Re: SB: Settling of bales

["Steve Lewis" <seaweedsteve@newmexico.com>]

Amy.
What Richard said has been my experience.  I assume you are going Nebraska
style. We have used the plastic package strapping with buckles (run under
the toe-ups and over the top plate)  successfully.

There is a page in the "Details" issue of "The Last Straw" on using strong
wire (not baling)  and a homemade lever (two slots in a metal bar) instead
of straps and it's kinda expensive tensioning tool.   A friend might try
that out, we will see.  Straps are nice because they have a nice flat
sliding and bearing surface.

What we've done is:
 Don't build in the rainy season.  Use well placed and tied tarps over the
wall tops if it rains.   Stack dry bales ONLY, keep the site clean, proceed
in an orderly fashion to the top plate.  Strap it down.  Have your roof
built promptly while installing windows and doing all the other detailing
for the plaster.
Tighten the straps or wires two or three times more over the few weeks it
should take to do that.   Plaster.  The old advice was to wait. Tension
straps or wires reduce or eliminate that.  Some now advise immediate plaster
in rainy climates.  Don't know about that.   I'm in the Southwest.  Here, we
have had good success just taking it in the above order.

It is said that immediate plastering halts the settling of the bales.  I'd
rather let (or make) them do some settling first, getting them more snugged
in,  and, it seems, stronger as a unit for having been compressed.   A few
rounds of tensioning  with the straps while getting the walls ready (this
will take a week or two) should do this.  I still prefer to put the roof on
first though.

Where are you?

Steve


----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick & Katy Blanchard" <urbaneagle@cybermesa.com>
To: <strawbale@crest.org>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2001 2:55 AM
Subject: Re: SB: Settling of bales


> Amy,
>
> >I've been getting some conflicting information about settling of the
> >bales, preventing rodent infestations, keeping bales dry, and
> >stucco-ing the walls....
>
> Current wisdom is that you pre-compress the bare bales using cargo
> straps and tighteners (or big blue balloons under the beams) and keep
> them in line with aircraft cables anchored to the bottom foundation.
> Once the walls are compressed there is little more compression later,
> so you can go ahead and plaster them without cracking from settling.
> You don't have to wait a year - the additional compression will
> likely be only a fraction of an inch or so. This is the latest I have
> heard.
>
> Cheers,
> Rick
> --
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