Maggi McKerron is building guesthouses with bags filled with rice husks (hulls) in Chiang Dao, Thailand. Here is her latest report.
rice hull bags
Rice Hull Bag Workshop in Thailand
“Announcing the 2nd Rice-Husk-Bag Workshop! This will take place in northern Thailand, November 2015. We will learn how to build walls with bags filled with rice husks (hulls), benches with earthbags, put in doors and windows, cover the walls with a mud, sand and rice husk plaster, and add decorative bottle designs.
Rice Hull Tubes between Double Steel Pipe
Lightweight materials such as rice hulls can speed construction ten-fold. But good design is important! Note how Paul in Thailand (see yesterday’s blog post) added buttresses and steel pipe here and there as problems developed. Basically, he was just “winging it”. Who knows how long the house will last before having mold problems. That’s unfortunate because a similar house built correctly could last many decades.
Update on Rice Hull House in Thailand
I haven’t heard from the owner of this rice hull house in a few years. Yesterday I came across some new comments by the builder and thought it would make a good update. A reader had sent a message pointing out how rice hull houses can be built like the strawbale house the other day. (Round, pipe bond beam, etc.) So yeah, here you go. Here’s the step-by-step directions for a rice hull house. Note how lightweight fill materials such as rice hulls require some extra reinforcement from rebar, posts, buttresses, etc. for stability. In contrast, heavy earthbags filled with tamped soil are much more stable. Also note how Paul added wide roof overhangs to better protect the walls.
Rice Hull Bag Tiny House
You can turn an ordinary post and beam structure into a superinsulated tiny home for very low cost, and minimal time and effort. This project shows how easy it is to wrap a post and beam tiny home with rice hull bags in non-code areas. Bags of rice hulls turn what would ordinarily have been a poorly insulated home into a superinsulated home that’s quiet and comfortable.
Interview with Maggi of Chiang Dao B&B on Rice Hull Houses
Richard, a long time reader, is really excited about building with rice hulls. He’s especially interested in using this method after learning from Maggi of Chiang Dao B&B in Thailand that rice hulls are more durable than previously thought. So, not only do rice hulls save lots of time and hard labor, and create a highly insulating walls, they should also last a long time with proper precautions. Richard sent Maggi a list of questions to learn more details.