Sockets in the straw walls

Where possible we have tried to keep the sockets and switches off the straw walls as these are easier to install in the internal studwork walls.  Some are unavoidable however, and we have run the cable down the straw wall in a conduit which will be covered with hessian / jute and plastered into the wall.  The ply patch to fix the back box onto has been secured in the wall using hazel stakes (as we did with the concealed cistern in the ensuite).

Fixings things to straw bales

This is where the toilet and cistern will go in the ensuite bathroom.  The cistern (propped up at the moment) needs to be fixed into the straw wall.

One way to do this is to use hazel stakes about 250-300mm long, with one end pointed.

Firstly we marked the location we wanted to fix into the straw by screwing the piece of plywood we want to fix to the clay. (Interestingly it actually fixed quite well into just the clay!)

With a hand spray we wetted the clay plaster around the area we are going to bang in the hazel to make the clay soft.  Clay always remains volatile, it is not like lime or cement where a chemical reaction takes place when it dries.  This means clay is ultimately recyclable and can always be returned to its wet state.  The hazel stake was then very easy to bang into the clay.

We could then smooth the clay around the stake.  Clay really is amazing - how many materials can you seal a hole so easily in?!!

The four hazel stakes to fix the plywood to.

The plywood fixed to the straw...

...and the cistern hung.

Day 201 - Straw bales complete

Last straw bale fitted!

More straw progressed on the east gable.

Day 196

... and the second...

Day 195

Our first attempt at triangular bales!

Day 194

First sheepswool insulation fitted between gable rafters.

Top course of bales complete, leaving only the gables to be done.

Day 193

Top course of bales almost complete on south elevation.  All the third course of bales now compressed with the permanent white straps fitted.

Day 192

Top course of compressed bales completed about half way along the south elevation.

Day 189

Starting to compress and fit the top course of bales on the first floor.

Day 187

... and then we made a start on the next course of bales and the next timber ladder.

Before progressing the third course of bales we hung the plywood from the rafters, which will close off the top of the bales (very similar to the ground floor straw)...

Day 186

Straw walls progressing well on the first floor - almost all the way round with 2 courses of bales now.

It worked really well - leaving a perfect 150mm diameter hole!  Who said you couldn't be precise with straw!!

We drilled a hole through the pipe at one end and inserted a wooden pole to make a handle.  We then started cutting the hole through the straw wall, by rotating it back and forth.

Before we can complete the clay render on the ground floor we need to put the ventilation and extract ducts through the external straw wall.  We fashioned a 'homemade' cutting device out of a piece of steel 150mm duct (the same diameter as the ventilation duct we wanted to use) by cutting ferocious looking teeth in it!

More progress on the first floor straw walls.

We also made progress on the ground floor clay slip coat.

The walls are going to be built up with two courses of bales, then a ladder (which is then compressed and tied down), then another course of bales and another ladder (again compressed and tied down) and then a cut bale at the top.  This follows the same principle as the ground floor, but is just one course of bales less.

FF straw walls begun, starting with the south west corner.