appropriate climates & zones for straw bale houses?

[hoofinitnorth]

I am fascinated by the straw bale house idea and have been for quite some time but just haven't had the opportunity to really look into it. As more idle curiosity - how do those hold up in various climates? Very cold or very wet would be my chief concerns... How about the quality of the straw you get? If it has any mold on it, will it eventually cause a problem throughout the house? Where do you get your straw? I don't think we have enough local growers to make it cost effective to build a straw house here, unfortunately!

Are they hard to insure?

[highlands]

From what I've read it works best in the dry climates like Arizona, maybe CO, etc. I would not use it here in Vermont for a permanent structure although each winter I do use hay bales for livestock shelters. Works great for the winter and in the spring the animals eat their home. But if left come warm weather the hay or straw molds and decays.

My brother described something told to him by someone who had evaluated a strawbale house. Where the metal such as pipes and rebar passed through the straw the straw had molded and decayed from condensation on the metal.

I like to build in stone instead. The 10,000 year plan.

Cheers,

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/

[free-2-b-me]

Cordwood building might be an option for Alaska . We went up to Platsburg to see Rob & Jacqui Roy's cordwood house and buildings . They get a lot of snow there . It is 20 some years old and it is fantastic. We have their book .

[LisaInN.Idaho]

I know someone in this area who has a straw bale house. I've heard it's beautiful.

[anniew]

Two women built one here in Ne Penna. and it is 0 degrees right now...