The Best of the ​Natural Building Blog

​ Thriving Sustainably with Earthbag Building and Other Practical Solutions

Foreword
This free ebook covers the best, most popular articles from the Natural Building Blog. Our
blog now has nearly 2,800 blog posts, which is great, however the best stories tend to get
‘buried’ or hard to find in thousands of pages of content. As you will see below, compiling
all this great material into one free online document makes this PDF a highly readable,
accessible and indispensable resource for natural builders.

The content in this PDF has been organized by the following categories: ​Introduction​ --
important general information such as defining what natural building is, costs of
construction, building code issues, and a tour of exemplary natural homes. The next
category is ​Earthbag Building​, which is the core focus of our blog because of its low cost,
sustainability, and proven hurricane and earthquake resistance. The following category is
Strawbale Building​, which is now in the building code and extremely popular for its ease
and speed of building, and incredibly good insulation value. Next up is ​Other Building
Methods​, which covers a range of other practical natural building methods. The
Miscellaneous​ category contains various articles on building details such as passive cooling
strategies and small wood stoves. The ​House Plans​ category covers many popular small
natural house plans that are available for sale. And finally, the ​Reference​ category lists
some of the best sites where you can find more information on natural building.
Please leave comments and suggestions about this PDF on our blog to help us make more
similar ebooks in the future. Enjoy!

Owen Geiger

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Introduction to Natural Building
Green Homes
The reason for building greener homes is really quite important. We need to live more
lightly on the earth, because the degradation of our environment is compromising not only
our survival, but the survival of most other living beings on the planet. We can no longer
ignore the impact we have on the earth's ecosystems. The way we live, the choices we
make in providing for our needs, will have an enormous influence on the quality of life of
those who will follow us. Now is the time to take responsibility for the consequences of our
life styles!
How we build our homes, both in design and choice of materials, is one of the most
significant ways that we can affect our future. Much of the concern boils down to the use of
energy. How much energy is embodied in the building materials themselves, in their
transportation and assembling? Then once the house is built, how much energy does it
consume to keep its inhabitants comfortable? Consumption of energy has a direct influence
on environmental quality, because of the inherent pollution through greenhouse gasses and
other emissions. Then there is the loss of natural beauty, ecosystems and basic resources
associated with the extraction of fossil fuels and building materials. The combined effect of
this is staggering.

GreenHomeBuilding.com ​http://greenhomebuilding.com

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Table of Contents:
The Art of Natural Building – Second Edition 7

The Shift Toward Organic Architecture 9

Preferred Building Materials for the Rich? 10

Earth-sheltered Homes 11
Natural Building Tour of Eco-friendly Affordable Homes 13
The £150 ($250) Hobbit House 15
The Woodland Home by Simon Dale 16
Ben Law’s Woodland Home 17
Cody Lundin’s Zero Energy Home 18
How to Build Dirt Cheap Houses Instructable 19
Estimating Costs 20
Counties with Few or No Building Codes 20
Three Ways Building Codes Escalate Construction Costs 22
Eco ‘Hobbit Home’ in Pembrokeshire Faces Demolition 24
Living Tiny Legally: Part 1 25

Earthbag Building 27
Owen’s Earthbag Book and DVD 28
Earthbag Architecture -- Building Your Dream with Bags
Authored by Kelly Hart, Foreword by Dr. Owen Geiger 28
Step-by-Step Earthbag Building 30
Ancient Rammed Earth Structures 31
Cost of Earthbag Houses 32
How Much Do Earthbag Houses Cost? 33
Creating Earthbag House Models 35
$300 Earthbag House – What the World Needs Now 36
Finished Earthbag Roundhouse 38
$2,000 Earthbag House 40
Turkish Roundhouse Earthbag Update 41
Half Moon Earthbag Earthship 43
Reinforced Earthbag Specifications 45
Specifics of Nabil Taha’s Engineered Earthbag Designs 46
Earthquake-resistant Earthbag Houses 48
No Earthquake Damage to Rammed Earth Monasteries 49
Earthquake-Resistant Earthbag Building Details 50
30 Earthquake Resistant Earthbag Houses in Mulabari, Nepal 51
Earthbag Women’s Centre in Vanuatu Withstands Category 5 Cyclone 53

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 Hurricane and Tornado-Resistant Earthbag Houses 55
Earthbag Benches: The Perfect Starter Project 56
Cold Climate Earthbag Yurts 57
Earthbag Building in Cold Climates 58
New Soil Testing Guide 59
The Most Bang for the Buck? Part 1 59
The Most Bang for the Buck? Part 2 60
Using Scoria for Earthbag Building 61
Using Earthbags as Ceiling Insulation 63
Earthbag Rootcellar 64
Free Earthbag Rootcellar Plans 65
Sand Bag Fish Pond 66

Strawbale Building 67
Code-Approved Strawbale Building Systems 67
National Straw Bale Building Code is a Go 68
Post and Beam Hardware 69
$7.50/sq. ft. Straw Bale Home 70
Dunne Family Strawbale Update 71
Dunne’s Hardware Stores….NOT! 72
Strawbale Roundhouses Built in One Day 73
The Straw Bale Yurt Bible 74

Other Building Methods 75

Grain Bin Homes 75
Grain Bin Homes 2 76
More Grain Bin Homes 77
Earth Shelter Reinforced Quonset Buildings 77
Star Top CEB Presses 79
Unusual Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) 80
1,000 Year-Old Straw/Clay Houses in Germany 81
Light Straw-Clay Construction Now Code Approved 82
Straw/Clay Houses 83
Pole Building 85
Small Diameter Roundwood – An Underused Building Material 86
Bandsaw Sawmill 87
Pallet Houses 88
Rex’s House 89

Miscellaneous 91
Passive Cooling Strategies for Hot Climates 91

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 Additional Passive Cooling Strategies for Hot Climates 93
Log End Flooring 94
Small Wood Stoves for Small Homes 95
Free Heat for Your Home: Homemade Briquettes and Logs 97

House Plans 99
Top 10 Most Popular House Plans by Owen Geiger 99
Free Plans 100
Earth-Sheltered / Underground House Plans 100
Straight Wall Houses 100
Spiral Dome Magic 1 and 2 101
Free Solar Pit House Plans and Building Details 103
Cutaway Drawings 105
Hobbit House 106
Earthbag Lodge 107
Modular Pod House 108
Earthbag Survival Shelter 108
Cool Pantries: Storing Food Without Using Power 110

Reference 111

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The Art of Natural Building – Second Edition
Completely Revised, Expanded and Updated
Design, Construction, Resources — edited by Joseph F​.
Kennedy, Michael G​. ​Smith & Catherine Wanek

“The popularity of natural building has grown by leaps

and bounds, spurred by a grassroots desire for housing
that is healthy, affordable and environmentally
responsible. While there are many books available on
specific methods such as strawbale construction, cob or
timber framing, few other resources introduce the
reader to the entire scope of this burgeoning field.

Fully revised and updated, The Art of Natural Building is the complete and user-friendly
introduction to natural building for everyone from do-it-yourselfers to architects and
designers. This collection of articles from 60 leaders in the field is stunningly illustrated with
over 400 photos of natural buildings from around the world. At 465 pages, this massive
resource is over 50% longer than the original edition. Out of 64 chapters, 26 are new to
this edition, and nearly all the rest have been completely revised to reflect recent
developments.

Clearly written, logically organized and beautifully illustrated The Art of Natural Building is
the encyclopedia of natural building.”

*This is by far the best book available on natural building. The first version was excellent.
This one is way better. This book should be required reading for every serious architecture
student. Disclaimer: One of my articles is in the book (Small Diameter Roundwood);
however, I didn’t get paid for it. I just got my copy today and can’t say enough good things
about the book. Even those who’ve been studying natural building for years will learn lots
of new things. It’s not just a bunch of fluff. It’s chock full of important details. My review
rating is 5 Stars.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/the-art-of-natural-building-second-edition

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Low Impact Living

David Omick: Living outside the box

Low impact living is at the heart of what I’ve been doing for years. It’s what drives me and
the content of my blogs, articles, books and house plans. Low impact living encompasses
much more than just housing, although dirt cheap DIY housing paid with cash is a big part
of the solution. Low impact living is intertwined with almost everything we do. I really hope
readers will take a few hours or, better yet, a few days reading through the following sites
to get a good understanding of low impact living and then put these ideas into regular use.
Kevin and Donna Philippe Johnson, ​Earth Star Primal Habitat
David Omick, ​Living Outside the Box​ (be sure to check out their Shelter page)
Tyra and James Arraj: ​The Treasures of Simple Living
Dan Price, ​Moonlight Chronicles
A Low Impact Woodland Home
Tony Wrench and Jane Faith, ​That Roundhouse
Dwelling Portably
Path to Freedom Urban Homestead
Tiny House Design
Small House Society
Laurie Baker
The Year of Mud: Cob and Natural Building
No Impact Man
No Money Man
Homesteading Under $3,000
Mobile Kodgers
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/low-impact-living/

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The Shift Toward Organic Architecture
​Thumb through popular
architecture sources and you’ll
readily spot a growing trend
toward curved and round designs.
It’s a revolt against the box. Oh
sure, the status quo suburban
box is alive and well, and will
likely endure as long as the
existing building codes, insurance
and financial institutions remain
in place. But there’s a definite
backlash against the packaged
homogeneity thrust upon us by
marketers, and no doubt fueled
by the ongoing economic crisis that’s forcing people to explore more affordable options. In
addition, more and more people are concerned about the environment and health aspects.
People are eager to use recycled items, buy local and use materials that don’t offgas toxic
chemicals. I say this trend is long overdue.

Try this fun little experiment. Go to Google Images and search for “hobbit houses”. Simone
Dale’s and Tony Wrench’s houses will pop up in the search results. Click on a few of these
images until you find some of their photos on blogs. Almost without fail people leave
comments like “Absolutely love it. Wish I could live in a house like this”. Now keep in mind
that these houses and other similar ones are probably on hundreds of blogs and then you
start to realize the full impact. It really gets you thinking. This is what many people want –
low cost, simple to build, organic – but the current system severely limits the options.
Marketers are fighting basic human instinct. After all, humans built their own homes
throughout most of history, and of course, they built them to suit their individual needs.
Only recently have mega corporations rolled out their version of how we should live, and
we can see how swimmingly that has gone. Underwater, bankrupt, foreclosed… It’s way,
way, way past time to turn the sinking ship around.

Note: I believe a home like this can be built faster and more durable with earthbags.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/the-shift-toward-organic-architecture/

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Preferred Building Materials for the Rich?

Luxury stone home

What building materials do the rich typically use to build their homes? And likewise, what
materials would you choose if you had nearly unlimited financial resources? Wood paneling
or sheet rock? Granite and marble counters or plastic laminate? Wood, tile and stone floors
or vinyl? Berber wool rugs or synthetic? Wood shakes, tile, slate and copper or asphalt
shingles? Timber frame or stud frame? Thick walls or thin? Just look around a bit and you’ll
see the answers are obvious. Most people prefer the beauty of natural materials when they
can afford them. (Note: I could have located multi-million dollar adobe and rammed earth
houses, but I just grabbed a few samples from one website.)
So here’s the good news for the rest of us: Build your own home using low cost building
methods such as earthbag, building in stages if necessary and paying as you go, and you
can surround yourself with the beauty of natural materials. You don’t have to be rich.
The homes shown here are from Aspen, Colorado – one of most expensive real estate
markets in the U.S.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/preferred-building-materials-for-the-rich

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Earth-sheltered Homes

- ​Earth-sheltered home

“Earth sheltering is the architectural practice of using earth against building walls for
external thermal mass, to reduce heat loss, and to easily maintain a steady indoor air
temperature. Earth sheltering is popular in modern times among advocates of passive solar
and sustainable architecture, but has been around for nearly as long as humans have been
constructing their own shelter.

The expression earth-sheltering is a generic term, with the general meaning: building
design in which soil plays an integral part.

Definition of earth-sheltering: A building can be described as earth-sheltered if its external

envelope is in contact with a thermally significant volume of soil or substrate (where
“thermally significant” means making a functional contribution to the thermal effectiveness
of the building in question.)

There may be said to be three forms of earth-sheltered building:

– earth-covered
– earth-bunded [I call this earth bermed.]
– subterranean

The benefits of earth sheltering are numerous. They include: taking advantage of the earth
as a thermal mass, offering extra protection from the natural elements, energy savings,
providing substantial privacy, efficient use of land in urban settings, shelters have low
maintenance requirements, and earth sheltering commonly takes advantage of passive
solar building design.

The Earth’s mass absorbs and retains heat. Over time, this heat is released to surrounding
areas, such as an earth shelter. Because of the high density of the earth, change in the
earth’s temperature occurs slowly. This is known as ‘thermal lag.’ Because of this principle,

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the earth provides a fairly constant temperature for the underground shelters, even when
the outdoor temperature undergoes great fluctuation. In most of the United States, the
average temperature of the earth once below the frost line is between 55 and 57 degrees
Fahrenheit (13 to 14 degrees Celsius). Frost line depths vary from region to region. In the
USA frost lines can range from roughly 20 inches to more than 40 inches. Thus, at the base
of a deep earth berm, the house is heated against an exterior temperature gradient of
perhaps ten to fifteen degrees, instead of against a steeper temperature grade where air is
on the outside of the wall instead of earth. During the summer, the temperature gradient
helps to cool the house.

The reduction of air infiltration within an earth shelter can be highly profitable. Because
three walls of the structure are mainly surrounded by earth, very little surface area is
exposed to the outside air. This alleviates the problem of warm air escaping the house
through gaps around windows and door. Furthermore, the earth walls protect against cold
winter winds which might otherwise penetrate these gaps.”

From ​ by Rob Roy:

“Back in the ’70s, earth-sheltered housing enjoyed great popularity, thanks in part to the
energy crisis resulting from the 1973 oil embargo. Adventurous builders and researchers
explored various forms of earth-sheltered building, from underground excavated spaces to
surface-level buildings with earth piled in berms against their walls. People searching for
alternatives to conventional building showed that sheltering a building with earth could
reduce energy costs for both heating and cooling by half or more — at little or no increased
expense… An earth-bermed house can reap about 95 percent of the energy advantages of
a fully underground home, and adding an earth roof, or living roof, further promotes
planetary health by “greening” the house’s footprint.”

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earth-sheltered-homes

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Natural Building Tour of Eco-friendly Affordable Homes

Ted Owens, author/publisher Building With Awareness – The Construction of a Hybrid

Home

A growing number of people are disillusioned with conventional housing made of 2x4s and
sheetrock (the way most homes in North America are built). These homes are filled with
materials such as particleboard, plywood, plastic, linoleum, and synthetic carpet and paint
that contain known carcinogens and allergens. These man-made materials offgas toxic
chemicals such as formaldehyde, and often continue to do so for many years. Occupants of
these homes frequently acquire ‘sick house syndrome’ from breathing these noxious fumes.

But many are beginning to see through the charade. Why work a lifetime for an
impersonal, mass-produced commodity that endangers lives and the environment, and
does not reflect their ethos?

Natural building solves all of these problems by utilizing locally available, low-impact
building materials such as straw, stone, earth, bamboo, small diameter wood and recycled
materials. Natural building requires more labor, but has many advantages such as being
lower cost, more beautiful and environmentally friendly. Natural materials also are
owner-builder friendly, because they typically require only basic skills and a few simple
tools. In our high-tech, high-stress era, many find solace and personal satisfaction in
working with their hands to build their dream home with natural materials.

Although the building methods and materials described in this article are well documented
in thousands of websites and hundreds of books, magazines and videos, many people are
still unaware of them. The best way to learn about natural building may be to see finished
homes and hear them described by their builders. Thanks to the power of the Internet,
these homes are now just a click away.

Without further ado, let’s take the natural building tour:

– ​Ted Owens’ strawbale solar home​ in Corrales, New Mexico: Author/publisher Building

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With Awareness – The Construction of a Hybrid Home, recipient of three Telly Awards for
excellence, Ted Owens masterfully blends straw bales and adobes in this southwestern
style home.
– Robert Laporte and Paula Baker-Laporte, owners ​EcoNest Design and EcoNest
Building​, Tesuque, New Mexico: Authors of EcoNest, Creating Sustainable Sanctuaries of
Clay, Straw, and Timber, their homes feature timber framing, clay/straw walls, earth
plastering and natural, non-toxic finishes.
– ​Deanne Bednar’s strawbale studio​, Oxford, Michigan: Using timeless design
principles of curved walls, exposed timbers and stone foundations, this home is a classic
example of the beauty of natural materials.
– ​Alison Kennedy’s earthbag home​ in Moab, Utah: Many earthbag homes are domes,
but this house demonstrates earthbags are equally suitable for structures with vertical
walls.
– ​Ben Law​, roundwood timber frame house, author The Woodland House and other
books, West Sussex, UK: One of the most sustainably built houses on the planet, this home
is built with bowed timbers (rejected by sawmills because they’re not straight) and
coppiced wood. There is no photo gallery on this site, but you can see samples of his work.
– ​The Canelo Project​, Bill and Athena Steen, Elgin, Arizona: Authors of numerous books
on natural building, Bill and Athena are leaders in their field at combining simple materials
such as straw and earth into exquisite, tasteful simple dwellings.
– ​OM Dome​, Koh Phangan, Thailand: Master builder Trevor Lytle oversaw the construction
of the world’s largest earthbag dome (27 foot diameter), a spiritual temple for the Pyramid
Yoga Center.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/natural-building-tour-of-eco-friendly-affordable-homes
-2/

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The £150 ($250) Hobbit House

Michael Buck built this house at the bottom of his garden for just £150 using natural or
unwanted materials he found in skips (dumpsters)​.

“It looks like something straight out of Middle Earth – and the story behind it is almost as
fantastical. This cottage cost just £150 to build, using only natural or reclaimed materials,
and is now rented out for a fee of fresh milk and cream. And with no mains electricity, gas
or water, the bills don’t come to much either.
Smallholder Michael Buck spent eight months constructing the house using the ancient
technique of cob – building with a mixture of sand, clay, straw, water and earth. He taught
himself the method by reading a book, even shaping the walls without a single power tool.
He also made the simple wooden roof frame and thatched it himself with straw from his
fields. The 300 sq ft of floor space features floorboards rescued from a skip, while an old
windscreen from a lorry provided glass for the windows. With no central heating, you might
think it would be a bit chilly, but he says the cob walls and thatched roof make it incredibly
well insulated – and the ceiling is stuffed with sheep’s wool from a nearby farm to help
keep the heat in further.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/the-150-hobbit-hole

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The Woodland Home by Simon Dale

A Low Impact Woodland Home by Simon Dale

“You are looking at pictures of a house I built for our family in Wales. It was built by myself
and my father in law with help from passers by and visiting friends. 4 months after starting
we were moved in and cosy. I estimate 1000-1500 man hours and £3000 put in to this
point. Not really so much in house buying terms (roughly £60/sq m excluding labour).
The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives
us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Being your own (have a go) architect is a
lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the
land rather than, at worst, a mass produced box designed for maximum profit and
convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with
producers profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/the-woodland-home-by-simon-dale

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Ben Law’s Woodland Home

Ben Law’s woodland home constructed with local materials and straw bale walls.

“Ben Law lives and works at Prickly Nut Woods in West Sussex, UK, where apart from
making a living from coppicing he trains apprentices and runs courses on sustainable
woodland management, eco-building and permaculture design. He runs a specialist
eco-building company The Roundwood Timber Framing Company Limited. This specializes
in the supply of roundwood construction timber and a building and project management
service.
Ben Law is the author of ​ and ​ , which charts the
building of his unique cruck framed home in the woods. The building of his house was
filmed for Channel 4’s Grand Designs program and was voted the most popular Grand
Design ever by viewers. He has also written ​ , a month by month
journey through the woodland, a celebration of every aspect of sustainable woodland
management, including crafts, seasonal recipes and the rhythm of work throughout the
year. Ben’s latest book is ​ , a full colour guide to his building
techniques which he has also described in a comprehensive training DVD by the same
name. He runs occasional open days and courses in response to popular demand.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/ben-laws-woodland-home

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Cody Lundin’s Zero Energy Home

Cody Lundin’s energy efficient, sustainable home

No heating or air conditioning, and yet Cody’s house stays around 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cody’s website and book explain how he built his ferrocement house. You could build a
house like this with earthbags on the sides and ferrocement on the roof.
“It’s winter in the high desert as I write this, and last night the thermometer outside read 9
degrees F (minus 13 degrees C), a bit colder than typical and, ironically, part of the same
storm system that left 500,000 people without power in the Midwest. Regardless of
single-digit temperatures, my home remained a cozy 72 degrees F (22 degrees C), and it
did so without using any conventional energy resources. I have no heating bills of any kind
and I don’t burn wood. My home is heated entirely by the free clean energy of the sun, a
phenomenon commonly referred to as “passive solar.” Along with orienting my home solar
south, I have the proper square footage of windows to match the square footage of my
home so that it doesn’t under- or overheat. These windows let in shortwave radiation from
the sun that soaks into my stone floor during the day. At night when outside temperatures
dip, the stone floor, which is a great conductor of the sun’s energy, re-radiates the stored
sunshine, or heat, as long-wave radiation that keeps the house warm. Insulation and
thermal mass help retain the heat throughout the night. The process starts anew the next
day. Even though my home is dependent on the sun for heat, it’s designed to retain this
comfort for several days of cloudy weather or storms.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/cody-lundins-zero-energy-home

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How to Build Dirt Cheap Houses Instructable

Adobe house in Thailand

Ever wonder how to build a simple home for very little money, without going into debt?
The key is to use low-cost, locally available natural materials such earth, small diameter
wood and straw to keep expenses to a minimum. The real fun is incorporating all of these
methods into an optimum, comfortable, affordable home.

Our earthbag projects have confirmed what I’ve known for a long time – that building at
$10/sq.ft. (materials only) or thereabouts is possible. Other aspects of earthbag building —
strength, durability, sustainability, etc. — are all important. But perhaps the most important
point is affordability, because building at $10/sq. ft. makes housing affordable to virtually
everyone on the planet. The last page of this Instructable includes a list of $10/sq. ft.
projects built by others.

A big reason for the growing popularity of earthbag building is its low cost. You can build
shelters for under $1,000. For $1,000-$5,000 you could have a nice, small home that would
outlast most conventional wood-framed houses, and be quieter, non-toxic and more
comfortable.

Are you on an extremely tight budget? (Ha, who isn’t nowadays.) Then I suggest building
small using local natural materials, building in stages and adding on as you can afford it.
For instance, build one roundhouse and live in it until you’ve saved enough to build
another. You could join the roundhouses with arched or gabled covered walkways, vine
covered pergolas, enclosed passageways or additions, or just leave them free standing.
Extending rectilinear structures (adding one room at a time) would be even easier. Building

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a little at a time like this requires planning ahead for future doorways and other
considerations, but it enables you to build debt free.

***Natural building – using locally available, minimally processed natural materials – is the
logical solution. There is simply no other way to create affordable housing for all those in
need.***

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/instructable-how-to-build-dirt-cheap-houses

Estimating Costs
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.
You can also do a per square foot cost estimate. This method is not as accurate as a
detailed cost breakdown, but does provide a rough estimate.
Here’s one example using dirt cheap building techniques. $10/sq. foot is about as low as
you can get using simple, low cost materials and methods (earthbags, rubble trench, earth
plaster, locally harvested wood, recycled materials, etc.). So a house of about 300 square
feet would cost around $3,000 not including land or labor. (300 x $10 = $3,000) Then add
any extras you may want: radiant heat, better windows, tile counters, etc. to get a more
accurate cost. The cost will be significantly higher if building in areas where you have to
meet building codes. Seek out remote, rural areas with few or no building codes to
minimize costs.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/estimating-costs

Counties with Few or No Building Codes

Many readers are looking for inexpensive land where they can build their earthbag home.
Unfortunately, building codes are often overly restrictive and make it difficult to build with
alternative materials such as earthbags, straw bales, etc. But the good news is some
counties have very few code barriers. As explained in previous posts, these counties are
typically in remote, rural areas.
While responding to a reader’s inquiry about this subject, I realized it wouldn’t be very
difficult to locate these lenient areas if several volunteers worked together. One possibility
is for each person to take one state, contact the regional building authority in each county
and then compile a list of counties with few or no building codes.
I’m guessing each state could be canvassed in about eight hours or less by using the
Internet to locate the phone numbers. This is made easy because most counties now have
their own websites. You could probably ignore highly developed counties to save time.
Some counties post their building codes and related information on their websites, although
it may be faster to call each county building department and ask a few questions about
their policies on alternative building: What building code do they use? Do they require a
building permit? What are their policies on building with straw bales, earthbags and other

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similar materials? Do you need special approval (engineer’s stamp) to build with alternative
building materials? What’s the minimum house size allowed by code?
Once you locate one county that’s open to alternative building you might ask them if they
know of other counties with similar policies. I would also do some background research.
For instance, you may find a site like ​Sustainable Building Codes Blog​ by Tom Meyers.
Mr. Meyers posts about this very issue and offers lots of good advice. One post says “Our
current area of preference lies in the heart of Delta County, Colorado. This is one of 11 or
so counties in the state with no adopted building code.” There you go! Send him an email
and maybe he will tell you which counties in Colorado are code-free.
Out of curiosity I searched the ​Delta County website​, clicked on Departments, then
Planning and Community Development, then ​Building Information​. Sure enough, it
clearly states “No building permit is required for the construction and placement of any
structures in the unincorporated area of Delta County.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/counties-with-few-or-no-building-code

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Three Ways Building Codes Escalate Construction Costs

Do you think building codes are fair and set up primarily for society’s protection? Guess
again. In reality, building codes were written by the timber, steel, brick and concrete
industries, in collaboration with banks and insurance companies to maximize profits for
themselves. This creates barriers to entry that make it difficult to build with alternative
materials.
Here’s a true story about a friend’s house in Colorado. Dean built his house in the 1960’s
when building codes were less strict than they are today. At that time he was able to build
a modern, very nice looking 2,000 sq. ft. home on a shoestring budget by building with
wood from a local sawmill. I can’t remember the cost – it’s been years since he told me the
story, and he’s sadly passed on – but the cost was shockingly low (somewhere around a
few thousand dollars for a truckload of rough sawn lumber), because the wood was direct
from a local mill. Dean told me the story with a big smile in about 1999 while we worked on
renovating his home. The Douglas fir studs were so hard that it was almost impossible to
drive nails. Everything had to be pre-drilled. The wood was far superior to the poor quality
lumber now being sold in building supply centers. Thirty some years later the house was
still in excellent condition, and yet Dean pointed out how you can no longer build this way.
The sawmill went broke when building codes started requiring lumber must come from
certified and inspected mills. That gave a financial edge to giant Weyerhaeuser type
companies, and consequently many small companies got wiped out. So what’s the situation
now? Just look at the crap lumber that ‘meets code’. If it’s not already twisted and bowed
like a banana, it probably soon will be (except for the high grade lumber that’s usually set
aside for big construction firms).
Example #2:
Building methods such as adobe, rammed earth, earthbag and other simple methods can
end up costing more than energy intensive, mass produced materials due to building codes.
For instance, a simple cabin could cost $100,000 when you’re finished meeting code. Note
that ​adobe and rammed earth construction​ go back many thousands of years, and
earthen construction has been shown to easily outlast most modern building materials. But
22
since the codes are skewed to favor modern materials, most homebuilders choose stick
frame construction with sheetrock and pressed board siding even though the end product is
far inferior.
Example #3:
Still think the codes are fair and reasonable? Keep reading. The more you dig into this the
more dirt you’ll find. The latest trend is ​Nuisance Abatement Teams​ that penalize
homeowners for any minor infraction they come up with. I’ve explained this process in
Building Codes are a Slippery Slope​. (“Give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile.”)
Things don’t have to be this way, but that’s the direction we’re headed. When powerful
interests inhibit the freedom for people to build their own home affordably, then I’ll call it
like I see it.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/three-ways-building-codes-escalate-construction-costs

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Eco ‘Hobbit Home’ in Pembrokeshire Faces Demolition

The home has walls of straw and a roof of grass but no planning permission

“A hobbit-style eco-home is threatened with demolition after it was built in open

countryside without planning permission.
Charlie Hague and Megan Williams, both 25, have been told to take down the roundhouse
in Glandwr near Crymych.

Branches and other natural materials have been used to construct the dwelling

The eco-home has walls made from straw bales, a grass roof and has branches as its
frame.”

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A Pembrokeshire council enforcement notice states the house was “harmful to the rural
character of the locality”.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/eco-hobbit-home-in-pembrokeshire-faces-demolition

Living Tiny Legally: Part 1

This video​ documents a groundbreaking moment in tiny house/natural building history by

showing how tiny houses and tiny house communities can be legally built within US cities.
Please ‘like’ and share this video with your friends.

“Living Tiny Legally is a 3 part educational docu-series. It provides an in-depth, inside look
into how a handful of cities from all over the country are making legal tiny housing a
reality.

An Educational Resource for Tiny House Advocates and City Officials

Part 1: Groundbreaking Progress + Model Tiny House Zoning

An in-depth look at how communities, including Fresno and Ojai (CA), and Rockledge (FL)
are turning tiny via innovative zoning. Policy makers share their methods and insights to
demystify the planning & zoning process. Advocates provide a better understanding of the
tiny house movement and benefits tiny homes could bring your community."

I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped produce this excellent
landmark documentary. As explained in the video, the template for doing this is now
worked out and this could spread very quickly in many other cities. (Things are always
difficult the first time around, but it’s easy to copy others.) It’s refreshing to see some city
planners and administrators who are willing to deal with the overwhelming need of
affordable housing and actually produce workable solutions. Let’s hope this movement
spreads to include more alternative/sustainable building ideas. As reported earlier, there
were over 40,000 attendees at last year’s Tiny House Jamboree in Colorado Springs and

25
roughly 50,000 people attended the 2016 event. That’s in just one medium sized city.
Imagine the level of interest across the country. That clearly shows a groundswell of
interest in tiny houses. And, of course, as more communities legalize tiny houses then the
interest could skyrocket. Think of all the people who can’t afford or don’t want to buy a big
house. Think of all the seniors who want to downsize and all those who want to live more
simply. It’s a huge market.

26
Earthbag Building

Earthbag Building.com
Building with earthbags (sometimes called sandbags) is both old and new. Sandbags have
long been used, particularly by the military, for creating strong, protective barriers, or for
flood control. The same reasons that make them useful for these applications carry over to
creating housing. Since the walls are so substantial, they resist all kinds of severe weather
(or even bullets) and also stand up to natural calamities such as earthquakes and floods.
They can be erected simply and quickly with readily available components, for very little
money.
Earthbag building fills a unique niche in the quest for sustainable architecture. The bags
can be filled with local, natural materials, which lowers the embodied energy commonly
associated with the manufacture and transportation of building materials. The fill material is
generally of mineral composition and is not subject to decomposition (even when damp),
attractive to vermin, or burnable...in other word it is extremely durable. The fill material is
generally completely non-toxic and will not offgas noxious fumes into the building.
Earthbags have the tremendous advantage of providing either thermal mass or insulation,
depending on what the bags are filled with. When filled with soil they provide thermal
mass, but when filled with lighter weight materials, such as crushed volcanic stone, perlite,
vermiculite, or rice hulls, they provide insulation. The bags can even act as natural
non-wicking, somewhat insulated foundations when they are filled with gravel.
Because the earthbags can be stacked in a wide variety of shapes, including domes, they
have the potential to virtually eliminate the need for common tensile materials in the
structure, especially the wood and steel often used for roofs. This not only saves more
energy (and pollution), but also helps save our forests, which are increasingly necessary for
sequestering carbon.
Another aspect of sustainability is found in the economy of this method. The fill material
can be literally "dirt cheap," especially if on-site soil is used. The earthbags themselves can
often be purchased as misprints or recycled grain sacks, but even when new are not
particularly expensive. Burlap bags were traditionally used for this purpose, and they work
fine but are subject to rot. Polypropylene bags have superior strength and durability, as
long as they are kept away from too much sunlight. For permanent housing the bags
should be covered with some kind of plaster for protection, but this plaster can also be
earthen and not particularly costly.
The ease and simplicity of building with earthbags should also be mentioned, since there is
much unskilled labor available around the world that can be tapped for using this
technology. One person familiar with the basics of earthbag building can easily train others
to assist in the erection of a building. This not only makes the process more affordable, but
also more feasible in remote areas where many common building skills are not to be found.

Note: Earthbag Building.com is our main website where everything related to earthbag
building is found. All the best books, videos, articles are located there as well as lists of
suppliers and other resources.

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 Owen’s Earthbag Book and DVD

Owen Geiger’s ​Earthbag Building Guide​ is a $20 ebook

that you can download immediately after purchasing it,
which makes it easily available anywhere in the world.
Chapter titles give you a good idea of what it covers: Dirt
Cheap Shelter, Choosing a Plan, Tools, Supplies,
Foundations, Bag Walls, Tube Walls, Openings and Details,
Lintels and Bond Beams, Insulated Walls, Roofs, Plaster,
Finishing Details, and First Projects. See the complete table
of contents just a little further down on this page.
Much has been learned about earthbag building over the
last few decades through research, trial and error, and sharing of information. It is
becoming increasingly clear what works best and why. This book pulls the most practical
ideas together and will help take this movement to the next level.
This builder’s guide does that by providing simple, clear explanations of each step of
construction, from earthbag foundations that don’t require concrete, to complete
information on tools and supplies, as well as tips, tricks and advanced earthbag techniques.
All major aspects of building earthbag houses with vertical walls are covered: Planning; Dirt
cheap building techniques; Building code issues; Electrical and Plumbing; Cost estimating;
Insulation; Landscaping options. It is profusely illustrated with about 185 color photos and
detail drawings.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/owens-book-dvd

Earthbag Architecture -- Building Your

Dream with Bags
Authored by Kelly Hart, Foreword by Dr. Owen Geiger

Discover how you can build an amazing variety of

structures using little more than the earth beneath
your feet. Earthbag building is revolutionizing how
people around the world are thinking about ways of
providing shelter, both temporary and permanent.
Such buildings can be remarkably durable and
resistant to earthquakes, floods, fires and even
bullets.
Kelly Hart describes the basics of how to build this way, provides a history of the evolving
technology and delves into detailed descriptions of the many different earthbag projects
that he has been involved with over nearly two decades. A survey of 64 unique buildings

28
from around the world proves just how versatile this approach to building can be. A look to
the future of earthbag building and a Resource Guide complete the book.
Some 240 color photographs help you visualize the possibilities of this unusual and
sustainable approach to architecture. ​https://www.createspace.com/5461815

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Step-by-Step Earthbag Building

Earthbag building tools and supplies

My ​Step-by-Step Earthbag Building article​ at EarthbagBuilding.com has been updated.

I built a demonstration wall and photographed each step. YouTube videos have been
embedded to further demonstrate the process. All the latest tools and techniques are
shown, including use of stronger sheetmetal sliders, 2-gallon cement buckets, bucket
chutes, bags turned inside out, and filling bags to capacity with the same number of
pre-measured buckets. Note how I demonstrate pre-tamping earthbags. This is a relatively
new technique I developed to lengthen the bags so they have additional overlap. This step
strengthens the wall, which is particularly important in earthquake regions.

The goal of this project was to simplify the explanation of how to build with earthbags,
making it clear as possible. All too often people read the books and dozens or hundreds of
web pages and still don’t fully grasp the basics. So my advice is to read this article several
times and then practice each step. Get the basics right and the other details will more
easily fall in place.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/updated-step-by-step-earthbag-building

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Ancient Rammed Earth Structures

The Alhambra Palace overlooking the city of Granada, Spain was built 1,200 years ago.

Earthbag building and rammed earth construction are very similar. Both methods utilize
earth that has been tamped solid. In the case of earthbag building, polypropylene bags or
tubes contain the soil and eliminate the need for expensive forms. Since they are very
similar in composition, we can reasonably speculate that earthbag houses will last for a
very long time – possibly thousands of years – the same as ancient rammed earth
structures.
It’s worth emphasizing that earthbag building is not just bags of dirt stacked upon each
other. The most common earthbag fill material is clay/aggregate soil mixture. In other
words, most ordinary subsoil (mineral soil) that has enough clay to bind the sand and
gravel together. When this mix is lightly moistened and tamped solid, it becomes densely
compacted and extremely durable as evidenced by the following ancient structures.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/ancient-rammed-earth-structures

31
Bullet Resistance of Compressed Earth

Earthco Building Systems, Inc. performed ​some interesting bullet resistance tests​ on their
compressed earth Megablocks. In the video they used 50 cal “BMG” 661 grain Full Metal
Jacket over a stainless steel core — muzzle velocity of 3100 fps and delivering 12,400 foot
pounds of energy. Densely compacted earthbag walls made with subsoil would likely have
comparable results. Maybe someone with a rifle and spare time could conduct a similar test
on earthbags. Please email me and I will provide a few suggestions.
Test results using 50 caliber bullets on an unprotected 8 month old wall that received 10”
of rain:
– 5-1/2” – 7” penetration
– 10” penetration with two 50 caliber rounds fired into the same hole
– 5 shots in 6” circle without full penetration on 18” thick walls
– little to no cracking
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/bullet-resistance-of-compressed-earth

Cost of Earthbag Houses

One of the most frequent questions people ask is “how much do earthbag houses cost?”
It’s a little difficult to answer because there are many factors that affect the total cost. A lot
depends on what features you want to add, whether or not you have building codes, how
much work is done by the homeowner, and the details of the building itself.
A small, simple house made of natural building materials could be built by a DIY builder for
about $10/sq.ft. This assumes doing most everything yourself and using the low-tech
building ideas explained on our websites. It doesn’t include things like land, building
permits and utility hookups, since the price of these things vary wildly.
Keeping in mind it is much easier and lower cost to build with earthbags in rural areas with
minimal building codes, let’s look more closely at one example. Here are the approximate

32
costs of a 15’ interior diameter roundhouse with earthen plaster and floor, recycled
materials where feasible, and reciprocal pole roof with sod on top.
Recycled earthbags @ .20/bag = $108
Soil = $100 (bag fill, plaster, floor)
Gravel bag foundation = $20
Barbed wire = $35
Roof poles = $25 (with firewood permit from national forest)
Salvaged barn wood roof decking = free
6 mil poly = $25 (for roof)
Reinforced concrete bond beam = $100
Doors, windows, hardware, bathroom fixtures, tile, etc. from yard sales/barter = $175
Sod = free
Plumbing/electrical = $200
Composting toilet = $20
Earthbags w/rice hulls ceiling insulation = $10
Reed mat ceiling = $40
Recycled wood for cabinets = $100
Nails, screws = $42
Total cost = $1,000
This works out to be less than $6/square foot for this 176 sq. foot roundhouse in a
non-code area. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things, but you could double this cost to cover
gas and any extras and still have a nice little house for $2,000. Now you can see why we’re
so excited about earthbag building. It’s a real game changer for those in need of affordable
housing.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/cost-of-earthbag-houses

How Much Do Earthbag Houses Cost?

This is probably the most common question of all: How much do earthbag houses cost? It’s
sort of like asking how much does a car cost? Well, it depends on the size, features,
construction details and how much work you are willing to do. The short answer is it can
cost as much or as little as you want.
A small, simple house made of natural building materials could be built by a DIY builder for
about $10/sq.ft. This assumes doing most everything yourself and using the ideas listed
below. It doesn’t include things like land, building permits and utility hookups. Note: it’s
much easier to do these things in rural areas with minimal building codes.
Here are just a few factors that can dramatically change the cost:
– Foundation: gravel-filled bags on a rubble trench foundation replaces concrete and steel.
– Earthbag walls (usually just compacted soil) replace a whole range of expensive
processed materials.
– Earth, stone or recycled brick floors. Think of all the lumber that goes into a typical wood
framed floor and how much you can save.
– Earth plaster saves sheetrock, taping, texturing and a lot of paint. And of course, earth is
dirt cheap.

33
– Rice hulls are great for insulation.
– Small diameter, sustainably harvested wood from local forests can save you a bundle.
– Recycled materials throughout (sinks, tubs, hardware, tile, shelving, etc. including bags if
they’re in good condition). This is one of the easiest ways of saving money. It just requires
extra time.
So you can see this type of building doesn’t fit neatly into a conventional estimating chart
or program. There’s no way I can say exactly what a house will cost. It all depends on local
variables and how much people are willing to search for low cost alternatives.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/how-much-do-earthbag-houses-cost

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Creating Earthbag House Models

Clay model of earthbag home

Creating scale models is a great way to learn earthbag building techniques and help
visualize your future home. Tim Merritt sent me some pics of models he’s been working on
and I was so impressed I wanted to share them with other readers. Tim used modeling
clay for his models. Kelly Hart created models for his house using miniature sandbags sewn
to scale. See his ​Miniature Bag Kit​.​ ​The main point is modeling makes it easy to try out
various configurations to see what looks and works best.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/creating-earthbag-house-models

35
$300 Earthbag House – What the World Needs Now

The ​$300 Earthbag House​ was the 14th place winner in ‘The $300 House’ challenge.
(​Earthbag designs had a strong showing with #1, 2, 3, 5 and 14 place winners​.​ No other
building method came close to this level of success in the competition.)
The low cost of this design is almost certainly the main appeal. Whenever we run a story
about dirt cheap housing like ​Straw Bale Roundhouses Built in One Day​ or ​Rex’s $4/sq. foot
Pallet House​ we almost always get a spike in traffic. This is the main point of this blog post
– ​people want affordable housing​! How obvious is that? It’s terrible seeing tens of millions
of people who can’t afford a decent home even in a ‘rich’ modern country like the US. Most
housing options, especially those made with highly processed materials such as steel, brick
and concrete are not affordable, while those made with local natural materials such as
earth, straw bales and wood poles are much less expensive. Look for ​rural areas with few
or no building codes​ and you will reduce construction costs by many thousands of dollars.
Description of $300 Earthbag House​: 11.1 sq. m. interior, 5.4 sq. m. sleeping loft, 11.2
sq. m. patio for cooking and socializing. Total living space = 27.7 sq. m. Single units can be
expanded by adding on in any direction or joined to create multi-unit structures. Almost all
materials are free or recycled: grain bags, rubble, clay, door, security bars, earthen plaster
and floors, or locally available, natural materials: bamboo, rice hull insulation. ​All drawings
and details for the $300 Earthbag House are provided for free​.
A brief note about the cost: The competition organizers set a somewhat arbitrary $300 cost
figure. They reasoned most slum dwellers could afford $300. Some people left comments
that said no one could build a house for this amount. As I explained in my housing
proposal, slum dwellers would scrounge almost all the materials for free or barter for as
much as possible. They can’t afford to buy new materials. But what about building
something like this in a developed country? This home built with recycled materials and
some new materials might cost around $2-3,000 in the US – still very reasonable by any
measure. Also note, you could use various materials such as earthbags, straw bales, adobe,
etc. Use what makes sense in your area.

36
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/300-earthbag-house-update-what-the-world-needs-no
w

This 27.7 sq. meter (interior) $300 earthbag house provides safe, decent, affordable
shelter. It is owner built and can be expanded in any direction, or joined to create larger
structures. The technology is well proven.
Earthbag building is one of the lowest cost and most sustainable building systems in the
world. Earthbag building is based on 250 years of military use of sand bags for constructing
fast, efficient, blast resistant structures, and decades of use in flood control. These same
qualities can be applied to build durable, safe, simple, affordable housing, as demonstrated
by the thousands of earthbag houses already built around the world.

https://www.jovoto.com/projects/300house/ideas/12500

37
Finished Earthbag Roundhouse

This is the finished roundhouse that we built in 2010. The walls were built during our April
workshop, and plaster and finish work continued through May and June at a slower pace.
To say the least, we’ve very happy with the results. If you want to learn more, you can
search this blog for the keyword “roundhouse.”

Earthbag roundhouse ​- ​exterior view

38
Micro​-​concrete roofing tiles on our earthbag roundhouse

After about three years of life on our vetiver thatch roof we replaced the thatch with
micro-concrete roofing tiles (MCR). MCR tiles and metal roofing are fast and easy to install,
and both work well for roofwater harvesting. I like MCR tiles because they’re more durable
and look better than most metal roofing, and don’t get as noisy in rainstorms. We cut the
tiles with a right angle grinder and then covered the joints with cement. This roof should
last 25 years or more. Also note, the vents on top will provide even better ventilation.
(They’re screened to keep birds out.)

You can buy ​simple machines to make your own MCR tiles​, although quality factory
made brands are much more durable. We used the same type of roofing tiles on ​our
recycled house on our homestead​. The ​original thatched roof​ looked beautiful but
was not very durable.

For more pictures, go to the ​Picasa earthbag roundhouse photo gallery​.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/finished-earthbag-roundhouse-video

39
$2,000 Earthbag House

This price, or something close to it, reveals the true cost of construction using earthbags. If
you’re paying substantially more, then your money is going toward inflated prices. Sure,
things are more expensive in the US than Mexico, but watch the video and see what I
mean. That $2,000 house would cost maybe $125,000 (or more) in many places of the US.
Part of the solution is to build your own small, simple house and avoid credit.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/2000-earthbag-house

40
Turkish Roundhouse Earthbag Update

This earthbag home in Turkey has survived three earthquakes​.

Two years ago I found myself living alone in a tent in the Turkish hills. There was no power
or running water on my land. It was the beginning of an adventure that profoundly
changed my beliefs about what is possible, or enjoyable. In this site I share a few of the
things I learned along the way, such as:
– How to make a cheap eco-home for yourself with zero skills.
– How to live completely off-the grid.
– That your best friend is the Earth (honestly).
– This site also includes some of the creative writing that the experience inspired.

41
It cost $5,000 to build this cosy eco​-​home​. ​That price includes windows, doors and labour​.

Earthbag is IDEAL for roundhouses. If you’re in a seismic area like most of Turkey, then
round is the way to go. Round is not only aesthetic and soothing to the spirit. Circles are
the strongest structures you can build. Cars have been known to hit earthbag roundhouses
with no more than plaster damage. Mine has survived a 6.1 earthquake and is in exactly
the same condition it was when I built it.

I didn’t even know what a joist was when I started this project, so if I can do it, anyone
can. You don’t need prior knowledge. You can learn the skills. But you do need to be
flipping determined, flexible and a motivated team really helps.

It took 6 weeks to build this earthbag home and cost around $5,000. There was no power
or running water on the land.

Be sure to check out the book ​Mud Ball – How I Dug Myself Out of the Daily Grind​:
Atulya K Bingham’s personal journey of building this home as a single woman on an
extremely tight budget.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/mud-ball-how-i-dug-myself-out-of-the-daily-grind-atuly
a-k-bingham

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/turkish-earthbag-roundhouse-update

42
Half Moon Earthbag Earthship

Half Moon Earthbag Earthship

I’m very happy to see more details of this excellent design. We’ve been following the
construction progress on their YouTube videos. Now, they’ve added a website with much
more information. I have to say, this is one of my favorite designs. It is very well thought
out, very affordable, very practical. I would love to include a photo of this home in my
upcoming earthbag book. If you’re the owner, please contact me.

The Half Moon is a kind of cabin in the mountains, built with some special features that
make it livable and sustainable at low cost in its very remote, off-the-grid location. Like
typical cabins in the mountains, it is intended to be used as a getaway place for the rest of
my working life. It is also my hope to live in the Half Moon when I retire from full time
work.

The idea was to build the shell of a cabin, built on earthship principles but with earthbags
instead of tires. The structure would be my vacation (and/or disaster) refuge for the next
five years, during which time I would finish it out to a more livable permanent residence.
The systems and design, however, would be very simple: the smallest necessary 12 volt
electrical system (enough to support 3-day visits) and no internal plumbing apart from
cistern-fed drinking water. All waste would be forever composted, which ultimately would
be placed in a future greenhouse.

The Half Moon was mostly built in July 2008. Prior to construction the site was excavated
from a sloping area selected primarily because of its view of the mountains to the south.
Excavation took place in one day in June, largely because of the preparation and skill of our
operator, Mark.
If you’re serious about building with bags, this plan is worth careful study. It’s one of the
few true zero energy homes out there. The Half Moon is averaging 63 degrees inside with
no supplemental heating. And because of the owner’s careful documentation, others can
follow in his footsteps to take earthbag building to the next level.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/half-moon-earthbag-earthship

43
Low-cost Multipurpose Minibuilding Made with Earthbags

Earthbag dome with living roof by Owen Geiger

One of the most practical structures on a small farmstead is a multipurpose garden

structure that can serve as a storage shed or cool pantry above ground, or as a root cellar
or storm shelter below ground. You can build this multipurpose structure for about $300
using earthbag construction (bags filled with earth and stacked like bricks). And the skills
you learn by building the dome will serve you well if you plan to build a larger earthbag
structure — or even an earth home.

Earthbag structures provide a cool space in summer and an escape from the cold in winter,
which means this earthbag dome is well suited for many purposes. Depending on your
needs, the most practical combination of uses might be a root cellar/cool pantry for daily
use and a disaster shelter for emergencies such as tornadoes or hurricanes.
Click here to read the entire 9 page article and view 11 photos and complete drawings:
Low-cost Multipurpose Minibuilding Made With Earthbags
Click here to read the free ​Step-by-Step How to Build an Earthbag Dome Instructable​ at
Instructables.com. ​http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-an-Earthbag-Dome
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/low-cost-multipurpose-minibuilding-made-with-earthba
gs

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Reinforced Earthbag Specifications

Reinforced Earthbag Wall Section for Seismic Areas by Structure1​.​com

I am extremely happy to announce another major first for earthbag building. ​Precision
Engineering​ has generously provided drawings and specifications for building earthbag
structures in seismic areas to meet code. The documents have been combined into one
6-page PDF and are now available online.

Reinforced Earthbag Specifications is a 6-page PDF describing in drawings and text exactly
how one might construct a reinforced earthbag wall that would pass most building codes in
areas of high seismic risk. This document was prepared specifically at the request of Dr.
Owen Geiger and Kelly Hart for use on reconstruction projects in Haiti, but it could be
useful wherever reinforced vertical wall structures may be built. We want to acknowledge

45
and thank Nabil Taha of ​Precision Engineering​ for his patience and diligence in
preparing this document.

This document is now accessible from ​EarthbagBuilding.com​ and

EarthbagStructures.com

I want to emphasize what an amazing gift this is to the earthbag building community, and
to those struggling in stricken areas such as Haiti. As far as I know, this is the first time an
engineer has published their drawings and specifications in this manner. It’s truly a
pioneering document. There is no big industry driving this movement that can pay for tests
that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and so we rely on expert advice to take
earthbag building into mainstream use.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/reinforced-earthbag-specifications

Specifics of Nabil Taha’s Engineered Earthbag Designs

I posted the recent news about gaining engineering approval for earthbag construction
through ​Precision Structural E​ngineering​, Nabil Taha’s engineering firm in Oregon. He
is licensed in 27 states and has developed an earthbag building system to meet
international building codes. This is a major step forward for gaining widespread
acceptance of earthbag building and we are very appreciative of his leading role and
support.
The following engineering guidelines are quoted from the ​PSE website​:
– Earthbag building utilizes the ancient technique of rammed earth in conjunction with bags
and tubes as a flexible form. Earthbag construction does not require as much time,
attention, or forms as adobe or rammed earth construction requires.
– The fill can be on-site soil or other local materials. Depending on the needs and uses of
the completed project, certain materials are selected for either insulation or providing
thermal mass. Generally, the fill is of a mineral composition and not subject to decay.
– Because these structures can take an endless variety of shapes, the need for traditional
building materials, such as wood or steel, is negated. This saves both energy and precious
natural resources.
– When construction is performed in the right way, earthbag buildings have been proven to
withstand the ravages of fire, floods, hurricanes, termites, and earthquakes.
– Earthbags can be stacked for a number of different building types and shapes.
– Round is sound, round or circular shaped earthbag homes/buildings are very strong, and
can resist the wind and seismic forces better than rectangular buildings.
– Earthbag buildings do not have to be round, circular or curved.
– The earthbag system, in conjunction with the design of monolithic shapes is the key to
the earthbag structural integrity.
– Different materials have been successfully used for earthbag construction such as sand,
dirt, crushed volcanic rock (scoria), etc.
– A good mix is approximately 70% sand and 30% clay.
– To prevent the earthbags from sliding relative to each other, barbed wire is always used
between earthbag courses.
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– Masonry equations can be used for earthbag wall designs.
– The Building Code requires a minimum amount of reinforcement to be used for earthbag
construction. The following amount/area of steel can be included in the Code minimum
requirement amount of steel: steel mesh in the plaster/stucco, steel bars in the bond beam,
barbed wire or the joint reinforcement used between the courses/rows of earthbags.
– At the top of the earthbag wall, providing a concrete bond beam with 2- # 5 bars is
recommended.
– Earthbag wall thickness should be 16 inches or more.
– Building codes do not allow generic prescriptive designs that can be applied to all
earthbag structures. (Each structure must be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.)
– The best information we have found about bags for earthbag building is Frequently Asked
Questions at Earthbag Building.com.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/specifics-of-nabil-tahas-engineered-earthbag-designs

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Earthquake-resistant Earthbag Houses

Earthbag Sun House in Haiti was undamaged by recent earthquake

Nearby structures were severely damaged

It deeply saddens me to see one disaster after another occurring around the world,
especially since much of the tragedy could be prevented by building earthquake-resistant
earthbag houses.
The recent earthquake in Haiti is but one more example of this. Theo (Father Marc
Boisvert) runs a project for the poor in Haiti. Their earthbag ​Sun House​ fortunately
escaped unscathed even though nearby structures were devastated. According to ​Theo’s
blog​ “…no one hurt and no structures damaged.”
Note: the Sun House example by itself is not conclusive proof of seismic resistance. More
testing is called for, but anecdotal evidence and test results keeps growing and so far is
extremely compelling.
Bryce Daigle’s testing and thesis, for example, details how earthbag walls obtain maximum
compressive strengths almost 10 times as great as those typically achieved by conventional
stud-frame housing in terms of load per metre of wall length. ​Testing Proves Earthbags
Very Strong
Nadir Khalili’s tests​ in Hesperia, California demonstrated how earthbag structures
exceeded the strength of the testing equipment with no deflection or failure, and received
code approval in the most dangerous level — seismic zone 4.
Properly built reinforced concrete structures, which can be engineered to high
earthquake-resistance, are not affordable in Haiti and countless other areas around the

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world. So even if building codes are in place, builders in these areas will find a way to
circumvent them. That, and excessive codes will prevent people from building affordable
housing. After years of studying the situation, earthbag and strawbale construction appear
to be the most practical solutions.
Additional resource: ​Earthbag Testing page​ ​http://earthbagbuilding.com/testing.htm

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthquake-resistant-earthbag-houses

No Earthquake Damage to Rammed Earth Monasteries

Rammed earth Kagbeni Monastery

A nice lady in Nepal just told me there was no earthquake damage to the rammed earth
monasteries in the Himalayas after the recent earthquakes. In fact, most of these
structures have survived earthquakes for centuries.

This is important because earthbag building is basically rammed earth in bags. Actually, I
believe earthbag is stronger because of the added rebar, barbed wire and concrete bond
beams.

Hemendra Bohra of ​Matoghar Builders​, a local builder here sent me the following info
and photo:
“Here are some pictures from my trip to Mustang some weeks ago. Kagbeni Monastery was
built in 1429. Rammed earth is also popular in Ladhakh (India) and Bhutan.”

Regards, Hemendra

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According to Narayan Acharya of Rammed Earth Solutions, none of their projects
experienced any earthquake damage. Now they are building a rammed earth hospital that
is very involved. ​Rammed Earth Solutions

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/no-earthquake-damage-to-rammed-earth-monasteries

Earthquake-Resistant Earthbag Building Details

There’s obviously a great deal of concern about the recent earthquake in Haiti. Disasters
like this are all too common, and so we’re working hard to develop at least two low cost,
easy to build earthquake-resistant earthbag house designs.
We hope to be better prepared in the future with plans ‘ready to go.’ But in the meantime,
we are making good progress. Kelly Hart and I have roughed out some basic design details.
Adobe engineer Bill Druc has offered to help with the calculations and designer Patti
Stouter has offered to do some drawings. Also, numerous organizations have expressed
interest in raising donations, sending building materials and trainers, and constructing
houses in Haiti. For the latest news, see Comments at ​Responding to Catastrophe​.
Earthbag buildings tend to flex and distort during an earthquake rather than suddenly
collapse as wood framed, adobe, brick and concrete block structures do. Barbed wire and
plaster mesh hold the bags together in case of collapse, thus greatly reducing risk of
people getting crushed.
Key building details for earthquake-resistant earthbag houses in Haiti:
– Use compact shapes for greater seismic resistance: round, curved, hexagonal, octagonal
shapes or domes when culturally appropriate.
– Avoid long unsupported walls.
– Foundation: gravel-filled earthbag foundation (double-bagged for strength) on rubble
trench. Best to have at least two continuous courses of earthbags below door threshold.
– Barbed wire: two strands of 4-point barbed wire between courses
– Limit the size and number of doors and windows: these may be available from collapsed
buildings or acquired locally to save shipping space. No glass in windows, only shutters that
can be locked. Concrete breeze block or screened openings can reduce number of windows
required.
– Steel-reinforced concrete bond beam: 6” high x 16” wide
– Truss anchors in the bond beam: embed L shaped rebar anchors or truss anchors at 24″
on center and weld or bolt to rafters/trusses
– Lightweight roof: about 3:12 pitch, metal roofing for roofwater catchment
– Plaster mesh: poly fishnet is the lowest cost, won’t rust and can easily be stuffed into
barrels full of building materials. (Barrels are later used for roofwater collection.) Add
fishnet to both sides of earthbag walls and connect with poly twine.
– Plaster: cement or lime plaster on exterior; earth plaster on interior
Virtually no structure can withstand a direct hit from a major earthquake, but by combining
the building details listed above there is a very good chance the structure will hold together
even if the walls should topple. While not perfect, this strategy could save countless lives
over the current building methods used in Haiti.

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http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthquake-resistant-earthbag-building-details

30 Earthquake Resistant Earthbag Houses in Mulabari, Nepal

Safe, affordable, earthquake resistant earthbag houses in Mulabari, Nepal

I wanted to share more of what we saw while touring earthbag projects near Kathmandu.
Carisimo​, a German-based NGO, have built 30 earthbag houses in this village using young
foreign volunteers and local families. This is the largest earthbag housing project in Nepal
that we know of.

Mulabari is high in the mountains on a steep, terraced slope several hours west of
Kathmandu. Each house measures 9 x 13 feet interior. That’s small by Western standards,
but the houses felt very cozy and comfortable inside. The earthbag walls were built in 7-10
days each. Families worked in groups of 10 to build each others’ houses, and over time the
groups were building their houses unsupervised. We watched the workers (primarily
women) lay the earthbag tubing on one wall in about five minutes. This doesn’t include the
time to fill the buckets with soil, but still it shows how fast earthbag building can be
particularly when using polypropylene tubes instead of bags. Tubes are faster, easier, less
expensive and readily available in Kathmandu in giant rolls.

The most interesting thing was seeing the evolution of the houses over the last 8 months
during our 3 hour tour. Each house on the tour was stronger and better built than the
previous ones. There are massive earthbag buttresses on every corner (which make it easy
to add new rooms later), and buttresses near the door (the weakest area). One house even
included a second story made of lightweight framing and corrugated metal siding, plus

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wrap-around porches that mimics traditional Nepali style. The core earthbag portion was
identical to the others. This goes to show how small, simple houses can be expanded over
time both upward and outward. One house has a curved wall to demonstrate how families
can create their own adaptations.

The workers did an outstanding job of building safe, cozy, durable and attractive houses on
a very tight budget of $900 per house. However, the limited funding meant taking several
shortcuts to reduce costs. The main problem at Mulabari was hiring a tour guide with no
construction experience as the supervisor. Carisimo has since partnered with Good Earth
Nepal in another village called Kaule to continue building earthbag houses with more
professional and reliable site management. Carisimo also agreed to a higher budget to
upgrade the design and pay for a professional site supervisor and site evaluations by an
engineer. These added measures will go a long way to build stronger, more durable houses
that will reduce risk for everyone concerned.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/30-earthquake-resistant-earthbag-houses-mulabari-ne
pal

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Earthbag Women’s Centre in Vanuatu Withstands Category 5 Cyclone

The earthbag Erakor Women’s Center withstood Cyclone Pam and helped local families
survive​.

Cyclone Pam, one of the worst cyclones ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean, blasted the
island chain of Vanuatu with category 5 winds up to 185 miles per hour and 26 foot storm
surge. The women’s earthbag center near Port Vila and the earthbag water tank made it
through the storm with minimal damage, despite the widespread destruction in the region.
As much as three-quarters of the houses in Port Vila were either destroyed or severely
damaged. The Wall Street Journal said up to one third of the population may be homeless.
Fortunately, some families on Erakor Road were able to safely shelter in the women’s
center earthbag roundhouse as the storm passed through. Project manager Liz Sherborne
said “the trees are all gone. It stands alone on the hill. Paint hardly scratched. Lost three
sheets of tin.” This news impressed ​Bundaberg Bag Company​ enough to donate 1,000
meters of polypropylene tubing to build more earthbag structures and water tanks.
According to Liz, “now everybody wants one.”

From News Mail:

“Among the small percentage of structures left standing in Vanuatu following the
devastation of Cyclone Pam are those made from bags.

The Bundaberg Bag Company has donated 1000m of woven polypropylene tubing to enable
volunteers to build more structures using the earthbag process. The bags are filled with dirt
before being rendered over with cement and are both cyclone proof and earthquake
resistant.

More at the source: ​News Mail

Note: This type of experiential evidence accumulated over time is what will eventually push
earthbag building into code acceptance and more mainstream use. Same thing happened
to strawbale building and now it’s code approved. It just takes years and tons of money to
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prove the obvious. We’ll soon see how many code approved structures were leveled in
Vanuatu. And thank goodness for the earthbag water tank. There’s a severe shortage of
drinking water and some locals are resorting to drinking sea water. Many of the plastic
water tanks were destroyed or tipped over. Local stores are no doubt sold out of bottled
water.

For new readers, please check out the links on the right side of the page. We have
thousands of pages of free information that show and explain everything in detail. There’s
even a special site for building in developing regions and disaster regions called Earthbag
Structures.com.

Related: ​Earthbag Water Tank Instructable

http://www.instructables.com/id/Earthbag-Water-Tanks

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-womens-centre-in-vanuatu-withstands-categ
ory-5-cyclone

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Hurricane and Tornado-Resistant Earthbag Houses
Domes are very strong and perhaps the best option for many areas. However, in rainy
climates they are prone to leaks. (Domes originated in desert regions, after all.) In high
rainfall areas, roofs with overhangs to protect walls are recommended. Roofs need to be
very well built with hurricane tie downs. This is the weakest link in the design because
roofs are vulnerable to wind damage, so study up on the specialized building techniques
available.
Consider something like this ​Sand Castle​ house built by Steve Kemble and Carol Escott.
Round, hexagonal or octagonal shapes are all good choices because wind will flow around
the building. Same idea applies to the roof.
One big consideration is building on grade versus building on piers off the ground. Try to
find some high ground and build on grade (or 1’-2’ above), since this will be stronger and
less expensive.
Bag fill: The crushed coral/sand mix used on the Sand Castle is a good choice if available
locally. Road base is more commonly available and can be stabilized with lime. Road base is
the clay/gravel mixture used to build roads. It’s cheap, plentiful and very strong. And with
lime added, walls become virtually waterproof and almost as hard as concrete.
One story structures reduce exposure. Design in fast mounting storm resistant window
shutters. Keep roof overhangs to a minimum, maybe 24″, to help prevent uplift.
So in summary, a properly designed earthbag structure is the strongest sustainable building
system that I know of. The only thing stronger is reinforced concrete, and that’s not
sustainable.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/hurricane-and-tornado-resistant-earthbag-houses

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Earthbag Benches: The Perfect Starter Project

Completed earthbag bench

Many readers are hesitant to plunge in and start building an earthbag house. That’s
understandable. Building any home is a major undertaking and it makes sense to plan
accordingly. The best advice for those just getting started (after doing the prerequisite
background research) is to build something small like a storage shed or earthbag bench.
Earthbag benches are very easy to make, inexpensive, durable and low risk (come on, what
can go wrong?). They only take about three hours to build, making them a perfect
weekend project.
Here’s the basic process. Select a nice relaxing spot, and then decide on the size and
shape. Curves are great and naturally stronger than straight benches. It’s best to build on a
trench filled with 12” or so of gravel or concrete rubble. Use gravel-filled bags on lower
course(s) until you’re above the high water level, and tamped soil-filled bags on additional
courses. Put a loop of barbed wire between courses to prevent slippage. If the bench
adjoins your house like ours does, add extra barbed wire to connect the bench with the
wall.
The last step is plastering; either lime or cement will work. You can add natural iron oxide
pigments to the plaster and create virtually any color imaginable or paint it. We originally
planned to paint our bench the same color as the house (cream color). That idea lasted
about 5 minutes, when we realized our dog’s muddy paw prints required a dark color.
(Brownie, our dog, loves the bench and the cool floor inside.)
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-benches-the-perfect-starter-project

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Cold Climate Earthbag Yurts
There’s great, untapped potential for superinsulated earthbag buildings in cold climates.
Here’s a way to combine the best features of earthbags and yurts. The basic idea is to
combine earthbag walls filled with lightweight insulation such as scoria (lava rock), with a
traditional yurt roof frame that’s insulated with perlite or vermiculite.
Yurts (ghers) have been used in Mongolia and other areas for centuries. Traditional yurts
are well suited for cold, windy places, in part because the wind just blows around them.
They can, however, be made even more comfortable with extra insulation in earthbags.
Scoria is perfect for superinsulated earthbag walls: low cost, all natural, rot proof, fireproof,
doesn’t attract pests, lightweight and easy to work with. Scoria is great for building walls
since the aggregates tend to lock together and form stable walls. Tie courses together with
twine for best results, and then cover walls with canvas.
Yurt roof frames are readily available through numerous suppliers, and fast and easy to
assemble. The steel tension cable is strong yet light. They are very resource efficient, using
minimal wood, but often lack adequate insulation. I recommend tying bags of lightweight
insulation to the bottom of the frame. Perlite and vermiculite would be excellent choices for
ceiling insulation since they’re very lightweight.
This design is portable, just like traditional yurts. The entire structure can be disassembled
and transported if necessary. This would be a dream structure for places like Minnesota,
Canada, Alaska, Siberia and Mongolia because it would be super comfortable, inexpensive,
portable, wind resistant, owner built and could be built in many sizes. Add a skylight, rocket
stove, small solar panel and composting toilet and then you can laugh at the wind howling
by.
Note: you can use recycled bags if available (often farmers have them). You can also order
tubes from poly bag suppliers. They make custom sizes. Tubes are faster to fill since you
don’t have to stop and tie the ends as often. A 12″ tube (measured when empty) that
provides 10″ of insulation when filled would be ideal for many cold climates. Simply tie the
tubes to the yurt frame with twine. Use whatever insulation is most practical in your area.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/cold-climate-earthbag-yurts

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Earthbag Building in Cold Climates

Added layer of insulated fill next to the earthbag

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 material. Scoria, pumice,
perlite, vermiculite or rice hulls could all be used for insulation.
One possibility is to add a seam lengthwise down earthbags or polypropylene tubes to
divide them into two compartments. The outer part could be filled with insulation; the inner
part with soil. This would create an insulated wall with thermal mass on the interior. For
many situations, this is an ideal wall system.
The placement of the seam could vary, depending on the climate. In a mild climate like
New Mexico, I would add about 4”-5” of insulation on the outside. This would provide
about R-10 insulation. In a slightly colder climate the seam could go down the middle (50%
insulation/50% soil). In extremely cold or extremely hot climates I would fill the bags with
100% insulation (or all earth in a hot climate if insulation wasn’t available).

See my How to Build an Insulated Earthbag House Instructable

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-an-Insulated-Earthbag-House

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New Soil Testing Guide

Shake test for earthbag building

Patti Stouter has expanded and updated her soil testing guide ​Soil Tests for Earthbag​.
We’ve added the report to our Earthbag Structures.com and Earthbag Building.com
websites, where you can find in-depth information on every aspect of building with bags.

Using the right soil is very important. After all, earthbag building uses soil as the primary
building material, and so you want soil that is strong and stable. Patti walks you through
the various types of soil and explains simple low-tech tests for each.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/new-soil-testing-guide

The Most Bang for the Buck? Part 1

What’s the most efficient, cost-effective way to build with earthbags? How can you enclose
the most space with the least time, effort and money? Well, it depends in part on climate,
individual skills and preferences as far as styles/building types. (Other factors will be
covered in a future post.)
In general, round shapes are the most efficient. They create the most amount of floor
space for a given wall length. This is easily demonstrated by drawing a circle and a square
using the same lineal distance of walls. For example, draw an 18’ diameter circle, which will
have an area of 254 square feet and circumference of about 56.5’. Divide 56.5 by 4 (=
14.1’) to obtain a square with the same total wall length. A square with 14.1’ per side has
an area of about 200 square feet. So in this example there’s a gain of 54 square feet of
floor space. (Draw this with your kids. It’s a great learning experience.)
So why do builders churn out square/rectilinear structures? Because modern building
materials are rectilinear – plywood, OSB, sheetrock, etc. But we know these materials are
energy intensive, costly, lead to monotonous designs and have negative impacts on the
environment. Earthbag building frees us from these constraints and enables the use of
more efficient round shapes. In addition, round shapes are inherently more stable. “Round
is sound” as they say.

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Size is also important. Large houses require much more time, labor, skill and materials and
can easily wear you down, even more so for owner-builders. It’s far better to build only
what you need. You can always add on later. Build with cash one stage at a time.
Another factor to consider is fill material – what goes in the bags. Lightweight materials
such as scoria are much faster and easier to use than soil. This one factor alone can cut the
labor by severalfold, because scoria is lightweight, easy to work with and requires less
tamping. Scoria is insulating and so it’s ideal for extreme climates. Plus, scoria doesn’t rot,
burn, attract pests, etc. One limiting factor is it’s less stable in certain applications such as
straight walls and tops of domes that curve in too quickly.
And the winner is? I’ll give it a tie between roundhouses and domes, depending on the
variables listed above. Small to medium sized roundhouses with simple roof designs have
an edge in many cases, especially rainy climates and for those with carpentry skills. In dry
climates, domes may be more efficient. Organic shapes that approximate circles are a close
runner-up, although this often complicates roof construction.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/the-most-bang-for-the-buck-part-1

The Most Bang for the Buck? Part 2

Part 1 discussed the most efficient, cost-effective ways to build with earthbags. This post
discusses a few related items.
Building site: Follow these steps and you’ll save lots of time preparing the site and reduce
the risk of problems in the future. Choose a building site that’s clear of obstacles and
naturally higher than the surrounding area so water will drain away from the structure. Do
not build in flood-prone areas. Building on rocky ground or gravelly mineral soil on high
ground is best. Make sure there is truck access.
Soil: Buy suitable soil (approximately 30% clay, 70% sandy soil) and dump it in several
piles around the building to minimize labor. Trying to save a few dollars here by hand
digging the soil will cost you a lot in time and labor. If you can, buy soil that’s free of large
rocks and large clumps of clay, roots and other organic materials, and needs no screening,
mixing or additives.
Foundation: The fastest foundation is gravel-filled bags on a rubble trench. Scoria-filled
bags are my preference, but most any local gravel will suffice. Scoria is easy to work with,
lightweight and insulating. For a small house, you can have a scoria insulated foundation
built in about one or two day’s work with a few helpers.
Use salvaged materials when practical: I’m not recommending leaky single pane windows,
of course. Most salvaged materials are a real bargain and usually impart a lot of character
that’s missing in sterile modern homes. It takes time to locate recycled materials, but the
effort is typically well worthwhile.
Use low cost natural materials: This can save you a ton of money: earthen plaster, clay,
tamped earth floors, road base, sand, gravel, stone, small diameter wood, rice hulls for
insulation, straw, reeds, bamboo, thatch.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/the-most-bang-for-the-buck-part-2

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Using Scoria for Earthbag Building

Scoria, a type of lava rock, is excellent for earthbag building​.

If you’ve been reading our blogs and websites, you’ll often see reference to scoria. Scoria,
also known as lava rock, has numerous properties which make it a great building material.
The key breakthrough for earthbag building was ​Kelly Hart’s house​ made with bags of
scoria. His house stays comfortable year round in a very cold climate. This blog post recaps
some of the most practical applications of scoria-filled earthbags.

Scoria is perfect for superinsulated earthbag walls. It’s low cost, all natural, rot proof,
fireproof, doesn’t attract pests, and is lightweight and easy to work with. Anyone can
handle bags of lightweight fill material such as scoria by themselves. It’s almost like
handling bags of popcorn.

Previous posts have explained how to build insulated earthbag houses with scoria.
Insulating Earthbag Walls with Tube Sandbags​ describes how to use tube sandbags
filled with scoria as an outer layer of insulation. ​Earthbag Building in Cold Climates
explains how bags can be sewn to create two compartments – earth in one side and
insulation in the other. In extremely cold or extremely hot climates I would fill the bags
with 100% insulation (or all earth in a hot climate if insulation wasn’t available).

Earthbag foundations​ offer many advantages over reinforced concrete foundations and
work well with many types of sustainable buildings. In particular, they are low-cost, fast
and easy to build, require no cement (a major expense and cause of global warming), and
require no forms or expensive equipment. Scoria-filled bags create a shallow,
frost-protected foundation, and therefore eliminate the need for rigid foam insulation and
extensive excavation. This one step alone could save you thousands over conventional
foundations.

Earthbags are ideal for building greenhouses due to their resistance to moisture damage.
When filled with insulation such as perlite or scoria, earthbag walls and foundations enable
you to grow plants year-round.

Kelly Hart’s free ​Dome Building Guide​ shows step-by-step construction of how to build
earthbag domes. His method of using scoria-filled earthbags is the easiest, fastest dome

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building method that’s been developed so far. Scoria is great for building domes since the
aggregates tend to lock together and form stable walls that can withstand high
compression loads. Tie courses together with twine for best results.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/using-scoria-for-earthbag-building

Earthbag Scoria Casita

Here’s another great project. This small domicile demonstrates how scoria homes are faster
and easier to build than bags filled with soil, and more insulating. This doesn’t mean
standard soil-filled earthbags are obsolete. There are pros and cons to each system,
however, I strongly encourage using scoria bags (or pumice or other suitable lightweight fill
material) if there’s an affordable supply. Thanks to Joe for taking the time to document
everything and share what you’ve learned.
“Hi Owen. Wanted to let you know I just uploaded 10 new videos on my ​YouTube site​. One
is a portable solar water pump, all others are on our earthbag building.
I’ve been keeping close track of our labor and expenses. We’ve only been able to work on
the building for 5-7 days at a time, several times a year so it seems to be taking a very
long time. However, I added up our hours so far and was pleasantly surprised. To get to
our 8′ height, ready for the bond beam, including digging the foundation, laying bags,
framing and providing lintels for several windows / door openings, putting in a main beam
with floor joists for loft:
392 RUNNING TOTAL HOURS
392 hours is only 9.8 40 hour weeks. If you could extrapolate this to a crew of 4 this would
be about 2 ½ weeks!!!
Thanks once again for your advice, and thanks to you and Kelly for keeping up your
wonderful earthbag sites. Feel free to use this info.”
Joe

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You can watch all his videos at ​Festimr’s Channel​. (Required viewing for serious
earthbaggers.)
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-scoria-casita

Using Earthbags as Ceiling Insulation

Scoria can be used as rot proof and fire proof ceiling insulation.

There seems to be a general lack of interesting ceiling options using sustainable building
materials. For instance, when touring otherwise beautiful straw bale homes one often sees
sheetrock covering conventional industrial insulation. Instead of using fiberglass batts or
even manufactured cotton batts to insulate a roof, it is possible to use earthbags that are
filled with a variety of insulating materials. These materials include rice hulls, crushed
volcanic rock (such as scoria), vermiculite and perlite.
The insulating value of these ranges from about R-2 to R-3, so they are quite effective, and
can also be quite inexpensive to install.
The full article at Earthbag Building.con also describes how one might use mats made of
natural fibers to cover and finish these earthbag ceilings.
Suspended ceilings, as described in this article, have a number of benefits. They conceal
the roof structure, plumbing, venting and electrical wiring, as well as improve acoustics and
insulation. And they can also greatly enhance the ambiance or hominess of a room.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/using-earthbags-as-ceiling-insulation

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Earthbag Rootcellar

Earthbag rootcellar with ferrocement vaulted roof

Here’s a real nice earthbag/ferrocement rootcellar plan from Karl in the Missouri Ozarks. It
is 8’ across, has 2’ of soil on top and beautiful stonework in front. Great job Karl!
Karl describes his rootcellar in more detail: The U-shape on the top of the bags is a row of
cement beam block that will hold the entire roof to the bags via re-bar pounded down into
the earth bags. I opted for this instead of using bags to create my arch because I plan to
pile a bunch of dirt on top of the root cellar and I believe this will be stronger. We’ll grow
some ground cover over the top of the rootcellar and pump house.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-rootcellar

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Free Earthbag Rootcellar Plans

Earthbag rootcellar section view

Rootcellars have always been a hot topic among earthbaggers and homesteaders and other
self-sufficient folks, so when Luke, who has been very helpful running the ​Earthbag
Building Blog Facebook fan page​ asked for input on a rootcellar design, I was happy to
help.

Earthbag rootcellar features:

– Standard 15” earthbag walls with lower courses filled with gravel (18”x30” bags or tubes)
– Optional insulated room with 12” walls for a freezer
– Superinsulated shed roof
– White metal roofing to reflect sunlight
– Earthbag steps covered with cement plaster
– Cellar door to keep rain and snow off the stairs (and prevent flooding)

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/free-rootcellar-plans

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Sand Bag Fish Pond

Sand bag fish pond​. ​Click on link below to see the beautiful finished result​.

The pond is lined with black plastic but the pond is supposed to look like a natural jungle
pond (ideally a peaceful zen-like pond) which you might stumble upon while hiking in the
jungle so the black plastic needs to be hidden. We found out after we had all the rocks in
place that one side of the pond was a little high so it was difficult to hide the black plastic
on that side with rocks. We also realized that the best way to hide the plastic is to have a
shelf of rocks a little way below the top level of the pond. We are achieving this by pulling
out one layer of sand bags on the high side. It is also necessary to back fill dirt very close
to the edge so that we can root plants that will drape over in places and also look natural.
The plastic will loop up a little behind the low level of rocks before we back fill with more
rocks and dirt. This will contain the water when we bring the level of the pond up again.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/sand-bag-fish-pond

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Strawbale Building

Code-Approved Strawbale Building Systems

Code​-​approved post and beam strawbale house​. ​Note tarpaper on wood frame​.

“The current code approved method for straw bale construction that can resist wind and
seismic forces is not shown in the International Residential Code, IRC or the International
Building Code, IBC.

However, it is shown as an appendix to some state residential code such as Oregon

Residential code, appendix R, Straw-Bale Construction. The provision of this appendix is
applicable to single family detached structures and related accessory structures as defined
in Section R101.2, utilizing straw-bales in the construction of wall systems. So, if someone
wants to build a straw bale home without the need to hire a licensed Engineer or Architect,
he/she will need to check with their local building department to see if they have adopted
the appendix.

Currently, the International Code Council (ICC) committee is working on a more advanced
and better prescriptive method for straw bale home that is still on the development stage.
The method will be much easier and better and will be applicable to straw bale homes with
bigger openings than the old one. The work is not approved yet for use. For now refer to
APPENDIX R STRAWBALE CONSTRUCTION. (Update: see next article below.)

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The structural system/framing for these are usually post and beam beams for vertical
loads. The straw bales are used as infill between the columns to provide excellent
insulation for the wall. I met some owners of these beautiful homes who told me that they
are saving 80% compared to stick framing houses of the same size.

Advantages of the post and beam system:

• More design options.
• Two story construction.
• Easier code approvals.
• Roof up quickly.
• Familiar construction techniques.
• Straw bale construction has been used across the world for commercial applications.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/code-approved-strawbale-building-systems

National Straw Bale Building Code is a Go

“Thankfully, we’ve never had to worry ourselves about local building codes, but there are
many, many more folks who regularly struggle with codes when attempting to build a
natural home in their area. And so the following news is very welcome, not just for those
folks, but for a potential ecological/cultural tidal shift, as well. Earlier in October, an
appendix on straw bale building was approved for inclusion in the 2015 International
Residential Code for one and two-family dwellings. The IRC is basically the foundation for
building codes all across the US. Wow!
Here’s more details and commentary from Andrew Morrison of Strawbale.com about this
great news:
The IRC is the basis for the Residential Building Code in virtually every jurisdiction in the
US. So once these jurisdictions adopt the 2015 IRC, there will be a straw bale code for
almost every jurisdiction in the United States. No more convincing building inspectors that
your idea isn’t crazy. No more wondering if the plan checker will allow you to build the
house of your dreams. You will be able to site the national code and move forward with
your construction process, with a permit.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/national-straw-bale-building-code-is-a-go

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Post and Beam Hardware

Post and beam frame built with standard wood connectors

Numerous readers have requested advice on the quickest, easiest way to build post and
beam frames. I suggest using standard galvanized metal wood connectors by companies
such as Simpson Strong-Tie. (I’m referencing Simpson anchors because they’re widely
available. Shop and compare. All brands meet code.) Deciding which connectors to use can
be a bit confusing since there are hundreds to choose from. Post bases on a small porch,
for instance, usually don’t need to be as securely anchored in the concrete as a house. For
a porch, it’s usually more important to raise the posts to prevent moisture damage, so a
different post base may be used than what is shown here. And to add to the challenge of
selecting the right ones, connectors go by different names. Wall bracing may be called
sway bracing, a post cap may be called a beam anchor and so on. The drawing above
shows a typical example. Other similar connectors could be used, but the ones shown here
will get you started in the right direction.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/post-and-beam-hardware

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$7.50/sq. ft. Straw Bale Home

Stephen and Nena MacDonald’s post and beam strawbale house

Stephen and Nena MacDonald’s post and beam strawbale house in Gila, New Mexico that
was built in 1988-1989. The initial shell was $5/sq. ft. and the finished cost was between
$7-$8/sq. ft. – ​Permaculture.org

“Build our house out of straw?” When our neighbor suggested the idea as a solution to our
housing problem, both my wife, Nena, and I reacted similarly. “You must be kidding!” Even
when he showed us a copy of Fine Homebuilding with an article in it by Gary Strang (1985)
on a studio built out of straw bales, we were dubious. It was just too weird (images of
rotting hay, mouse hotels, and pig stories readily came to mind). The idea was too simple
and straightforward to be believed.

Try as we might, however, we kept returning to the idea of it. It did seem to fit our
condition: Using straw bales was 1) low cost…we were near broke, having used the last of
our meager savings to buy a small piece of land; 2) a way to stay cool (and warm)…having
just moved to southwest New Mexico from Alaska, I was scared to death of the heat; 3)
fast and physically easy to build…I just couldn’t face the slow, heavy work of adobe; and 4)
ecologically sound…besides being energy efficient, a straw-bale building uses a renewable
resource (often viewed as a waste product) that was locally available. Done right, building
with straw uses very few trees.
In the end, we decided to go for it. Seven years later, we have no regrets.” – ​The Last
Straw

Our humble little house in this out-of-the-way, very rural valley, has gotten on the map. For
awhile there we had visitors almost daily. We should have put out a guest book for all the
far-flung people that have come by to see and ask questions. Folks from all over have
stopped by (including one from Japan). And in such diversity. Rich and poor, young and
old. Ranchers and farmers. Architects, contractors, and engineers. Househusbands and
wives. Young “new agers” just starting out. Conservative retirees. Migrant workers and
people working with migrants… Looks like another hot day in the valley. Already it’s in the
high 90s. During the night we keep the windows open to capture the night’s cool. The

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mass of our concrete floor helps store it. Thick walls and ceiling keep it in. Inside, the straw
bale is holding steady at 75 degrees F. – ​The Last Straw

Steve O. MacDonald’s Rules of Thumb

1. Keep it small
2. Keep it simple
3. Build it yourself
4. Stay out of debt
5. Use local materials
6. Be energy conscious
7. Make yourself a home
– ​The Last Straw

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/7-50sq-ft-straw-bale-home

Dunne Family Strawbale Update

Dunne
family strawbale house under construction — December 2013

The Dunne Family house is progressing nicely. The roof is on and straw bales are up.​ ​This
is the building system I’ve been recommending for years. It’s especially suitable in cold
climates where local wood can be obtained for the post and beam frame and, of course,
where there are few building codes.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/dunne-family-strawbale-update

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Dunne’s Hardware Stores….NOT!

“Everything from sawmilling his own lumber, to roundwood timberframe, to stones

collected on his own land, to strawbale, to building a rocket mass heater, to family
participation in construction. Plenty of interesting parts of that project to follow along, and
it’s currently under construction. Should be fun to watch this one as it gets finished.”

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/dunnes-hardware-stores-not

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Strawbale Roundhouses Built in One Day

Strawbale roundhouses like this can be built in as little as one day​.

A kindred spirit sent me a memorable letter about 10 years ago. They had read about the
strawbale roundhouse I helped build with the Lakota Sioux in South Dakota. (I recently
found out the roundhouse later got destroyed in a flood.) For some reason the straw bales
on that particular project were very difficult to bend into shape. Normally you can set one
end of a bale on a raised object such as a small log, stomp the side of the bale in a few
places and end up with a curved bale. Well, these bales would spring right back to their
rectangular shape. So we’d stomp them again and again until they ‘cooperated’. But the
bales would still gradually straighten out somewhat in the wall. We successfully finished the
shell of the house on schedule, but I’ll never forget those bales.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear from the author of the letter that they build strawbale
roundhouses in one day. I never got around to mailing them back for some reason and I’ve
always wanted to connect with them somehow. Maybe they’ll see this blog post and write
again.

With that background, here’s the basic process they use. It’s quick and easy to stack bales.
They’re like pre-made giant building blocks that can be set in place by one person (or two
people who are less strong). The tedious part as mentioned above is keeping the bales in
alignment (= perfect circle). The author uses ¼” steel cable and turnbuckles on each
course of bales. The cable is wrapped around the roundhouse and the ends fastened to
each side of the pre-set door buck. The turnbuckle is added in a convenient location and
then tightened until the bales are cinched into the desired radius. The turnbuckles are
embedded in thick exterior plaster.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/straw-bale-roundhouses-built-in-one-day

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The Straw Bale Yurt Bible

Nice modern strawbale yurt at Lynx Basin Ranch.

I decided on the yurt design for practical reasons. Wind resistance, earthquake proof,
extremely easy to heat (or keep cool), and damn cheap ($150 counting the four used
windows for $50). The materials are gotten right here except for nails and glass. In my
business, the less effort you gotta spend staying alive (it gets to -70 degrees) the more you
can spend keeping your animals alive and, therefore, making payments. Simple, huh?”

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/straw-bale-yurt-bible

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Other Building Methods
Grain Bin Homes

Sukup SafeT Home galvanized steel manufactured home

The most interesting thing about this product is it has already been designed and
fabricated as a home. Some people have converted grain bins into homes by cutting door
and window openings, etc. You can even ​buy plans for grain bin homes​. But this is the first
company to my knowledge that offers a complete home building kit that’s ready for
assembly. This particular model sells for $5,700. It can be easily assembled with a few
hand tools, although I would definitely use a cordless drill. And yes, it’s made with steel, an
energy intensive material, but the extra environmental toll may be justified, for instance,
where hurricanes and tornadoes routinely wreck havoc. Its virtually maintenance free
70-year life span is certainly a big plus. I’m impressed with the double, continuously vented
roof that prevents overheating. So this design has some good features going for it. It would
benefit from insulation. Some might find it practical as safe, temporary shelter while their
permanent home is being built or as a cabin or storage building. I wonder if they sell the
roof separately so it can be used on an ​earthbag roundouse​?

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/grain-bin-homes

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Grain Bin Homes 2

Sized
Just Right Grain Bin Home

There are many clever ways to use steel grain bins as parts of homes, and the above
picture shows just one possibility. It was designed by Mark Clipsham, who has specialized
in developing grain bin concepts. You can see many other of his designs at
www.dreamgreenhomes.com​.
The advantages to using these bins as modular components in building include: they can
be assembled rather quickly; they can be extremely well insulated if one is nested within
another and the space between them is insulated; they are very durable, lasting perhaps a
century without maintenance; the steel itself often includes recycled content; they are
fireproof, wind resistant and earthquake proof; and they can be fairly economical.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/grain-bin-homes-2

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More Grain Bin Homes

Nice grain bin house with wrap​-​around porch

This blog post has photos of six grain bin homes.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/more-grain-bin-homes

Earth Shelter Reinforced Quonset Buildings

Quonset building with interior wood framing

Steel ​quonset structures​ or ‘culvert homes’ are usually not rated for underground
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residential use. From what I’ve heard, most quonset hut manufacturers will not sell to
anyone who intends to bury the structure. Covering a building with earth adds enormous
weight on the structure and manufacturers don’t want any liability issues in case of
collapse. This is unfortunate because quonset structures are well suited for underground
homes, rootcellars and storm shelters. For one, they’re quick and easy to build. The main
step involved is bolting the arched sections together with cordless drills.
If you’re interested in building something like this, I suggest finding the strongest quonset
you can find and then consult with an engineer on the loads it can carry. There’s a good
chance additional reinforcement will be recommended. Offhand, I can think of four general
ways of reinforcing quonset structures for underground use.
1. Put concrete reinforcing mesh (remesh) and concrete on the outside. This method is
fairly common and may be the easiest approach for most do-it-yourselfer owner-builders.
2. Add mesh and spray shotcrete on the inside of the quonset.
The next two options will likely require supports perpendicular to the beams or trusses.
Hire an engineer to do the necessary structural design.
3. Interior wood framing (see photo above). Wood is easier for owner-builders to work with
than concrete and steel, and so this option has good potential for those seeking to bury or
add earth-sheltering on their quonset structure. Wood framing also makes it easier to add
plumbing, electrical, insulation and finish the interior (paneling, sheetrock, etc.).
4. Weld custom trusses with girders on top to reinforce the structure. This would get
expensive unless you do your own welding and have access to affordable materials. Some
quonset manufacturers may sell trusses and girders for this purpose. Most likely you’d have
to either do the work yourself or buy from a local shop.

Note: If you can’t find thick steel quonsets that are strong enough for burial and don’t want
to use the other options listed above, then consider buying concrete culvert pipe.

Also consider orienting a quonset so it’s long axis is east/west. Add a greenhouse on the
south side (in the northern hemisphere) so the home is bathed in sunlight and warmth.

Another option is to join quonsets side by side with south facing window walls to maximize
solar gain.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earth-sheltered-reinforced-quonset-buildings

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Star Top CEB Presses

Star Top compressed earth block presses

Compressed earth blocks (CEBs) have countless uses and come in dozens of shapes (many
more than shown here). They are commonly used for residential and commercial
structures, earthquake resistant structures, privacy walls, columns, bond beams, pavers,
planters, stairs, etc. For instance, you could make CEB columns on your house and privacy
walls and stack earthbags between. (See ​Confined Earthbag​.) Right now I’m making an
outdoor oven with CEBs. The possibilities are endless.

Star Top Construction and Blockprasan Co., Ltd. manufactures very high quality
compressed earth block presses in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. When you look at the ¾” (2
cm) thick steel parts, it sure looks like these machines would last well over 100 years with
continual use. Note: I am not paid in any way for promoting these presses. I’m very
impressed with their ruggedness and quality and would like people to know about their
products. In fact, I’ve admired them for about 4-5 years and have finally got around to
telling people about them.

Many people know about the ​Aureka​ presses made in India. Here’s a brief comparison:
Star Top Standard press makes 10 types of blocks and costs $800 US.
Star Top Hitop press makes 30 types of blocks and costs $900 US.
Aureka 3000 multi-mould manual earth block press is roughly twice the cost if I remember
correctly.

Star Top also manufactures a whole line of block making equipment, including hammermills
to pulverize soil, mortar mixers to mix the soil with cement, and machine and
hand-operated block presses. I’m guessing there are several thousand small shops in
Thailand with a similar set of machines. They quoted us $4,171 for the whole set of

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machines to make blocks by hand and $8,843 for the machine operated set that makes two
blocks at a time.

Sample CEB Block Shapes ​(​many more available​)

Note the holes in the CEBs. Rebar is inserted through the blocks and then the holes are
filled with cement grout. There is no mortar between this type of CEB.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/star-top-ceb-presses

Unusual Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs)

CEBs made of ground laterite stone have a very striking color

Most compressed earth blocks (CEBs) are made in a mechanical press with a mixture of
sandy soil, clayey soil, and a small amount of cement and water. CEBs typically require no
plaster and are popular for walls, privacy walls, planters and much more. We used CEBs on
our ​outdoor kitchen​ and ​raised garden beds​. Recently I’ve discovered some rather
unusual and very interesting CEBs made with unconventional materials. In addition to the
compressed blocks shown here, you could use crushed glass, lava rock, brightly colored soil

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in sediment-like layers, sea shells, crushed limestone and other low cost and sustainable
materials. The main idea is to utilize what is affordable and locally available.

Laterite blocks
Laterite stone is ground, sieved, mixed with 5% cement and a setting agent, and pressed
into blocks (mortarless interlocking blocks in thise case). I love the color.

Laterite blocks are specialty blocks and probably more expensive than conventionally CEBs.
This could be an option for those who can afford it. They should be very durable and
rainwater resistant since soft laterite turns as hard as brick when exposed to air.

CEBs made with fly ash

Fly ash is an industrial waste product, a residue of coal based power plants. Fly ash is often
added to concrete to reduce the use of cement. Fly ash can also be compressed into
strong, durable blocks. The stark gray color can be easily improved by adding natural
mineral pigments such as iron oxide.

CEBs made with sandstone chips

This house by Deepak Godhi in Bangalore, India uses CEBs made with sandstone chips.
The rough stone texture is particularly appealing. The rough exposed aggregate surface
may be created with a pressure washer. Columns like these are often made with hollow
CEBs to make room for rebar and concrete reinforcement.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/unusual-compressed-earth-blocks-cebs

1,000 Year-Old Straw/Clay Houses in Germany

Classic German architecture: Fachwerk und Enxaimel — Timber-frame straw/clay houses

with hazel stick reinforcing lasts for centuries. (None of these buildings had building permits
and so maybe they should all be pulled down?)

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A beligerant drunk in a restaurant overheard me talking about natural houses. He
confidently proclaimed houses built of natural materials would never be allowed in a
modern country such as Germany. “The codes would never allow this,” he said assuredly. I
explained how straw/clay houses have a centuries long tradition there, and that strawbale
structures are now permitted. There’s even a strawbale building association in Germany
(​FASBA​).
From the FASBA website (translated): “To date, over 250 approved homes and some
production buildings and many smaller demonstration buildings have emerged. The
attainment of an admission by the general building materials FASBA 2007, this construction
is gaining in approval, as there is no difficulty in most cases to obtain a building permit.” A
five-story strawbale structure was recently completed. “The North German Centre for
Sustainable Construction has received the Innovation Award 2013.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/1000-year-old-strawclay-houses-in-germany

Light Straw-Clay Construction Now Code Approved

Light straw​-​clay construction is in the 2015 International Residential Code

“An appendix on Light Straw-Clay Construction was also approved for inclusion in the 2015
International Residential Code (IRC). To date only the states of New Mexico and Oregon
have a section on Light Straw-Clay Construction in their building code. The proposal
received a 6-3 approval vote at Building Committee Hearings in Dallas in April 2013. After
public testimony and immediately before the vote, one committee member encouraged
approval, commenting, “This is the future.”

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The appendix governs the use of light straw-clay “as a non-bearing building material and
wall infill system”. It is limited to one-story structures, except it allows structures greater
than one-story “in accordance with an approved design by a registered design
professional.” It is also limited to use in Seismic Design Categories A and B, but this
includes approximately 85% of the contiguous United States. Use in higher seismic risk
categories can occur through the “alternative means and methods” section of the code with
an engineered design.”

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/light-straw-clay-construction-now-code-approved

Straw/Clay Houses

Weaver​-​Hovemann timberframe and straw​/​clay home by EcoNest

Straw/clay has been in use for thousands of years with great success. The focus of our blog
is obviously earthbag building, but we’ve decided to include coverage of other natural
building methods to broaden our horizons and reach a wider audience. It’s good to know a
whole range of building ideas so you can obtain the best possible house. For instance,
maybe you want to use earthbags on exterior walls and straw/clay on interior walls. This is
a very good option that requires no formwork. You could stuff straw/clay inside pallet walls
for soundproofing between rooms. Most often straw/clay is combined with a timberframe
that carries the loads.

“One of the best low-cost insulating materials is clay-coated straw (or other lightweight
plant materials). A light coating of clay acts as both a binder and preservative. Clay-coated
straw has been shown to last over 700 years as a non-deteriorating insulation! As the clay
dries, it binds the straw together in a surprisingly rigid mass. It’s a “natural styrofoam”.

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Materials
Any stiff agricultural waste similar to straw will work. Hay is too flimsy and has seeds, so it
doesn’t work very well. Barley straw, wheat straw, and other grain straws work well. Clay
can be gotten from the earth. Many subsoils are primarily clay. River bottoms and river
banks are usually clay. Clay is also used by brick and tile manufacturers and can be bought
from them cheaply. (in our area, about $16 per ton)

Even soil which has a moderate amount of clay such as commonly used for adobe, about
35-50% clay, will work. The slurry is not as sticky, compared with pure clay, but even
ordinary mud works well enough. This is not rocket science. Use a dry wall stirring paddle
and electric drill to mix the clay or mix in any kind of mixer. Mud mixed in a box with a hoe
works.

Method
1. Break the clay into small particles so that it will mix with water easily.
2. Make up a slurry of clay and water. Any soil that is mostly clay will also work. The
consistency should be like cream or a thin milk shake.
3. Spread the straw out on the ground. Dampen the straw with a spray nozzle if available.
4. Pour (drizzle) the slurry over the straw, then toss and mix the straw so that it becomes
lightly coated. Ordinary garden rakes work well. The clay should only very lightly coat the
straw. This is NOT adobe. Maybe 5-10% clay, 90-95% straw. When dried in the wall, you
can hardly see the clay, but it binds the straw together very well.

Uses
In addition to being an insulator, it can be used as a wall forming material. In the middle
ages, even up to the present time, the method works like this:

1. A post and beam structure is first built.

2. Two boards are temporarily nailed to the posts, one on each side.
3. The resulting cavity is filled with straw-clay.
4. The material is tamped down (a 2×4, 4×4, or small post will do). The idea is not to
compact it into a solid mass, you couldn’t do it easily anyway because the straw will remain
springy until it dries.
5. The two side boards are moved up immediately and stuffed again and again until the
wall is as high as desired. No need to wait for the straw-clay to dry before moving the
boards up. (A moveable, sliding form could also be used to make walls.)
6. A saw is used to cut out windows, or window frames are placed first.
7. The wall is allowed to dry and is hand plastered inside and out. The soft undulating
plastering adds a charm that cannot be found in modern buildings.”

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/strawclay-houses

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Pole Building

There are many advantages to pole building, including speed, ease and lower cost of
construction.

Here are a few facts gleaned from Low Cost Pole Building Construction, by Ralph Wolfe and
Practical Pole Building Construction, by Leigh Seddon.
– Adaptable to steep terrain, rocky soils, marshes, beaches, earthquake and hurricane
zones. For instance, you can save a lot of money by building on low cost hillsides.
– Meets building codes and FHA requirements.
– Poles serve as foundation, structural frame and wind bracing.
– Building with poles saves labor, time and materials. For instance, you can typically save
thousands of dollars in comparison to building a concrete foundation.
– Total cost is often 15%-25% lower than standard construction or about half the cost of a
contractor-built house.
– Roof can be built before the walls.
– Round or square poles can be used, although round poles of the same size are 18%
stronger.
– Poles are more fire resistant than stick frame houses.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/pole-building

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Small Diameter Roundwood – An Underused Building Material

Many of those in need of housing have access to small-diameter trees in nearby forests.
These trees can be used to produce materials that are ideal for building affordable homes.
If used in conjunction with energy-efficient straw bale construction and other natural
materials, small-diameter wood can be used to create a better home than most building
systems, at lower cost.
US forests have been poorly managed and are now choked with small-diameter trees.
Thinning these trees to reduce the risk of forest fires, which is currently at a record high, is
a Forest Service priority. With an inexpensive firewood permit, anyone can obtain
small-diameter wood for building a home. (Even though this wood could be used for
firewood, it is more valuable as a building material.)
There are several advantages to using small-diameter wood for building:
– Small-diameter wood can provide all of the lumber for a house including studs, joists,
plates, trusses, window and door frames, trim, and other components. Wood frame
construction is the preferred building system in the US because of its speed and ease of
construction, but unfortunately most dimensional lumber is not sustainably harvested.
Using small-diameter wood encompasses the advantages of wood frame construction but
uses wood that improves the health of the forest and reduces forest fires.
– The use of locally available wood reduces construction costs and avoids supporting
environmentally irresponsible lumber companies.
– Wood in the round is much stronger than standard dimension lumber and requires less
processing. Thus small diameter logs can be used, with fewer parts. For example only
one-half as many trusses may be required, because pole trusses can be set every 48 inches
(122 centimeters) instead of every 24 inches (61 centimeters).
– A US$40 chainsaw guide can be used to mill purlins, joists, studs, plates, and other
components. (The ​Beam Machine​ is one example of a low-cost chainsaw attachment that
can mill straight edges on poles.)

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– The fire resistance of poles is much higher than stick-framed trusses or engineered
trusses (TJIs). Wood poles have a two-hour commercial fire rating, in contrast to the other
two options, which have a one-hour fire rating. And in the event of a fire, there is no toxic
off-gassing – the leading killer in home fires.
– Timber frame/pole construction is more aesthetically pleasing than wood frame
construction covered with plasterboard. The beauty of the wood is left exposed, honoring
the tree from which it came.
– Very few tools are required to build simple pole trusses. If they are built in uniform sizes,
workers can be trained to build them quickly.
The use of small-diameter wood creates local jobs and places less reliance on highly
processed materials that must be shipped long distances. Jobs are created in four
categories:
1. Logging: Workers are needed to cut, mill and deliver poles.
2. Truss manufacturing: Workers are needed to build roof trusses. This could be a
cooperative effort or an entrepreneurial cottage industry. Either way the quality will be
higher and more consistent if specially trained workers build the trusses.
3. Milling: Workers are needed to mill logs into purlins, studs, plates, or joists. The simplest
method uses a chainsaw and a guide. Mass production methods with commercial-sized
equipment are even faster and more efficient.
4. Construction: Workers are needed to erect trusses, build walls, etc.
With all the advantages of small-diameter wood, we should take a closer look at how to use
this resource that is so often near at hand.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/small-diameter-wood-underused-building-material

Bandsaw Sawmill

Almost every home uses at least some wood. We’ve been examining various free and low
cost ways of obtaining wood for homebuilding. Yesterday’s blog post mentioned cutting

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your own wood with a bandsaw sawmill. Again, this is a great way to mill wood for far less
expense than store bought lumber. There’s lots of free info about this topic on the Internet.
A number of companies such as Wood-Mizer sell bandsaw sawmills. You can also make
your own. (Obviously a hot topic on YouTube.) This video shows a homemade mill made
for about $500 using mostly salvaged parts.

One interesting option is using a portable bandsaw mill. This enables you to take the mill to
the logs instead of moving them. You still have to lever the logs around with a peavey, but
it’s less work than transporting full size logs. It doesn’t have to be all work. You could turn
the experience into a fun outing in the woods.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/bandsaw-sawmill

Pallet Houses

Pallet home by Texas Natural Builders

Pallet building is a hot topic and so the next few blog posts will explore various aspects of
building with pallets — from entire houses, to interior pallet walls, to pallet wall cladding.
Over 4 billion pallets are currently in use, so this is an abundant, easily obtained and
usually free resource. Excerpts below about pallet building by David Reed of ​Texas
Natural Building​, a pallet house expert.

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“I have been building residential homes for 24 years, I know structural stability inside and
out, the strength of a pallet home is comparable to that of a conventionally framed home.
In the smaller homes we design we have found that a staggered brick like installation is not
needed and we try our best to find pallets exact or as close as possible in size, the
installation process is as follows:

Once we decide on the foundation type, typically we always try to keep concrete forms out
of our choices, we secure scrap 2×4 cleat blocks to the foundation, set back about
1/2″-5/8″, then slip the pallets over the blocks and secure them with screws horizontally
into the cleats, toe screw the 2×4 frame of the pallet into the foundation as we level each
one. We clamp each pallet together with C -clamps and fasten together with screws and
sometimes carriage bolts, we butt corners with lapping pallets ends, and repeat this
process as a soldier course along the perimeter of the foundation.

The top of the first course of pallets gets a continual 2×4 plate that is screwed down into
the tops of the 2×4 frame of the pallets, this allows the pallets to be force straightened and
gives it some pretty powerful rigidity!! We then install the second course of pallet just like
the first, windows and doors are framed either as bucks or conventional trimmers and
headers. A 2×4 top plate is installed on top of the second course and marks for joists and
rafters which are installed conventionally.

In larger homes, we have found that we do have to stagger the pallets in long runs or
insert a vertical 2×4 every 8′ for lateral strength. We cut pallets to fit re-using all of the
materials as much as possible. We have other plate installation methods of installed on a
earthbag stem wall or a cob or strawbale stem wall as well as rock using box beams as
base plate and top plate with a 2×8 as the center horizontal plate. Once the pallet walls are
up to the 8′ height then I come back measure and mark for the windows and then cut the
opening out, frame it and pop them in!!

There are two types of wooden pallets made, HT (heat treated) and MB (Methyl-Bromide),
we only use heat treated pallets in our designs and builds.

We use all natural materials as insulation, in this case being ​light straw clay​ which has an
insulation value of about 1.5 per inch. We then add an ​adobe plaster​ (earth plaster) on
the interior and exterior of the structure, this is typically local materials sources right from
the build site! This provides both insulation and thermal mass!”

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/pallet-houses

Rex’s House
So what happened to Rex? How did his pallet house turn out? I’d sure like to know. When
people send us owner-builder home projects that cost $4/square foot then obviously tons
of people will be interested. Most likely Rex’s house is finished and he’s moved on to other
things. If Rex happens to see this, please please email me an update of your house.

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Here’s how the story began​:
A while back I got an email from Rex, a reader who’s planning an ultra-low cost home in
Texas. We exchanged a few emails and each time he would ask if it’s possible to further
reduce the cost. He said “Owen, I have pallets, cedar poles from my land and dirt.” His
persistence in lowering costs had me racking my brain for cost cutting ideas. Rex’s original
plan was to build an earth lodge. Now he’s planning a rectangular design that he thinks will
be simpler and easier to build. The latest cost estimate for his 800 sq. ft. earth-bermed
house design is around $1,600. That’s only $2/sq. ft.! Time will tell if he can actually build
at that cost.
Very few people are able to build nice, decent sized homes at $2-$4/square foot. Viable
solutions could help countless thousands of people. For these reasons Rex’s house naturally
attracted lots of attention and comments, and inspired me to write related stories like this
one on ​rot resistant juniper and cedar poles for construction​.
So Rex – or anyone who knows how to contact him – please send us an update with
photos! If he doesn’t respond for some reason, maybe another reader can build something
similar and publicly document their project so these ideas get utilized by more people.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/whatever-happened-to-rexs-pallet-house

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Miscellaneous

Passive Cooling Strategies for Hot Climates

Today I want to talk about passive cooling strategies for keeping your home cool in hot
climates. This is a very hot climate and yet our earthbag roundhouse is about 15 degrees
Fahrenheit cooler inside than out. So 15 degrees Fahrenheit, 8 degrees Celsius temperature
difference with no mechanical cooling systems. No air conditioners, no fans, no anything.
It’s just passive strategies, natural strategies for keeping the home cool without the use of
machinery or electricity. So we’ll discuss about 11 different strategies that you can use.
They’re all very low cost and simple.

The first one is the color of your wall — your exterior wall. You want the walls to have a
light color so they reflect sunlight. One of the most important things is to have wide roof
overhangs. This is about 4 feet, a little over one meter. So the sun almost never hits the
wall. Because they’re high mass walls, if the sun hit the walls frequently, that mass would
heat up and eventually that heat would transfer inside. So we keep the sun off the walls as
much as possible.

Another important strategy is windows. We have casement windows that swing open and
catch the prevailing breezes. So the breezes come from this way and these are like a scoop
— a wind scoop — to pull the wind into the roundhouse. We also have windows on all sides
of the house so the breeze is always blowing through.

If you look up above the window, we have screened openings above the windows that
keep insects out, but let hot air escape this way. I don’t know if you can see it, you might
want to come closer. Above the bond beam is a gap of a few inches. In between the rafters
there’s a gap where hot air can escape. So the hot air is rising and it goes out the top. Also

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we use thatch roofing and some air passes through the thatch. We also have one of these
screened openings above the door as a transom.

Let’s go inside and I’ll show you the earth coupled floor. This is our earth coupled floor
right here. What that means is the floor — the high mass floor — in this case concrete, but
it could be tamped earth, stone, CEBs, brick, recycled brick, whatever. The floor is in direct
contact with the earth underneath with a moisture barrier to prevent wicking of moisture.
So the floor is absorbing the coolness of the earth. It’s very cool, surprisingly cool even in
this hot climate where you can start sweating in just a few minutes. So this is surprisingly
cool. We also have earthen plaster on the inside. All that mass and this mass partition wall
[and earthbags] all absorb the coolness of the earth — the coolness coming up from the
earth. And the breezes help all the hot air escape. So the temperature inside stays the
same night and day. You don’t need an air conditioner or even a fan. It’s surprisingly
comfortable in here.

Some other strategies — you want to look up and see the high ceiling, so there’s plenty of
space for hot air to rise and escape. There you can see the gap above the bond beam to
improve ventilation.

The last strategy I’m going to talk about is vegetation — using plants to keep the building
cool. Here we’ve used a mango tree on the hot southwest side of the house. That’s the
hottest direction. We have different plants here. So the sun, as you can see, almost never
hits the house directly. And also we have a very large tree above here that protects and
shades the house through most of the day. Again, these are all simple, low cost strategies
that anyone can do. Very low cost, very simple. You can save a lot of money on energy bills
and also help the environment.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/passive-cooling-strategies-for-hot-climates

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Additional Passive Cooling Strategies for Hot Climates
The following list includes dozens of low tech, low cost ways to cool buildings in hot
climates passively without electricity or machinery, i.e., passive cooling or natural cooling.
This list is in addition to the 11 or so simple passive cooling techniques that I talked about
in ​my video the other day​. Altogether there are over 50 practical methods for cooling
your home sustainably. Despite all these wonderful methods, most people – at least in
North America – live in poorly insulated boxy houses with costly, wasteful air conditioners.
This is one example of “ignorance is not bliss”.
– night cooling: open the windows at night to let in cooler, fresher air.
– roof vents for improved ventilation. This could include a ridge vent and cupola.
– gable vents on gable end walls
– adequately shaded clerestory windows
– smaller windows on the east and west to prevent overheating (if the walls aren’t shaded)
– louvers and vents
– well located doors
– 50-100% more or larger windows on the leeward side than the windward side to help hot
air to escape
– earth berming with moist vegetation such as grass
– keeping vegetation moist around the house to help cool the breezes (the yard)
– planting trees to funnel air toward your house
– plant trees that don’t block breezes
– wing wall to direct cool breezes into the home
– building on stilts
– stack effect: multi-story designs can be very effective at encouraging natural convection
– open plan living areas that encourage air circulation
– narrow floorplans
– orientation to catch breezes more effectively
– location: breezy locations near lakes, etc.
– outdoor living areas
– porches/verandas that shade the walls
– shaded, high thermal mass walls such as earthbags, adobe, etc.
– windscoop/windcatcher (with possible addition of a water element)
– evaporative cool wall such as double terra-cotta brick walls (​low fired brick​) filled with
moist sand
– ​Venturi effect
– solar chimney: chimney designed to heat air and draw air from the house
– atrium or sunroom: can act like a solar chimney if properly designed
– basement: upper floors draw cool air upwards from the basement
– cool pantry and rootcellar
– well, open air cistern or underground water canal in the basement
– earth tubes in dry climates where mold is not a problem and digging is fairly easy
– roof insulation and reflective roof insulation
– fly roof (secondary roof over the main roof)
– green roof/living roof
– soffit vents and baffles between rafters to improve roof ventilation

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– light roof color that reflects sunlight
– manmade water feature such as a lily pond on the windward side
– awnings (if you don’t have large roof overhangs)
– inner courtyard/open atrium
– pergolas and trellises to shade walls
– minimize sun reflection and re-radiation from surrounding environment: plants versus
gravel or pavement
– blinds: close if sunlight is entering window
– avoid skylights unless openable and tinted
– smooth plaster reflects more light than textured plaster
Note: This is just a list of practical cooling strategies. There are plenty of ‘yeah, buts’ you
should be aware of to prevent problems. There isn’t time or space here to cover
everything. A fair amount of research is required to learn the details so you can optimize
the passive cooling design for your home and building site.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/additional-passive-cooling-strategies-for-hot-climates

Log End Flooring

Heart pine log end flooring

I’ve assembled some of the best photos I could find on log end flooring. This type of
flooring is made with end grain (with the wood grain oriented vertically). Log end or end
grain flooring has been used for centuries in palaces, luxury homes and high traffic areas
because of its beauty and durability. End grain is harder than long grain (horizontal grain)
and that’s why it is used on professional quality chopping blocks and top quality flooring.

“Residential real estate agents say homes with wood floors hold their value better, sell
faster, and fetch higher prices, according to a recent nationwide survey commissioned by
the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA). By a three-to-one margin, real estate
agents said that a house with wood floors would sell faster than a carpeted house. Some

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58 percent said a house with wood floors would bring a higher price. Health benefits are
also a factor for those considering hardwood flooring. Whereas carpets over the years
gather mildew, mites, animal dander, dust and pollen beneath the surface that can cause
respiratory problems and aggravate allergies, hardwood flooring has a very durable surface
that is easy to clean and maintain. Properly maintained hardwood floors are extremely
resistant to mildew and the other ails of carpets. Hardwood and laminated wood floors are
the smart and healthy choice.

Hardwood flooring is always made up of a real hardwood surface, whether it’s solid or
engineered hardwood. The result is a natural, real hardwood floor that can be resanded,
stained, and varnished to match your tastes and changes in your decor. If it’s well cared
for, it will last nearly forever. A solid hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished several
times over many, many years.”

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/log-end-flooring

Small Wood Stoves for Small Homes

Andrew, one of our readers, suggested a blog post about small stoves for all those planning
small earthbag homes. This is a great idea because earthbag buildings are highly efficient
and so in many cases all you need is a small stove. The emphasis here is on small, low
cost, do-it-yourself wood stoves that are fairly easy to make. Making the stoves yourself
can save you $200-$300 or so. Buying used or a kit are other good options. These small
stoves go by various names, including tent stoves, outfitter stoves, shepherd stoves, barrel
stoves, homemade wood stoves and so on. The following stoves include military surplus
stoves and stoves made from drums, propane tanks, water heater and compressor tanks,
beer kegs and ammo boxes.
If you’re serious about building a stove like this, it will pay to watch lots of videos, because
there are lots of ways of making things – some better than others. You can mix and match
features and get a stove that’s just right for your needs. Consider adding a cooktop surface
and ​hot water jacket​ (water heating coil). If your welding skills aren’t up to the task or
you don’t have the necessary equipment, barter or trade work with a local welder to keep
the money in your community. The following list contains some of the best videos from a
variety of types.
Army surplus and ammo box stoves
M1941 tent stove
Army Surplus Hunter SHA (Space Heater Arctic)
Homemade Ammo Box Woodburner Stove
Ammo box wood stove 3 FINAL
DIY wood stove from a surplus ammo can
Gas bottle stoves
Luke’s stove made with a gas bottle homemade wood burning stove
Recycled gas bottle log burning stove part 3
Gas bottle log burning stove
Wood Burning Grover Stove
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Homemade Wood Stove a.k.a. “Piglet”
Homemade wood burning stove
Wood burning stove with water heater from gas bottle
Home made gas bottle wood burning stove
Cylinder hunt tent stove
Cylinder Stoves Hunter Stove Package Wood Burning Tent Stove

Barrel or drum stoves

Double barrel stove
Winter solo hot tenting
DIY Hunter Tent Stove woodburner #3
Barrel wood stove update
Build Your Own Woodstove For $100
Survival stove
55 gallon wood stove barrel
Barrel Stove Kits
Stoves from hot water tanks
Wood Stove From A Hot Water Heater
How to build a wood stove from old hot water tank
Wood stove from hot water cylinder
Water Heater Wood Stove
Stove from compressor tanks, beer kegs, scrap steel
Air Compressor Tank Wood Stove – The Finale
Beer keg wood stove
Homemade wood burning stove
SHTF Box Wood Stove
Rocket stoves (hugely popular, do a search on YouTube)
DRTV: Rocket Stoves
Stoves for sale
Shepherd stoves
Outfitter stove
Wood burning stove woodburner coal gas bottle stove
Cylinder Stoves Hunter Stove Package Wood Burning Tent Stove
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/small-wood-stoves-for-small-homes

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Free Heat for Your Home: Homemade Briquettes and Logs

Many people don’t have easy access to firewood or the tools and ability to cut, split, haul
and stack it. Buying firewood may be out of your budget. Here we’ll present some virtually
free ways of making fuel briquettes and logs at home with simple devices. To make
briquettes/pellets/bricks/logs, you can use free materials such as newspapers, junk mail,
cardboard, wood chips, wood shavings, sawdust, leaves, pine needles, manure, rice hulls,
straw, corn stover and other biomass fibers. The basic process usually involves soaking the
materials and then compacting them with a press into blocks.

Actually, there are quite a few different techniques as you’ll see in these selected videos.
For instance, some people roll newspapers into logs, thus eliminating the soaking, pressing
and drying process. Logs like this can be used right away. Not everyone agrees, however.
Some say the logs burn best when rolled tightly, soaked and then dried. Apparently the
soaking/wetting process melds the log into a coherent mass. (The log roller shown below
wets the newspapers as they’re rolled together.)
How to make newspaper logs
Making newspaper fire logs another method
It’s fun to watch numerous videos to see what’s most practical. Making briquettes and logs
is a great family project that everyone can help with. In some countries, making briquettes
is a small home-based business.

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Sample briquettes from around the world ​(​note the center hole to improve combustion​)

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/free-heat-for-your-home-homemade-briquettes-and-lo
gs

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House Plans

Top 10 Most Popular House Plans by Owen Geiger

Roundhouse​/​Dome Cluster

Most of you know about my ​Earthbag House Plans​ site, now with over 120 designs, but
most readers are not aware which plans are most popular. Here’s the list… [drum roll…]

1. ​Roundhouse/Dome Cluster
2. ​Earthbag Survival Shelter
3. ​33’ (10m) Roundhouse: 2 bedroom
4. ​Pod Houses
5. ​Enviro Dome
6. ​Enviro Dome 2
7. ​Roundhouse Cluster
8. ​Spiral Dome Magic 1&2
9. ​Hobbit House
10. ​Peace Dome

All orders from ​DreamGreenHomes.com​ include a free copy of my ​Earthbag Building

Guide​.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/top-10-earthbag-house-plans-by-owen-geiger

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Free Plans

Craftsman House

Owen received an Honorable Mention in Shelters for All housing competition for this design.

See more free plans here:

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/house-plans/free-house-plans

Earth-Sheltered / Underground House Plans

Earthbag Earth Lodge

Based on ancient Native American designs, this ​earth lodge​ with living roof will keep you
cozy and warm even in the harshest climates, because it is earth-sheltered. South-facing
windows and a skylight over the kitchen ensures ample daylighting.

See the other earth-bermed and earth shelters plans here:

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earth-sheltered-underground-house-plans

Straight Wall Houses

Beachcomber House

This ​Beachcomber House​ is perfect for most large families. It has spacious bedrooms with
computer desks, a large modern kitchen and wood stove. The master bedroom features a
walk-in closet and private bath, and is opposite from other bedrooms for privacy.

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See the other straight wall house plans here:
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/straight-wall-houses

Spiral Dome Magic 1 and 2

South elevation

This highly unique home combines the Peace Dome and Spiral Houses, which are also
available separately. But by combining them it really creates a truly exciting design. This
unique, almost Hobbit-like earth-sheltered design includes a large grow bed, exposed
timber ceiling and living roof. Ample light is provided by the window wall next to the grow
bed, window and door glazing, and suntubes. Distinguishing features include two
bedrooms, masonry two-way fireplace, covered porch and cool pantry for storage of food
(no electricity required for refrigeration). This home meets zero energy standards.

...cont’d

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452 sq. ft. interior dome, 740 sq. ft. interior spiral, plus pantry, 2 bedroom, 1 bath;
footprint: 42′ x 57′ plus buttresses.

Floor Plan for Spiral Dome Magic 1

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/spiral-dome-magic-1-and-2

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Free Solar Pit House Plans and Building Details

Solar Pit House section view

Specifications​: 1,127 sq. ft. interior living space, 441 sq. ft. interior greenhouse, total =
1,568 sq. ft. interior, Footprint: 36’x53’

As explained in the previous blog post, this modern solar pit house is based on the
traditional pit house. The construction is much the same. Additional ‘modules’ have been
added to create an elongated rectangular design for added living space and windows added
on the south for solar gain. Each module is based on wood posts set in geopolymer or
concrete footings. Wood beams approximately 10”-12” diameter are joined at the posts
with half lap joints and pinned in place with rebar or logging spikes. Smaller poles around
the perimeter lean against the beams. 24” wide earthbag walls with a reinforced
geopolymer or concrete bond beam rest on rubble trench foundations.

The entire structure is surrounded by insulation and moisture barriers, both of which can
be obtained as recycled materials. The Solar Canadian [their blog is currently unavailable
for some reason] reported that farmers use large plastic bags for storing grain for one year
and then discard them. They should make a perfect moisture barrier. And, as discussed in a
previous blog post, ​recycled polystyrene​ is available. In this design, loose polystyrene is
used around the perimeter, and home-made rigid board insulation is used on the roof and
under the floors. Be sure to test the rigid board insulation so it doesn’t compress and cause
cracking in the slab floor.

Other features:
– Sloping, earth-sheltered design has no vertical walls exposed to the harsh wind. This
greatly reduces heating cost.
– Radiant floor heating is the recommended heating system. At least one back-up heating
system is called for due to the extreme climate – either a wood stove or propane heater.
– A window wall separates the greenhouse from the main living space. Solar powered, heat
activated fans blow heat from the greenhouse into the home, and cold air return vents
draw cool air back into the greenhouse.
– Double door airlock reduces heat loss.

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– The entry or mud room has space for coats, boots, shovels, snowshoes and greenhouse
window insulation (possibly more polystyrene panels).
– The entry vault helps block westerly winds and prevent drifting snow from accumulating
on the greenhouse roof.
– Pantry provides long-term food storage to reduce trips to the store.
– Storage room for greenhouse supplies and potting bench.
– Buried cisterns (not shown) with gravity flow design or back-up water hand pumps in
case of blackouts.
– Joseph Jenkins sawdust composting toilets greatly reduce water use. Water conservation
is important since water deliveries are expensive and unreliable in remote areas.
– Enhanced livability over current low income housing: traditional design for cultural
acceptance; warmer (huge psychological boost when the floor and air temperature are
always comfortable); more pleasant living environment with abundance of plants and much
greater daylighting (combats cabin fever); fresh food production and higher oxygen level;
superinsulated design with far lower energy costs (money stays in the community);
adequate space for extended families and storage; greater self sufficiency.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/solar-pit-house-building-details

The free PDF plan set is here:

http://5892-presscdn-26-36.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Solar-Pit-
House-PDF.pdf

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Cutaway Drawings

Every house plan in my new House Plans book includes a full​-​page 3D cutaway drawing​.

My new house plans book covers my most popular house designs. These houses are
low-cost, DIY, sustainable house designs, many of which can be built for less than $10,000
if you use locally sourced materials such as earthbags, straw bales and recycled wood.

Each house plan includes a full-page 3D cutaway drawing (similar to the one above) that
shows the home’s interior and how it is built. This is one of the best features of the book,
because it takes two dimensional drawings and turns them into colorful, realistic images
that are much easier to visualize. If you order one of these plans from ​Dream Green
Homes.com​ the full-sized cutaway drawing is included at no extra charge.

This new PDF ebook is now available online from a high speed download site for just $20.

This book was a two year, two thousand hour labor of love project, so the quality is high.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/25-small-sustainable-house-plans-cutaway-drawings

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Hobbit House

South elevation of the Hobbit House

Many people dream of a simpler life, free of the cares of this world. They want a home that
is easy to build and maintain, small yet adequate in size, with everything they need to live
comfortably with their small friends. This one and a half story home is designed for those
people. Features include drop-down stairs that lead to a spacious loft, wood stove heating,
and modern kitchen with pantry space for Hobbit food. The undulating thatch roof or living
roof is created by varying the knee wall height above the bond beam. 24-6″ diameter with
471 sq. ft. interior, 471 sq. ft. loft, total 942 sq. ft. interior, one bedroom, one bath;
footprint: 27-6″ x 27-6″

Optional open-air second story deck

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/hobbit-house

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Earthbag Lodge

Earthbag Lodge floorplan ​(​lodges can be clustered to create unique home designs​)

Specifications:​ 800 sq. ft. interior, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, Footprint: 40′ x 40′

Description:​ Based on ancient Native American designs, this earth lodge with living roof
will keep you cozy and warm even in the harshest climates, because it is compact,
earth-sheltered, insulated and uses wood heat. South-facing windows and skylight over the
kitchen ensure ample daylighting. It can be built for about $2,000 assuming wood poles are
gathered locally.

Building basics: This hexagonal structure consists of earthbag walls, about head high, and a
wood framed wall on the south. Six large center poles with timber beams support sloping
roof poles and living roof. To reduce risk of moisture problems, it’s best to build above
grade and add earth on top of the structure rather than digging below grade.

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earth-lodge

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Modular Pod House

Modular Pod House south elevation

Specifications:​ Main pod = 372 sq. ft., double bedroom pod = 372 sq. ft., master
bedroom pod = 372 sq. ft., connecting spaces = 220 sq. ft., total = 1,336 sq. ft. interior,
Footprint: 42′ x 87′
Description:​ This design connects hexagonal pods or modules that can be arranged in
various configurations using more or fewer pods. This enables the home to be built one
stage at a time. The bonus room in the double bedroom pod can be used as a study, etc.
The bonus room in the master bedroom pod can serve as a home office, guest room, etc.
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/modular-pods

Earthbag Survival Shelter

Earthbag Survival Shelter cutaway view

Specifications:​ 20’ DIA (314 sq. ft. interior plus pantry), Footprint: 23′ x 31′

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Description:​ This round earthbag shelter for up to 4-5 individuals is designed for survival
through disaster, plague, etc. It is low cost, durable and practical. This shelter is designed
for DIYers on a tight budget who will do most everything by hand. Instructions include
numerous key details not evident on the plan: venting, roof framing, how to reduce
excavation by 50%, drainage, water supply, etc. I have not seen a better, more practical
survival shelter plan.

The building details of this survival shelter were published in issue #3 of the Survivalist
Magazine. ​http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/how-to-build-a-survival-shelter

When I designed this survival shelter, I had four key concepts in mind: practicality,
simplicity, safety and cost. Each concept is discussed in more detail below.
Practicality
Round structures enclose more space for a given amount of materials. There are no dead
corners or wasted space. Round earthbag structures are the easiest shape to build. Poly
tubes (the easiest and fastest method) or poly bags (lower cost if recycled and suitable for
someone working alone) are easily shaped into curved or round shapes.
Simplicity
Another main advantage is simplicity of construction. What could be simpler than filling and
stacking bags of earth? Almost everything you need to know is freely available on the
Internet. The main skills can be learned in a few minutes simply by being shown or
watching a video. My ​Naturalhouse YouTube channel​ shows all steps of construction.
And most people already have the basic tools around the house – shovels, buckets, garden
hose, ladder. The other few tools required can be easily made or purchased inexpensively.
Safety
Round structures are inherently stronger than rectilinear structures. This means the
enormous forces of soil against walls below grade (many tons of pressure) will be
transferred around the structure. This concept is often stated “round is sound.”
http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/earthbag-survival-shelter

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Cool Pantries: Storing Food Without Using Power

Earthbag cool pantry for storing food without electricity

What’s the difference between a cool pantry and root cellar? Humidity. Root cellars are very
practical for storing certain types of produce, and have been a key part of sustainable
households for centuries. Root cellars are kept fairly moist in order to best preserve the
crops that are stored there. However, the high humidity limits their use since many food
items require a dryer environment to avoid spoilage. A cool pantry with low humidity is
suitable for storing a wider range of food items.
Kelly Hart and I created a simple, easy to build design to help make cool pantries a
standard feature in homes. This design can be added to most new homes or retrofitted to
existing houses. The idea of having a large cool storage room next to the kitchen makes so
much sense to us that we think all houses should be designed this way. This facility uses
no energy to keep things cool and promotes a lifestyle of fewer miles driven, along with a
feeling of abundance and security. Imagine millions of homes with this feature and how
much energy could be saved.
You can read the full article by buying the February/March 2011 issue of ​The Owner
Builder Magazine​. ​http://www.theownerbuilder.com.au

http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/cool-pantries-storing-food-without-using-power

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Reference

Natural Building Blog ​http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com

FAQs Most common questions answered here. ​http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/faqs
Free Bulletin Board ​http://www.naturalbuildingblog.com/bulletin-board
Earthbag Videos – All of the best earthbag videos can be viewed for free on our main
website at Earthbag Building.com that has everything about earthbag building
http://www.earthbagbuilding.com/videos.htm
GreenHomeBuilding.com ​http://greenhomebuilding.com​ Kelly Hart’s site is one of the
largest, most popular websites on natural building and green building.
Earthbag House Plans – view all of my plans ​https://earthbagplans.wordpress.com​ Dream
Green Homes – ordering page for my house plans ​http://www.dreamgreenhomes.com
Cover Photo - ​The Year of Mud

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