Update: This living wall is thriving. I built a second design with an aluminum frame and removable potted plants and so far the plants prefer this living wall made with fishing net. This is a living wall experiment using a small prototype to test the concept. It’s easy to make and very low cost. Living … Read more
Patti Stouter has published a new earthbag newsletter that recaps recent news and events in the developing world. This is a great way to spread the word. Feel free to share with others.
My Step-by-Step Earthbag Building article at EarthbagBuilding.com has been updated. I built a demonstration wall and photographed each step. YouTube videos have been embedded to further demonstrate the process. All the latest tools and techniques are shown, including use of stronger sheetmetal sliders, 2-gallon cement buckets, bucket chutes, bags turned inside out, and filling bags … Read more
There is a glut of small diameter wood in many parts of the US, both in national forests and tree farms. This resource is often wasted as it becomes fuel in massive forest fires. On tree farms, where it barely pays the bills, small diameter wood is sold cheaply to make paper. Instead of sending … Read more
A reader asked if perlite is a good choice for building earthbag roundhouses. Perlite should work if you make some adaptations. It has excellent R-value and so, in my opinion, is well worth a little extra effort. In fact, it’s a top choice because of its R-value of 2.7 per inch. So 15″ would give … Read more
One way of acquiring affordable housing is working together with other people. Let’s say six groups of three workers agree to build their homes together. They could divide into teams based on interests and skill level. Team 1: Site preparation and excavation Team 2: Earthbag foundation Team 3: Lower walls Team 4: Upper walls Team … Read more