Essential Light Straw Clay Construction: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide (Sustainable Building Essentials Series, 4)

Price: $39.99 - $22.78
(as of Oct 13, 2026 13:22:52 UTC – Details)

Build High-performance, Low-impact Walls with Light Straw Clay
Part of the Sustainable Building Essentials series, Essential Light Straw Clay Construction is the first fully illustrated, step-by-step guide to using light straw clay—a durable, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly wall material. Learn how to create beautiful, code-compliant walls that combine centuries-old wisdom with modern high-performance building science.

What You’ll Learn

Sustainable, Low-carbon Construction: Uses straw “waste” mixed with clay for a high-insulation, low-impact material that reduces embodied energy. Thermally Efficient and Moisture-resistant: Naturally regulates indoor humidity, buffers temperature swings, and improves comfort year-round. Durable and Code-compliant: Proven long-lasting in historical and modern buildings, meeting US building codes for safety and performance. Step-by-step Guidance: Illustrated instructions for mixing, installation, and variations such as slip-chip, plus detail drawings for stud, timber, pole framing, Larsen trusses, and retrofits. Project Planning Made Simple: Material selection, quantity estimation, budgeting, sourcing, and best practices for a successful build. Finishing and Maintenance: Learn techniques to ensure long-term durability, aesthetics, and minimal upkeep.

Written by Lydia Doleman, licensed contractor and natural building expert, this guide combines hands-on experience, practical instruction, and building science to give DIYers and professionals the confidence to use light straw clay in a variety of construction and renovation projects.

Explore the full Sustainable Building Essentials series for practical, illustrated guidance on natural building techniques, sustainable wall systems, and high-performance construction

From the Publisher

Wondering what straw clay construction looks like in practice? Take a look at these real-life examples.

Insulation

South side of light straw clay brewery protected by rainscreen from the area’s harshest weather.

Outbuildings

Half rainscreen shields lower timber frame LSC from roof splashback, where water impact is greatest.

Work in Progress

Timber-framed wall–light straw clay, part packed and smoothed, part exposed to show the building process.

Plaster Finish

Plaster highlights the natural beauty of irregular wood grain, perfect for curved or non-linear timber walls.

Design Options

Careful Selections

Heat flows from areas of greater concentration to lesser concentration, both into and out of our homes, depending on the weather.

Construction Procedures

Build it your way. Step-by-step instructions support a range of construction styles, letting you build in the way that works best for you.

Framing Systems

There are a variety of ways to handle curves around openings like windows and doors, most of which implement permanent formwork.

Benefits of Straw Clay

Unlike cob or adobe, light straw clay holds structure, allowing full wall fills in a single session.

Appropriate Use

2×4 interior walls filled with light straw clay for sound dampening and privacy in small homes.

Possibilities

Light straw clay can form curved walls and windows, needing detailed planning and curved formwork.

Material Specifications

Barley straw resists clay slip, making packing harder; other straws absorb moisture, changing density.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ New Society Publishers
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 22, 2017
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0865718431
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0865718432
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.28 x 10.98 inches
Part of series ‏ : ‎ Sustainable Building Essentials
Best Sellers Rank: #512,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #178 in Sustainability & Green Design #786 in Home Design & Construction (Books) #903 in Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (25) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });