Ask Kevin: Straw art

Kevin,

I am a sculptor who has worked with concrete and ferrocement. I would think it great if I could use clay, lime, and straw instead. But would it hold up where there is frost? I have attached a .jpg as an example of what I do.

“Old Scruffy”

Scruffy,

I am also a sculptor. I have designed several big pieces that I want to build for a garden but haven’t due to not wanting to use cement. But I can tell you this: Bale walls left exposed to the elements work best when topped with a couple of inches of earthen plaster, then a piece of plastic and then more finished lime or cement plaster. The layers keep rain from soaking into the bales and let condensation soak into the plaster rather than the bales. I have also thought that a modified adobe mixture could work. Do some research and let me know what you come up with, and maybe we’ll build something together on camera.

Kevin