Comments for Earthbag Building Blog

Comment on Natural Building Apprenticeship by Owen Geiger

Owen Geiger — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:44:20 +0000

Interns can stay as long as they want. I’m planning ongoing projects for future books and magazine articles, and so you can stay to help as much as you want. About 7 interns have signed up so far, most for the workshop in April. Email me if you want more details: strawhouses [at] yahoo.com.

Here’s the earthbag workshop page: http://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/workshops/

Comment on Natural Building Apprenticeship by Manu

Manu — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:42:44 +0000

Hi Owen
This apprenticeship sounds fantastic, and I am very interested.
You mention in your blurb that ’students rotate through on an ongoing basis’.
Does that mean a student stays for only a short period or may they stay, learn and work for the whole two years?
Manu

Comment on Pallet Roofs by Leigh

Leigh — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:11:59 +0000

Old wooden pallets make great fencing too. I can’t remember where I’ve seen pictures, but with a coat of paint, they work really well.

Leigh

Comment on Cost of Earthbag Houses by Owen Geiger

Owen Geiger — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:44:18 +0000

The roundhouse would look something like this, except with a living roof: Earthbag Roundhouse It's very simple -- just a round earthbag building with one main room, bathroom, one exterior door and windows. We're going to build one in April during a workshop. Here's the link to the recommended roofing system: Reciprocal roofs The 20 cent bags are an estimated price of what you could probably negotiate with farmers who have excess feed bags. Many grains and feed products come in these polypropylene bags. Just ask around at feed stores, etc. We provide hundreds of pages of free info on our websites. No one else to my knowledge even comes close to providing all these things for free. Keep looking and you'll find almost everything you need to build, including the specifics you're looking for. Our websites include: Green Home Building.com GRISB.org EarthbagBuilding.com Earthbag Building Blog Earthbag House Plans GRISB Blog

Comment on Cost of Earthbag Houses by SteveL

SteveL — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:59:13 +0000

Can we see more pictures of the low cost earthbag house. And maybe a source for the .20 bags. What I’ve found on lots of sites is lots of general information, but when it comes to sharing specifics, well, I realize that people are in business, but it sure would help us low income folks to be able to get access to the items mentioned. Thanks

Comment on Living Walls by James Thomson

James Thomson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:24:32 +0000

I’ve always been slightly wary of ‘green wall’ systems piggybacking on the sustainable agenda – in most applications, the energy required to build, water and maintain a green wall on a conventional building has a significant energy load which is often in direct opposition with the architect’s stated aim of ’sustainability’. The environmental benefits to the local atmosphere of cities is a separate issue, and possibly the main area of merit for this type of construction.

The possibility of building thermally massive buildings from geotextile bags is possibly the antithesis of the ‘green wall’ systems comprising a watered framework as cladding for office blocks and similar – and possibly a good idea! Whether, from a global perspective, there is much different between an ‘earthship’ type building and an ‘earthship’ type building with grassy outer walls is another question entirely!

Nevertheless, nice post and great to be aware of this type of technology.

Comment on Earthbag Privacy Walls by Owen Geiger

Owen Geiger — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:42:20 +0000

Yes, earthbags will make strong retaining walls if they are protected from UV rays. Sunlight breaks down the bags fairly quickly, otherwise they are very durable.

You’ll want to step the bags back at an angle (versus making plumb walls), and add drains throughout so excess water can’t build up behind the wall.

The living walls blog entry may be the best option. This system allows for drainage and uses plants to protect the bags.
http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/living-walls/

Comment on Earthbag Privacy Walls by Terry Bodkin

Terry Bodkin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:58:18 +0000

Great website! I like the look of the privacy walls above and wondering if earthbag construction could work as retaining walls? Our house is on a sloping site and we’d like to make terraces for planting fruit trees, vegetable garden, etc. Would rather not use poured concrete or concrete retaining wall blocks for a few reasons, including the cost and the difficulty getting materials down to the back yard. Would be a lot easier to carry empty bags down there! The heights of the retaining walls may vary, but estimate somewhere between 3′ and 5′.

Would welcome any ideas or suggestions.

Thank you

Comment on Pallet Roofs by Owen Geiger

Owen Geiger — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:29:56 +0000

I used pallets for firewood and animal pens for years. They’re very versatile. And they matched my shop made with ammunition crates.

Here’s a house plan that was originally designed to be made out of pallets. (I simply redrew thicker exterior walls and now show it as an earthbag house. So if you want to build it with pallets the spacing works out perfectly.) http://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/2009/04/11/economizer-earthbag-house/

Comment on Pallet Roofs by Mary Anne

Mary Anne — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:04:49 +0000

I think it is great using old pallets for so many other things. The world needs to think outside the box and reuse items like pallets instead of throwing them into landfills.