This is an easy load for strawbales, each of which can typically withstand up to 15,000 pounds of vertical pressure when laid flat. While strawbale homes are beautiful and comfortable, they are also ecologically sound and energy efficient. Many of the people who show an interest in straw bale construction have been enamored of this ecological perfection. It allows the creation of homes that are safe from toxic products used in conventional frame construction, and to use an annually renewable material as the main component of their home. Strawbale walls are also incredibly fire resistant and sound proof.
Straw is a byproduct of agriculture that is burned by the millions of tons annually.
In the state of California in 1993, the amount of carbon monoxide released from burning straw was double the amount emitted by all the state's power plants combined. Construction with straw can also eliminate the use of non-ecological insulation materials and even reduce deforestation, as it is used to replace wood for various applications. Strawbale homes can be inexpensive and easy to construct. Since straw bales are cheap and the skills needed to build with them are very basic, the cost of raising walls can be far lower than with frame houses. It is possible to build these houses without a mortgage.