kidfromOKwiththetuckfromMB
61116
745
13
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68005481
Feb 2, 2024 12:15 PM
kidfromOKwiththetuckfromMB
61116
745
13
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68005481
dudehiemer
*Green Jellÿ liked that*
NZSheeps
fyrekitten
Mice and bugs will love it!
Jperez361337
Idk man. Global warming and all, I don't think this is a good idea. At space camp, yeah I love it, we made makeshift heat shields out of rudimentary materials given to us to teach us what is the least vs most flammable material. Furthermore, what can be used together to make heat resistance increase. Even with the cork board and paper materials at the center of the shield, it was easily flammable if the sides were caught by the torch. Idk man, seems risky to use straw for housing
heimeyer72
That town's name is literally "Deathmurdering" in German. So...
minant
"No one can commit murder here, imagine how stupid you'd sound on the news."
cre8majic
Is it rodent proof? if it's just a hard shell around straw, I imagine it'd be tunneling bliss for them
pangalgargblast
let's add a few fungi and see where this goes!
TheHillsHaveNostrils
AgamemnonsMemes
Good thing they got rid of all the wolves first.
Sumdumguy42
Wolves have roughly the same lung capacity as humans. Imma assume that if you need a crane to lift the segment it isn’t going to fall over when blowing against it. IDK though, not a structural engineer.
kidfromOKwiththetuckfromMB
I mean, the big bad wolf is pretty swole
Mou5e
macgerdo
Meanwhile in northern germany
aThingWithTheStufAndTheJunk
They have thatch roofs in England, too. This is about making the buildings out of compressed straw panels.
Exdeath5000
Yes! And coated in petroleum products to preserve them
banjak
If it's anything like thatched roof reeds then it'll have some pretty nasty chemical additives (Fire suppressant/Anti-Fungals/Insecticides/UVProtection) and those are naturally waterproof so straw would need even more chemical treatments as it is notoriously susceptible to rotting and moulds when it soaks up moisture.
Hexrowe
The straw panels are for insulation, not outer cladding. As explicitly stated in the article.
SaturnineCult
insulation needs to be fireproof too
Hexrowe
"In panel systems, relatively short pieces of straw are packed together at just the right density, about 110 kg per metre cubed, so that the volume of air inside creates an insulating effect. Ms Jones says this also protects against fire. Loose straw, in contrast, is notoriously flammable." As also explicitly stated in the article.
oldguyexlurker
Pretty sure the big bad wolf comments are in jest. After all, most framed house construction is effectively 'sticks' and no one blows a gasket. So when decrying people's comments on the subject, I think we should separate the wheat from the chaff.
oldguyexlurker
(okay that last pun was a bit of a stretch, but I went for it...)
shivacat
Doesn’t it rain a lot in England?
AllTheGoodOnesWereGone
Do you want wall-llamas in your walls and ceiling, with their noisy chewing and love-making all night long? Because this is how you get wall-llamas.
DaveSamsonite
They’re becoming a serious problem.
allbluesnoclues
It's Tod, it won't be a Wolf that blows it away, it's gonna be five minutes if heavy rain.
Pontisto
OppaGangnamPyle
This is just propaganda from Big Fire
Madv1lla1n
UFOs approve of this
glovelyday
Pretty unconvincing. Lot's of other options available.
Feralkyn
Straw has been used in building for hundreds of years
glovelyday
This us not "straw", these are manufactured building components, essential just framing and insulation, you still need to finish inside and outside. They do no more than an insulated stud frame.
Feralkyn
...Made of straw
banjak
Not sure why you'd need to import straw from Lithuania to the UK and use terms like 'Eco-Friendly'.
pocketpython
Welcome to the UK, where we shot ourselves in both feet (economically and politically) to "take back control" and so a bunch of idiots could froth at the mouth to get a blue passport (the old colour was actually more black), the only thing was, the Johnson government (who campaigned that Europe was a bad thing) outsourced the manufacture of the Blue Passports to France! *rolleyes*
masteryoplait
The ability to mass produce a low carbon footprint product like a straw house offsets shipping impact so much more than doing nothing locally.
zFUBARz
Especially if the less environmentally friendly products are also being shipped in anyways.
shivacat
Maybe UK straw isn’t friendly?
DevineEscapes
Strawbale houses are usually built from local straw, local clay --though the sand and lumber are often from further away--but not Other side of the continent far away.
Thornaxe
Proof of concept. If it works and takes off then you can invest locally.
theplantladyisabenevolentruler
UK to Lithuania is roughly half the distance between nyc and oregon coast. The US ships goods cross country everyday without blinking an eye, so I think these straw panels are comparatively eco-friendly even *only* considering shipping.
Every incremental step forward is a step forward. We’ve got to try stuff to get somewhere better.
BatsArentBugs
Not all that far, though.
mrthewhitee
Probably because there's no company currently in the UK that's growing and assembling the panels they need.
glovelyday
No one "needs" these panels. They are merely one of many options available that are at least as eco-friendly. The whole idea is pretty absurd from an ecological perspective,
mrthewhitee
What are you talking about lol? They're trying to build a straw house. Yes, they need straw panels to do that. This wouldn't be a story if they weren't building straw houses. I don't see anyone saying this is the only eco friendly option either so I'm not sure what the point of bringing that up is either.
FetaForMoses
If you want a true zero carbon footprint home go live in a cave. Baltic straw panels need to be imported from the far, far away, uhm.. baltics. It’s bad. So if you’re not gonna live in a cave or in the forest don’t bother.
zFUBARz
Do they produce Fiber glass insulation in large quantities in the UK or is that mostly imported as well?
mrthewhitee
Who asked for a zero carbon home? If we can't achieve 0 carbon, it's not worth trying to reduce carbon usage? Seems a defeatist attitude to me. I'm not even advocating for these things at all. My comment was only to explain why the initial product is coming from there. If it works well enough, it would be simple enough to set up local construction. That's how prototyping and product development works.
OnlyPositiveFavourites
Better this than concrete though, yeah?
WhatTheFrog
NO! IF IT'S NOT PERFECT, IT'S NOT WORTH DOING! ^this guy's argument 🙄
SomeDetroitGuy
Why would you use concrete?
MrWobblyHead
Houses in the UK are mainly still brick and block walled. Brick outside with a block inner, and an insulation filled cavity between. And of course the mortar to hold it all the together. Those materials are carbon intensive. If these straw filled panels have a significantly lower carbon footprint even with overseas shipping, then the idea is viable.
zFUBARz
Very common in Europe.
FetaForMoses
To build houses and such. Come on man, keep up.
SomeDetroitGuy
I've never seen a house built of concrete. Seems overly expensive and wasteful.
Blethigg
We don't generally build houses out of cardboard on this side of the pond.
Hexrowe
Because the factory that produces these insulation panels is in Lithuania. They're not just piling loose straw around the building or whatever.
TheJackKetch
There’s plenty of examples of straw homes in the UK, I guess this is just a new pre-fab system that allows for faster and neater installation.
HandoB4Javert
...also the skills went back to Lithuania with Brexit...
shivacat
You had to bring up Brexit…
MampokisiThunder
Ha!
scribnibbler707
Hey now there are plenty of British politicians who are great at making a strawman, how do you think they got brexit in the first place.
HandoB4Javert
hyperchondriac
A straw man sits in a house of straw. Is he made out of house, or is the house made of fallacy? He screams, for he does not know.
Einstein9073
I believe the fallacy you employed is called non sequitur and refers to the fact that your conclusions do not follow from your premise. Is the house made of fallacy? We all must ponder, including the straw man, for none of us know. But your syllogism definitely was.
Robtri
It’s a bale of straw in a cheap ass wooden frame.. anybody chippy could do it. Eco friendly my ass
zFUBARz
What about it is not Eco Friendly compared to the standard alternatives?
Robtri
Just because the standard isn’t eco friendly doesn’t mean this is.. all I am saying is that they could easily be produced in uk with only local miles on them
zFUBARz
But they're not and especially not at the scale required. So instead what? Do nothing?
stercusmoriturussum
Nothing new here (well, except perhaps importing the straw from Lithuania...). One traditional insulation for half-timbered houses would be straw, either mixed or just covered with clay. The main problem is also less the humidity, but (much) more various pests. Mice are visible, but a whole assortment of various beetles living in (and from) the straw are a larger issue.
ChloeRed
or modern, there was an episode of Grand Designs where the guy built a barley straw bale house (iirc he was a charcoal burner/etc)
ChloeRed
(I remember it because of a comment about rodent proofing wiring, because although expensive, cheaper than rebuilding after a fire...)
Feralkyn
I was gonna say. Here (Germany) all the old half-timbered homes are either brick or daub+straw in between the beams.
DSREX
Are those prefab blocks more common in newer builds? I have seen the stacked bail stuff and that seemed like the "Old way" that panel in the image would be much easier to stack and keep plumb.
Feralkyn
I honestly don't know much about what's commonly used now! I know that when they rebuild ex. damaged historical homes they usually have to use the old methods, and I know the ones I've seen built these days PERSONALLY are more commonly modern cinderblock-type brick between the beams instead, but that's about the extent of my building expertise lol
mammothfart
there's no wolves in the UK
XeononSolomon
Straw is actually an interesting building material if you read beyond the headlines.
sadurdaynight
sounds like a rat's nest waiting to happen. Straw merged with mud to make adobe bricks that hold together well makes sense. Straw also makes sense as a good insulator if you can keep rodents out. But, rodents will find a way in if it's just stray, and shred that stuff to pieces making a home.
StealthyRPG
interesting as in it burns instantly unlike insulation? or the perfect home for insects and rats?
dashcan
10001110101periodictablewithasantapieceofmind
POV: London, 1666
boostcreep
Houses in the US are made of wooden sticks. Everything burns down here.
AnAverageBoxEnthusiast
stevestevensonthesteve
As usual, OP left out details. The straw is an insulating layer and would be covered in a fire and water resistant clay (or something like that) layer.
shivacat
Oh. Forget what I said above.
JackalopeElope
Have you ever tried to burn through a tree? Burning through densely packed bunch of cellulose is a time consuming task.
OozyRatInASanitaryZoo
I bet not one the building engineers involved considered that! You should probably send them an email or something.
Baron29
The bales are encased in stucco, so good luck setting it on fire.
Fabulously
Piggy housing bank is backing this venture….
unamailer
Arsonists be like...
Youhavinagiraffe
Straw panels are more fire resistant than other building materials
Hoogemast
Oke but my bunnies be like...
OriginalSyn
Compressed straw panels have similar or fire resistant than other *combustible* insulation materials like spray foam (which when installed correctly is still very good resistance). It's not as good as Fibreglass or Rock-wool insulation though.
OriginalSyn
similar or better*
richardstinks
SPOILER ALERT.
They coat the houses. When I first heard of this idea, it was explained that there was a mud/adobe finish, maybe concrete (?), which adds the rest of the protection. This was at a diy level... Doing it "pro" might get more people in on it, and it's a sound method.
zzxcvb
I built one of these ~20 years ago. Ever get stucco to stick to straw and chicken wire? Freaking nightmare.
DSREX
I saw someone do a really loose mud mixture in a texture spray gun to cover the straw then put the wire over that and move on in applying the mud layer. It really seems to give the second layer a good place to hold on.
Feralkyn
All the half-timbered houses in Germany are built with either straw+daub or bricks or something along those lines packed in between the beams. So, so many are straw+daub with a stucco-like daub coating. So yeah for those who've never seen it--this guy's explanation is correct and it's been done for literally hundreds of years already
DevineEscapes
I've helped build strawbale houses. It's clay plaster, with top coats of lime plaster.
richardstinks
Hey! Someone that really knows what they are talking about! Thanks for the specifics.
DSREX
Cob building is a thing in England still. Watched a video of a guy who built a mansion sides house of it. Devil is in the finish details. That outer layer keeps that inner dry and strong.
Skuggen
We need to ban people from talking about this unless they first add a paragraph explaining what it actually means.
thedarkcanuck
Imagine if we brought that concept to political discussions
DaveSamsonite
It is clear from the photo that it is for insulation. I am sure there are problems for livestock getting at this straw when they are hungry forever. Sure we want them to be warm, but are we intentionally trying to starve them?
DSREX
The straw is a insulation layer that is covered in a thick stucco type material that is a mixture of old world and modern construction to make an eco friendly home. Otherwise they are build in a pole barn style. Typically.
jursamaj
I'd hate to see it after some water and mold gets past the stucco…
DSREX
I am not a building expert, I believe the setup has a natural drying and is resistant to molds and rotting. Last one I saw had lime in it and was over and inch thick on both sides and other than the walls being crazy thick there was no way to tell what was inside.
ProppaGanda
Yes. Nobody wants that. And that's why it's been developed with it in mind. Often they would put moisture checkers in the walls to repair them before any serious damage can happen
GoCorral
Every home has problems when water gets past the outer layer.
StealthyRPG
water and mold is the least of ur worries, insulation is insanely fire resistance and a terrible medium for bugs and natural decay.
this shit will rot, burn, break down and be the perfect home to insects
unluckyandbored
But then the click bait won't work!
ConfederacyOfDunces
Youhavinagiraffe
Already a dozen comments on this post saying "omg it'll collapse" or "wtf it'll just burn down right away". Armchair experts out in force
Kitehammer
People who have never thought about building codes before suddenly know a ton about architecture and construction.
DaveSamsonite
Cows are gonna climb up in there and gobble all that up! Hungry bastards.
MapleSyrupMafia
I mean... it's nice for insulation, but it is dry straw. I'd imagine that there's a fireproof layer on the inside, but you then need another layer of wall for running wires/plumbing. It will be heaven for rodents as well.
SilimSaver
Something tightly packed, even something dry like straw, is not easily flammable.
DaveSamsonite
Up in ceilings and roof spaces, there would be few wires and no water lines unless there were sprinklers z
Skuggen
Loose straw is very flammable. Buildings are not being made with loose straw.
MapleSyrupMafia
I am aware of that, like tightly rolled paper sheets together won't ignite as well as them being just loose. But if there is a fire and the inside part of the wall let go, it won't remain tightly packed if it spills out of the box. It makes the walls pretty damn thick as well since you have another structure for everything else on the inside. I'm not shitting on the concept, but rodents don't give a shit about fiberglass insulation, so straw will be even better for them.
jursamaj
Hay bales are also flammable. Also mold is an issue.
Skuggen
Please just go read about it.
DaveSamsonite
Pizza Rat need someplace to stay when he’s visiting England, please don’t take away his home.
jursamaj
The fire hazard is real, but I'm more concerned about the mold hazzard.
DaveSamsonite
They are saturated with horrifying toxins so that insects and pests like Conservative MP’s and minor members of the royal family. Don’t get in there and eat them up.
SleepyGary
The bales are so compacted that there is actually very little oxygen available inside. They're pretty good in terms of fire resistance.
jursamaj
You know what's more compact than a hay bale? Wood. Wood burns just fine.
SleepyGary
Just saying what I know, man. Like yeah, it's probably not 100% fireproof but it's not like setting a regular hay bale on fire.