ProVillage

A job well planned and prepared is a job half done. A quality plaster job starts before the plaster is brought to the site. The condition of the substrate, or the base surface to be worked with, is very important – as the plaster can only be as strong as the substrate it is attached to. Straw generally makes a great substrate for a plaster, as so does a mesh – if any mesh is to be used.

The transition points of bale to wood must also be detailed, because they have their own rate of expansion. Because these two materials expand and contract at a varying rate, many cracks will appear if the transition points are not properly detailed with a plaster lath.
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One method is to cover all wood with roofing felt to isolate the wood from the plaster. One can also use a plaster lath to give the plaster something to hang on to. The plaster should always have some surface to hang onto, and hang on its own without any structural support. This is even more important around doors and windows as well as at the intersections with the ceiling.

On exterior surfaces, all wood needs to be covered as described above and any large gaps need to be filled.
Materials used for doing the filling are cob, light straw clay, burlap, spray foam (PU-foam) or other suitable materials.

When the plaster is to be applied, the walls should be tight and solid. All wooden parts should be covered and the mesh should be attached firmly to the wood structures and/or sewn through the straw bale walls.

All holes and gaps should be filled firmly so that no deflation occurs. It is also good to keep the site clean of straw and other debris, so one can walk safely around the structure.

The floors should also be covered so that dropped plaster will not have the possibility to mar it.

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As an addition to the previous post: The nooks and niches in the walls can be made into various forms and for various purposes.

In this case too, only the imagination sets the limit.

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A straw bale house is commonly equipped with soft curves. The advantage of having softer curves around the windows is that they allow more direct light to filter into the rooms while also acting as reflectors for indirect light. These curves are easy to make and have an additional effect on the aesthetics of the house.

Mesh

When a mesh is used for the engineering of a building, the creation of curves becomes quite easy. The mesh provides a form for the straw. The desired shape is created when the loose straw is placed behind the mesh, which is then nailed to the framing. For some shapes, such as curve around a window or door, additional plaster may be needed.

When using a metal mesh however, there is always the risk of creating a Faraday’s cage.

Niches and nooks

The characteristic of the walls being relatively thick makes it possible to create niches and/or nooks, if one desires. The spaces can be carved into the walls after the bales of straw have been stacked. They act as a decorative addition to on the walls, and can also be used to highlight an item in your home. These nooks can also be made into an ideal feature if a light fixture is attached to them.

These are a number of different options available as for the mesh – welded wire mesh, plastic mesh, chicken wire. It is worthwhile to experiment with various methods regarding to various usages.

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