SB: SV: Danish SB studio

[Mette Høegh <mh@srts.dk>]

Hello Teri and the rest of you. Currently I have no way of copying.
Hopefully that will change at some point, and then I will make you a copy if
VHS is any good to you, Teri?

The Danish elements are not extreme, but the latest issue of The Last Straw,
about cold climates, was like cristmas to me: Below zero is normal in the
winter and wet is the standard for all seasons. But not in the extremes in
any way.

We had a storm 2 years ago that was very strong in our terms, and another SB
house with the same kind of roof took a lot of wind and not a single straw
left the roof. The studio was fine as well, but it is protected by trees.
The topmost layer is loose straw spread on top of a plastic membrane. The
plastic is the waterproof roof, the straw is only to protect it against the
sun which breaks it down. After the first rain the straw settles and holds
together. Some builders put an old fishing net on top of the plastic so that
there is less chance of the straw sliding off (which I have seen on another
SB house, the plastic is too smooth). Also, some builders use a thinner
layer of straw and on top of that a layer of seashells. In that case, the
straw is there to protect the plastic from being cut by the shells.

The studio was built in august-october 1998 and the website reports 20
months later:
The loadbearing structure is stable, but has settled a little more than
expected. It has been repaired without trouble. The southfacing wall carries
the load on a single column of bales, and settled more than the rest. A
wooden post has been added on the inside for support. But this studio was
built with Danish bales, and the most common here is two-string (and also a
little smaller, I think). 

The chimney is next to the oven and goes straight up through the roof. The
principle of the oven can be seen at a drawing (not the same oven) at this
address:
http://www.folkecenter.dk/strawbale/inspirations_manual/Inspirations_manual_
6.htm#_Toc476135160
This is a list of SB houses in Denmark (march 2000, update is on the way).
The root adress of the publication is:
http://www.folkecenter.dk/strawbale/inspirations_manual.htm


Things that they would have done different: This was built as an experiment,
testing the loadbearing principle, and the durability of straw and clay (the
plastering) in the Danish climate. Recommendations include:
- Post and beam as a general rule with this kind of bales, and avoiding
loadbearing on a single column.
- Details on the claybased plaster recipe and what to use instead to aviod
any damage from driving rain followed by frost.
- Not using sheep's wool around the chimney to protect the roof from the
heat. Cob is recommended instead.
- Not using an iron top-plate on the oven, it widens in the heat so the
cob-oven cracked and neaded repair. Soapstone or olivinstone is recommended
instead.

I hope this makes sense to you, if not write me.
Mette

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