A new way to insulate homes is coming to Colombia.
Greg and Joan Dyer are building their new house with prefabricated straw insulation. Using straw to insulate a home reduces its carbon footprint because the straw absorbs carbon instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. When completed, the Dyers' home will be the first of its kind in Missouri.
Building Integrity LLC, a Columbia-based construction company, is building the home. Greg Dyer, also the project's general contractor, said the original plan was to use traditional insulation methods.
“We were planning on just doing a normal stick frame build,” Dyer said.
In the early stages of the project, the Dyers sought advice from Adrienne Stolwyk, co-owner of Building Integrity and owner of Monarch Architecture. She recommended insulating her house with straw, just as she had done her own house.
“I had the experience of building a homemade straw bale structure in my backyard and showed her my house, which is extremely energy efficient,” Stolwyk said.
The use of straw to insulate homes is relatively new. It gained popularity in Europe but was also used in the USA. Not only does straw absorb carbon, but it also has numerous environmental benefits.
“Straw is truly an environmentally friendly material,” Stolwyk said. “It is a locally produced material, it is quickly renewable, it has good thermal insulation properties, it is non-toxic. At the end of its life, it can be composted. This is not a hazardous waste problem.”
While using straw insulation is energy efficient, handling the material can be labor-intensive, Stolwyk said. Building Integrity uses prefabricated straw bales for insulation. This means that each straw bale is constructed and framed before being shipped for construction, making it easier for people on the site to build with it.
Stolwyk says this new method will make using straw easier.
“You don’t have to be an expert in using straw. It combines very well with conventional building practices,” said Stolwyk. “A competent builder or carpenter should be able to install straw bale panels and these can then be finished in a conventional manner.”
Building Integrity and the Dyers are co-hosting an open house at the home construction site, 9765 South Smith Hatchery Road, near Cooper's Landing, on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 2 to 5 p.m.