Most earth structures such as adobe are located in hot, dry climates. But what if you live in a cold climate and want the benefits of low-cost earth building techniques? Earthbag building has the unique advantage of providing either thermal mass or insulation, and therefore can be adapted for cold climates with an insulated fill … Read more
Earthbag building (also called sandbag building) is surely one of the lowest cost, most practical building methods. First used by the military for building durable, bullet and blast resistant structures, this building method has recently experienced a surge of interest among do-it-yourself builders. There are now an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 earthbag structures, including homes, … Read more
In my opinion nothing beats the warmth and rustic beauty of natural materials. Many people choose natural building materials to save money, and that makes perfect sense. But let’s not overlook design aesthetics. A home is much more than just an assemblage of materials. Natural materials have a way of seamlessly blending everything together, turning … Read more
Kelly and I try to track everything about earthbags and sandbags. Here’s a suggestion I came across on a January 4, 2009 post at SurvivalBlog.com. It’s another example of the amazing versatility of building with bags. “We came across a small discovery here on our ranch. We feed many animals and four dogs. So we … Read more
I prefer heavy duty 2-gallon plastic buckets for filling earthbags, the same kind used for bucketing cement. They’re strong and small enough that everyone can handle them comfortably. In fact, they’re just the right size. Because they’re larger than the metal cans typically used, work progresses more rapidly. Two rounded shovelfuls fill a 2-gallon bucket … Read more
Stabilizers make earth walls stronger, more moisture resistant, and reduce shrinking and swelling. Water is the number one enemy of earth buildings and adding stabilizers (particularly in rainy climates) is one way to create more durable structures. Lime (Type S – Hydrated Lime) is one of the best stabilizers for clay soils, and more environmentally … Read more