Kelly and I try to track everything about earthbags and sandbags. Here’s a suggestion I came across on a January 4, 2009 post at SurvivalBlog.com. It’s another example of the amazing versatility of building with bags. “We came across a small discovery here on our ranch. We feed many animals and four dogs. So we … Read more
We have a new Project page featuring a double eco-dome in Joshua Tree, California. It will be the residence of Mark Reppert. Jeff Bousquet, who helped build the house, reports “It took us three months to complete the bag work of the project. The house blends into the desert. Most of the houses around where … Read more
I prefer heavy duty 2-gallon plastic buckets for filling earthbags, the same kind used for bucketing cement. They’re strong and small enough that everyone can handle them comfortably. In fact, they’re just the right size. Because they’re larger than the metal cans typically used, work progresses more rapidly. Two rounded shovelfuls fill a 2-gallon bucket … Read more
Stabilizers make earth walls stronger, more moisture resistant, and reduce shrinking and swelling. Water is the number one enemy of earth buildings and adding stabilizers (particularly in rainy climates) is one way to create more durable structures. Lime (Type S – Hydrated Lime) is one of the best stabilizers for clay soils, and more environmentally … Read more
Strawbale houses were first built shortly after the invention of the baling machine. Settlers in western Nebraska who had access to this machine were quick to realize the potential of large, insulated building blocks. And the rest of the story, as they say, is history. This same potential now exists for earthbag building. The benefits … Read more
Readers are asking about two bag filling devices on the Internet — EZBagger and GoBagger. They scoop and funnel sand directly into bags. My preference for a bag filler was explained in my post titled Bucket Chutes (December 16, 2008). I explained how you can modify a standard $1 bucket in couple of minutes for … Read more