Lining the ceiling

Its a few weeks now (time really does get away from you sometimes) since we finished lining the ceiling.  We decided to use ordinary pine lining boards (V-groove), as a reasonably eco-friendly material (Radiata Pine is plantation grown - and although there is some potential that the plantation was planted on what was previously old growth forest, most of the pine plantations I know are on what was previously degraded farmland, and it is renewable).

nailing the first board!

The lining boards were hand nailed to the bottom of the purlins, which allowed us enough space to put in some serious insulation (R5 batts), which  added to the wool blanket on the sisalation that was put in when the roof went on gives us (we think) a total of R7 insulation in the ceiling.  Not too bad, and will complement the high insulation qualities of the strawbale walls.

putting in the insulation batts as the boards go up.

It took us about one day to line each 'wedge' of the ceiling, working between our main beams that form the post and beam frame.  So sadly now much of that heavy timber is not visible, but a good insulated roof is more important that showing off big timber.  We got quicker in our methods, pre-cutting the angles on the boards (since each wedge is the exactly the same there were only two angles to cut, the centre angle and the outer facia angle).  The full ceiling is lined completely, including what will be eaves.

So about ten days in weekends, and its another big job done.  Its nice to start seeing 'finished' parts come together instead of digging away at trenches that will be filled in with concrete!

All done!

Now onto the most exciting part of building a strawbale house, the walls!