Book Review The Straw Bale House

If we've learned something from childhood, it was not to build our houses of straw. After all, that big bad wolf just waiting to blow it down. But that was before the world knew the many advantages of using compressed straw bales as an important building material, as described in the book The Straw Bale House. It is easy to understand book is comprehensive in its instruction on how to build with straw so that no wolf (or tornado for that matter) can ever blow off. The book covers why and how to build with straw bales, while illustrating the necessary information to create an aesthetic and sound home at an affordable price. To portray this point, The Straw Bale House offers a good range of informative black and white diagrams and spectacular color photographs. We would have to say, The Straw Bale House is the Bible of straw bale construction books, and therefore an essential starting point for anyone looking into straw bale home concept. After purchasing the book (worth the price), we had no hesitation to go ahead with our own project and construction with straw bales. Both new and experienced developers will appreciate the clear, simple instructions and diagrams and practical explanations for the treatment of building codes and insurance companies.

The Straw Bale House also entertains you at the many practical advantages to building with compressed straw bales. Besides being inexpensive, straw bale serve as a clean and easy building material that is easy to work with. The book discusses the many important benefits straw offers such as super high energy efficiency (one needs in today's high heating costs), superior fire resistance, while at the same time seismically correct. Moreover, this is quite natural materials that are recycled agricultural by-product of cereal production, sustainable, renewable resource. While enthusiasts of straw bale construction commend this method of construction of the above reasons, the real reason so many people are turning to straw bale homes is because they are so often extraordinarily beautiful and inviting, as The Straw Bale House's many color screen. It is clear that cheap need not mean low quality or uninteresting. The natural materials used in the creation of a straw bale home exudes a lot of chi. And that makes this book. The Straw Bale House would be a good addition to any coffee table.