Straw Bale?

Originally Posted By: bnelson
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I’m flying to Arizona (from Washington) to inspect a 5000 sq. ft. incomplete SFR for my folks. Any good threads on the boards here to help me understand straw bale concerns?


Thanks all. Happy New Year.


Brandon


Originally Posted By: ccoombs
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There was a developer looking at something along this line several years ago. All I remember is there was rebar installed vertically. I never went to the site or saw any pictures. It never went past more than talk.


Take lots of pictures and let us know what you think.

Curtis


Originally Posted By: dvalley
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Brandon,


Here's a great site on Straw Bale construction.

![](upload://me4MtRe3nGBGET8vgZY42XGj9kl.gif)



--
David Valley
MAB Member

Massachusetts Certified Home Inspections
http://www.masscertified.com

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."

Originally Posted By: phinsperger
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Also try www.strawbalebuilding.ca



.



Paul Hinsperger
Hinsperger Inspection Services
Chairman - NACHI Awards Committee
Place your Award Nominations
here !

Originally Posted By: jpope
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Brandon,


Be careful about offering a report for this inspection. You will be in violation of AZ State law as this is a licensed state. I did the same thing for my brother in Havasu, but I could not (legally) give a report to the parties involved.


--
Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738

Originally Posted By: dhartke
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Jeff


Am I understanding this? We can do an inspection in a state we are not licensed in but if we give a written report we have broken the law. Is this the common enforcement across the country or only with certain licensed states?


Originally Posted By: jpope
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In a state that requires inspectors to be licensed, it is unlawful to perform inspections if you are not licensed to do so. How is this enforced? I have no idea, but if you are unlicensed and you submit a report, that’s pretty clear evidence of a violation.


I accompanied my brother as an "observer" with the sellers permission.


--
Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
"At JPI, we'll help you look better"
(661) 212-0738

Originally Posted By: ccoombs
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David


You aren't doing and "inspection" on the property, you are going with your parents, at their request. No inspection, no law broken.


Originally Posted By: dhartke
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Thanks Jeff and Curtis.


No inspection, no report, no law broken.


Originally Posted By: bnelson
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Great advice, gentlemen. I fully agree that this will be an informal inspection. I will make a written report for my folks’ use only, not for use as an official document in the negotiation, for insurance, etc. I’ll let you know how it turns out.


Brandon


Originally Posted By: ccoombs
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Brandon


I wouldn't write a report for your parents. Let them take notes on their own.

If you write a report to them. They file it away. They sell the house. The new owner sues them and a subpoena is issues for their records. They turn over a file folder with your report in it, and long forgotten.

I have been going through the fun stuff of law suits and subpoena...so my imagination may be running a little wild at the moment.


Originally Posted By: rcooke
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ccoombs wrote:
Brandon

I I have been going through the fun stuff of law suits and subpoena...so my imagination may be running a little wild at the moment.


Can you post some of the sites so we all might learn a little ..
Thanks Roy Cooke sr.


Originally Posted By: escanlan
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Quote:
Dry bales should be used. Moisture levels in use and in storage should be below 14%. The bales should be kept dry after construction.


Are there any methods currently used to verify that bales were stored
in less than "14%" moisture levels? I am sure there is not a big
enough demand yet and storage costs to do this would be expensive.
If you drive around here most all straw is kept out in the open until
it is needed. Then it is delivered to feed stores, etc. and hopefully
dries there.

2. Are there any methods for testing/checking for microbial growths in the bales prior to using them? Again if you drive around here you actually see mushrooms growing from some of the bales. Since they are to be used in animal stalls that is not much, if any, issue.

3. Are there any checks and balances to identify where the straw bales came from? Texas has, for many years, a big scare about black mold problems. Before I came here I also never ran into news stations that do "Air Quality" reports during the weather report. Our various mold and pollen counts are tremendously high due to various conditions, including high pollutants. These counts extend, many times, even out into the countryside.

I noticed many of the URL's on the straw bale WEB site are Texas based. I looked at some but from what I read there is very little discussion about the negatives.

Emmanuel Scanlan