Earth Lodge Pallet Walls

Post and beam pallet wall for a dirt cheap earth lodge (click to enlarge)

From time to time we answer reader’s questions. Here, numerous emails have been combined and edited for brevity.

Rex:
My goal is to learn to build houses with local materials in order to help people in my area build sustainable debt free homes. I’m in love with your Earthbag Lodge plan as I had previously designed one very close to that concept before seeing it. My other main goal is optimal climate control with earth and the freedom that brings.

For the lay person, such as myself, deciding whether a living roof vs. a more conventional metal roof system is best in terms of interior climate control, insulation, etc. Are the benefits of an earthen roof worth the process? A living roof seems more difficult to waterproof without the costly membrane. I have lots of dirt, juniper poles and pallets. Straw bales are out of the question as they are $10-12 a bale around here. I LOVE the earthbag concept. I’m just brainstorming a bit more as I reconsider what is available in bulk and free. Thanks for all the time. The part of Texas I live can get very cold in the winter and is very hot in the summer. I’ve been talking to several friends and really turning them on to the idea of self preservation and taking back our housing needs from the commodity black hole. Keep of the fine work!

Owen: Utilizing low cost and free materials where you live is the way to go. Even though I’m a huge fan of earthbags, you always want to consider different options and decide what makes the most sense for you. Since you have lots of free pallets and rot resistant juniper poles then consider building a double pallet wall on an earthbag foundation as shown in the drawing above. This method may be a little faster than building entirely with earthbags and use fewer bags. (I’m assuming you have access to a chainsaw and posthole auger to speed the work.)

The whole process of building a roof that can withstand the heavy load of a living roof, and the time and effort for waterproofing, insulating, making the living roof AND maintaining the plants over time, which is a huge amount of work in itself, would tip the scale for me to pole roofs or framed roofs with lots of insulation, and metal roofing to collect roofwater (super important in dry areas). I suggest a double pole roof that is supported by a post and beam frame. This would be way faster to build than a living roof. It would be low cost, owner built and provide lots of space for insulation. You can achieve zero energy housing with both systems, so my vote is for a more conventional insulated roof with metal roofing.

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Recycled Wall Cladding Sample Projects

Salvaged pallet wall

Rustic wall made of salvaged wood pallets

DIY pallet wall

Yesterday’s blog post explained how to install wall cladding made of recycled wood. Here are some sample projects so you can see the final look.

Image source: Shades of Light.com
Image source: Apartment Therapy.com
Image source: Ucreate Before & After

Directions for installing pallet wood accent wall: Bower Power
Directions for installing pallet wood accent walls at JustaGirlBlog.com Part 1 and Part 2

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Pallet Craft

Pallet wood shelving unit with built-in desk

Outdoor deck made with pallet wood planks and pallets set on gravel

Coffee table made from discarded pallets

$2 farmhouse coffee table from pallets

Definition: Pallet-craft is reusing wood from shipping crates or pallets to make furniture, shelving, toys, decks, planters, sheds, animal pens, compost bins, ceilings, accent walls (wall cladding), benches and other useful items. Pallet craft can be as simple as making a bird house or an entire custom home out of (typically) free salvaged pallets. The field is booming, which is evident from the proliferation of content on the Internet and from traffic to our site (‘pallet’ and ‘pallet furniture’ are top search terms).

Our focus here is on functional, quality, popular items for DIY builders – how to turn discarded pallets into useful items around your home, and incorporate pallets into construction of the home itself. Previous blog posts include:
Pallet Houses
Interior Pallet Walls
Straw Bale/Pallet Walls
Pallet Floors
Pallet Wood Flooring
Pallet Wood Ceilings
Pallet Trusses

Here are some basic pallet wood building guidelines:
– Search for free pallets from shipping companies, factories, malls, grocery stores, beverage distributors, building supply centers and industrial parks. With over 4 billion pallets in current use, you shouldn’t have to pay for them.
– Pallet quality varies considerably. Find sources who will let you choose good pallets of uniform size.
– Only use pallets marked HT (heat treated). MB (Methyl-Bromide) pallets are treated with pesticides and fungicides to deter insects and mold, and are not recommended for projects in your home (although they will likely be more durable for decks, fences and other outdoor uses). Personally, I can’t stand chemicals and do not use chemically treated wood at all.
– Work with whole or partial pallets (ex: half pallets) whenever practical to minimize disassembling/breaking down pallets.
– Watch videos on YouTube for practical advice on disassembling/breaking down pallets if you need individual boards/planks.
– Prepare pallets in advance, preferably working outside while wearing a good quality dust mask. This includes sanding the wood with an orbital sander and using a blow gun to remove dust.
– Alternate the widths, colors and light/dark wood to create a pleasing, more natural appearance.
– Put unsightly boards (ex: heavily grayed, badly cracked or stained boards) in inconspicuous locations.
– Consider investing in good quality tools. A chop saw, sander, nail gun and compressor will greatly speed the work.

Image source: Blue Velvet Chair
Image source: Esprit Cabane (good directions for building decks)
Image source: Esprit Cabane (good directions for building the coffee table shown above)
Image source: Pinterest pallet craft

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Interior Pallet Walls

Interior pallet wall drawing (click to enlarge)

Pallets on long walls can be staggered and/or have vertical 2x4s every 8 feet for added strength (click to enlarge)

Yesterday’s blog post on Pallet Houses described the pallet wall building method recommended by David Reed of Texas Natural Builders. The drawings above are a close approximation of David Reed’s pallet building system. For this blog post, we’re going to focus on interior walls, because they work perfectly with earthbag walls. Earthbags are not usually used for interior walls because they take up a lot of space. Pallet walls are thin, fairly fast and easy to build, require no special tools, are practical for running plumbing and electric, and the materials are virtually free.

From the exploded view drawings you can see how they go together. Most often there is a concrete slab floor, wood floor or earth floor. Attach the bottom plate where you want the wall to go. Add cleats (small wood blocks) to align with the pallets. Pre-drill and screw the first row of pallets to the cleats. Add a horizontal plate to tie the tops of the pallets together. Repeat the process for the top row of pallets. Secure pallet walls to earthbags with large nails such as logging spikes or ¼” rebar pins driven at different angles. Frame doors in the usual method. Now you can run any plumbing and electrical. Insulation is not required in interior walls unless you want soundproofing. The pallets can be plastered, sheetrocked, covered with facing stone, paneled with plywood or, as explained in one of the next blog posts, covered with recycled wood cladding.

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