Imagine having a toasty place to sit or sleep in the dead of winter. It’s fairly easy to make heated earthbag benches and beds. All you do is run PEX or copper tubing between courses of bags. The bench or bed could be heated from a water jacket on a wood stove or you could … Read more
Anyone know where these are available new? Note the reference to the old Mother Earth News Magazine article (free online) and the warning about providing a pressure relief valve. Heat-Booster.com Related: Exchanger Wood Stove (wood stove and oven with copper coil and salvaged water tank) Tony’s Homemade Hot Water Heater (not part of a wood … Read more
LandTrees, a Panama rental, agricultural and agrocultural tourism company, is building structures made of earthbags, adobe, rammed earth, bamboo and/or wood logs. Their EcoRanchos earthbag structures (see link below) have a construction permit issued by the authorities. As far as we know this is a first for earthbag structures in Panama. From Walter: “Majestic Dome” … Read more
An airlock entryway (vestibule) has two airtight doors that reduce the amount of air infiltration and heat loss when the exterior door is opened. They create a buffer area to block the wind and improve energy efficiency. Double door airlock entries are common features in energy-efficient homes in cold climates, but they also reduce air … Read more
“Engineering Ministries International is a non-profit organization of Christian design professionals. We provide engineering and architectural design for Christian ministries in the developing world. This past September our team conducted a construction training workshop for earthbag building. We also provided training in a thin shell latex concrete roof system called the HyPar, due to … Read more
Landscaping isn’t just for looks. Landscaping is very important for creating an inviting, appealing home. A nice yard will greatly moderate extremes in temperature and create a much more pleasant environment. I thought I’d share my experience of how my girlfriend and I have transformed our rather ordinary ranch style house by focusing on our … Read more