Nyle L50 kiln in a strawbale enclosure

[burwood]

Greetings all,

I live way up north and I'm proposing a dehumidification kiln made from straw bale construction. Strawbale construction is not exactly main stream i know.It poses some great benifits such as very high r values and low cost compared to conventional methods. There are some pit falls too. I'm wondering what you guys think would be the best method of vapour barrier to stop the dew point from cold outside air.I own the nyle L50 already and am taking it out of my basement and moving it to the cabin. Please , I know it's tempting,but try not to bring the three little pigs into this thread.

 

[woodshop]

Tough to answer without knowing the size of the structure, what kind of floor or base? Will you be building a wood frame and then filling in with straw as many straw houses are made? Give us a little more detail and then maybe some of could chime in on how we would keep the moisture out/in with a vapor barrier.

 

[trimmmed]

Where to place the vapor barrier on a straw building that houses a dehumidification kiln is a very interesting question indeed. I assume the choices for the location are either inside the bales or outside. I don't have an answer, I can see plus and minuses to each.

My best guess is to have it on the inside, take that with the proverbial salt grain.

 

[Trigger-Time]

Tough to answer without knowing the size of the structure, what kind of floor or base? Will you be building a wood frame and then filling in with straw as many straw houses are made? Give us a little more detail and then maybe some of could chime in on how we would keep the moisture out/in with a vapor barrier.

May be diff, but what I have seen about the straw buildings.
Straw bales are used just like concrete blocks and mortared
on the inside and the outside of bales....Straw bales are the
frame work.

Their are many web sites on this, here is one
http://www.strawbale.com/strawbale-faqs/

 

[R. Williams]

Wouldn't cement blocks work better than straw? Wouldnt rot

 

[roy clarke]

Email Andrew Morrison at Strawbale, he sends out videos most weeks giving a snippet of useful info, 'm pretty sure he'd be pleased to help.

 

[cantcutter]

Why buy straw when you can get cut offs for free.... I think a cordwood kiln would look great.

 

[burwood]

Thanks for the suggestions. My main motivation is the very cold climate I live in tempertures can reach -40 c or -40 f (thats the point where it is the same, it means freakin cold!) The environment on the inside on the kiln will be very high in humidity and warm. The big plus with straw bales is approaching r50 with very little cost.The building would be built with solid bales/post and beam method.What I thought might be a good idea is to spray the outside shockcrete/stucco and on the inside use a heavy VB. As was stated by a previous post, someone in the straw bale construction trade would likley be able to answer this question with much more success. I will explore this, in the mean time I welcome your solutions to a well sealed interior for the kiln.
Thanks