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Light clay (also light straw clay, light clay straw, slipstraw) is a natural building material used to infill between a wooden frame in a timber framed building using a combination of clay and straw, woodchips or some other lighter material.
A mixture of clay and straw was used as an infill material for timber framed building from at least the 12th century in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.[1] The term "light clay" or "light straw-clay" derives from the German name Leichtlehmbau 'light clay construction'.[2] Renewed interest in traditional building methods developed from the 1980s after which various natural building architects and builders started promoting the use of light clay.[3] An appendix for light straw-clay was added to the International Residential Code beginning with the 2015 edition.[4]
Local clay, often local subsoil, is mixed into a slurry with water and then combined with straw or wood chip or other similar material. Wood chips can vary in size from sawdust to 5 centimetres (2.0 in) in diameter.[3] The ratio of clay to other ingredients can be adapted to either increase thermal mass or insulation properties.[5] The mixture is provided with additional structural strength using wattles. When used externally it can be protected with a Lime render or a clay render.[6] A plaster or render yields a smooth, finished appearance.
Building with clay has a long tradition in Germany and other European countries. Framed structures (half-timbered houses) from the 12th century, filled with a mixture of clay and straw fibers, still exist.
