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Dear Aaron
Why? Brick veneer? Why Bother?
point what about
a brick veneer? The brick would repel water and require low maintainance.
I'm imagining a vented space of 3-4 inches between the bales and the brick.
Maybe it would repel water but most brick veneers that I know allow water
in that is why they have a cavity. You will require additional footings
for the BV. BV cost the earth embodied energy additional resource
depletion and poluution at manufacture. Also cavities allow the entry
of rodents etc.
of a "tie" would be. Using the brick
as a load bearing element comes to mind, but then
What is wrong with the straw bales
as load bearing we have all done enough tests now both in the lab and in
the field to know just how strong straw bales are load bearing.
the issue of plastering the brick side
of the bale comes up. I understand it is also standard practice to install
"weep holes" at the bottom of the wall in the form of a string wick that
allows water that has gathered on the inside to run out.
Exactly. Water gets in to BV.
How these would operate in a SB scenario
is fodder for ponder. So if this has been tried I would
be interested to know about it. Or if there are any thoughts or conjectures
I'd like to hear them too.
I would not try them in a fit and you
take away the whole beauty of the soft curves if you did build this way
and as for the cost this would be over the top.
Render with earth straight onto a load
bearing straw bale wall that has no netting or pinning and you will never
want to build any other way. Then finish the walls in a lime putty/sand
mix with your favourite colour and you have a sustainable home.
All the very best but please do reconsider
your ideas and I wish you well with your quest and this is not a flame
just a response to your thoughts.
Kind regards The Straw Wolf
http://strawbale.archinet.com.au
61 2 6927 6027
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