I'm pleased to say that we have Tom Williams with us in our studio today.0:04
Now, Tom Williams has built himself a very interesting home and he's here to tell us all about it.0:10
Tom, thanks so much for coming.0:16
Well, first, I suppose we should tell our listeners what is so unique about your house.0:20
I must admit, my house is unique.0:27
I just love inviting people to come and see it.0:30
I always make a point of being at the front of the house when they arrive.0:34
The look on their faces never fails to amuse me.0:39
You mean because they are amazed at how attractive the house is?0:43
I mean, it is lovely, but that's not what amazes them the most.0:49
What they really can't believe is that the house is made of straw.0:54
But it looks so sturdy and well built.0:59
So the house is very strong, but it was very economical to build, wasn't it?1:03
And to tell you the truth, if I ever build another one, it will be even less expensive.1:10
The one I have just completed cost me about £4,000 altogether.1:17
Through talking to friends, and now that I've had some experience, I realise I could have saved about £1,000 if I had cut my own wood for the frame of the house.1:22
I didn't think of doing that at the time, so I had the wood cut by professionals at the local sawmill.1:33
So, going back to the strength of the house, how strong can a house made of straw actually be?1:42
Well, it's all in the way it's constructed.1:50
It's very important to have a really good foundation or base.1:54
I built mine with rocks.1:59
If you take time to fit the rocks together well, you won't need to use any mortar to stick them together.2:02
You'll find that once the bales of straw are placed on top of the foundation, they'll be heavy enough to hold the rocks in place.2:08
And then you build the walls?2:17
No, actually, not yet.2:19
Next you construct your floor.2:21
You won't believe how easy it is.2:24
I used old wood to make a wooden frame and then nailed boards to that.2:27
Once the floor was completed, it was time to build the roof so that it was ready to put on as soon as the walls were finished.2:33
A friend cut some planks for me from a couple of fallen trees that we found in a nearby forest.2:41
Of course, I had to get permission to do that.2:48
So what about the straw?2:51
Well, I used rectangular bales of straw.2:54
200 altogether, if you can believe it.2:58
Each bale only cost me one pound.3:01
Then, after the bales were in place, I covered them in plastic sheeting.3:05
It's very important that the straw stays dry.3:10
If moisture gets in, the straw will eventually rot.3:14
So, Tom, we're about to run out of time.3:18
So tell us, apart from having a great place to live, what do you get out of all of this?3:21
You know, I do care about what effect I have on the world.3:29
Also, I am very concerned about how much people are spending on mortgages, rent, etc. But most of all, I'm just proud of the fact that I've built something on my own.3:34
I feel so content sitting there in my straw house in the middle of winter.3:46
The snow is falling outside and yet I'm inside where it is quiet and warm.3:52
And I can't help but think, yes, this is what it's all about.3:59
Well, thank you, Tom, for being with us today.4:04
You really have accomplished something incredible.4:07
Just one last question, though.4:10
Is there any way our listeners can contact you if they would like to find out more about building a house of straw?4:12
You can email me via my website@www.tomstrawhouse.com with any questions you have.4:20
It might take me a little while to write back because I'm getting a lot of inquiries these days, but I will write back eventually.4:29
Once again, thank you very much for being on the show, Tom.4:38
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