(This "sample article" contains the images from the article, but not the article. The images are slightly color-enhanced here from the grayscale originals. Click the thumbnails to open larger versions in a popup window.)



A gable end packed with lots of loose straw fill shows a consistent, warm surface, contrary to the author's intuition.



The bale-wall/ceiling-joist junction... a potential trouble spot gets good thermal marks in this case, but care must be taken here.



You, uh, missed a spot! An uninsulated cavity where floor joist sits on top of bale wall shows its dark, cold face.



Some nasty, unexplained darkness at this floor/wall junction was the only weak spot on a bale wall in all the houses photographed. Speculation as to cause include moisture problems and very loose bales.




The evidence mounts... cold, dark stripes abound on these frame-walled sections, despite the author's self-professed paranoia when it came to detailing and insulating. The dormers [the above photos are the left side and right, respectively] are particularly cold, while individual rafters can be seen clearly below.