Straw as real estate building material

In the famous kid’s fairy tale ‘The Three Little Pigs’ one of the pigs built a house of straw that made him almost pay with his life. The pig was blamed in the tale for choosing the wrong building material. But his material was definitely the right one. He was just not aware of one important secret of construction. However, some of the professional builders know the secret, and they apply it in many places throughout the world. As the result, the winners of the situation are reasonable American millionaires.

Why straw? Firstly, it may sound as a paradox, but straw, when handled correctly, is the natural material that maximally resistant to decomposition. The recent researches by US scientists have shown that compressed straw packs about 100 years old contained some sorts of grasses, which have already disappeared. Moreover, they were preserved safe and sound. Geneticists received really unique materials for their work, while builders received confirmation of strength and durability of the forgotten building materials.

Secondly, in the course of studying the myth about straw’s fire risk was also denied. Fire tests gave out wondering results. Of course straw house can be burned down, unless straw is finished with plaster or stucco, for instance. However, after straw went under finishing, it could compete with metal by refractoriness. The temperature that made metal constructions melt could be resisted by straw structures for extra 40 minutes. Apart from this, straw buildings showed high energy-saving coefficients.

I could spend hours telling you about positive impact of straw on human health. The USA and Western Europe witness the real straw-construction boom. And this is very easy to explain – straw is a lot cheaper that most conventional building materials, while the final results corresponds considerably with the requirements of eco-houses. Although carcassless technology allows erecting only one-storied buildings, the construction on carcass basis enables to erect buildings with multiple number of floors.


Read more about articles within “Eco-houses” series below

Eco-house concept: pro and con

Mega firmament in real estate

About the Author

Cameron G. Lindblom is a Sweden-born businessman who's built his success in real estate. Apart from running his business, he is the Editorial Board Manager at RealEstateGates Ltd (http://www.realestategates.com).

One of his outstanding works is called 'Drugs and Society', 1998.

"Wrong choice goes from ignorance of the better", Cameron often says to people and this seems to be his lifetime motto.

Eric Svein