Owen, I just wanted to let you know I’ve created a twitter account that is linked to the facebook one I’ve been managing for you. This wasn’t much effort, but should be to some great benefit for those who prefer twitter over facebook. Every time that I post one of your links on facebook, it … Read more
A blog post entitled “Earthbag, Superadobe, Hiperdobe, Why Not Hiperpapercrete?” caught my eye. The author makes a very good case for filling mesh tubing with damp papercrete. Here is how he explains it: “I have recently been reading up about earthbag/superadobe construction. One of the new techniques that some earthbaggers are very excited about utilizes … Read more
I would argue that current building codes make it nearly impossible to build affordable housing. All the restrictions on room sizes, allowable materials, and cost of permits and inspections put housing out of reach for a large segment of society. It’s a complex and touchy subject that can quickly lead to heated debates. Our intent … Read more
“This is a banker’s worst nightmare — a book that tells you how to live without being enslaved to financial institutions .Chelsea Green has produced a formidable series of books on innovative shelter. But every alternative building strategy, no matter how low-cost or environmentally benign, requires a complementary financial strategy. The accepted path is to … Read more
– Why Every American Homeowner Should be Concerned “The following table represents a scenario where home energy bills increase by a very modest 5% per year over a 50 year time frame. Look up your current monthly energy bill to see what your cumulative energy bill will be years into the future. The column highlighted … Read more
“Testing a CEB (compressed earth block) wall for the ability to withstand small arms fire with an AK-47, 223 and a 45-70 Gov” The video is rather shaky, but it does help validate what we’ve been saying here for the last few years – that compressed earth, especially when combined with gravel, has very good … Read more