Day 179 - FF straw walls begun

We also started to paint the rafter feet, as these will be exposed.  We decided on a silver grey oil (Dane Oil) as this will blend with the aluminium roof sheet they will be seen against.  The idea of the aluminium roof sheet was to look quite agricultural as a contrast to the more uniform finished appearance  the cedar cladding will have.  We wanted the rafter feet to look more textured and rough, so they formed part of the roof aesthetic.

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.

Day 178 - all composite windows in!

The full height (opaque) stair window is now in!  This window had to be made in two pieces, so unfortunately we ended up with a double frame in the middle.

This completes the installation of the composite windows and door.  The aluminium sliding doors and front door are yet to be fitted (and might be a little while).

Day 177

All windows except the large stair window are now fitted.

The utility door is now in!

Day 176 - fitting of widows begun

Three ground floor windows, and two first floor windows fitted.

Clay slip coat completed round to half way along south elevation  - GF now about 50% complete.

First fitted window from the outside.

The first window fitted on the ground floor.

Ply sheathing fitted on small timber framed section of wall between master bedroom windows.

Day 173 - Clay slip coat begun

The clay slip coat is mixed up to be the consistency of double cream, and worked into the straw.

Any gaps in the wall are stuffed with a mixture of clay slip and loose straw to ensure the building is as air tight as possible.  The clay slip coat is then worked into the straw walls about 25mm (1 inch).

Clay slip coat begun on straw bales on north elevation.

Lime & hemp insulation (in first floor joist zone of external walls) complete and first floor straw soleplate drilled for hazel stubs.

Day 170 - GF straw complete... again

Last ground floor straw wall complete (for the second time!)

... the completed window linings on the first floor.

First floor window linings complete in the bedrooms...

Our home made straw and tarpaulin pool filled with milled clay, and soaked in water.

Day 168

GF straw almost complete... for the second time!

Lime and hemp completed round to the stair window.

Day 166

Hemp and lime complete from front door on east elevation, all along south elevation and half way along west elevation.

The north west corner complete.

Top course of bales complete on the north wall.

Day 165

The first bales put in on the first floor under the windows, ready for the window linings to be begun.

Top course of small bales begun on the north wall.

North wall re-instated!

More straw taken out of the north elevation, most of it was in fact dry but better to be safe than sorry!

Day 164

Straw completed on south elevation and south west corner.

Blocks fitted to each rafter for fixing the gutter to.

Head section to both sets of sliding doors completed.

Restraint straps fitted on the west gable.

Day 163 - solar panels fitted

Solar panels fitted on the south roof.

Day 161

Hemp and lime completed under the FF window in the east elevation, and about 1/2 of the east elevation complete.

Straw is now re-instated in the south wall - except the top course of small bales.

Day 160 - starting to put in the replacement straw

The straw back in the south wall, now the timber has had a chance to dry out.

Finally all the wet straw was out of the walls, and we could start re-assembling the walls.

Both corners on the west gable had to be taken down.

Top course of bales on the east elevation removed to check for wet bales.  No evidence of wetness was found on the lower bales, so thankfully these can remain in place!

Lime and hemp insulation put in under the first floor windows, hopefully it will have dried sufficiently by next weekend for us to fit the bale under the window and make up the window linings.

Day 159 - rooflights fitted

A lot of the east end of the north wall had to be demolished, but we are hopeful that the corner can remain in place.

We managed to save some of the lower two courses of bales.

The wet straw in the north wall taken out.  The bales around the full height window were very wet.

The main rooflight over the stairs fitted (by ESB roof glazing specialists).

The rooflights on the south roof.

... and the second...

The first rooflight fitted by ESB (roof glazing specialists)...

Rooflights on the temporary floor, waiting to be fitted.

Mix 3.

The tests for the second coat of the clay render are now complete.  The mixes we tried are:

Mix 1
1 clay: 2 sand: 1/2 straw

Mix 2
1 clay: 3 sand: 2/3 straw

Mix 3
1 clay: 4 sand: 1 straw

Mix 4
1 clay: 3 sand: 1 straw

Mix 5
1 clay: 4 sand: 1 straw

Day 158 - hemp & lime insulation test

The hemp & lime insulation tried out in the zone to be filled.  We filled it up to the top of the first floor straw ladder.

One load filled just over 1.5 holes and used about 3/4 bag lime and 3/4 bale of hemp.