More Grain Bin Homes

Our recent blog posts about Sukup SafeT Homes and SafeT Home Videos proved popular, so I thought readers might enjoy seeing a few more grain bin homes. Image source: Little Homestead in Boise Image source: Mother Earth News Image source: Greenieweenie Image source: EcoFriend Image source 5, 6: Travel Shack Related: Mother Earth News: Convert … Read more

Grain Bin Root Cellar

“This is a root cellar we built out of an old grain bin that was going to be sold for scrap metal. When we had our CSA farm in Montana we needed a place to store vegetables to eat through the winter. We also wanted a place to keep the veggies cool while we prepared … Read more

3 Reasons to Build Your Own Attached Greenhouse

“Building your own greenhouse is a great idea if you are a gardener and want space to start seedlings, or grow plants that require a longer growing season than your climate can normally provide. But a standalone greenhouse is one thing — an attached greenhouse design for your house brings in a whole other host … Read more

Earth Coupled Floors

Earth coupled floors – high mass floors in contact with the soil below (slab on grade, tile, stone, CEB, earthen floors, salvaged brick) – are ideal for keeping homes cool in hot climates. They are not recommended for cold climates where underfloor insulation is best. Our earthbag roundhouse, which is in a hot climate, remains … Read more

Soil Screening Machines

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuoCf8X12Qs&w=420&h=315] [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-VREBnm-W0&w=560&h=315] These screening machines are primarily for production earthbag builders and other natural builders who want to mechanize the building process for maximum efficiency. They are useful for screening soil for earthen plaster, earthen floors, straw/clay and, of course, soil for earthbags. One advantage is the ability to utilize soil from the … Read more

Double Pallet Wall w/ Post and Beam

Wooden shipping pallets are typically available for free and are very practical for building homes, furniture and many other things. We’ve already explored several ways of building pallet walls: Post and Beam Pallet Wall, Earth Lodge Pallet Walls, Interior Pallet Walls, Straw Bale Pallet Walls. This new design sprang from the idea of creating wider … Read more