[Strawbale] Locking bales in place to walls

[Leanne Rellstab]

When I presented my experiment in using foam (that contains no CFC's and 
uses methane and nitrogen as a propellent) to lock  bales in place I warned 
that I would invoke the ire of many on the forum. I quess I did, I live in a 
community that calls our house a "hay house" "mouse house" and many other 
joking names. My wife and I invite them to visit. show them as many of the 
things we hope are doing right about the house from a green perspective. 
There would be nothing more noble than to build a home with a hand tools and 
some dirt.

Here is what limited knowledge I have about foam products. Ureaformaldahyde 
foam is no longer used, there is expanded and extruded polystyrene. They 
used to make it with CFC's (the stuff that eats ozone to a ratio of 1 
molecule of CFC eats 10,000 O3 molecules). Now they can make it with HCFC or 
Carbon Dioxide or Soy based or Methane & Nitrogen as the foaming agent. HCFC 
will be phased out in its use by US gov regs over the next 20 years just as 
CFC's are now illegal to use, sell, import or buy in the US.

Most of the HCFC's stay in the foam while some escape and are replaced by 
air. When the product is crushed and disintegrated then the HCFC's are 
released.  I don't know how many molecules of O3 HCFC eats but it is 
considerably less I believe about 1,000 but I'm not sure, I could be way off 
on that.

Polyurethane is used in almost everything you touch, pillows, mattresses, 
carpet, and yes even condoms. I'm not defending the use of PU products. As 
the saying goes from that old detective show" Just stick to facts mam"

Here is a link for some info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyurethane 
You can't get soy based foam in cans yet.

Knowledge is a good thing and these discussions while they may first upset 
generally can lead to better decisions.

Thanks