MasterCraft Log & Custom Homes, LLC: FAQs : Frequently Asked Questions

Straw Bale Construction

Yes. A typical straw bale wall is roughly three times as efficient as conventional framing.Over the life of a typical thirty year mortgage, this superior insulation can reduce energy costs by up to 75%, saving money and natural resources.

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Straw Bale Construction

No. Canadian and U.S. materials laboratories have found that, “The straw bale/mortar structure wall has proven to be exceptionally resistant to fire.” In these tests, the flames took more than two hours to penetrate the plastered bale walls. Conventional framing built to commercial standards took only 30 minutes to one hour to burn. Due to their tight compaction, bales contain very little oxygen and thus resist combustion. It’s like trying to burn a phonebook.

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Straw Bale Construction

Pests are more of an imagined concern than a real threat. Once the walls are properly plastered or sided, there is no way for bugs or rodents to get into the bales. If pests were to get inside, they would find it almost impossible to move in the densely packed bales. Termites and other pests pose more of a problem to conventional construction than they do to straw bale structures.

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Straw Bale Construction

Moisture concerns can be handled easily with proper design and construction methods. So long as the bales are installed when dry (moisture content of 14% or less) and are properly sealed within the plaster and protected from water infiltration, they will perform well.

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Straw Bale Construction

Organic material requires both oxygen and water in order to decompose. With proper construction techniques, water will not enter the building thus making decomposition impossible. Straw has been used as an insulating material for many centuries, and has even been found in excellent condition in Egyptian tombs thousands of years old. Straw will not decompose as long as its moisture content is kept low.

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Straw Bale Construction

Bale homes built in the 1800’s still exist in Nebraska and Europe. Straw bale homes have consistently withstood severe weather including tornados and earthquakes.

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Straw Bale Construction

The use of straw bales can have a huge impact on our natural resources and air pollution.Each year, the U.S. alone burns or disposes of 200 million tons of "waste straw", producing massive amounts of carbon dioxide. The use of straw as insulation reduces the need for initial energy outputs in regards to manufacturing. There is less embodied energy in straw as it is available in almost every local market, thereby reducing transportation costs and efforts. Straw is a renewable resource that has a one year growth/harvest cycle. By using this local, agricultural by-product as a building material, we reduce energy expenditures, the amount of straw burned, and the use of fossil fuels needed for material transportation.

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Building Green: A Complete How-To Guide to Alternative Building Methods (Earth Plaster, Straw Bale, Cordwood, Cob, Living Roofs. By Clarke Snell & Tim Callahan, Lark Books/Shelter Publishing, 2006. A basic primer and a how-to manual on specific techniques and detailing. 

Building a Straw Bale House: The Red Feather Construction Handbook. By Nathaniel Corum. Princeton Architectural Press, 2005. A good step-by-step guide to construction details and processes used by The Red Feather Foundation for simple well designed straw-bale houses they build.

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Log homes adapt to any area or environment and are found in all 50 states. Eighty percent of log homes are used as a primary residence.

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No. Our log homes can weather naturally or you may maintain them by washing with a simple garden sprayer every three years.

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Lending institutions have become more familiar with log home construction in recent years. Thus, financing is not difficult to obtain. If needed, we will provide your lending institution with detailed specifications on our homes.

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Like most homes, a large amount of the cost is dependent on interior construction options. Our homes are no more expensive than frame housing with wood siding.

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For insurance purposes, our homes are classed with frame housing and the cost is comparable.

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Many of our customers use Early American furnishings but the majority simply decorate according to their personal tastes be it modern or old fashioned.

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In fact, the opposite is true. Many of our customers realize up to 30% savings on utility costs in summer and winter.

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Any feasible plan can be built using log frame construction. Our homes are always custom designed to your desires and specifications. We specialize in turning ideas into reality.

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We are the sole owners of the information collected. We only have access to and collect information that you voluntarily give us via email, fax or other direct contact from you. We will use your information to respond to you regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request or complete your job. Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future for information on completed or current jobs, to tell you about new services we may provide, make billing inquiries, or to inform you of changes to our policies.

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You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. By contacting us by email or phone given on this web site, you can at any time:

• See what data (if any) we have about you, 
• Change and/or correct any data we have about you, 
• Have us delete any data we have about you, 
• Express any concern you have about our use of your data.

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We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information, your information is protected both online and offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers and servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment. All documents are kept confidential, and are shredded and disposed of securely.

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