There are many reasons to want to build a straw bale home. Bale houses are beautiful, super-efficient, soundproof, fire resistant, healthy and natural.  So, if you are going to get moving on your bale house project then you really want to learn from the experts and minimize your time and effort.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Learn as much as you can about bale houses and how to build them before you make a start. It is important to understand the entire building process. You can access the DVD set here: learn what you need to do for bale houses
2. Look at the different designs of bale houses. You can see some fantastic examples of bale houses and plans via this link
3. Are you looking to build or have a straw bale home built for you?
4. Work out your time frame for building including time to purchase land
5. Be sure to plan ahead so you have all the materials you need on hand given your design
6. Bales come in different shapes and sizes and you don’t want to buy your straw bales from just anywhere. The straw should be free of signs of mold and completely dry. Your bales should be very firm so you don’t have to straighten the walls later and you’ll need to have the dimensions correct for the build
7. It is always good to consult with professionals and I suggest you learn from the best – check them out here.
8. Check with your local building authorities to ensure you meet any requirements they may have for inspection and approval
9. Inform your bale supplier of their use for your project and follow the recommended procedure for checking your bales before you get a truck load delivered
10. It doesn’t hurt to know a good tradie or contractor or two that you can call on.

Building bale houses does not mean you need to be limited to a set design but it is important to know what you are doing.

I would love to hear about your experience with bale houses so leave a comment below or contact me here so I can reply and get you to attach a photo of your fabulous straw bale home. I’m happy to receive photos of the stages during construction so that I can share them with others who are interested in bale houses. Oh and once you have made your beautiful straw bale home, be sure to get the kids into making stepping stones to enhance the garden.

So…love that feeling of getting it done. That’s your News On Green this time.

Eileen.

There may be a time when you say to your partner, “honey, I need some space.”  To go with that space you may require a ladder and the Louisville Attic Ladder will help you escape into that space if needed. Now, I’m not sure what you are thinking about but I’m thinking about storage space. One would hope that the Louisville attic ladder was used to take you up to some storage space in your roof, not to escape your partner, kids, pets, door to door sales people or neighbors. Then again, it may depend on what you want to convert your attic space into. Some attics are converted into studies or extra rooms, depending on the house and that space of course.

The attic, above the garage or in the roof is certainly a great place to use as storage space as most times, these areas are not used at all because it is not generally somewhere you think of for storage or creating extra living areas.

Wouldn’t it be great to de-clutter and go from this bedroom pictured on the right and transform a room in your home and get an result like the picture on the left? That’s much better Feng-shui yes? And possibly not that hard. Using an attic ladder will provide you with the opportunity to change the spaces in your home and also make it easier for you to use your attic for a better purpose.               

Maybe you need to climb up the man hole and have a look around or maybe you need to create a new hole in your roof where you can add the Louisville attic ladder. Or just maybe you already have somewhere in mind.

Feature considerations for the Louisville attic ladder

There are a number of sizes and styles for the Louisville attic ladder and you can check them out here if you are still unsure about which Louisville attic ladder is right for your space. You will need to consider such things as:

• Do you want wood or aluminum?
• what is the load capacity required?
• What dimensions do you require from the ceiling to the floor for ease of access?
• What is the size of the opening into your attic or loft space?
• What other safety reinforcement do you require?
• Where should you position the attic ladder given internal walls and doors?

The Louisville attic ladder is certainly a popular brand due to the fact that it meets or exceeds requirements of American National Standards Institute, strength, easy access systems and product quality.

You will even find a handy  instructional video here to watch to make it easier for you once you have made your purchase of the Louisville attic ladder. Or, it may assist you to feel confident in your purchase by watching it now.

My other blog followers would benefit from you leaving a comment below about what you converted your attic into using the Louisville attic ladder, or how it changed your house to make your lifestyle a little greener.

So…love that feeling of getting it done. That’s your News On Green this time.

Eileen.