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Michelle Mahood | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> My Straw Bale House - construction photos tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

My Straw Bale House - construction photos

Construction photos of my straw bale house. First of its kind in Northern California. With the help of lots of friends and a lot of elbow grease, it got built for about $25,000. The R-value in the walls approaches R-55. It's quiet, cozy, and not like anyone else's house. NOTE: These are scans from an old point -and-shoot camera.
My house of straw bales, before plastering
My house of straw bales, before plastering		 house after plastering and trim work
house after plastering and trim work		 living room with snowstorm outside
living room with snowstorm outside		 bedroom
bedroom
kitchen window
kitchen window		 flour lines for foundation
flour lines for foundation		 forms for concrete
forms for concrete		 foundation ready for wood
foundation ready for wood
close up of plastering
close up of plastering		 exterior wall before plaster detail
exterior wall before plaster detail		 inset of wall in kitchen
inset of wall in kitchen		 kitchen cupboard boards in place
kitchen cupboard boards in place
plastering the sides
plastering the sides		 truth window and wall of fame
"truth" window and "wall of fame"		 house in snow
house in snow		 Wild bleeding hearts
Wild bleeding hearts
Georgia on Lookout Log over creek
Georgia on Lookout Log over creek		 House with woods
House with woods		 Sally in the swimmin' hole may 2003
Sally in the swimmin' hole may 2003		 fly tying area
fly tying area
al watching it snow
al watching it snow		 straw house collage-000001.jpg
straw house collage-000001.jpg

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Michelle Mahood05-Jan-2013 17:19
Why "unfortunately" -- ? By the way Jeff is a friend of mine from long ago and I saw his house being built. Would love to hear from him!!
Mick Ferreira 08-Dec-2012 17:10
Unfortunately Michelle, Jeffrey D. Arnold and I and other friends built one back in 1994 in Laytonville, right past Wavy Gravy's Hog Farm and six miles up a fire trail. Three bedroom, two bath, hydronic floor heat, solar with trackers and forklift batteries for power storage. A biodiesel generator and a garage down below, (Build on a hillside, Southern exposure)that holds the D4 Caterpillar which is used to keep the roads open. Nice house though.
judy Carson-Carroll 25-Nov-2011 23:54
Michelle who did your plans, we are looking for someone to do our plans. what part of Northern Cal. were are in Sonora, Ca.
Michael 02-Aug-2010 05:08
Sally, We are in Golden Bay, New Zealand and can help you with your project. Feel free to email me regarding your project. We just finished a two story strawbale in Takaka. michael@sustainable-building.co.nz
Sally Rees 19-Jun-2010 05:04
Wonderful house Michelle. I am going to build one too here in the north of the South Island in New Zealand. There are quite a few here in NZ some further south at Lake Wanaka and several here in Nelson. I can't wait for mine to happen but first got to create some income. Also need the land to build it on first. Good for you ! Did you have much help with it ? How did you address the damp proofing on the foundations? I like the name of your dog by the way :)
donna 07-Feb-2008 01:57
great house could you let me know more about what it cost to biuld email is whiskey_gurl_1@yahoo.com
Amber Buck in Houston, TX 24-Oct-2007 14:06
Today I saw an article where they mentioned Straw Bale house construction. I had never heard of it so I googled and found your site.

AMAZING! The house is beautiful to boot! Thank you for posting such great pics. And R55 wall value!!! Holy Cow! I'm going to do more research and see if I can incorporate some sort of straw bale construction to my own homw. I have an house addition that needs to be torn down and re-built, this looks like a fantastic idea for a green rebuild!
Lucy Kaufman 19-Jun-2007 17:19
We built a straw bale house in AZ in early 1997. It was a wonderful place to live and beautiful to look at. Ours was the traditional straw bale, that is, load bearing walls. I do not understand why you constructed yours with post and beam. Did you want a large home? Was it the building codes in your area? My reason for asking is that using post and beam defeats the purpose of constructing without cutting down trees. I am surprised that your R-value was not R-56 as it is with load bearing. Is that because the posts and beams reduce the insulation value?
Lucy Kaufman 19-Jun-2007 17:17
We built a straw bale house in AZ in early 1997. It was a wonderful place to live and beautiful to look at. Ours was the traditional straw bale, that is, load bearing walls. I do not understand why you constructed yours with post and beam. Did you want a large home? Was it the building codes in your area? My reason for asking is that using post and beam defeats the purpose of constructing without cutting down trees. I am surprised that your R-value was not R-56 as it is with load bearing. Is that because the posts and beams reduce the insulation value?
Greg Burke26-Jan-2007 05:01
congratulations, a beautiful, one of a kind house, toasty warm in the winter and a cool refuge from the heat in the summer. I know because we also built and live in a Straw bale home.. All that labor of love shines through in these pictures.
Guest 14-Aug-2006 07:43
hello from caryn and steve in portugal, we are inspired by your beautiful place,yesterday we visited chris in pinherinho,who is another avid straw baler at the beggining of an amazing 2 storey construction.bless you
Guest 04-Jun-2006 11:32
Hello.
Nice.Cosy.I look ahead to build Sraw Bale House for my self.Thankfuly look forvard toget some advices.
Sincerely,Vidmantas.
Vince Miano 18-May-2006 15:29
Excellent Work with Exceptional Creativity.
Bravo !
Guest 18-May-2006 15:27
NICE HOUSE
Guest 23-Apr-2006 20:46
Hello,
Love your house. If you had it to do over again, would you use straw bales? Have you encountered any problems? Do you have any tips for someone considering building a house out of straw bales?
Thanks,
Melisha
jntmjt1@sbcglobal.net
Mark Ferguson 26-Mar-2006 00:37
I like your house thought you might like to check out my house in Kentucky. It is very wet here but the house does very well. We have lived in it for 8 years. Web page is www.geocities.com/kferg9804/house1.html
Sean Adams 29-Apr-2005 07:06
Im not sure if this fofm of construction would do in southern louisiana.We have sucha a high amount of rain that this material would rot.I do like the sound of constructing a home for 25,000, I can move to a less humid area to fascilitate such home.I like how your home looks glad it is working for you.
Jim 26-Feb-2004 17:49
Beautifull photos on the whole site. I am especially interested in the Bale House, My wife and I are trying to move up to NorCal from Fresno and will most likley build our own house, perhaps as time nears we can pick your brain on the bale house construction...
In the meantime its back to work on my thesis :)

Jim

P.S.
Nice fish!
Guest 05-May-2003 05:11
Lovely, just lovely! Your home looks so cozy and what beautiful surroundings. Lucky you! I hope you post more pictures. THANKS!
Bob Fuhrman 28-Jan-2003 13:22
Congratulations on your home and on a fine website. I am researching straw bale construction but have some misgivings. I live in the woods of Northern Pennsylvania in a very rural area.
My concerns center mostly around the percieved lack of local available talent to do things such as; plastering, stucco and creative construction --- and around the "unknown". The "unknown" being how the wiring, plumbing and duct work are incorporated into the structure.
I have found no interest by local builders (few exist) to pursue alternative types of construction.
I am also curious as to the results of rain events during construction. However, I think pre-planning and having trusses/posts/beams cut and ready, could minimize time of exposure to the elements.
Any hints or advice that you would be willing to provide will be sincerely appreciated.
Thank you.
Dan 08-May-2002 04:35
Love your house! We built a bale barn and it has been great too.
bob g 27-Apr-2002 16:44
hey wow

i am in the planning stage of building a small bale home when i move back to the flint hills region of kansas,, i like the pics...would love
to see other folks post theirs... yours is just fantastic.....
Guest 02-Mar-2002 19:08
Most excellent! I've seen TV shows about the strawbale houses but didn't know any existed in, well, California. I'll just bet getting the permits okay'ed was a big pain in the keester. Looks like you folks did an awsome job! Congrats--and thanks for posting the pix.
Janeen
Fresno, CA
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