The How-To Guide to Retying Straw Bales with a Baling Needle.

Constructing a straw bale home requires the merging of solar design with alternative building techniques. Videos are a great way to show actual building methods and techniques. Take a front-row seat on the work site, learning from the experts as they stack the straw bales and mix the mud. Learn about post-and-beam wall framing, foundations, roof construction and insulation, interior thermal mass walls for improved efficiency, rainwater cisterns, electrical wiring, and photovoltaic systems. Learn earth-plastering techniques that create beautiful wall finishes. Understand how window placement and other structural elements can help to heat and cool your home and lower your energy bills. See how the structure works as a whole and how both energy efficiency and superb aesthetics can come from the same materials.

• Introduction and Design of a Green Home
• Breaking Ground On This Sustainable House
• Rainwater Cisterns
• Adobe Walls For a Home
• Framing for a Straw Bale Home
• How To Build Straw Bale Walls
• Electrical Wiring and Generating Electricity From Sunlight
• Windows and Insulation For An Energy Efficient Home
• Earth Plaster for Exterior and Interior Walls
• Finish Work With Ecological Materials
• Finish Earth Plasters For Beautiful Wall Surfaces
• Conclusion and Final Thoughts On Building A Straw Bale Home