[Strawbale] [SB-r-us] Re: re: window construction (now other stuff)

[Jeff Ruppert]

David,

Many bale homes these days are being built by a contractor, and/or they 
are financed by a bank, which places some constraints on how things are 
built. 

With a contractor who has never built a bale building, a framing system, 
no matter what it is, is usually desirable.  When you get into floating 
bucks and non-level box-beams, people get freaked out.  These things do 
not bother me so much as others who expect "perfection", but I have also 
learned not to struggle against those opinions.  From a design 
standpoint it opens up more options (complexity, multiple stories) in 
many mainstream situations.

Also from a design standpoint a wide frame wall system is very similar 
to a load-bearing wall.  The main difference is that the window bucks 
are extended up and down to act as posts, and posts are added at the 
corners.  One of the virtues of a load-bearing wall is the use of a 
box-beam which creates a plaster surface on both sides of the wall.  A 
custom-sized bale does not need to be created that sits next to a single 
beam.  This is one of those other reasons for using a wide-frame system 
- simplicity of detailing.

Jeff







David Neeley wrote:
> Jeff,
>
> Carrying your own logic one step further, if wide posts are simpler
> than narrow ones because of notching, why wouldn't a load-bearing wall
> with its far superior stacking characteristics be even better yet?
>
> Except in climates with such frequent rains during the building season
> that there is a major advantage to having the roof up before the
> walls, I simply don't understand any advantage whatsoever to a post
> and infill system to begin with. Can you enlighten me?
>
> I especially don't understand the use of steel framework in any
> circumstances in which there aren't seismic rules requiring such a
> thing. Even then, some steel connections between top plate and sill
> should suffice, I'm told, rather than a complete framing system.
>
> I quite agree with super insulating the roof and building some sort of
> air lock vestibule, both in cold climates and hot ones too. Here in
> the hot and humid South, in fact, I favor a sunspace with removable
> glass panels (generally recycled sliding door glass units) that can
> easily be replaced with screens for the warmer months. Properly
> designed and detailed, that can often replace other methods of heating
> in winter as well as providing a very comfortable space year round.
>
> David
>
> On Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 4:54 PM, Jeff Ruppert <jeff at odiseanet.com> wrote:
>
>   
>>  To take it one step further, I think that a wide-post system is less
>>  expensive for most people paying for some labor on their project simply
>>  due to the issue of notching.  If a loss of 1% thermal performance can
>>  be had to save thousands of dollars and weeks of time, sign me up for
>>  the less money and time option.  I will superinsulate the roof and
>>  design a protected interior space with low infiltration.
>>
>>  The reason I am passionate about this issue is because I see people not
>>  only still using 4x4 posts, but many of them actively resisting other
>>  ideas.  I will not notch another bale around a 4x4 in my life if I can
>>  avoid it!  It is unhealthy and messy.  It takes 4 people 2 weeks to
>>  stack a 2500 sf home, as compared to two days to stack the same building
>>  with wide posts.  At $25/hr, that is a cost of $8,000!
>>     
>
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