@ZokcoPokco It's quite common to plaster right onto the bags. If using cement stucco, then you need chicken wire. I used a small amount of cement in the base coat plaster which makes it rock hard once it cures. I also tried a lime/straw plaster on a section which came out nice, but is not as durable as the cement stabilized plaster.Once the base coat is covered with a finish plaster, all should be good. Hope that helps.
Where are you building at in New Mexico? I still have family there and am probably going to visit in the near future, would love to stop by and see your earth home.
@dead4fun the main portion of the base coat was an earth/sand/small amount of cement mix. I've since switched to an earth/sand/lime/straw mix that's terrific and doesn't crack. The finish coat will be an earth/lime putty/straw mix that seems to work really well and looks great. (I did a few small patches to test it and it's a thumbs up)
Great videos m8. I hope to build an earthbag similar to yours one day. I was thinking about building cob or rammed earth but then I discovered earthbag homes and am sold on the simplicity and beauty of them.
@DontFriendInviteMe Yep, and if a frog had wings it wouldn't bump it's ass a'hoppin'.
It'd be pretty hard for me to shoot video of me building since I'm the only one out there. Thanks for the info though, Sherlock. BTW, I went to your channel. I seems to be a monument to negativity. Good job! (NOT)
@DontFriendInviteMe "video camera"? "editing"? "voice-over"? "start and stop video"? "get a life"? Bottom line is - I don't have the time or motivation to make a production. I can cover a lot more ground with pictures. I've learned plenty from videos just like these, so I don't quite understand what your problem is. Are you 12, or what?
If it's in the walls it stays in as a vent (large pvc) or a bottle holder for lights (small pvc). The pvc in the roof is temporary to form the openings for vents (along the backbone(top)) and for skylights. The pvc in the roof should be removed - I just haven't been up there in a while to tap the rest of 'em out.
just got your comment via email (seems its been deleted already) - Just wanted to make clear that there was no offense in my comment! I really have a lot of respect for you what you reached all alone and was just curious why you did it alone...
Im planning on a small community with earthbagbuildings - your videos are very helpful - especially because yours is a bigger one than usually seen!
@pleabargain I'm doing this solo. Before I started I sat down and figured out what I would need. #1 was a backhoe/loader. In fact, without one of those I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing (by myself anyway). With one, I'm able to do everything by myself - clearing and leveling the site, digging trenches for plumbing, moving dirt, screening dirt, hauling full bags to the wall, moving mixed concrete to where I need it, working in the dark, on and on - all possible with a TLB and 1 person.
@pleabargain My helper is an Ingersol-Rand BL 275 (backhoe/loader). I typically load 4 (big) bags into the bucket, then use the tractor to lift them up to the wall. I designed the house to accommodate this method. I can lift 12 small bags to the general work area (for the inner walls), and placing them is very easy compared to the large bags. I didn't quite understand the question, so I hope this addresses your point. : )
Wonderful videos and you seem to have a very good mix with the Ebag/Eship build methods goin on. Do you have a sketch/layout of what it will look like when finished ?
I also wondering the grey water system is it basically going to be a standard WOM unit?
@medicinaluse I've tried and tried, but I can't figure out what a "WOM" is. Enlighten me please! Sorry, no sketch/rendering of the finished product. I bought a program to do that, but when I settled on a plan with curved walls, found out the program couldn't do curved walls, so... pencil and paper time
@doctordirtbag Lol sorry I should have clarified The "WOM" -- Water Organizing Module created/made/sold by the Earthship folks. Nothing wrong with pencil and paper though Google Sketchup is supposed to be very easy to learn. If you do not mind me asking what sort of square footage are we looking at, also how mnay rooms in total? Lastly so you designed this from scratch? , I wonder if you know off "Owen Geiger's" blog was thinking of combining his easy Ebag plans with some Eship concepts ..
@medicinaluse OH - THAT WOM!! Ok, yeah I know what that is - but I'll be going less high tech than that - and I think it's possible to do with some filters and a pressure tank. Sketchup is cool, but it was taking waaay too long to learn how to draw the house, so I bailed! I've been to Owens site, as well as every other I could find on the subject. I wanted curved walls, and a barrel vault roof, so this is what I came up with. I designed it so the largest roof span was 18 feet or less.
@doctordirtbag btw, anyone know how to get around the 50 character limit for comments? So anyway, the footprint for the house is apr. 2000 s.f. - 3 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen/living area, utility/laundry room, and a breakfast nook/study area. I built the dome first to see what I was up against, and it helped me determine what I could and couldn't do building the house - so the plan for the house is the product of a lot of behind the scenes thinkery!
@doctordirtbag Yeh the WOM unit is very pricey if you search utube for "alaska bioshelter" you will find 3 videos on a guy who has a very simple grey/black water system. 2000sqft seems a good size to aim for I actually really like Owens "Zero Energy Two" plan which is about the same size and also it seems ripe for adding in south facing windows and indoor planter. I get a 485 char limit not sure how to increase it, anyway cheers for responding feel free to add any more info also do you blog?
How about the pit behind what I think is the window. Is that something like they have in Earthships where you have a garden inside? I am reading Earthbag Building by Kaki Hunter so I have a lot of questions. I plan to build a house like this someday.
@DrReaper Yeah, that's one of two indoor gray-water planters. Maybe when I'm done building this house I'll take the time to annotate these vids, but until then at least there's some pics to try and figure out what I'm doing! Gray water goes through the plumbing, into the filter (the bathtub looking thing in the pit) then out to water the planters. What you see built so far is only half the house.
@DrReaper Hey thanks for noticing! They're fancy bottle holders. I wanted to incorporate some bottles into the walls, and this is what I came up with so I could insert the bottles later when I put on the final plaster. Plus, if a bottle ever breaks, it won't be such a major event to replace it.
do you plaster directly on the bags? you don't use chicken wire?
do you think it's safe for the mud like that?
ZokcoPokco 2 months ago
@ZokcoPokco It's quite common to plaster right onto the bags. If using cement stucco, then you need chicken wire. I used a small amount of cement in the base coat plaster which makes it rock hard once it cures. I also tried a lime/straw plaster on a section which came out nice, but is not as durable as the cement stabilized plaster.Once the base coat is covered with a finish plaster, all should be good. Hope that helps.
doctordirtbag 2 months ago
dr dirtbag, you are so precise! I like that.
ZokcoPokco 2 months ago
How much does each bag weigh and cost if you don't mind sharing that here?
Quick2000 2 months ago
@Quick2000 bags are around 100lbs (guesstimate) bags are appr. 30¢ per bag.
doctordirtbag 2 months ago
So I take it that you don't have ANY of the many homes you started finished as of yet (the end of 2011)?!?!
Very interested in seeing the finished project.
Sogwa 3 months ago
@Sogwa Just ONE home so far, and it's still in progress.
doctordirtbag 3 months ago
Where are you building at in New Mexico? I still have family there and am probably going to visit in the near future, would love to stop by and see your earth home.
ebertmadwoman 6 months ago
@ebertmadwoman that would be central NM. Turn left at the crooked cactus. : ) Let me know and I'll give you directions.
doctordirtbag 6 months ago
What are you using to plaster the walls?
dead4fun 9 months ago
@dead4fun the main portion of the base coat was an earth/sand/small amount of cement mix. I've since switched to an earth/sand/lime/straw mix that's terrific and doesn't crack. The finish coat will be an earth/lime putty/straw mix that seems to work really well and looks great. (I did a few small patches to test it and it's a thumbs up)
doctordirtbag 9 months ago
Great videos m8. I hope to build an earthbag similar to yours one day. I was thinking about building cob or rammed earth but then I discovered earthbag homes and am sold on the simplicity and beauty of them.
rawmark 1 year ago
gr8, ,ty alot 4 sharing love this method 4 housing
rawfo0d 1 year ago
this is great.. im'a build one like this here in Ukraine :)
yanikivanov 1 year ago
One of 4 million youtube videos with pictures fading to music instead of audio/video of actually building. :o\
DontFriendInviteMe 1 year ago
@DontFriendInviteMe Yep, and if a frog had wings it wouldn't bump it's ass a'hoppin'.
It'd be pretty hard for me to shoot video of me building since I'm the only one out there. Thanks for the info though, Sherlock. BTW, I went to your channel. I seems to be a monument to negativity. Good job! (NOT)
doctordirtbag 1 year ago 8
@doctordirtbag "tripod"?
DontFriendInviteMe 1 year ago
@DontFriendInviteMe "video camera"? "editing"? "voice-over"? "start and stop video"? "get a life"? Bottom line is - I don't have the time or motivation to make a production. I can cover a lot more ground with pictures. I've learned plenty from videos just like these, so I don't quite understand what your problem is. Are you 12, or what?
doctordirtbag 1 year ago 5
If it's in the walls it stays in as a vent (large pvc) or a bottle holder for lights (small pvc). The pvc in the roof is temporary to form the openings for vents (along the backbone(top)) and for skylights. The pvc in the roof should be removed - I just haven't been up there in a while to tap the rest of 'em out.
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
absolutely gorgeous!..need volunteers?
angetodac 1 year ago
Hey DrD...
just got your comment via email (seems its been deleted already) - Just wanted to make clear that there was no offense in my comment! I really have a lot of respect for you what you reached all alone and was just curious why you did it alone...
Im planning on a small community with earthbagbuildings - your videos are very helpful - especially because yours is a bigger one than usually seen!
Thanks again :)
Videodownloader01 1 year ago
@Videodownloader01 Not a problem. My comment didn't quite capture my thoughts and I ended up sounding like an ass.
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
Respekt for doing all this alone... still Id think it would be more fun to do it with more ppl :)
Videodownloader01 1 year ago
@pleabargain I'm doing this solo. Before I started I sat down and figured out what I would need. #1 was a backhoe/loader. In fact, without one of those I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing (by myself anyway). With one, I'm able to do everything by myself - clearing and leveling the site, digging trenches for plumbing, moving dirt, screening dirt, hauling full bags to the wall, moving mixed concrete to where I need it, working in the dark, on and on - all possible with a TLB and 1 person.
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
@pleabargain My helper is an Ingersol-Rand BL 275 (backhoe/loader). I typically load 4 (big) bags into the bucket, then use the tractor to lift them up to the wall. I designed the house to accommodate this method. I can lift 12 small bags to the general work area (for the inner walls), and placing them is very easy compared to the large bags. I didn't quite understand the question, so I hope this addresses your point. : )
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
Wonderful videos and you seem to have a very good mix with the Ebag/Eship build methods goin on. Do you have a sketch/layout of what it will look like when finished ?
I also wondering the grey water system is it basically going to be a standard WOM unit?
medicinaluse 1 year ago
@medicinaluse I've tried and tried, but I can't figure out what a "WOM" is. Enlighten me please! Sorry, no sketch/rendering of the finished product. I bought a program to do that, but when I settled on a plan with curved walls, found out the program couldn't do curved walls, so... pencil and paper time
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
@doctordirtbag Lol sorry I should have clarified The "WOM" -- Water Organizing Module created/made/sold by the Earthship folks. Nothing wrong with pencil and paper though Google Sketchup is supposed to be very easy to learn. If you do not mind me asking what sort of square footage are we looking at, also how mnay rooms in total? Lastly so you designed this from scratch? , I wonder if you know off "Owen Geiger's" blog was thinking of combining his easy Ebag plans with some Eship concepts ..
medicinaluse 1 year ago
@medicinaluse OH - THAT WOM!! Ok, yeah I know what that is - but I'll be going less high tech than that - and I think it's possible to do with some filters and a pressure tank. Sketchup is cool, but it was taking waaay too long to learn how to draw the house, so I bailed! I've been to Owens site, as well as every other I could find on the subject. I wanted curved walls, and a barrel vault roof, so this is what I came up with. I designed it so the largest roof span was 18 feet or less.
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
@doctordirtbag btw, anyone know how to get around the 50 character limit for comments? So anyway, the footprint for the house is apr. 2000 s.f. - 3 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen/living area, utility/laundry room, and a breakfast nook/study area. I built the dome first to see what I was up against, and it helped me determine what I could and couldn't do building the house - so the plan for the house is the product of a lot of behind the scenes thinkery!
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
@doctordirtbag Yeh the WOM unit is very pricey if you search utube for "alaska bioshelter" you will find 3 videos on a guy who has a very simple grey/black water system. 2000sqft seems a good size to aim for I actually really like Owens "Zero Energy Two" plan which is about the same size and also it seems ripe for adding in south facing windows and indoor planter. I get a 485 char limit not sure how to increase it, anyway cheers for responding feel free to add any more info also do you blog?
medicinaluse 1 year ago
How about the pit behind what I think is the window. Is that something like they have in Earthships where you have a garden inside? I am reading Earthbag Building by Kaki Hunter so I have a lot of questions. I plan to build a house like this someday.
DrReaper 1 year ago
@DrReaper Yeah, that's one of two indoor gray-water planters. Maybe when I'm done building this house I'll take the time to annotate these vids, but until then at least there's some pics to try and figure out what I'm doing! Gray water goes through the plumbing, into the filter (the bathtub looking thing in the pit) then out to water the planters. What you see built so far is only half the house.
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
Why the PVC holes in a row at the roof level? What is their function?
DrReaper 1 year ago
@DrReaper Hey thanks for noticing! They're fancy bottle holders. I wanted to incorporate some bottles into the walls, and this is what I came up with so I could insert the bottles later when I put on the final plaster. Plus, if a bottle ever breaks, it won't be such a major event to replace it.
doctordirtbag 1 year ago
Good work, that thing is gonna be huge!
WizzleThump 1 year ago