We’ve been explaining how you can build a sustainable earthbag home for around $10/square foot. To build in this price range requires extra time and effort, but it is possible. Unfortunately, if you look on the Internet, you’ll find people making outrageous claims about various building systems and how you can build for much less … Read more
Perhaps workshop fees and travel expenses are not affordable, or maybe you’re busy doing other things and can’t make it to an earthbag workshop. That’s okay because we provide almost everything you need for free on our websites. You could get started without a workshop by following my step-by-step videos, www.youtube.com/user/naturalhouses, reading our websites and … Read more
Many people want to know the lowest cost way of building. Here’s a short comparison of costs to build an earthbag house using ‘free’ options versus buying the building materials: hand dig soil on site = free versus deliver soil $200 gather materials and make thatch panels = free versus buy thatch panels $100 hand … Read more
Here’s a drawing of my favorite earthbag slider that makes it easy to place bags on the wall without getting hooked on the barbed wire. If you want to make one, start out by cutting a sheet of 1/16th thick steel about 13 inches wide by 16” long. Tack weld a piece of 1” by … 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
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