“An ExPat experience of building a small house in Pinal Villa, Costalegre, Jalisco.
DIY
Stabilized Caliche Floors
Caliche: calcium carbonate formed in the soils of semiarid regions.
“I sifted the caliche through a chicken wire sieve to get rid of the larger material. This leaves a good size aggregate for a 4-5inch think pour, thicker floor better against moisture too (when the pour is too thin less ,than 3″, the mix will crack more, when setting).
Celebrating 2,000 Blog Posts Today
Our first blog post was back in November, 2007, almost seven years ago! Has it really been that long? Here it is: Earthbag Building Has Come a Long Way!
How to Build Large Earthbag Domes
Question: “I was wondering if there is a limit to the size of diameter an earthbag dome can have. I am wanting to have a dome with more than 800 sq ft. I would like it to be a dome because I do not want the hassle of constructing a roof, and I’m a simple person so I am only wanting to construct one dome instead of multiple ones. Any information about this would be helpful, thank you!” Tyler
Update on Confined Earthbag Building
I love hearing about innovative natural building projects. Ed, a long time reader, sent me an update on his earthbag home in Ecuador. Ed is using confined earthbags that sit within a reinforced concrete frame. This is a good method for those who need to meet building code and for areas that are vulnerable to hurricanes and earthquakes.
Vajra Azaya
“Building a better world… one community at a time. Sharing knowledge and pictures of community building and other Permaculture projects.