Energy generation from rocket stoves has a lot of potential. This is a great way to produce low cost energy if you have access to scrap wood, tree trimmings, etc. These YouTube videos provide a glimpse of what’s possible. Even though they may seem simplistic, these proof of concept systems could be scaled up to … Read more
The compression ring I designed and had built by a local machine shop for our earthbag roundhouse worked perfectly. It costs me just $20 or so and used very few materials. The roof bolted together in one hour and, as reported previously, it was rock solid even with 4-5 workers climbing on it. Also note, … Read more
There’s near record traffic on our blog today. Obviously the Hobbit House Shed is extremely popular. Since we have so many new readers, I’d like to point them to my Hobbit House Plan. This particular plan currently comes in five variations. On my Earthbag House Plans site you find over 120 affordable earthbag designs. Feel … Read more
I just found this Hobbit House shed by Owl Swamp Natural Builder. “This was the second project I worked on. It’s a hybrid earthbag, cordwood, and papercrete roof shed with a reciprocal roof. The plaster over the earthbags is earthen, with a lime stabilizer. All the wood, doors, and windows were salvaged. I paid five … Read more
I just blogged about heated benches and it occurred to me this concept would work great with reading nooks and window seats. You don’t have to heat reading nooks and window seats, it’s just one option among many. The photos above show a few possibilities. Image source: OCRegister.com Image source: Low Impact Living Image source: … Read more
Imagine having a toasty place to sit or sleep in the dead of winter. It’s fairly easy to make heated earthbag benches and beds. All you do is run PEX or copper tubing between courses of bags. The bench or bed could be heated from a water jacket on a wood stove or you could … Read more