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Welcome
to my Walden: This load-bearing straw bale house
was built by me, Carolyn Roberts, consultant Jon
Ruez, and many friends on evenings and weekends,
using natural (straw bale walls, earthen plasters, earthen
floor) and recycled materials wherever possible. We
passed 23 county inspections. It's
an incredibly sturdy, beautiful and well-insulated house
that will last for many years and only cost $50,000
to build (land not included). The straw walls offer
insulation from the summer heat, while the earthen plasters
and floor give thermal mass to maintain an even interior
temperature. A well-insulated ceiling helps, too. The
south-facing sunroom heats my home in the winter. I
can collect 500 gallons of rainwater in a 1/2 inch rain.
A hand-made solar water heater with a small tankless
heater as backup provides all my hot water. My electric
bills average $35 per month year-round (no gas service
here). Many people thought I was crazy, but this is
by far the wisest thing I have ever done, though possibly
the most difficult.
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