[Strawbale] International Strawbale Homeowner Monitoring and Data-gathering Project (was Re: Moisture sensor redux

[David Neeley]

Please correct me if I am mistaken, but isn't the detailing of the
structure the most significant single ingredient with respect to
moisture infiltration? Offhand, I can think of several other variables
that probably ought to be mentioned in listing such figures--

--Prevailing winds, speed and direction
--Roof overhang, if any
--Render composition
--Number, orientation, and anti-moisture detailing of building
envelope penetrations--windows, doors, vents, etc.
--Presence or absence of mechanical HVAC systems, and of what types.

While I believe that some statistics may be better than none, without
this sort of qualifying detail it would be difficult to tell if any
reported failures were failures due to the "straw baleness" of the
design or whether they may be instead the result of other factors.

Without this sort of classification, I can't help but wonder as to the
utility of gathering statistics. As Twain put it "There are three
kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics!"

David


On 10/21/06, Rob Tom <ArchiLogic at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> On Fri, 20 Oct 2006 01:45:51 -0400, Mark Bigland-Pritchard
> <mark at lowenergydesign.com> wrote:
>
> >
> > So how about an international monitoring programme specifically for
> > temperate maritime climates, using a standardised methodology.
> > And we also need a lot more pinning down of straw properties -
> > mycological growth thresholds, thermal capacity, enthalpy of sorption,
> > vapour permeability, air permeability, etc.
>
> Hmmm... didn't we try this before when you were doing your thesis and the
> response was pathetically non-existent ?