I recently got this email from Yolan:
I want to share that, using tips from you and Owen’s old posts, I built this mini-shed out of Earthbags. I posted a write-up for it to our blog at www.offgridgirls.com
On her blog, she sums up the experience: “Overall, this was a fun project. I’m really thankful to have been able to do it and for God’s protection while lifting over a hundred 40+ lb bags. I would recommend that anyone who is considering building with earthbags, to start out with something small and manageable. Don’t let your house be your first project. That’s kind of daunting and you will make mistakes. Its better to do that on something smaller and not as critical as your home.”
“Also a small structure like this could be tweaked to be used for other things. I was thinking that I could have built it a couple of feet into the ground, removed the windows, and made it into a small root cellar. Or it could be made into a playhouse if you have kids. Its versatile.”
I bought books on how-to build Earthbag homes, etc., and that’s exactly what I tell my sons – start with something small, like a dog house then my greenhouse, then we can move onto a garage, and a new house. Those are the plans, we’re trying to figure out the best sites, lol.
Indeed when it comes to getting familiar with a new construction material or method, especially if you have no experience in serious construction, it’s almost always best to experiment with a simple building, such as a garden shed, workshop, barn or primitive camping hut.