A reader sent us the following email about another use for sand bags. “Militaries around the world (mainly US as it has representation in nearly every continent) use sand bags to construct barriers to prevent propagation of munitions explosion. That is, large amounts of explosives are stored in large bins (the size of classrooms) made … Read more
We’re using 2x4s instead of wide lumber whenever possible to save old growth trees and money. Smaller dimension lumber can be obtained from smaller trees, and so it’s more sustainable. For our rough window and door frames, also called ‘bucks’, we put two 2×4 frames side-by-side. The window hides the joint between frames. In fact, … Read more
Take a fly-through tour of the Enviro Dome, one of my most popular earthbag plans. Please note, not every detail is shown. The loft vegas (wood poles) and wood stove, for instance, have been omitted for simplicity. But you still good a good sense of what the home looks like. Anyway, I hope you enjoy … Read more
Grub hoes and grape hoes are my favorite digging tools. Shovels work fine with loose material such as gravel and sand, but it’s rather difficult digging clayey soil such as road base with shovels. One of these hoes, however, can cut right into the soil and readily pull the material into buckets without lifting. Think … Read more
Ben Wolf with the earthbag Konbit Shelter Project in Haiti just sent me this plea for financial assistance. Apparently, there’s a glitch with their PayPal account. Here’s what Ben sent me: “Unfortunately, we are in a bit of a financial snag. We have a $4700 stuck in paypal limbo, that was because the person who … Read more
Former Uganda missionary, Mark Long, joined with Haitian workers to construct the first earthbag house for the Haiti Christian Development Project during their brief summer evaluation trip, July 8-15, 2010. This demonstration home for Pierre Charles, long-time farm worker will be his first house. Since the completion of the house, admiring neighbors have become frequent … Read more