About the Author
Raimondas Bružas has a strong educational background in civil engineering and has spent over a decade working as a contractor and consultant specializing in straw bale and straw panel construction. Although writing is not his primary profession, he recently decided to share his extensive knowledge and expertise in this field through a book.
With hands-on experience in every stage of house building—planning, designing, construction, and maintenance—Raimondas has developed a deep understanding of straw as a versatile construction material. His journey as an author began with his first book on building straw bale homes in Lithuania, his home country. As the only technical guide available in the local language, it was well-received, earning praise and encouragement. This positive response inspired him to write his latest book, "Straw Bale Building Redefined," further exploring innovative and sustainable building practices.
Contents
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7 Acknowledgement
8 IntroductionPLANNING 14
15 Preparing for the Construction of a Straw House
21 Building Walls with Straw Panels
24 Transportation and Assembly
27 Building Walls with Straw Bales 34 The Cost of Building a Straw House
36 The Best Time to Start Building a Straw House
38 Real StoryFOUNDATIONS 40
43 Pier Foundation
49 Strip Foundation50 Slab Foundation
51 Rubble-Trench Foundation
52 Ground Screw Foundation
54 Real StoryFLOORS 56
57 Suspended Floor
59 Crawl Space
63 Conventional Suspended Floor and Straw Wall
68 Straw Wall Overhang
72 Design for a Suspended Floor with Straw Insulation, Constructed Using Solid Wood
78 A Suspended Floor Constructed with I-Joists and Insulated with Straw
82 Straw cabin production
84 Concrete Floor
88 Flooring
92 Real Story -
WALLS 94
95 Double-Stud Wall Framing Technique
101 How to Frame a Wall 108 Intermediate Floor Structure
110 Building Curved Straw Bale Walls
114 Process of Wall Insulation with Straw Bales
121 Insulating Masonry Wall with Straw135 Installation Process of Straw Panels
140 Exterior Finishes for Straw Walls
156 Interior Partition Walls
163 Testing Interior Airtightness
165 Straw Wall Preparation Before Plastering
171 Running Electrical Wiring in a Straw Wall
174 Clay Plastering182 Real Story
ROOF 186
188 Top Plate Design
190 Common Roof Insulation Methods in Straw Homes
194 Roof Insulation with Straw Bales
197 Installation of Protective Layers
200 Constructing and Insulating Roof with Straw Panels
204 Real StoryCABIN PROJECT 206
238 Our Story
Straw Bale Building Redefined
Cover: Paperback
Pages: 240
Language : English
Dimensions : 27.5 x 21.1 x 2 cm
Year of Publishing: 2024