Earthbag Construction

[cap1717]

Originally Posted by KarmaPhx

Seems interesting, but where do you get the bags from? Seems like a cinderblock wall might be cheaper, and more sturdy.

but much less sound proof and energy efficient with block

[1Fineapple]

Hi! I bought 10 acres north of Kingman and would like to build an earthbag home. I am going to require help so I figured I would start looking for the right construction company that could start giving me some quotes. I plan on getting it permitted and having things to code. I have quite a large plan for my entire property but I'm going to take baby steps. Please let me know if you can suggest or recommend a particular contractor that could help me with the build and perhaps help me plan out the next phase or two as well.

[stephenMM]

Are you talking about Santa Fe, New Mexico? Those walls are generally adobe bricks, not earth filled bags. The traditional method is to use adobe bricks and put plaster on over that. Today they generally use a combination of wood and stucco, sometimes brick (you could certainly use cinder block bricks, that would seem to be the cheapest and easiest way).

Some chicken wire is usually put on whatever you used to give the stucco something to stick to. The homes being built today in Santa Fe are conventional wood/brick w/ the chicken wire/stucco last. They're just fake adobe homes. If you're in the historic part, they will probably require traditional methods.

Always ck your building codes for things like setbacks and heights when it comes to walls or fences. I wanted to put an 8' wood privacy fence around a home's backyard in Galveston, Texas, and the codes people said 6' was the maximum. So I said, how about a bunch of 8' tall shrubs or trees planted close together to have the same effect? They said no problem, LOL.