Patti Stouter has been experimenting with all sorts of things, including using mesh bags of recycled foam. She wants to build a Nubian vault with these bags of foam on a rebar frame.
Scrap materials are often large enough to fit well in cheaper open weave vexar mesh tubes. This stretchy plastic tubing is used for onion bags, and makes firm rolls of scrap foam or packing peanuts 10”- 12” in diameter (25- 30 cm). Softer materials like strips of grocery bags can be fluffed and used as a cavity fill, but may require a sturdier mesh base for the plaster.
Note: test a sample bag before making large purchases to ensure they will work for your project.
Note: There’s lots of content on our websites about building insulated earthbag houses. Use the search function in the upper right of the page and search for terms such as insulated, cold climate, etc. Here’s one link on insulated earthbag houses.
I started writing a long comment about the dangers of polystyrene but changed my mind.
Just be careful. Encase it really good in concrete and dont let it get to fire or water.
I saw Earthship Biotecture insulated the roof with it on there Haiti project. Encased in concrete. Really hope it dont crack and become a problem.
Right. My new book recommends using these foams on the exterior only for fire safety, and that’s where insulation is most efficient.