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===Light Straw-Clay (AKA Slip-Straw)===
 
One of the oldest common forms of straw in building, this material was originally known as leichtlehm, German for "light loam". Its historic use has been best highlighted in the old Tudor mansions of what is now Germany, where it was used as infill panels in the timber frames, and finished with white-washed lime plasters. This is one of the most basic natural building materials, consisting simply of loose straw coated minimally in clay slip (clay diluted with water to the consistency of a milkshake). Slip-straw is used not as a structural wall system, but as an infill panel built between framing members. Slip-straw is tamped by hand or with a stick in between 'slip forms' — forms placed on either side of the wall cavity, which are then removed after being filled and refastened further up the wall. Walls are finished with plaster. Being made primarily of straw, slip-straw walls tend to be well-insulating, although not as well as straw bale.
===Light Straw-Clay (aka Slip-Straw)===
 
[[Slip-straw]] is tamped by hand or with a stick in between 'slip forms'. Forms are placed on either side of the wall cavity, which are then removed after being filled and refastened further up the wall.


===Woodchip-Clay (AKA Slip-Chip)===
===Woodchip-Clay (AKA Slip-Chip)===
A variation on slip-straw, slip-chip walls are bark-free woodchips of various sizes (from sawdust up to 1-2" chunks) that are similarly coated in clay slip, and poured into forms. Strong advantages of slip-chip in this climate are the abundant wood resource (wood chips are a common by-product of multiple regional industries), the ease of mixing (easily done in a mortar mixer, as opposed to by hand or custom machine for slip-straw), and ease of installation (easier to tamp). The forms, however, must be permanent — slip forms will not work. The most common strategy is to use wood lath, similar to pre-sheetrock lath-and-plaster walls, which can then be plastered. Best practices for slip-chip walls are still in development, and much has yet to be learned about their performance in this climate, although early empirical experience points favorably towards their long-term success.
A variation on slip-straw. Bark-free woodchips of various sizes, coated in clay slip and poured into forms.  


===Adobe, Compressed Earth Block, Earthbag, Rammed Earth (pisé)===
===Adobe, Compressed Earth Block, Earthbag, Rammed Earth (pisé)===
Earthen construction is not common in the northeast, but should be mentioned nonetheless, as it is still a viable option for those interested. Adobe block, found more commonly in the southwestern US, is made of pre-cast blocks formed of clay soil (an appropriate proportion of clay and sand) and chopped straw. Variations on the traditional adobe block run wide, a common one being essentially a slip-straw block, providing improved insulation but without structural capability. Compressed earth blocks would be a category to which traditional adobe block would belong; quite often, compressed earth blocks refer to compressed stabilized earth blocks, or earth that has about 10% cement mixed in and pre-cast into blocks for building. Earthbags, as detailed in the foundations section, follows along similar themes, using polypropylene bags or tubes as forms that are filled in place and stacked. Rammed earth — also known as pisé, or pisé de terre — is akin to building a cement wall with earth: soil in correct proportion of clay, sand, and gravel, often with a stabilizer (traditionally lime or animal blood, now commonly cement), is tamped (or 'rammed') into forms that are then removed, and the monolithic wall is left to dry. Similar conclusions of the appropriate use of these earthen materials can be drawn by looking at cob, particularly in regards to ecological benefit, thermal and moisture properties, and cost.


===Wattle and Daub===
[[Adobe block]] is made of pre-cast blocks formed of clay soil (an appropriate proportion of clay and sand) and chopped straw. Earthbags use polypropylene bags or tubes as forms that are filled in place and stacked. [[Rammed earth]] — also known as pisé, or pisé de terre — is like building a cement wall with earth: soil in proportion with clay, sand, and gravel, often with a stabilizer (traditionally lime or animal blood, now more often cement), is tamped (or 'rammed') into forms that are then removed. The wall is left to dry. [[Cobb] has similar ecological benefit, thermal and moisture properties, and cost.
Another ancient material, wattle and daub has cropped up everywhere in the world, throughout time. It is essentially the first drywall; drywall was made to replace plastered wood lath (thin strips of wood nailed to framing). Before there was wood lath over stick framing, people made walls of woven sticks, reeds, or other similar material — the 'wattle' — and plastered it with clay or manure plasters — 'the daub'. While some of the vertical wattles could be made structural, this is generally an infill wall panel technique. Note that the walls are generally relatively thin (compared to many natural walls, such as straw bale or cob), and are therefore less massive then there pure-earthen counterparts (although the 'daub' can be built out to be quite thick). These walls also hold very little insulative value, if any. While generally impractical in this climate for exterior walls, wattle and daub walls make terrific interior partition walls, railings, or other lightweight and inexpensive dividing structures.
 
===Wattle and daub===
 
Before the use of wood lath over stick framing, people made walls of woven sticks, reeds, or other similar material — the 'wattle' — and plastered it with clay or manure plasters — 'the daub'.  


==References==
==References==
All this information belong to: Natural Builders Northeast [http://www.nbne.org/natbuild/natbuild.php]
 
* [http://www.nbne.org/natbuild/natbuild.php Natural Builders Northeast]
 
[[Category:Alternative building]]

Revision as of 18:29, 20 September 2011

Light Straw-Clay (aka Slip-Straw)

Slip-straw is tamped by hand or with a stick in between 'slip forms'. Forms are placed on either side of the wall cavity, which are then removed after being filled and refastened further up the wall.

Woodchip-Clay (AKA Slip-Chip)

A variation on slip-straw. Bark-free woodchips of various sizes, coated in clay slip and poured into forms.

Adobe, Compressed Earth Block, Earthbag, Rammed Earth (pisé)

Adobe block is made of pre-cast blocks formed of clay soil (an appropriate proportion of clay and sand) and chopped straw. Earthbags use polypropylene bags or tubes as forms that are filled in place and stacked. Rammed earth — also known as pisé, or pisé de terre — is like building a cement wall with earth: soil in proportion with clay, sand, and gravel, often with a stabilizer (traditionally lime or animal blood, now more often cement), is tamped (or 'rammed') into forms that are then removed. The wall is left to dry. [[Cobb] has similar ecological benefit, thermal and moisture properties, and cost.

Wattle and daub

Before the use of wood lath over stick framing, people made walls of woven sticks, reeds, or other similar material — the 'wattle' — and plastered it with clay or manure plasters — 'the daub'.

References

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