Fruits of Our Labor

The first structure we built on our 9 acres was the tool shed.  (After it served its purpose for storing tools it became a chicken coop, then a mini art studio and is now a sauna!)  The second structure we built was this outbuilding that we call The Shop (pictured above).  On the ground floor is Ken's custom cabinetry workshop.  He is a true craftsman.  www.woodwrightworkshop.com  The upstairs portion is used for storage, although I imagine a remote guest quarters or art studio as another use for that space.  What I really want to write about today is the fabulous veggie garden that is adjacent to the shop.

Ken doesn't fool around.  This garden began with an excavation 2 feet below the surface for the purpose of lining the pit with chicken wire to prevent gophers before backfilling it.  Landscape fabric was laid under the gravel paths and new soil was brought in to fill the galvanized steel raised beds.  A drip-irrigation system was installed.  A fence with 2 gates was erected.  The irrigation system also runs past the veggie garden to the apple trees and raspberry canes.  The raspberries have just finished their mid-summer fruiting.  We will get a second, sweeter fall harvest.  This morning's work included assembling fruit pies for the freezer and baking one to eat tonight.  SWEET!

http://christiescorner.com/2011/03/28/recipe-raspberry-pie/

Earth, Wind and Fire

Moisture and fire are concerns for all homeowners.  This morning I heard the sad news that a friend's beautiful, historic farmhouse was struck by lightning and gutted by fire.  At the same time we are enduring high humidity and temperatures near 100 degrees Farenheit.  As strawbale home owners we are frequently asked about fire risk, and per our location in the humid Midwest United States, moisture control.  In the mid 1980's fire safety tests of plastered strawbale walls were performed by the National Research Council of Canada.  In 1993 The Development Center for Appropriate Technology in New Mexico carried out similar tests.  Summary of New Mexico ASTM E-119 Small Scale Fire Tests On Straw Bale Wall Assemblies 

In short, both tests showed that plastered strawbale walls are extremely fire resistant.  The New Mexico test results found that plastered strawbale walls resisted fire penetration for 2 hours.  Impressive!  You can read more about testing and results from actual fires in The Straw Bale House, by Athena Swentzell Steen, Bill Steen and David Bainbridge with David Eisenberg (1994), considered by many to be the strawbale "bible."  Fire resistance is inherent in this type of wall construction.  Moisture control in our environment required more planning.  My husband Ken Geisen will remark on this in a later post. 

(In this photo,you can see the exterior stuccoed walls that are strawbale insulated and non-load bearing.  The walls with cedar siding are traditional framed walls.  The highest portion of the roof line is a stair tower with clerestory windows).

Welcome To Our Strawbale Home Blog

It's ironic that we live in a strawbale home in the middle of the woods.  Strawbale homes were originally built in the plains of Nebraska over one hundred years ago because there was limited lumber for home building and the railroads weren't bringing it there yet.  Last week a huge oak on our neighbor's property fell across our driveway, its crown blocking passage.  It took several hours to cut, drag and clear.  That oak will go into our woodshed.  It takes only 2 cords of wood in our Jotul stove to heat the 2000 square feet.  We rarely need to use the radiant floor heat except in the coldest parts of winter.  Right now, in July, we appreciate the thermal qualities of the strawbale insulation for keeping the house cool.  It was 90 degrees Farenheit outside, but only 65 degrees inside the other day.  Opening the windows fully overnight to catch the nighttime low, then closing them upon waking we can keep it cool!