One way to save money and reduce your impact on the environment is to use unmilled roundwood when building your home. Wood in the round is much stronger than standard dimension lumber and requires less processing. In our case it enables us to use local, sustainably grown wood instead of wood shipped hundreds of miles. … Read more
It seems most people are using wood to attach rough frames (“bucks”) for windows and doors to earthbags. We have termites in our area and so we’re using galvanized sheet metal for this purpose. I’ve used both kinds and discovered sheet metal anchors are much faster to make. The first step is to cut sheet … Read more
Wrapping walls in mesh – starting under the first course of bags and going over the top of the bond beam – is a simple way to add a great deal of extra strength to your earthbag structure. Fishing net and plastic lath are ideal for wet climates. Galvanized wire lath or chicken wire is … Read more
It’s not difficult estimating costs for small houses. Simply add up the number of each main component and multiply times a realistic cost. Then add about 5%-10% extra to cover unforeseen expenses. Use current, local prices for most accurate results. Here’s one article that explains how to estimate the number of bags you’ll need. You … Read more
My previous post described an alternative bond beam for curved walls; this post is on straight walls. Conventional reinforced concrete bond beams may not be affordable or the materials unavailable. Or maybe you want to reduce or avoid using cement. Here’s one low-tech, low-cost bond beam design. It’s even possible to use salvaged materials for … Read more
Using a standard-sized module can simplify the building design process. An even two foot module, for instance, is easy to plot on graph paper. This makes it easier to draw plans and calculate materials and costs. Another benefit of 24” earthbag modules is increased overlap between courses. Many earthbag builders just fold over the ends … Read more