Is it feasible to build straw bale homes in moist climates like New Zealand?
A. Perfectly feasible. Straw Bale buildings have been built in 50 countries around the world, and in 30 states in the USA. Probably one of the wettest being Vermont…. Where we know of a number that are still performing really well. We also were involved in a project in the Mountains in North Carolina, a REALLY humid and wet climate of extremes. The house is now 5 years old, and doing really well. We always take into account the local conditions, and feel that with sensible design, there is no problem. Recently, we tested the moisture content of the bales of a local straw bale home here in the Eastern Bay within 10 days of the huge flooding event we had in 2004, to ensure they were performing. This home has no eaves to speak of (we didn’t design it :-), and the moisture readings we got on all the bales were well below the accepted 18% safety limit. Even in the most exposed location, in the bottom bale of the south facing double storey gable end! As a result of the testing, the local c
