earthbag house

Close-up Photo of Mesh Bag

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Kelly Hart posted a close-up photo of a mesh bag the other day. I noticed it was different than the bags we are using, and so I’m posting this photo for comparison. Our bags are 16”x32” with vertical threads and horizontal strips. Both types will probably work, but we want to document the different types … Read more

Contest for Finding U.S. Mesh Bag Supplier

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I’m going to donate one free copy of my upcoming earthbag book to the first person who locates a US supplier of raschel mesh bags. (Must be a type of bag or tube that’s suitable for earthbag building. Check carefully. There’s a 3/8″x3/8″ (approx.) mesh bag made of threads that soil would probably fall through.) … Read more

Bucket Chute with Shoulder Strap

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By now you’re probably getting excited like I am about using open weave mesh bags and tubes. I came up with this $10 solution for filling bags and tubes. It has a 3-gallon metal bucket chute with the bottom cut out and a heavy duty leather shoulder strap riveted on with three pop rivets per … Read more

Flattening Walls to Reduce Plaster Work

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From time to time we answer reader’s questions. Paul: In the EcoOcha video I noticed they tamped the sides to reduce the ‘log cabin’ look and to reduce the amount of plaster required. This smoother surface would be much easier to plaster. Owen: Yes, more and more builders are flattening the walls like this to … Read more

Earthbag Engineering

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I recommend Precision Structural Engineering at Structure1.com for anyone needing engineering on their earthbag home or other buildings. Engineering is available for seismic and non-seismic areas. Precision Structural Engineering is a leader in the green building movement. They developed the first code approved earthbag building system that’s suitable for most any design.