Locate Materials and Plans

• 1). Learn straw bale building basics and study the guidelines for building with straw bales. Download the free "Straw Bale Construction" handbook. Attend a workshop near you to gain hands-on experience in straw bale construction.
  
  
• 2). Review your local code specifications. Although straw bale construction has gained wider acceptance in recent years, many communities and municipalities still place restrictions on the use of straw bales, such as reinforcing walls, rather than using the bales to bear roof loads.
  
  
• 3). Find or buy barn plans. Your local library and natural building associations have books and plans that you can buy or borrow. Consult green building contractors in your area as well for those who are certified to work with bales.
  
  
• 4). Get permits and source labor. Plan to hire contractors for work that you are not qualified to do. This is crucial for insurance and financing, if needed.
  
  
• 5). Choose your construction style, according to local codes and your permit. The load-bearing "Nebraska style" straw bale is the original design that has survived in the prairies of Nebraska. A post-and-beam style will use the straw bales only to fill in the walls between the normal wooden or steel beams commonly found in more modern construction.
  
  
• 6). Calculate the number of bales needed; allow for a 10 percent margin of error. It's better to have leftover bales than to cut and piece bales.
  
  
• 7). Find suppliers for your building materials in agricultural newspapers, straw bale associations resource pages or local farmers in your area, if possible.
  
  

Construct the Barn

• 1). Arrange delivery of bales. Arrange storage for bales. Store them on pallets and cover with a tarp to keep them dry. Do not cover them so tightly that condensation forms.
  
  
• 2). Measure and pour foundation. Get help to prepare your site's foundation.
  
  
• 3). Complete walls by stacking straw bales and tying them together for strength. Bales can be stacked on end or laid flat. The flat stack method is more stable. Many builders recommend wrapping bales with wire mesh. It provides additional support and a surface for application of stucco or plaster.
  
  
• 4). Install windows, doors and electrical fittings. Consider using solar panes to enhance the energy efficiency of the barn.
  
  
• 5). Apply stucco, adobe or clay coating to outside walls. Finish interior walls with similar coating, plaster or even drywall.
  
  
• 6). Finish the roof and floors. Nebraska-style straw bale construction can support a traditional gabled roof. Flat roofs hold water and cause problems. Some people complete their barns with green roofs designed to support small crops and other environmentally friendly vegetation.