Building Green
Straw Bales
S1 E4:
Straw is the stalk of threshed grain. It has little nutritional value and is usually bundled into bales to be used as bedding for animals and for erosion control. But Kevin has a different plan: He is going to use straw bales as the building blocks for his new home. Using straw bales for home construction is a good green choice because straw is a renewable, natural building material; it is highly insulating and, therefore, very energy-efficient. Kevin's first step is to find dry, structurally sound straw bales, transport them and then move them to the center of the house so that they don't get wet.