Natural Building Resources in Maine (Ellsworth, Surry: insurance, mortgages, house)

[Steinebach922]

Looking for information on Cob and Strawbale construction in Maine, any info would be helpful or if anyone has a home in the Ellsworth vicinity they dont mind showing of I would love to come take a look and listen to your challenges and joys on the building. Thanks all.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Steinebach922

Looking for information on Cob and Strawbale construction in Maine, any info would be helpful or if anyone has a home in the Ellsworth vicinity they dont mind showing of I would love to come take a look and listen to your challenges and joys on the building. Thanks all.

There is a family in North Brooklin that has a strawbale home. It is their second one... the first one burned when the plumbing was being installed.

They are an incredible energy saver, but would seeming be better in a dryer climate. The bales would have to be covered quite quickly to keep out the rain. (just guessing here)

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Steinebach922

Looking for information on Cob and Strawbale construction in Maine, any info would be helpful or if anyone has a home in the Ellsworth vicinity they dont mind showing of I would love to come take a look and listen to your challenges and joys on the building. Thanks all.

A friend is building a cord wood house. He has been cutting trees on my land for his house.

I used to frequent a store in Northern California where they built a strawbale building for their new location. They are nice in hot regions.

[Nor'Eastah]

Cob, strawbale, and cordwood are all viable, permanent and highly-insulating building materials in Maine, as anywhere. First used as "green" alternatives, they are now used by folks looking for an economical way to build a home. And they do work.

If the building is to be located in the northeast, the only way to go is to start out with a post-and-beam frame which will support a roof with generous overhang. Once the frame is roofed, the materials of choice can be used to fill in between the posts. As mentioned here in this thread, higher rainfall in the northeast requires that the materials be protected from rain and dampness. Strawbale, for instance, would need to be plastered in more quickly than in the southwest. The mortar between cordwood pieces similarly needs to be protected from rain. I don't know a great deal about cob but I assume the same would apply.

All these methods are labor-intensive (great to invite a bunch of friends over for a 'work party') and time-consuming (which is fine for those with much time but little money). Excellent books and DVDs are available for all these building methods. Probably you will not find any/many on this forum who are using these methods.

As for "cardboard", that's what I call much of the new cheap stickframe construction that looks nice after a fancy layer of vinyl siding is slapped over it to make it look "expensive". Cob, strawbale, and cordwood all produce strong weight-bearing walls that can last 100 years or more, and many have. Frame it up with post-and-beam, get your roof on, and then quickly protect those walls before the rain that the northeast is famous for, gets a chance to get in and ruin your work.

Good luck!

[Maineah]

How's the fire insurance on a hay house? Seems like it would be a real risk to write that policy.

[Submariner]

With all due respect to folks searching for 'green' alternatives.

We found that we really like steel warehouse types of structures. Pre-engineered to far exceed local codes, and an 'open' design inside. The lack of interior load-bearing supports allows for high cielings and rooms of 60 foot across [or more]. Once an inch of styrofoam has been sprayed onto the walls and roof, these buildings can be whisper quite, draft free, 'tight', and well insulated.

The options of what you can do inside are very wide open.

We have room for in indoor swimming pool.

And a sunken living room, with an open hearth fire pit surrounded by a 'ring' of couches.

There exist many 'alternatives' to conventional woodstick construction.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by Maineah

How's the fire insurance on a hay house? Seems like it would be a real risk to write that policy.

The whole idea behind a strawbale home is that it can be built mortgage-free and thus no fire insurance - or any insurance - would be required. I sincerely doubt that many of the 'alternate' builders would be interested in taking the mainstream route of mortgages and insurance policies. These people tend to be anti-establishment and their choice of building materials will attest to that. Nothing wrong with it...just different than most of us are used to.

But until you research the way these structures are built, the strength and durability of the materials when used correctly, and the state-of-the-art methods developed by those who have made this type of building into a career, you really can't appreciate the resulting quality of construction. Truly they are a beautiful alternative to stickframe.

Some of the worst house fires I have seen have been stickframe, not straw.

[RANGER.101ST]

i have seen a few of the cobb homes they look nice but they dont hold up well to rainey damp weather and they attract mudwasp's.forest isnt your house a green home and didnt you have a indoor pool this spring? jokeing my friend.

[Steinebach922]

I think I have seen the strawbale home in Brooklin. The one thing that did worry me was the rainy season. However, Nor'estah said it best "mortgage-free", that is what we are looking for. I want my hard work to be the interest in the home. I will be building in Surry, and will be needing some assistance with the septic and well if anyone knows someone in the area. Other than that I will most likely be doing most of the work myself except some foundation work, I will more than likely need some help there as well. I am not starting until next spring however, I will probably just do some site clearing and lots and lots of research =)

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

The whole idea behind a strawbale home is that it can be built mortgage-free and thus no fire insurance - or any insurance - would be required.

This works with mnay forms of housing.

We have no mortgage, and no insurance requirements either.

... These people tend to be anti-establishment and their choice of building materials will attest to that. Nothing wrong with it...just different than most of us are used to.

Really ?!?