This beautiful earth bag home contains 450 ft² of space and was built for less than $5000. Recycled or salvaged materials were used wherever it was possible (i.e. the door and flooring). The rounded shape provides great stability for the entire structure, and two rows of concrete bags reinforced with barbed wire provide a solid grounding.
Here’s a step by step of the build…
Starting on a rubble trench foundation. Railroad ballast was used for the rubble…
Covering over our sediment fabric with pea gravel…
Two rows of stem wall using 80 lb sacks of concrete. 2 strands of barbed wire go between every row. The thing in the middle is a building compass, made from chain link parts, used to keep the walls round and level…
Firewood is used to hold the barbed wire in place. The row of gravel bags going in. When tamped, they are about 2 inches thick…
Door frame up. The bottom layer of bags are double bags filled with gravel to keep water from wicking up into the walls…
A strip anchor to hold the door in place. Filling a bag with a mix of clay soil from on-site and “screenings” from a gravel quarry…
The little window near the camera will also be a cold storage in the winter. Note the first lintel over window in back. This keeps the wall stable over an “open” area such as a door or window…
Ropes in wall are to tie down joists when we put the roof on. Note flue through which stove pipe will exit the wall…
This is the center post that will be used to support the roof structure in the middle of the house made from locust wood…
Plywood going on. First roof layer is 6 mil poly. Water proof tape to join sheets. Silicone caulk was also used to help seal it. Cardboard layer (for a little extra insulation )…
Styrofoam (saved from dumpsters) bags sealing between joists with chicken wire for plaster over them. Hose separates earth and cement plaster. Cement wicks water up…
Rendering the exterior…
Rendering the interior…
The center post supporting the roof…
Old bottles are used in the door frames to allow for light to enter and create a stunning entrance way feature…
The completed earth bag home including solar panels on the roof…
If you’re looking for more information about this building technique, check out – Earthbag Building – The first comprehensive guide to all the tools, tricks, and techniques for building with bags filled with earth – or earthbags…
If you like this idea, be sure to share it with your friends and inspire someone you know. Anything becomes possible with just a little inspiration…
