy tale.
Life goes on, technology develops, straw grows, houses with straw insulation stand and delight their owners. Understanding the value of the environment, you need to arm yourself with the fruits of technology development and keep up with the times.
Building straw houses is called green building. Probably, all people dream of living in a clean, eco-healthy area, without exhaust gases, garbage and everything else. Building a house out of straw, also in an environmentally safe area, seems like some kind of fictional story, especially in our times.
Straw is considered heat-insulating material. It is good to use in construction. Wheat and rye straw has significant thermal qualities. Housing created from such material has acquired the name "eco-house" (ecological housing). This raw material is allowed to be used in construction.
One of the most demanded questions on the construction of such houses is how quickly and efficiently they can build such a house, as well as at what price. In our country, most houses are built of brick, and for those who decide to experiment and make themselves a straw house, it will be useful to find out the details.
Most importantly, it is a renewable raw material that is inexpensive and easy to convert into a building material, and can be easily recycled after long-term use. Namely:
- leave to rot in the open air;
- burn;
- save.
The experience of constructing buildings from such material has been known for a long time. Straw was used in Canada, Holland, the United States of America and other countries. It became popular in the United States to build straw houses in the 19th century. The construction of thatched houses today is being restored and is being intensively expanded.. In Western Europe, there is municipal assistance and the attention of the authorities to the construction of eco-houses. This project reduces the overall energy consumption in the production of building materials and the operation of a low-rise dwelling.
Allowed to use straw blocks during construction country houses, saunas, garages. Such blocks can be used as the basis of the floor in living rooms. Housing made of such material in the final version is not much different from buildings made from classic building materials.
As a rule, constructions of certain sizes (L * W * H) are made from straw: 490x490x355 mm; 902x475x355 mm (M = 20 kg, humidity 15%); 505-1205x505x404 mm.
Important! Blocks must be rectangular, length - not less than 2 heights. For the purpose of strong bandaging of the blocks, this requirement should be followed. The density of the blocks is on average 120 kg/m3, however, it can be in the range of 100–400 kg/m3. The walls of an apartment building made of straw are 85% lighter than brick walls. From 1 ton, approximately 77 blocks of straw will be obtained.
For the construction of a building with an area of 70 sq. m. you need the amount of straw collected from a plot of 2-4 hectares. A medium-sized building takes up to 700 units of straw blocks. According to thermal engineering data, the material occupies a well-deserved place among thermal protection materials: perlite, polystyrene, straw.
Advantages and disadvantages
Straw structures have their own advantages and disadvantages. Benefits include:
There are also some disadvantages of straw houses. Cons of houses made of straw blocks:
- It is forbidden to implement a protected cladding of the building: this will lead to the accumulation of moisture. As a rule, such houses are plastered. The principle of fire safety must be observed to the highest degree during the construction of the house.
- During the construction period, it is necessary to plan the placement of hanging furniture for the installation of additional bars. Clay walls without additional reinforcement cannot withstand hanging furniture.
Insects and mice can start up in the walls, and at a moisture content of 18–20% or more, the straw begins to rot.
Let us briefly analyze the legends of people who come across when they want to build a house out of straw, and which have been told to us for many times.
And surprisingly, people believe in them:
Varieties of building technologies
The technology of building a house from straw is divided into types: frame house(the main component is a wood base); frameless house (the main component of such a building is considered not a wood base, but walls made of straw blocks).
The main stages of building a frame house:
The main stages of a frameless structure about the same as when building frame building, except for the core structure. This kind of housing is created only from straw blocks, according to the analogy with a brick wall. For support roof structures, along the top of the walls from straw systems, a belt of thick boards is made.
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, pressed into blocks different sizes and pressed straw blocks treated with clay. The construction of a frame building is much stronger than a frameless one, but the price is more expensive due to the use of the largest amount of wood.
Frame thatched buildings are allowed to be designed and built with complex system And different kind roofs, which cannot be done using frameless technology.
Consumption ecology. Manor: Straw roofing has a number of advantages. It, thanks to a special laying technology, will keep warm in the winter cold, and in summer heat- coolness.
Despite the fact that in the past only poor owners covered their own with straw, today, this type of roofing has begun to occupy one of the leading positions among the elite types of coatings. On this moment there is enough a large number of architectural types of straw roofs, the most common are American, English, Dutch and Danish types of roofs.
Their main advantage, first of all, lies in a rather original appearance and excellent technical performance. A thatched roof can become a wonderful decoration for almost any home, giving it its own unique and special flavor. Its distinctive feature is its naturalness and attractiveness. This type of roof can be used not only for the arrangement of small cottages, but also for covering roofs of more spacious structures. A straw roof can give a special originality even to very expensive and elite houses.
Although this type of roof is called straw, in their arrangement, in addition to long-stalk straw, reeds, heather and reeds are also used. The material for covering houses is most often reed, since it is he who is the most durable. In addition, the increased flexibility of the reed allows you to create roof coverings various shapes and designs.
Straw and reeds, at present, belong to the category of elite materials used for the manufacture of roofing. In reality, the exclusivity of such a roof lies in the quality of the material used, the complexity of manufacturing and, of course, its originality. When laying a thatched roof, only environmentally friendly materials are used, which are distinguished by unique performance indicators.
Thatch roofing has a number of advantages. It, thanks to a special laying technology, will keep warm in the winter cold, and cool in the summer heat. Materials of natural origin allow the house to breathe and create a favorable microclimate in the room.
Such roofs are quite reliable and are characterized by increased resistance even to the most extreme weather conditions. Due to the use of special impregnation, they do not absorb water, do not swell, and do not change their shape due to moisture.
Despite the fact that straw itself is considered a fire hazard, the possibility of its ignition, due to the very dense laying and the use of flame retardants, is reduced to a minimum.
This type of coating, unlike other types of roofs, does not require additional ventilation systems. The thatched roof fully complies with all norms of heat and sound insulation. Its thermal conductivity is no worse than even that of modern species heaters.
Among the disadvantages of a thatched roof, one should highlight the impossibility of installing gutters and pipes, which is caused by the significant thickness of the coating itself. The solution to this problem in each case is carried out individually.
Another disadvantage of straw covering is its high cost. Application as roofing material straw will cost much more than using shingles or other materials. True, in this case there is a certain plus. When installing a thatched roof, you will not have to spend extra money on arranging steam and waterproofing, which means that the difference in the total cost will not be so noticeable. published
A few years ago, Russia entered into force new GOST denoting environmental standards for real estate. The developers here did their best and included really important characteristics in the list. For example, we calculated minimum requirements to the environmental performance of buildings that globally reduce energy consumption, and also expressed a wish to build artificial reservoirs, bicycle parking and so on next to the "green" objects.
So far, the standard specified in GOST has not become mandatory. But already now for many of us there is an acute question - to give preference to conventional buildings or to live in a house made of environmentally friendly materials. That is why the editors of the magazine "Architecture & DESIGN"
tried to figure out what eco-houses are today, how popular they are in Chelyabinsk, what can come from the development of this direction and about concrete examples"green" construction and talked with the eco-builder, a great craftsman and a true pioneer in the construction of straw houses Mikhail Sobakin.
- Mikhail, what do you think, is "green" housing in Chelyabinsk and in the region now in demand? How important is it for people now that their house is built from environmentally friendly materials?
– I don’t know if it’s possible to talk about huge demand, but the interest is definitely huge! Each of our objects is visited by a large number of people. These are just people passing by, and those who are purposefully looking for contacts of builders, owners, in general, those people who have already decided to challenge the system. Indeed, now construction using such technology is something very unusual, unusual, and at the same time, “straw houses” are not only absolutely environmentally friendly, but also energy-independent houses. It is very interesting to watch people, everyone comes up and starts touching the walls. The fact is that another plus of clay, straw and wood (namely, this is what the walls of our houses consist of) is their biopositivity. They just want to be touched. As for the importance, this is not a question for me, I personally have already made my choice, I want to live where I like it, where my children will be healthy and happy. And let them say that this is not modern, that the age of technology has not been built for so long.
— What, in your opinion, is the economic feasibility of ecological construction?
- The economy is certainly almost in the first place here. The fact is that you can save both at the construction stage and for the rest of your life. Of course, the construction itself is not as cheap as many people think. If you want to see modern house with all amenities, then these same amenities will make up more than 60% of the entire house. And if you trust construction professionals like us, or just a team, you will understand that the materials for construction are cheap, but the work is hard and costs accordingly. But if you still trust the professionals, you will eventually get warm, and to such an extent that you can abandon the generally accepted methods of heating, and use only the most free heater - the Sun. And these are not fairy tales even for our Ural climate. I’ll make a reservation right away, it’s not just about the walls, there are a lot of subtleties, nuances in the architecture itself, if anyone is interested, read the “solar architecture”. And, of course, how much is the health of you and your loved ones. By the way, houses using this technology are not temporary buildings, we make them for centuries. And as long as the owner will follow the banal rules for caring for his home, it, the home will delight its owners for more than one generation. Agree to build every 50 years, and some building materials are designed for such a period, this is very wasteful!
- What, in your opinion, are the prospects for the development of ecological construction in our region and in Russia as a whole, where the ecological situation is not very good now?
I am an optimist in life, so everything will be fine! I recognized (laughs - ed. note). But seriously, then last years people are starting to “wake up”, in many respects this is of course the policy of the state, but it seems to me that we are all on the verge of something great. And this is manifested not only and not so much in the construction of ecological houses. I would like our powers that be not to close their eyes to the use of obviously dangerous technologies and not to measure everything with the fullness of their pocket. But I know for sure that each person individually can make the world around him cleaner, while not polluting the place of another. I don't expect that, waking up tomorrow, all builders will start creating only environmentally friendly structures, for the majority, construction is just a business, and not yet the most profitable one. But after all, demand gives rise to supply, so long as it does not work out, so that irresponsibility does not ruin good undertakings.
— To what extent does ecological construction help to cope with the problem of construction waste? After all, many of us suffer precisely because after the construction of another house under the windows of neighboring high-rise buildings in literally“grow” mountains of garbage.
- Yes, standard construction predetermines a huge amount of waste, this is packaging, and unused trimmings, and even after the end of their life, houses turn into piles of construction waste, and it’s good if they just lie in the form of fragments of bricks or concrete, but they can still many hundreds years to poison the environment. And add the production of these very materials ... Everything we build from is essentially products born by nature itself, the main material is straw, these are obsolete spikelets of rye, they have fulfilled their function - they have grown grain. We just take them from the fields and, so to speak, borrow them from nature, to do one more thing - to help a person find housing. And after that, they will return to nature again and become fertilizer. Clay on plaster, I think, will not be offended if it is temporarily smeared on the wall (laughs - ed.). It’s certainly more difficult with a tree, but it doesn’t take much, and in the end it will also turn into fertilizer. So after us only fertilized beds!
— What green building projects are you currently implementing?
- At the moment, we are finishing a residential building of 180 m². Then we start building a bathhouse, but they can also be built from straw, and such bathhouses already exist and have proven themselves well. In general, I want to build a small village or base, and organize ecotourism. Instilling in people good, kind things, in the summer I plan to conduct several practical classes to teach everyone who wants this technology.
— And why did you decide to start building ecological houses from straw?
— I searched a lot, tried a lot, studied all technologies, not just ecological ones. And now I think that straw is an ideal material that meets all the requirements. It is an excellent insulator, absorbs sounds well, does not emit any harmful substances, and is also a biopositive material, i.e. increases vitality man, as well as clay. You can’t even imagine how sound you sleep in them, and you wake up absolutely rested. Such houses also carry out effective gas exchange and are able to maintain the composition of gases and humidity that is optimal for humans. And due to a rather thick, about 10 cm, layer of clay plaster, a rather good thermal mass is created, which maintains the temperature at the desired values, in summer it is cool in such houses, and warm in winter.
— How complicated is the technology of such construction? Can it be mastered quickly?
- One day is enough to master the basics of technology, but, naturally, there are many nuances that take a lifetime to study. Seminars, workshops, I plan for 7-10 days. During this time, you can build a small house, more precisely, study all the main stages, and some of the most common little things and mistakes. So, I think, soon the technology will disperse to the masses.
How long will it take to build a house for a small family?
- Small is a loose concept ... we build a house of 70 squares in 3 months.
- And how many floors can a house be built of straw?
- In principle, there are no restrictions, the frame only needs to be calculated for all loads. It is possible to replace it with other materials, although then the question of maintaining environmental friendliness will arise, and there are a number of other issues that arise with the construction of skyscrapers, but everything can be solved.
What house do you think would look perfect? The walls, of course, will be made of straw, and everything else - the roof, floor, furniture?
— I really like the rustic style, this is where natural wood is emphasized, and all flaws in the form of irregularities and imperfections are turned into ideal forms, dignity and individuality. There is no chemical impregnation, colors and missing concrete septic tank . All this can be done naturally, natural materials oils, waxes, natural dyes, etc. Here the furniture can be from natural wood. Of course, this is not necessary, but you can do it yourself. Roof... you can't even imagine how many types of roofs made of environmentally friendly materials I can name. This is a tree, and a reed, and a tile, and even ordinary soil. All have their pros and cons, and of course they are suitable for one purpose or another. The floor is also not limited to plywood or linoleum. Sometimes it's cheaper to use modern materials but there is always a choice.
— There are several myths about straw houses, such as that they are cold, mice live in them, and that they are fragile. Can you debunk them?
- In fact, about cold houses - this is not a myth, but not the observance of technology or lack of care at work. The fact is that if you leave the straw unprotected, even the slightest breeze will blow it, as in a fairy tale, which is why there is whole line measures to prevent heat loss. Mice... oh, those mice... I'm already tired of saying that mice live in all houses, they come in heat, and if measures are not taken, they will feel comfortable. However, mice do not eat rye straw and do not even like to build nests in it. But it’s true, my personal plot is full of mice, it’s a disaster, everyone eats, they come into the house and leave, and they also live under all the boards, but I didn’t find a single nest in the straw storage. There are many versions of why, but these are only versions. As for strength, we trust all strength in our homes wooden frame, and believe me, he can withstand a lot. Although there are also frameless technologies, where straw performs all load-bearing loads.
How fireproof are these houses?
- After plastering, the walls are 100% protected from fire, a layer of plaster, which, as I said, is not thin, does not allow the air necessary for combustion to penetrate. Straw does not let heat in, a wooden frame does not deform like metal when heated, and it perfectly performs its load-bearing functions until it burns out, and plaster again interferes with this. In Europe, such enclosing structures belong to upper class fire resistance F 120. This means that for 120 minutes they carry the entire load and resist the spread of fire. Unfortunately, as far as I know, such studies have not been carried out in our country, but firefighters have never protested against walls covered with plaster.
Thank you very much, Michael, for the conversation! And finally, tell us, what are your plans for the future?
— I want to keep building nice houses, teach other people to make them, and also give people a little happiness and health. In old age, live in your own small house on the bank of the river, and watch my grandchildren and great-grandchildren play in nature. What more could you want in life?
