Huff 'n' Puff Strawbale Constructions: Workshops

Workshops

Huff 'n' Puff Constructions run regular workshops in many regions of Australia. You can learn all the fundamentals of strawbale building by actually doing it. Please contact us, or fill in the online enrolment form to secure a place. (See the Home page for more contact details.)

Some comments from some of the strawbalers in the Easter workshop in Ganmain:

"Thank you. I have changed my mind five times in three days. So many ideas!" Sam and Steve from Parkes

"Brilliant! Now we can plan!" Herb and Jenny from Balmain and Canowindra

"I will definitely be building load-bearing strawbale with earthen render." Tony from Preston Victoria

Our workshops feature discussion on and hands-on experience with:

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strawbale wall systems: pre-stressed, load-bearing, bale in-fill and hybrid methods

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bale characteristics: weight, size and modifying the bales; moisture, types of straw etc.

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foundations: matching foundations to the building site and conditions

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door and window openings: different methods

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bale-wall finishes: plasters and rendering

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electrical and plumbing: electrical wiring and plumbing requirements for strawbale building.

Typical agenda for a five-day workshop

Day 1	Theory: Load-bearing versus bale in-fill; low-cost footings and foundations; engineering details Practical: Bottom and top plates; window and door framing; wall raising Evening: Slide show of USA and Australian strawbale house tour
Day 2	Theory: Wall systems; council requirements; Australian test results Practical: Windows and door fitting; pre-compression
Day 3	Theory: Design parameters for strawbale; roofing for strawbales; render theory: cement, lime and earth Practical: Preparation for clay/chaff renders
Days 4 & 5	Practical: Hands-on learning; render mixes: cement/lime/clay-chaff; clay/Ganmain chaff render application; lime putties/colour

Workshop fees

Our costs have not risen since we started workshop # 1 in 1996. We can keep the costs pegged for a short while, and your investment is still only $495 (includes GST) per person for three days, $550 (includes GST) per person for four days, or $605 (includes GST) per person for the full five days. This includes smoko, lunch and afternoon tea every day.

You will need to send a 50% deposit to confirm your registration (see the Home page for contact details). But please book early. Our workshops are very popular, and a booking with a deposit will take precedence over bookings without a deposit.

Our public liability insurance premiums have just doubled! So we are going to have look at raising our workshop fees at some stage sooner than later. This is unavoidable, and I am told we are lucky to get public liability insurance for this type of activity. So book early for the next workshop #96!

Custom workshops >