I started my straw bale building

At the end of april I finally started constructing something on my off-grid plot of land. As the first thing I want to have there is a small building, made from straw bale and clay.

This building will be used at first for storage of all my gardening tools (rakes, shovels, wheelbarrow), but I will also place a couch there so that from time to time I can sleep there while visiting my lot. When I build my house there, I will use it as a parking place for my car, and maybe add some extra space for workshop.

I am not courageous enough to build a load bearing strawbale structure, like the one I build two years ago on a workshop. Because of that, the first thing we needed to build was a wooden frame. I bought the wood in 2010, and it lied there, covered with tarp. But it was used eventually, as I was happy to discover it was not rotten or anything like that.

It took us (me, my parents, and my girlfriend) two days to erect two walls and connect them with vertical beams. Though I have to admit that the weather was terrible (hot and humid) and we spent most of the time sitting in the shadow, drinking a lot of water.

Here’s a photo of what we managed to build:

We had no special tools or equipment, only hammers, a small hand saw and a ladder.

Further plans for my straw bale building:

  1. add roof beams,
  2. cover the roof with boards (wooden or OSB),
  3. cover the roof with tile, tin or something else,
  4. build the walls,
  5. add the windows and doors,
  6. add plaster.

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