[Strawbale] 2 Strawbale houses featured on DC area Solar Tour on Oct. 8th.

[Mike Weaver]

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*For more info: www.solartour.org
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*-Mike
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*Home E*

Features: /straw bale, cob, earthen plasters /

The house is highly energy, cost and resource efficient (both the 
building and living in), as well as nurturing and healthful. Come see 
the simplicity, beauty and pleasure of natural building (e.g., straw 
bale, cob, earthen plasters), as well as many Green/sustainable 
technologies, including living roofs and solar pv panels.

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*Home F*

Features: /retrofit, straw bale construction, composting toilet, light 
clay insulation, timberframe addition, portable saw mill/

This small 75-year old country house was retrofit with strawbales for 
energy efficiency and aesthetic change. All the interior walls were 
removed, and the load-bearing wall was replaced with a timber-framed 
wall. Strawbales were attached to the interior portion of the exterior 
walls, angled at the windows, and covered with adobe. New windows were 
installed as was a new EPS insulated roof over the existing roof. The 
toilet was replaced with a home-made composting commode, and 
subsequently with a commercial composting model. An addition has been 
added onto the rear of the house. It has a rubble trench, local stone 
and recycled brick foundation, timber frame with wood joints, timbers 
sawn from surplus trees from new developments, 14’ north strawbale wall 
attached to an internal pole frame, adobe stucco, light-clay infill in 
South and East walls that allows timbers to remain exposed inside and 
out, infill kept in place with home made! wooden lath, lath covered with 
adobe plaster! , white-washed walls, and clay slip finishes. Outdoor 
earth baking oven added under a separate roof.