Windows are one of the most failure and risk prone areas in the construction of a conventional or straw bale structure. If water infiltrates into the exterior wall the structure has failed. Waterproof membranes and flashing need to be applied perfectly.
Common mistakes highlighted by Andrew Morison's (2010) Straw bale Blog are;
1. Flashing installed from the top down, allowing water to get behind the layers of flashing.
2. No counter flashing installed. This is the flashing placed before the window is installed.
3. Wrapping the layers of waterproofing in the wrong order which allows water in.
4. Nail thought the flashing close to the window, thus penetrating the seal.
5. Nailing through the flashing as described above and then pulling the nail out to reposition it.
6. Insetting the windows from the exterior face of the wall.
In order to capture sunlight and surrounding views windows should be placed accordingly. Large overhangs protect the windows to keep hot summer sun out of the structure and at the same time utilize the same summer sun for lighting throughout the house.
Positioning the window far back into the bale with a deep window sill built up high on both sides will be required to find a solution to deposits such as snow and ice. Placing the window in the middle of the opening and adding extra insulation can mitigate this problem and create a solid solution.
Common mistakes highlighted by Andrew Morison's (2010) Straw bale Blog are;
1. Flashing installed from the top down, allowing water to get behind the layers of flashing.
2. No counter flashing installed. This is the flashing placed before the window is installed.
3. Wrapping the layers of waterproofing in the wrong order which allows water in.
4. Nail thought the flashing close to the window, thus penetrating the seal.
5. Nailing through the flashing as described above and then pulling the nail out to reposition it.
6. Insetting the windows from the exterior face of the wall.
In order to capture sunlight and surrounding views windows should be placed accordingly. Large overhangs protect the windows to keep hot summer sun out of the structure and at the same time utilize the same summer sun for lighting throughout the house.
Positioning the window far back into the bale with a deep window sill built up high on both sides will be required to find a solution to deposits such as snow and ice. Placing the window in the middle of the opening and adding extra insulation can mitigate this problem and create a solid solution.
