straw bale buildings
What are “Earth Homes?” Earth homes are houses that are
basically constructed from the earth. Some earth homes are built
from adobe, mud, straw or even underground as an earth-sheltered
home. Environmentally friendly, earth homes are easy to warm and
cool and extremely energy efficient.
Adobe Earth homes are houses constructed from bricks comprised
of tightly compacted earth, clay and straw. Adobe earth homes
can be naturally waterproofed by using fermented cactus juice!
Earth sheltered earth homes are houses the are constructed
underground – or at least mostly beneath the ground surface.
Surrounding soil is a superp and nautral insulation which makes
these homes cheap to heat and cool. Usually installed in a
well-drained hillside, earth sheltered homes have a skylight
window that can fill the home with natural sunlight. Although
costs may run a bit higher than conventional home construction,
earth sheltered homes are a good, long-term investment as
lowered maintenance and energy savings make up the difference.
Straw Bale earth homes are making a comeback as well. Straw bale
earth homes are obviously constructed of straw and grass, are
energy efficient, and can cut material building costs by as much
as fifty percent.
Earth homes, such as Cob Houses are built from clay-type lumps
of soil, sand and straw. Similar to the adobe homes, except cob
earth homes do not use bricks or blocks. Cob homes have walls
that are sculpted into smooth forms. Again, very energy
efficient, cob homes are well-suited for the very cold climates
and deserts.
Rammed earth homes may have over 18-inch, thick walls that are
made from a comcination of dirt, sand, cement and water. Energy
conservative, rammed earth homes have the appearance of
bungalow-style charm and help keep the house warm in winter and
cool in the summer. Additionally, rammed earth homes may last
hundreds of years.
Why build an earth home? Earth homes conserve energy, and in
most cases are easier to maintain and can endure for years to
come. An excellent site to visit on earth homes:
www.hobbithomes.ca This particular site even has a recipe for
building your own “cob” earth home, as well as other projects.
As we embark on a strange, new age and global warming
continuously on the rise, doesn’t it make sense to construct
your new custom home as an earth home?
©2004 – All Rights Reserved Environmentally-Friendly Earth Homes
C. Bailey-Lloyd / Lady Camelot
About the Author: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the
Public Relations Director & Writer for Holistic
Junction — Your source of information for Holistic
Practitioners; Naturopathic Schools, Massage Therapy Schools, and Reflexology
Schools; Alternative Healthcare; Insightful Literature and so
much more!
NOTICE: Article may be republished free of charge as long as
Author Resource Box (above) is included, and ALL Hyperlinks
REMAIN in tact and active.
About the Author:
C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot is the Public Relations Director &
Writer for Holistic
Junction — Your source of information for Holistic
Practitioners; Naturopathic Schools & Massage Therapy
Schools.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Environmentally-Friendly Earth Homes
Houses of straw – the rediscovery of strawbale building
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Building with Straw Volume I: A Straw Bale Workshop
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Building with Straw Volume 2: A Straw Bale Home Tour
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Building with Straw Vol 3: Are straw bale buildings durable and fire resistant?
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Bob the Builder: On Site Project Planet
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