Fox Files: Straw bale Homes / Eco Builders
It seems one of the three pigs got it right after all: a house made of straw may not have held up against the big bad wolf, but that was before modern technology intervened. A new growing trend in home-building is using energy-saving, environmentally-friendly Straw bale as a building material.
One Client bought his Straw-bale home near Breckinridge. He explained, “It uses a renewable resource so they can build them all they want and not use up the environment.” He loves his home and the $1,500 a year he says he saves in heating costs. “It saves me a lot of money every year and it’s wonderful construction,” the Client said.
Builder Curtis Scheib with Eco Builders is now building another one like it just down the road. In the last couple of years he admits he has seen it really jump into the mainstream.
To construct the homes, Scheib and his crew put up post and beam then fill it in with 18 inch straw bales.
They say most Straw bale homeowners generally don't need air conditioners. While this sounds good there are obvious questions. The number one concern with straw bales is moisture.
Curtis says builders have to take precautions to keep the straw dry. EPS foam & concrete stem walls being just one precaution.
He offers tips in an instructional video and even puts on clinics for people wanting to build their own straw bale houses.
“We want people to move and be healthy and cost them less to operate,” Scheib says, which is why he uses all natural products.
And while a Straw bale house could cost 3 to 10 percent more to build, you can usually get it back at resale and save money along the way.
Scheib believes Straw bale homes - like hybrid cars and Solar Energy - are the wave of the future.
Energy that does not cost the Earth
Eco Builders offers clean, sustainable energy solutions which help reduce our impact on the environment while saving you money. For more information about Straw bale homes or Sustainable Energy please contact Curtis Scheib at ecoman@ecobuilders.com
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