Environmentally-Friendly Earth Homes
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
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http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/environmentallyfriendly-earth-homes-1296.html
Why aren’t we building environmentally friendly homes?
The technology is out there, how come we are not building wheelchair accessible, environmentally friendly homes? In the Plains states air conditioners and natural gas furnaces are the biggest energy consumers in the home. With all the new solar technology and water to air heat pumps, how come more environmentally friendly homes aren’t being built? Can’t the average American afford such a home? I know that installing a loop system that utilizes the earth as a heat sink can cost several thousand dollars.
First, many builders ARE building "green" technology homes. Second, you hinted at the reason not everyone builds that way. Initial costs are higher than traditionaly designed structures. Saving pennies on energy costs means that a homeowner will not realize his energy savings potential until years down the line. Meanwhile, he has to come up with money out of pocket to get into such a home in the first place.
Finally, why should all homes require wheelchair access? If that were required, there would be no second story or split level homes, nor homes built on hillsides, or above garages. These newer options should open up design opportunities, not restrict them.
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The simplest answer is that modern man does not want to live in a cave!!
An underground home is the most energy conserving home available, but the view is usually terrible.
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Lots of people are building energy efficient and environmentally friendly homes. Canada has an R-2000 standard for construction of energy efficient homes. The standard is used to develop an airtight envelope around the house and control heat loss that way. Though the construction cost is about 10% more expensive it does pay itself off in energy savings over the life of the building.
The actor Ed Begley has done a few tours of his energy efficient home on TV. Randy Bachman, lead singer of BTO has an earth home (constructed from compacted earth) that is spectacular. But even average people can buy an R-2000 home.
It is happening, even if you aren’t aware of it.
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Because homes tend to be homebodies. They are not very friendly nor outgoing. Motorhomes get out more.
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People ARE building more environmentally friendly homes…in fact some people, like my husband and I are building our own.
We concidered rammed earth, but have settled on straw bale, for speed of construction.
Here’s a better question for you. Why are insurance companies still reluctant to insure a straw bale home, even though its 100′s of time less flamable than normal construction. Why do rammed earth houses have trouble getting insurance, when they CANNOT burn?
Why don’t mortgage companies care to finance construction of such homes, especially when the resale value of the homes can be tremendous.
Why don’t we enact laws that new construction houses need to have solar and/or wind power built right into the house? Houses that are built with swimming pool should have to produce ALL of the power used by the pool, plus some for the house.
In many places heat sinks cannot be constructed. Too many rocks (lava can extend for miles around here), permafrost, too sandy, or soil too damp.
There’s another problem I’ve noticed with environmentally friendly houses. People often feel comfortable with a power bill of a certain amount. They move into an energy efficient home, and just add more electronics, until the power bill it at the same level it was before. It’s odd, but I’ve noticed this seems to happen over and over again.
~Garnet
Homesteading/Farming over 20 years
P.S. Please do not single out the Plains states…we need conservation everywhere. And for the person that posted about homes with an R value of 2000 (two thousand!!) I cannot believe that. Straw bale construction with walls about 1 1/2 feet thick has an R value of 56. The average home only has R13. R2000? I don’t think so. If you built a straw bale house to have R2000 it would have walls over 35 feet thick. If you know something the rest of us do not know, then post a link.
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Me, Myself & I
Hi lilkeemd,
USA government doesn’t believe in global warming.
I hardly want to be a cave dweller. But take a good LQQk at the expense to some of these homes-soalr paneling, wind tunnels(for power). If you got the dollars come get me & I’ll help you build one or two.
I do however recycle, have engery lights, walks rather than drive my car when necessary, have organic garden.
Have a good night. :0)
References :
http://www.motherearth.com
As said by another guy environmentally friendly homes are expensive, though they are a good investment. Besides people who already live in non environmentally friendly homes will not cough up the cash to turn their houses into e-friendly homes because as i said its expensive.
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