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Your Online Resource for Albuquerque Homes and Real Estate for Sale |
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Sustainable. Home. Community. Albuquerque EcoBroker & NM Green Builder
Straw Bale Homes in New MexicoSnapshot LookAppropriate for a wide variety of climates, straw bale homes can be comfortable and can manage moisture effectively if designed and constructed properly. These structures can provide good thermal (approx. R-30 to R-35) and sound insulation and provide some fire-resistance in ASTM testing. They use low embodied energy, low-toxicity building materials which are usually available locally. Other advantaves of using straw bale is that because it is so light weight, the bales can be easy to "stack" as if stacking with building blocks. Straw walls are also waterproof and fire-resistant when built right. In addition to being reistant to animals and insects- termites don't like straw. Straw bale homes offer an alternative aesthetic with a variety of options for designs and finishes. Thick walls create a beautiful, strong sense of home. And perhaps one of the best reasons to build with straw is that it is a completely renewable, sustainable material. Potential Issues and ConcernsMost challenges with straw bale homes are related to inadequate design or construction practices that make the home vulnerable to moisture intrusion. They require a certain level of expertise to design and construct properly and well-meant but naive promotion has sometimes encouraged the design/construction of these homes by people who were not qualified. Few Home Inspectors providing pre-purchase/pre-sale inspections are qualified to inspect these homes. Interview home inspectors carefully and ask for references. New Mexico IssuesIn some parts of the country, it may be challenging to find construction and mortgage financing, qualified contractors and tradesmen, or fire insurance for these homes. Some regions are at an advantage in this aspect, such as New Mexico since its sunny climate has encouraged the building of energy-efficient homes, including many straw bales homes, and code officials, lenders and insurance carriers are more familiar with them than in other parts of the country. New Mexico was actually the first state to grant approval of non-load bearing straw-bale wall systems in 1995. Many people love the aesthetics of a straw-bale home, as they often look like the traditional adobe homes of the Southwest. Getting the Straw-Bale Home BuiltHomes should be designed by architects experienced in this type of construction. Contractors should have multiple references, qualifications and coverage, and they should be checked. As with other types of construction, accepting low bids can be very expensive, since lack of familiarity on the part of the contractor may be a reason for a low bid.
In hiring Home Inspectors, find out how they became qualified to inspect these specialized homes, since no formal inspection training is available on straw bale design and construction. Thank you www.ecobroker.com for providing much of this information.
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