Hello Katy

Amazon Nails do a download on straw bale building which may help:

http://www.strawbalefutures.org.uk/

Should be no reason you cant put them outside the block wall. Usually the finish is lime render but you can clad them in wood & in one famous instance in see through panels (this example was on Grand Designs and used in the Green Building Bible).

S.

Putting the bales outside, you get a mix of high ins and thermal mass. Straw-bales are usually used inside (or indeed as the only walling material), so are fast recovery. I wonder how this sandwich would behave. Any thoughts, anyone?

How should I treat the inside wall - as it doesn't have a DPC??Will it affect the practicallity?

No-one has said whether it is cheap or not...........

When I was first looking at converting I was hoping to re-use the roof - as I now know I need a new roof, this becomes an option

How wide is a straw bale?? How much extra does that add on to the roof trusses & will it be a great increase in the cost?

So that would add 900mm to the roof plus 1000mm for the over hang

This would make the roof trusses 11.9m (I assume I'd buy 12m ones as I presume they come in standard lengths

I am surprised we wouldn't need to damp proof the existing inside wall

Inside I would be painting it (to save money)

Oh I thought 450mm each side plus 500mm overhang ech side?

So I will need a dpc (what's best to fit retrospectively?)

Mike, Do you know of any electro-osmotic dpc which were unequivocally proven to work? I used to work for a (largely refurb) hsg ass'n, and we had anumber of htese, and they all seemed hopeless, ultimately being replaced with silicone. Solvents in silicone were horrible, though. We used at one point to cut out and inset slate, but it's wildly costly unless you do it yourself.

Would it be cheaper to knock down the wall & start again?

Nick, No I don't know if they are proven to work. I learned my original trade [plastering] with a damp proofing firm in the 80's. They used osmosis on random stone walls where silicone injection was considered hit and miss because of the voids. I haven't seen it for years so maybe you are right and it does't work?

Katymac, I think you need the Green Building Bible vol 1. All is reavealed there for a mere tenner!

I am sure you would understand it. Straw bale for example is covered in great detail by people who have built their own. I have ordered five copies for our Library and we are still waiting [probably because they are selling as quickly as they can be printed] Not worth the library fines anyway when you can get it for a tenner!

Really??

Go on then I'll order one.....maybe

Um Nigel I don't think so - Tiling & painting, Flatpack & wallpaper hanging maybe......anything more power tool orientated and it's a non-starter

Yes if you can find one that can be bothered to read it.

Very good reference at the very least.

So I'd guess I need about 500 straw bales.....at £2 each that about £1000 for my insuilation

Plus labour plus however you fix them

Then I have to add the render - how much would 150 sqm of render cost? plus labour

OK

I was talking to my dad & he think cold bridge conmdensation will be my main problem (he doesn't beleive in rising damp)

He want to insulate the floor slab from the wall with 1 inch of insulation round the edge (which would be covered by a skirting board)
He has been looking at the booklet from Amazon nails and thinks that if I use Turbo blocks as my plinth (they will provide insulation at the base) possibley on gravel - to drain away any moisture from the straw bales

He thinks the internal wall will not be intrinsically(sp?) damp so would not need a dpc

What do you think?

I have been in touch with Amazon Nails......now I'm waiting

My books arrived btw (psst Am I supposed to read them??)