Graduation Day!

As graduation day approached, we natural builders erupted in a flurry of activity; cleaning up the barn, straightening up the site, adding finishing touches, and reflecting on our collective 11 week experience.  What we shared, what we learned, and how we grew is hard to put into words (which is why it has taken me so long to create this post).  I know that I came away from this experience with a greater appreciation for the natural systems that we are a small part of, a greater respect for the building process, and nothing but admiration for my instructors, new friends, and fellow classmates.

What a joy it was it have our barn filled with live music (thanks to the Yestermorrow String Band), bubbling conversation, tasty food, smiling faces, and positive energy.  Thank you to eeryone who came and participated in our graduation ceremony, making it a truly special occasion.  

And, thanks especially to Deva, Jammin, BG, Julia, Nico, and Natan for making it such a memorable summer.  Bless Up!

Super Insulation

During our natural walls class we insulated our barn' s walls with a couple different insulation systems.....straw bale, wood chip clay infill, and a light straw clay infill.  But to really create a tight envelope, we also need to insulate our 'feet' and our 'head'.  That is, our floor assembly and ceiling assembly are also in need of an insulative material to make this an energy efficient space for keeping warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  

Blown-in cellulose insulation was our insulation of choice for the floor and ceiling cavities. Cellulose insulation is essentially a recycled newspaper material, treated to prevent mold and protected with a fire-retardant.  At 80% recycled material content, a cradle-to-cradle product, and a high thermal performance, it is considered one of the 'greenest' insulation materials.  For more information regarding the advantages of cellulose insulation over fiberglass batt, go to the following website:  www.cellulose.org/green.html

Plaster Master

Time to get plastered!  

Making our own earthen plasters (a blend of clay, sand, chopped straw, and a little bit of water), we covered our straw bale walls at the barn with a 'scratch' or first coat of plaster.  Our walls needed to breathe and dry a bit before we can finish them with a finish plaster coat. So, we took some time away from the barn  and helped around the YM campus, plastering a cob garden shed with a lime plaster, 

plastered the bridge area above the shop with a high-end plaster, American Clay, 

and learned how to make our own natural paints.  During our last intensive week, myself, Deva, Nico and Natan were anxious to put some finishing touches on our barn, so we mixed up a lime finish plaster,

and gave our barn a most beautiful wall finish.