WHAT ARE EARTHBAGS AND WHY AM I BUILDING WITH THEM?

Building with earthbags is essentially building with adobe bricks without going through the lengthy process of making them. You take polypropylene sandbags, fill them with a moist mix of sand and clay, tamp them down hard and connect the layers with 4 point barbed wire. Then, you cover them over with an earthen plaster.

In reality, I didn't use polypropylene bags. Some Brasilians started a type of construction they call hyperadobe which uses mesh bags, or continuous tubing, made from the same material as the onion or potato bags in the grocery store. They don't require barbed wire, though otherwise the process is just about the same.

As I talk about in the blog posts, my design has been guided by simplicity and efficiency. More than anything, what's been most important to me is to live in a house that I myself, with no building experience whatsoever, can design, build and maintain. A natural extension of that has been the desire to live in a peaceful space. For me that means a home that's in tune with nature, thus limiting the use of imported materials for construction, in addition to those that will be needed later on, such as for heating. Please enjoy reading, ask me any questions, get inspired, and come help and learn!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Roof is on and I moved in!












Posted by at

6 comments:

  1. Susan Carpenter SimsOctober 20, 2011 at 7:01 PM

    This just makes me smile and smile. I showed your photos to Graeme and he said, "Epicsauce!"

    ReplyDelete
  2. chesapeakeOctober 21, 2011 at 11:28 AM

    This is so awesome. I am beaming over here, too.

    You go, girl!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aly b.October 21, 2011 at 12:36 PM

    Thanks you guys!

    ReplyDelete
  4. FlorOctober 22, 2011 at 6:51 PM

    This is amazing!!! I am so proud of you! Mama send you lots of kisses!!

    In some place called Guernica, two brave women, miss you!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Aly b.October 27, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    I miss you guys! I will see you soon. I hope you make it up this winter! Besotes

    ReplyDelete
  6. SierraNovember 7, 2011 at 10:29 AM

    Are you too excited to stay in the house? Well, if it has a roof, then it already makes for a perfect shelter! Congratulations, btw. You have a good place to live in. :)

    -Sierra Nordgren

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)