Glass block adds a nice decorative touch to earthbag walls. The building process for adding glass block is fairly simple: Make wood frames much like window bucks, only smaller. Earthbag walls are quite thick, so you will probably want double glass blocks – one near the interior, one near the exterior. This creates a wide, … Read more
We just finished installing light fixtures in our earthbag roundhouse. This step has taken a lot longer than anticipated. The porch light by the front door was easy to find since it is conventional looking. But we wanted something special inside for our three wall sconces because they’re more prominent. Two sconces, one on each … Read more
An earlier post described how to use ¼” steel rod to install electrical boxes you may have forgotten. This steel is incredibly versatile and so it’s handy to have some around during construction. Here’s a list of things we’ve used it for: attaching bracket for wall mounted bath sink; attaching shelf brackets and nailers; reinforcing … Read more
I’ve seen various barbed wire dispensers being used and have wondered what design works best. I started making a dispenser for our roundhouse workshop, but gave up when things weren’t quite working out. It seems easier to move the roll of barbed wire by hand to where it’s needed instead of using a dispenser. Also, … Read more
I am pleased to report that after a little more than a year of periodic work on the Ninos y Jovenes Earthbag Project in Mexico we have finally come to a successful point of completion! We put a final coat of white roof paint on the outside, making the dome gleam like a jewel. Here … Read more
So far very little has been written about earthbag basements. Earthbags are suitable for basements and other underground applications such as cisterns and rootcellars. Round or curved designs are inherently stronger than long, straight walls, which require reinforcing columns or buttresses. General guidelines for earthbag basements: – 24″ wide poly bags (measured when empty) – … Read more