Low Impact Housing - Straw Bale/Cob/Earth Homes discussion

[Mattemma]

I recall watching this kids science show once,and the kids on the show experimented with various ways to protect a straw bail from water and fire.Some sort of concrete clay mix won out. If straw was not so expensive I would build a play shelter with the kids.

Was watching the movie BABIES the othe day with dd. The YURT might be an option. I was laughing when I saw the huge satellite next to the yurt for tv. No idea where they got the electric from since the home was out in the boons. The african hut was cool too.Cute babies.Watch it for ideas.

 

[Baymule]

Ferret, I admire you for wanting to build your own home without the 30 year $1000 +++++++ monthly note attached. I have looked at cob, and earth homes too and decided they would require too much maintenance in the long run. And at some point, you have to look at resale value, not to mention getting old and can't climb on the roof to patch or re-thatch it anymore. The earthship homes look cool, built out of earth rammed tires, but I think would work better in a dry climate.

There is a style that I think would be right up your alley as far as upkeep, resale and longevity. Go look at cordwood houses. www.daycreek.com These homes are built to last, energy efficient, sturdy and can be built by DIY'ers. I would stay far, far away from an earth roof and put up a good metal tin low maintance roof that would last for years and most important-NOT LEAK!

 

[mom'sfolly]

I've actually been in several straw bale homes, and there are quite a few in the Austin area. They are more fire and insect resistant than conventional building, and have an average insulation value of R41. I've done a fair amount of research on various "green building" types. Personally, I like straw, cob and some of the concrete designs. There are cob homes that are hundreds of years old, and in wet/cold climates. You might be able to find some in your area. Most people who are building these types of homes are overjoyed to show you what they are doing.

Some of the drawbacks of straw bale building have to do with running utilities and possibly huge issues if you decide to add on. You might also run into problems trying to insure a non-conventional home.

The straw bale home I wanted (it was priced too high) had a great floor plan, good passive solar orientation, radiant floor heating, a rain water collection system and some solar. It was a great house...just out of my price range.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

We live in an owner-built passive envelope solar home in the Northeast. I have lived in it for 30 yrs. and five children. I could probably write a book about the practicality of my life and this house. But I'll give you the short version:
It cost us enough to build and it was totally owner built- ex-spouse and myself with a bit of help from FIL and a few others. It's a great learning experience but you had better go into it prepared to spend a lot more cash and a lot more time than you think you will need.
It's rough on a marraige too. Neither of you truly know what you are getting into and if one loses interest, you are up the creek.
Banks frown heartily on owner-builts precisely for the above reason.
Does it work? Ours is an Ekosea model from 30 years ago. The principle works. The problem comes with the upkeep. At the time e-glass was not guaranteed for passive solar use. I don't know if any is now because I am still trying to pay for the first glass. When too many of the panels leaked, we had to opt for a conventional roof with a few skylights which really cut the solar gain to almost nothing. But who can afford to replace a 50K roof that might leak again in another 5 years?
I loved the solar space. I loved the open floor plans. But I am just an average person with a very very average income I can't afford to make this house what it should be to be correct.
DH recently went to one of these solar seminars to look into using solar energy panels for electricity. He was very interested in the concept, we had a new roof with the perfect angle for installation. He even paid for the seminar-- sponsored by Penn State.
He did the math. We can't live long enough to enjoy any payback-- and he only just retired!
We see lots of solar roofs going on all over the place around us. We have decided solar electric is economically feasible only for businesses with good cash flow and large taxes due where the gov''t rebates help offset what would be huge taxes on their profits. For the average Joe they do not make sense.
A recently retired colleague from work also attended the seminar. He was executive level ( rather than trade) and he too decided the solar electric was not feasible financially.
In our area there is also a development of earthberm houses of the same era-- 1980. I have never heard anything bad about them from anyone so I assume they are holding up well.
Would I do it again if I were young and naive? I'd go for simple. Nothing fancy or complicated. One story, small. Maybe it would have gotten finished.
If you aren't a contractor, I'd ask you why you want to build your own. My ex was convinced no one could build it as well as he could. That would have been a *sign* if I hadn't been young and ignorant of the ways of the world.

 

[Ferrret]

It's rough on a marraige too. Neither of you truly know what you are getting into and if one loses interest, you are up the creek.
Would I do it again if I were young and naive? I'd go for simple. Nothing fancy or complicated. One story, small. Maybe it would have gotten finished.
If you aren't a contractor, I'd ask you why you want to build your own. My ex was convinced no one could build it as well as he could. That would have been a *sign* if I hadn't been young and ignorant of the ways of the world.

I can fall into the young and naively hopeful category, but I also work to ground myself and my imagination when I get hooked on an idea.
I know I cannot do all the work to build a home. I would most certainly hire someone for jobs that aren't simple to learn and do oneself. Putting up walls is one thing, running electrical, pouring a foundation, installing plumbing, those are tasks not always suited for Average Joes. BF may have an ego, but he knows his limitations and when to call a professional to do a job.
For now, building an earth sheltered home is an idle dream, maybe something will come of it, maybe it will stay a dream. The toll it can take on a relationship, expenses, and the amount of work have all been considered, and currently keep me grounded rather than trying to convince BF that a 20 acre lot of land I found is at just the right price, in just the right place.

I don't mind a simple one story home, having grown up in a large 2 story home I know how much of the space would be wasted if I tried to build one. BF and I have been looking at a lot of one story homes, looking to downsize a bit from what we have, but he's very keen on having a basement. We'd both like a storage area and a workspace, and a basement can serve that purpose, though a few homes have had nice pole barns he's considered as a decent trade off for being without a basement.
More than anything, I would want to research building plans and materials a whole lot more, and if the interest doesn't wane, look to take a few courses long before digging in to such a project. Building a chicken coop took 3 months of research and preparation, and making sure it was a solid interest, building a home might take 3 years or more.

Mentioning the yurt idea, the friends who linked the Hobbit Home on FB lived in a yurt for a couple years while they built their home. I'm sure they would love to show us how to set one up, though I believe BF would object to living in a tent until the house is built.

I've seen that somewhere a bit south of me is a place where you can rent a yurt, sort of like renting a cabin on a campground. I'm visiting with my relatives who visited the place so I'll ask them how it was, perhaps take a weekend trip with BF to show him it's not too bad.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I keep looking at this website...

http://www.balewatch.com/

And I love this house:

http://www.balewatch.com/green1500plan.html

I think green building has come a long way since the hippy dippy building sprees of the 1970's. A geodesic dome is fun, but would you really want to pay to re-roof the thing? This website is fun too, but most of these homes are very high end. I dream about some of the properties listed here, especially the ones in New Brunswick.

http://www.greenhomesforsale.com/

 

[Ferrret]

I spoke with my Uncle for a while about low impact homes and he mentioned that my Grandfather considered purchasing an underground home. He said they visited the place and it reminded him very much of a Cold War bunker, and it was quite cold and damp, though I have an idea as to why it would be like that. The area the home was built in was along a lake, in a swamp, which doesn't seem too ideal for an earth sheltered home, considering all the water around.

I've seen a few converted underground spaces that on inside do not look at all like they were several feet below the surface. Well place windows and ventilation, as well as interior decorating, do a lot to make submerged homes more comfortable and less claustrophobic. Living in Michigan, I would without a doubt need to have a dehumidifier in an earth sheltered home. My current home has one in the basement near the well pump to keep everything dry, and I know many people who have them in their homes as well.

Very interesting sites mom'sfolly, I like several of the plans on balewatch.