Earthbag building ... anyone ever done this?

[SFM in KY]

Picked up a book on alternative building/ owner built houses last week at the library and they had a chapter about building with "earthbags" ... basically, poly feed bags filled with dirt ... used for the walls.

I've been fascinated for years with the straw bale buildings but this certainly seems like an interesting concept with materials more readily available here in Kentucky where straw is mostly "imported" ... and as expensive as baled hay.

[Shinsan]

I've been looking at the system as an alternative to using mudbricks for my planned farmhouse, and what I've read so far is very encouraging. It appears to be quite a bit easier too. There's a wealth of information on www.earthbagbuilding.com

[momlaffsalot]

Wow, fascinating. Thanks for the link!

[RosewoodfarmVA]

You know, the plains was settled with houses constructed out of grass sod.
The desert was settled with adobe houses.
Yet there are no remaining sod houses, and very few adobe. Why?? Because their lifespan is short. Anything constructed out of dead or decaying organic matter will eventually compact and rot. If a strawbale house costs half that of a frame house, will it last atleast half as long? I think not. If you build a house out of poly bags stuffed with earth, what happens in 10 years when the poly rots?

Here in the US there are only two types of houses that have been proven to stand the test of time: Masonry, either hard baked brick or stone, and Wood-frame with wooden cladding. Why? Because built properly they will last hundreds of years. The high humidity and various types of termites and decay related insects wreak havoc with structures build out of "natural" materials such as straw or unbaked earth.

If you want a short term house, and have no intention of staying there long, go ahead and build a strawbale or earth house, but if I'm gonna build a house, it's gonna be with materials that are not a perfect haven for termites, rats, and every other burrowing critter. I also think its a waste of time to build something that MIGHT last 50 years when you could build something that properly maintained would last 250 years! Here on our farm we have many outbuildings and the house that are atleast 200 years old-all built off the ground on large rocks, and built with wood. I'm thankful that the early farmers built their buildings to last, rather than using the most expedient/cheap/and shortlasting materials!

Not trying to shoot down your pie in the sky, just saying that there's a reason why things like that have never caught on, and it's because of their short life span and haven for critters in the walls. They are "cheap" not only in cost but in quality.

[tn_junk]

Some of the poly stuff has a life of over 100 years in a dump. That's why there is a movement to organic packaging. If you choose the right polymer for the bags, deterioation should not be a problem as long as there isn't too much direct sun contact.

alan

[dheat]

RosewoodfarmVA,

I recently listened to your Plain Talk conversation. Very enjoyable.

Best regards,

Doug

[texican]

I've found a lot of alternative building concepts work great out west, where the humidity and moisture levels are lower....

I've seen some poly bags that are still going strong 20 years later, if buried... and I've seen some rot down in months, in the open humid air... I'd do a whole lotta research before I went with dirt in bags.

Ya'll have fireants yet?

We do.... and they'll try to colonize a house plant inside the house, overnight! I'd hate to go through a lot of sweat equity, trying to save money, by using earthbags, and end up with a giant fire ant nest.

good luck, though!

[clamjane]

I was considering a piece of land and wanted to build an earth bag house on it. I talked with the county building inspector and he said he would be open to the idea if I could find an engineer to sign off on it.

[crobar]

Wouldn't heating a earthbag house be a problem? Summer would be ok, but keeping winter temperature above say 60 degrees or whatever underground temperature is would take tons of energy. I would think insulating the structure would expensive. This type of building is for desert climate I think.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by crobar

Wouldn't heating a earthbag house be a problem? Summer would be ok, but keeping winter temperature above say 60 degrees or whatever underground temperature is would take tons of energy. I would think insulating the structure would expensive. This type of building is for desert climate I think.

Not having lived in one, I'm not sure. The literature I've read does mention ways to add insulation by adding bags filled with materials with high R-values and not as much weight such as rice hulls, vermiculite or scoria, depending on availability.

In south-central Kentucky, where I live, the summer heat is much more of a problem for me than winter cold, which is one of the reasons I've been researching various types of earth-based construction.

[kypossumdog]

You might want to check with the Sustainable degree program at Berea College in Madison County. I want to say that they may have done some eathbag construction but I can't garauntee that.

[DaleK]

Not sure how feed bags would do if they were covered but they break down VERY quickly if they're exposed to sunlight at all. To the point where you probably wouldn't have the summer to finish building it.

[PyroDon]

Originally Posted by RosewoodfarmVA

You know, the plains was settled with houses constructed out of grass sod.
The desert was settled with adobe houses.
Yet there are no remaining sod houses, and very few adobe. Why?? Because their lifespan is short. Anything constructed out of dead or decaying organic matter will eventually compact and rot. If a strawbale house costs half that of a frame house, will it last atleast half as long? I think not. If you build a house out of poly bags stuffed with earth, what happens in 10 years when the poly rots?

Im afraid your somewhat mistaken .
As there are abobe structures in the US that have stood for over 1200 years and many spanish missions also adobe that have been around and in use for nearly 600 years.
There are also places in the west were you can still find standing Sod houses though abandon over a century ago the walls are still solid .
I also believe if you do a bit of research you'll find that there are also a number of straw bale houses that were built over 100 years ago in Nebraska.
I know of one which is still inhabited that is over 120 years old . Yes its had repairs done but show me a 120 year old house that hasnt.

[Steve L.]

Originally Posted by PyroDon

Im afraid your somewhat mistaken .
As there are abobe structures in the US that have stood for over 1200 years and many spanish missions also adobe that have been around and in use for nearly 600 years.
There are also places in the west were you can still find standing Sod houses though abandon over a century ago the walls are still solid .
I also believe if you do a bit of research you'll find that there are also a number of straw bale houses that were built over 100 years ago in Nebraska.
I know of one which is still inhabited that is over 120 years old . Yes its had repairs done but show me a 120 year old house that hasnt.

...And 500 year old cob houses in the UK.

[SFM in KY]

Originally Posted by DaleK

Not sure how feed bags would do if they were covered but they break down VERY quickly if they're exposed to sunlight at all. To the point where you probably wouldn't have the summer to finish building it.

All of the literature I've read has mentioned this, though you are suggesting a shorter time frame than I was anticipating. Wonder if getting one of the sunlight-resistant tarps and tossing over the bags as you were building ... or covering the partially built wall with one if you were unable to work for a few days would be enough to avoid this?

[dheat]

SFM in KY,

regarding covering with a tarp as you build, the site cited by Shinsan instructs just that.

Doug

[Natalie11]

Look up "Earthbag Building: Tips Techniques and Tricks, Kaki Hunter Don Kiffmeyer"

Great Book, Good friends of mine and I've seen there work many places.

Insulation is a factor...but, with the money saved in construction materials and labor you can pack the house with whatever you like. Double the bag layers and use a an insulative material to fill the outer layer, then follow up with a straw bales with a healthy dose of grass seed thrown on top. A little pond tarp to keep the water out, a well layed out drainage path... whalla... a house your goats could keep mowed.

These places are cool. I've seen a 14' diameter dome house built, 19 people (not all at once) working weekends, 4 hours a day building. Building was complete it 6 weeks, start to finish. Total cost, $1500 (Labor Free - People were volunteering to help for experience and knowledge) and that included doors, insulated windows and all finish work inside. It became an art studio of sorts. The home is called the Honey House (Google it - Earthbag Honey House). Anyways, we will go this way soon, I'm going to start with a chicken coup and work my way up to my home eventually.

The bags are tough and last forever when kept out of the direct sunlight. You can buy misprints from grain and rice companies for pennies each, or you can get full blown tubes on a roll of 2000'. And just trim them to fit.

Check out the book mentioned above, best resource on the subject that I have found IMHO.

Good luck, keep your posts coming and pics if you have them.

Natalie and Joplin

[SFM in KY]

dheat: Great links and will get through them as I can. I'm on dialup so photo-intensive sites are often difficult for me ... what I've found so far has been very helpful.

Kypossumdog: Thanks! hadn't thought of Berea in this context though I'm aware of their folk art/crafts curriculum and have visited that wonderful new visitor's center several times. Will call them and see what I can find out.

Natalie11: Just got the book you mentioned in yesterday's mail! Skimmed through it a bit last night and can see it is going to be very helpful.

I can already see I am going to have some specific questions ... am already wondering if the bags can be "shortened" ... not filled completely and used in the same manner. Both DH and I are in the senior citizen category and 100# bags are simply not going to be something we can manage.

First project is actually going to be a shed, which will eventually be incorporated in the complete house structure ... figure if we make mistakes with that it won't be as critical ... and will have some questions on bearing wall loads, buttressing, etc.

Both of us are really looking forward to this ... and one thing I've definitely decided I want is a "living roof" ... and thinking about adding a small semi-greenhouse (if that term makes sense) ... something that will add several months of growing time for tomatoes and "salad stuff" but that won't require an actual heat source.

[tiogacounty]

Originally Posted by PyroDon

Im afraid your somewhat mistaken .
As there are abobe structures in the US that have stood for over 1200 years and many spanish missions also adobe that have been around and in use for nearly 600 years.
There are also places in the west were you can still find standing Sod houses though abandon over a century ago the walls are still solid .
I also believe if you do a bit of research you'll find that there are also a number of straw bale houses that were built over 100 years ago in Nebraska.
I know of one which is still inhabited that is over 120 years old . Yes its had repairs done but show me a 120 year old house that hasnt.

I have to agree with PyroDon on this. I just watched an educational channel show about Adobe buildings that were here when Columbus was tooling around looking for a place to dock. Nearly any construction technique can be a success that performs for hundreds of years, or a failure that is in trouble after a dozen winters. The two biggest issues are site suitability and maintainence. Is the style of construction being done in a climate where it will stand a chance of longevity, or is it designed to fail? Is the structure properly maintained on a long term basis? It's real easy to look at a 150 year old Amish farm house or a building in Williamsburg and think "they don't build them like that anymore, that will last forever". Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. A grand old building that is neglected, or abandoned may only be a decade or two away from falling into it's foundation, like a cake that fell in the oven. I have seen absolute trash in my areas that has the ability to totally destroy a new stick built home in less than 20 years, and I have worked on a 40+ year old single wide trailer that was nearly as good as new. I have seen a timberframe barn go from being nice, straight and usable to laying on the ground, in 20 years, simply because the owner felt that a few thousand for a metal roof wasn't worth the cost. To a large extent, it's all about what you build and how well you maintain it, not what it's made of.