Wall stablizing lattice

 So after my hand got back in working condition we started to fit the yurt type lattice. I'm not so sure this was necessary, as the movement seemed to be gone from the structure after the straw bales were done. The walls now had 2 additional horizontal members, the tops and bases of the windows and between them the 4X2's which sandwich down the bales.

But to be really sure there would be no horizontal movement when the wind picks up we added a lattice made up of 2X1 inch timbers. These we prebent by stacking them fresh from the saw mill, supporting them at either end and putting big rocks to press them down in the middle. I later found out I should have bent them an extra 15% to allow for bounce back.

Prebending the 2X1's. Thanks Jakob and Pirmin for lifting up these big rocks!

 

The lattice is made up of a double layer of 2X1's (50X25mm) fixed top and bottom with 6x100mm screws. Each cross gets a 5x50mm screw.

When we started the lattice I just pushed each one against the bale by hand and had a helper fix them at the top and bottom ends. After doing one wall like this I realized the wall was bulging in. So for the other walls each pieced was clamped by pushing one or two sash clamps thru the wall and really squeezing the 2x1 into the bale. Each one needed to be over bent to end up with an evenly curving wall.

After bending a piece we would tie it in place using baling twine thru the wall, then fix the next one. This was a very time consuming job, each of the 9 sections took about a week.

If I was to do it again I would try to build the lattice first and build the straw bales up against it. But its nice to feel sure that there should not be any movement from the wind loads.

Straw bale walls

This is what its all about. Funny how little time was actually spent doing the straw bale walls, we started with 4 of us, then 2 for most of it and I was finishing it alone. Later there is a safety warning!

Reciprocating saw with long blade for notching bales and a bale needle for retying bales.

 

 

 Retying a half bale

Window frame 200mm X 50mm boards fixed to 100 X 100 posts.

South South East window

 

Large South window with lattice underneath.

The bales below the window opening are pre compressed by putting heavy duty ratchet straps and tightening them to the max. The strap goes over a 4X2 inch timber ladder which holds down the bales and then the base of the window frame is notched into the posts and wedged and nailed.

Top of window frame notched into 100 X 100 posts.

 On the wide windows over 1 meter span a doubled 200 X 50mm header is notched into the 4 X 4 inch posts.

 Every 3 or 4 courses of bales a 100 X 50mm horizontal brace is forced down as much as possible and nailed with 5 inch nails to the posts. This helps to stabilize the straw bales.

 

 Howdy!

 

 

 

In September 2019 as I was fitting the third last bale, while standing on a carpenters stool on the scaffolding with no handrails and just some plastic sheeting between me and the ground 3 meters below, and loose straw everywhere, the stool slipped and I fell and broke my arm and fractured my pelvis. We now have some handrails fitted, a hard way to learn a lesson.

 

 

 Time to take a rest for a little while.

 

The big X

So in August 2019 we put up some beams which make a big X at about 2.7m from the floor. The beams will help to stabilize the building. One is 7m long and the other two are 8m long, we managed to lift them by building two Jenga style platforms, pushing down one end and adding a board to the other, so bit by bit they went up. There will be more bracing from the wall posts to these beams which will be done when we are sure of the interior layout.

From above

Half dovetail joint at post

Pine tree roots of centre post

Dear all,
This is a (very late) THANK YOU for ALL the helpers we had last spring, summer and autumn! The help from you all was great and without it we would not be where we are now. Last year we got the roof up, the chimney done, we got the straw bales shaped and in the wall and we also got a million smaller jobs done that we are really happy about. So thank you everyone from last year!!! Have a happy spring and enjoy the little and big things in life.