SB: Re: Topping off the walls

["John Dittli" <dittli@earthlink.net>]

We stuffed the last six inches of our walls as tightly as possible, between
expanded metal lath, with loose straw. We then put plastic over top followed
by ceiling insulation. This doesn't "seal" the straw in plaster which some
feel is asking for trouble (fire/pests). However, it is unlikely for a fire
to start at the top of your wall unless there is some sort of excessive heat
source or flame. In my case, if I have excessive heat or flame at the top of
my wall, then my roof is on fire! If my roof is on fire I'm beyond worrying
about my walls (volunteer fire department is about 1/2 hour away).

As far as pests go, during my four year building process, I've found a few
mouse nests in loose straw. They were all lined with fiberglass insulation
from the ceiling! Point being, if you have mice, they will nest wherever its
comfortable. It's best to build tight and keep the little critters outside
(ours came in before we had doors or windows, haven't seen any since).

Good luck

John
----- Original Message -----

> 11/27/01 12:49:44 AM, "Steve Lewis" <seaweedsteve@newmexico.com> wrote:
>
> >   I'd make a straw-clay mix and stuff/pack it in to fill the six inches.
>
> >     ----- Original Message -----
> >>     From: Chuck & Shelly
> >>  I'm at the top of my courses on my walls now. There is still about a 6
> >>     inch gap from the top of the bales to the top plate.
>
> I think that the sucess of this solution would depend upon the climate.
> The insulative value of straw/clay mixtures can range from negligible
> to minimal, depending upon the density of the mix.
> (For actual conductivity values (ie the inverse of resistivity)
> see archives, probably using the key word "Minke" in the
> search engine)
>
> Obviously, if the climate is such that thermal resistance of the wall
> is an important issue, then having a 6-inch wide strip of
poorly-insulating
> material all the way around the top of one's wall (and recalling that heat
rises)
> is probably not one of the better solutions.
>
> Furthermore,  long-term creep of the straw combined with the inflexibility
> of a straw/ clay mix necessarily means that a gap will develop in the
insulation
> at the top of the wall and subsequent convention will accelerate heat loss
> in that critical zone.
>
>
>
> --- * ---
> Rob Tom
> Kanata, Ontario, Canada
> <ChaffArchiLogic@yahoo.ca>
> (winnow the "chaff"before responding)
>
> Please visit http://www.theHungerSite.com daily
>
>
>
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