Straw Bales for Shelter

Straw Bales for Shelter: a guide for building emergency shelters with bales is available for download now.  This new guide is free to download and share courtesy of Matts Myhrman, David Eisenberg and Robert Cook. It offers clear explanations and excellent details for straw bale shelter construction.

Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Site preparation and moisture barrier 4
Foundation options 4
Options for the floor base and floor 6
Initial decision: bales laid flat or on-edge? 7
Stacking bales 7
Options for stiffening the wall 10
Options for wall openings for doors and windows 12
Options for roof systems 13
Options for roof-bearing assemblies 13
Options for ceiling support 14
Options for the ceiling 14
Options for insulation 14
Options for the roof surface 14
Options for wall surfaces 16
Optional materials for wall surfacing 16
Appendix A: Permits 18
Appendix B: Resources 19

It is a complement to the Out On Bale Straw Bale Shelters video covering the same topic filmed 30 years prior, which shows step-by-step how to build a straw bale shelter. You can watch the video at www.youtube.com