We have developed the “Spacebale” system where the bales are compressed vertically within a stud frame. This has many advantages over conventional stacking (like giant bricks) in most straw bale houses.      

-It ensures beautifully flat walls that allow efficient and even rendering. This is VITAL as this is where most of the time and therefore expense of straw bale building occurs.

-Straw bales are rebated to fit snugly in the frame of 90x35 plantation pine where special compressing equipment ensures a tight and secure wall. Heavy galvanised netting is stapled across the frame ensuring a super flat and secure reinforcing to the following coats of lime render.                                               

-This straw bale building system facilitates easy fixing points of timber throughout the walls for plumbing, shelving and so on.    

-With bales stacked on the flat (string out) the walls are 100mm narrower which still gives a generous 440mm thickness (with render) but gives the house a free square metre of floor per 10 metres of wall laid conventionally.    

 - Virtually any design of house can be built in straw bale but for us to participate in your dream it must be correctly oriented, double-glazed and with correct eave-overhang for passive-solar function. The quality of the rendering is paramount and lime render, a mixture of lime and plastering sand, is superb. Cement render is less user-friendly and can be prone to cracking.  Earthen renders are very pleasant and may be employed for internal walls by special arrangement.

-If you require optimal thermal mass for the most efficiently performing house, dividing walls can be earthen or masonry  rather than the usual sound-insulated plaster-sheet construction. You can also sound-proof with straw waste stuffed between wire netting affixed to studs and then rendered to give a charming mini straw bale wall with the same texture and feel as the main bale walls.