Inside seems to take forever

After much thought and some discussion the structure was fitted out for the internal feature wall. The mud brick wall was started and is very slow to go up for every layer the mortar has to set and every other layer barb wire is laid and secured to the bricks to add strength.

More inside mudding and battens go up

Mudding the inside walls we had one coat after a couple of hard working days. Good friends and the following weekends we had the scaffolding and finished to the top

Battens for plaster ceiling.

Happy working bee fold mudding our internal walls had to endure Mr I want to build a straw bale house’s cousin putting up battens in the roof for plaster boards to form our ceiling. With the newly bought scaffolding cousin moved around the house with an electric cord attached to a nail gun which he was using upside down – lucky he was pointing toward the roof. No nothing happened luckily however it was another hinder for 10 people to work around. Oh no the cousin did not work around others not with a nail gun.

Mudding the walls - inside and out

The 1st coat up high on the East wall

The weekend when we put up some of the straw bale walls we were keen to start mudding. Once secure with straps the mud was slapped on the outside. Given it was well soaked earth and wet straw mixture it smelt a bit and the teenagers did not like it at all. The mixture was different each time.

 Another weekend of friends and family assisting with the build to ensure our house progresses. The external walls get one coat of render , firstly to arm reach height and slowly with scaffolding made from straw bales the west, north and south walls have been rendered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 During the next week end, Mr I want to build a straw bale house used his $400 render head he had bought from America. There were 5 large spray holes with  a scoop  for the render. Every scoop (about  1/3 of a bucket) had to be cleaned out due to the stones. Half a wall was completed and the compressor packed it in. – To this day the scoop has not been used again neither the compressor – not sure which one does not work.

 

 

 A few more working bees had been arranged and given it was cold we started rendering inside walls. One of my friends suggested cow poo and Mr I want to build a straw bale house leaped to the idea making the kids (under 10years of age) collect cow dung from the paddocks.

 

The mixture of cow poo, lime, straw and mud caused some issues when swallowed, splashed in eyes and the least popular burning of skin under the gloves. – Lime burns when its wet.

 

Learning over the weekends of incidences an eye bath with water in a squirt bottle was now common attributes on site.

 

In one day the eye wash was used at least 5 times and the water bottle once to was poo out of someone’s mouth. Hope this is not a lingering memory.

Photos of the wall weekend

The straw walls going up

Frames at the bottom of the walls were filled with rocks to stop the moisture and the mice from getting to the bales.

We put up a trial wall in preparation for working bees. After many errors with stacking tie downs and difference of opinions the final small wall was up and secured. This was to form the strategy for future walls.

The bale needles made from an antenna worked well – You have to reduce bale size to make brick like work in the walls. Tying off the smaller bales is the hard part. Thanks to a sailor it was made to look easy. It was beneficial to use paint spray to document the size (in mm) on the remanding bales.


Mr I want to build a straw bale house had around 16 people over the weekend to impart his skills on. Nearly electrocuting himself while trimming a bale, the cook (me) lost all power for the cutting of the extension lead tripped the fuse box. Nobody was hurt but lunch was very late and the water was luke warm for a cuppa.

Once again friends come up and put in hard so that our house walls and concept of the straw was started.

The Windows - Are they see through?

After purchasing windows the past few years, measuring and getting them into the plans there was a lot of work ahead of us to strip, replace glass and paint.
One of our friends who worked on fixing one of the windows suggested that he was not going to work on any windows that did not fit the frame.

After measuring all the windows and the frame only 1 out of 13 windows were going to fit. You may ask how did that happen well…… it turns out that Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House went from measuring in mm to cm. For example where a window measured to the plan and therefore frame was designed and erected was 1506 x 1202 the actual measurement of the window is 1560 x 1220mm. Bit of difference. This was consistent with all the windows. There were a couple of saving graces – the toilet window and another non structural frame could be adjusted.

After getting over embarrassment, Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House sort two quotes for windows. I am very pleased to say that we are the winners for double glazing cedar windows were very affordable and add value to our home.


Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House stated “100% of the windows did not fit” – at least there is consistency.

Sourcing the Straw

Trying to support local businesses our first source of bales did not come through. A little bit of rain and not $$ offered for 300 bales seemed not enough incentive to cut and bale the straw. A couple of months went by during this process Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House is not that committed to hassle and the farmer decided to turn the straw back into the paddock. Early April 2012, Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House responded to an ad in the local paper. 2 trips on a Saturday with Claire (16 year old daughter of Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House) with a tandem trailer and the ute around 80 bales each trip. Claire was the stacker while Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House threw the bales 6 or 7 high. This was a 2 ½ hour round trip.

The following weekend Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House and I went to pick up another load. I threw the bales down off the stack, the helpful man who we purchased the bales from, threw the up the Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House who stacked them. The journey was with the threat of rain and after losing a bale or two and stopping to re-tie twice, we decided that to un load on the highway and repack was too much – how could I throw a bale 6 high no way. Un-hooking the trailer for Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House to take the ute load home and return left me at the side of the road – major highway to push bales off the top of the trailer. Attempting to protect the bales from the rain no easy feat. Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House said that Claire stacked them better than he. Not helpful at that point. Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House returned and ute loaded, trailer hitched again and making a 6 hour round trip. – imagine not happy at this point and we still had to unload and stack them in the house. One more load the following weekend – it had rained all week and the house site was muddy and 220 bales were already in easiest access to the house. The ute got bogged. However it was a only a 2 hour round trip including unloaded. .

Mud Bricks for the Making

After the slab was poured (2011), Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House, was pretty proud of the action so far. Me on the other hand thought it would never happen. Friends were invited for the long weekend in March 2012 to make some mud bricks which was planned for an internal wall. At this stage there were no walls, roof or any sign of anything else. The mud brick making weekend arrived and yes over 130 mud bricks were made. Some of our wonderful helpful friends ensured the pile of dirt, that was excavated for the house site, was dwindled down and a pile of bricks was created as the consequence.

The Saturday was the woman's day. 6 of us making bricks having a guess at the recipe and consistency that may produce a workable brick. Of course there was consultation and discussion especially in regards to the mixture. In addition there were lots of accolades and totally a great job. Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House had done some washing and hung out our smalls and other clothing just metres away from the mud making area (I don’t think anyone noticed). I was worried about our clothes being on display net alone the slab was prepared for being polished. This entails the top layer of the concrete slab being shaved off. Concrete dust in the air and piles of concrete lime to use in the mixture was left. The 1st cut exposing the marbles, smashed beer and wine bottles and the opals that Mr I want to build a Straw Bale House had scattered during the pouring of the slab. Very pleased.

The 2nd day the woman who had made bricks the previous day were designated the experts. Until - da da da da!!!! after making a few bricks and some lively competition / perfection we had at least 10 experts. Got love that. The brick making continued. Using people’s expertise and availability there were a number of jobs being

undertaken. Mud brick making of course, sanding and stripping of paint from 2nd hand windows and major repairs to some windows that we purchased that were quite rotten. On the Monday more of the same and the frame started to go up.

I thought it was great for our guests to see progress on the house as they made bricks and assisted with the erection of the frame. 130 bricks and only about 250 to go.

The Slab

The slab was poured between Christmas and new year.

Update January 2012

Well after a few months of living in the van, shed and cabin movement on the house site has commenced.

We have gone from frozen water pipes to unbearable heat in the kitchen area (shed). Its too hot to cook in the shed and the one night a week out for dinner has gone out the window. - Actucally it never really started.

I want a house.......

In mid-October 2011, we were issued with an owner builder certificate.  It did not changed anything..  Mr I want to build a Straw bale house suggested that the printing is incorrect for it has my name on it. I want to be the project manager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some movement happened in December 2011 – the site was cleared and sand added. It is still wet at this ponit and the neighbours kindly used their tractor to get the sand truck out of a bog.

More sand and then some concrete- at this point I am thinking that our queen size bed will not fit into the bedroom. The house site seems small.

Waiting for the Plumber who suggested he was coming on Monday. After a couple of Mondays passing, Mr I want to build a Straw bale house rang to secure which Monday. The week of Christmas the white plastic pipes went in.  A tad late to lay the slab so what is a few weeks when we have waited years.

Welcome 2012 – The year of house building. Mr I want to build a Straw bale house recently said that he may take it a bit slower in 2012. I still want to be Project Manager.

We have decided on the concrete mix for the slab. The promised slab will be poured soon we are up to our third date/guess. Not sure if Mr I want to build a Straw bale house is the great communicator he says he is. The tradesmen are ringing him!!!



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6 successful bricks to add to the internal walls



 Why have a recipe? 

 



We had a trial of making mud bricks – Mud bricks are for the internal walls. Mr I want to build a strawbale house had made a few . The weekend that was set for mud brick making never happened. 20 people that I had cooked for were never invited. Mr I want to build a Straw bale house had not thought of storage issues (oh my god - a layered inclosed shelf made of tyres and he did not think of it) - so he did not buy any of the necessary ingrediants to make the bricks.



Got to love planning!!!!!!!!!!